Coding for manned sponson guns?

Well, just to waste time, I made up a wishlist of keyvalues in the vehicle scripts that would cover the implementation of sponson guns (the ability for other seats to have access to their own turrets).

Code:

Vehicle_ImpTank
{
	"properties"	//Ye olde vehicle properties,
			//with some old and new values:
	{
		"Seat_X_PersonalWeapons"	"0"
		[COLOR="PaleGreen"]//Old.  Ignored if seat is a turret.[/COLOR]
		"Seat_X_Ducking"		"1"
		[COLOR="PaleGreen"]//Old.  Ignored if seat is a turret.[/COLOR]
		"Seat_X_Turret"			"1"
		[COLOR="#98fb98"]//New.  Defines Seat X as being a seat with a turret.
		//If 0, all relevant values are ignored and treated
		//as normal passenger seat.  Defaults to 0.[/COLOR]
		"Seat X Min Pitch"		"5"
		"Seat X Max Pitch"		"-30"
		"Seat X Min Pitch Rear"		"2"
		"Seat X Max Pitch Rear"		"-30"
		 [COLOR="#98fb98"]//Old.  These function identically to Seat 1[/COLOR]
		"Seat X Min Yaw"		"5"
		"Seat X Max Yaw"		"-30"
		[COLOR="#98fb98"]//Old, but hidden.  These function identically to Seat 1.
		//Not very well implemented currently (but try it for fun).[/COLOR]
		"Seat X Turret Model"		"models/imperial/vehicles/ground/tankmed/turret.mdl"
		[COLOR="#98fb98"]//New.  Sets turret model for seat X.
		//(Not rendered by passenger?)
		//Defaults to no model. (Invisible gun!)[/COLOR]
		"Seat X Cannon Model"		"models/imperial/vehicles/ground/tankmed/cannon.mdl"
		[COLOR="#98fb98"]//New.  Sets cannon model for seat X.
		//Defaults to no model. (Invisible gun!)[/COLOR]
		"Seat X Heat Capacity"		"100"
		[COLOR="#98fb98"]//New.  If >0, gives Seat X its own heat capacity at that value.
		//Defaults to 100?
		//If 0, Seat X uses vehicle's native heat capacity.
		//If -1, Seat X has no heat capacity (infinite).[/COLOR]
	}
	"weapon_slot"
		[COLOR="#98fb98"]//Ye olde weapon_slot, with some additional functionality
		//to two of its values:[/COLOR]
	{
		"Bone"			"c_weapon_passenger0_type1"
		[COLOR="#98fb98"]//Refers to the turret model of the corresponding seat,
		//as defined by 'Seat X Turret Model'.[/COLOR]
		"Seat"			"X"
		[COLOR="#98fb98"]//Gives this slot to a seat X.
		//Weapon slot is ignored if someone makes the mistake of
		//applying it to a non-turret seat (dumbkopf!).[/COLOR]
	}

 

Ugh it won't work to have multiple turrets until we get better code for passenger position prediction stuff, which probably can't be done.

 

Even then I think it extremely unwise to make any of the current vehicles rely on the use of passenger manned guns.

Sponson guns would be a good addition to the NF heavy, a pair of guns which can only fire one per side, and maybe cross over in front, however the nature of these guns would require them to have no substantial recoil, otherwise you couldn't use them in combination with the main cannon, possibly a new class of gun would be in order, a single slot autocannon with projectile behaviour similar to the HL2 crossbow, so as not to make them too overpowered at range like dual HEMG would be but still keep them fast and potent at closer ranges.

These guns should be controlled by the driver, not a passenger, other vehicles could potentially have similar weapon desgn which employs the same system, for example both heavies could have forward pointing turrets only, with a limited yaw and pitch, a field of fire let's say 90 degrees in yaw and 25 in pitch.

A passenger controlled weapon based vehicle could exist, but it would need to be slow, like the leviathan or the goliath from UT and BF2142, I say this every time for the same reasons, the current tanks do not suit passenger control, they're too fast and the combat is too deathmatch-like to work with mutliple operators.

 

Or give the second seat a spray and pray weapon.

 

^that

I refuse to get out of my tank if there is someone I dont know in the second seat, no way I would put something on it that would actually attract people. Well actually a machine gun would be nice, to keep away stickies and whatever, but only if it was free and only if the aiming problems were fixed.

 

Yeah but what's the fun in that? You have a gun that is impossible to miss with and only works at close range, and no control over your movement, you are essentially serving as the AI for a level 1 turret.

As a top gunner weapon fine, they can have medium CGs for killing infantry, but not as a main weapon.

 

What about ships? =D