Weekly Discussion 49: Alternate FX/Animations.

[Redlynne]

1 hour ago, MTeague said:

Certainly for my Ninja/Cold MM, I've wanted a Blue Oni with blue-colored powers.  (blue fire sword, etc).  It's firmly on my Daydream List, not on a list of things I think I'm likely to see.  But colorizing MM pets might be a babystep on the way to full customization.... someday?  🙂

  

4 hours ago, Galaxy Brain said:

Konu Oni

 

[Caulderone]

On 5/4/2020 at 2:59 PM, ArchVileTerror said:

And to that end, I'd also like to encourage any animations with the same activation time should be shared with any Powers that use said activation time.

Fire Sword and Ice Sword could both be "fixed" to no weapon versions using the Barrage/Frozen Fists animations, for example.

 

I would really like for some/most/all of the longer animations to be "shaved" like was done for Energy Assault (TF from 3.3 to 2.5, PB from 2.0 to 1.67).  This could make sooo many powers feel much better and be more competitive dps-wise.

 

The disparity between things like Tesla Cage and Char could be shrunk with animation shaves, too.

Edited May 5, 2020 by Caulderone

[Peacemoon]

2 hours ago, Lost Deep said:

After playing some with a Necromancy MM, I think the way that noises stack in this game needs to be looked at. Every time I enter a new area, all the upgrade noises play: wwhhhhOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSHHHHhh. It's quite deafening. This is likely the same thing with other powers with loud noises that can play at the same time, and it might be a relatively simple fix inside the game's audio mixing?

I’m not sure how fixable this is but it’s definitely something that I think us Vets get used to and new players we introduce to the game comment on. Leadership powers also have this effect whenever I zone somewhere with all the toggles running. Somehow when they all play at once it amplifies the sounds volume.

[Peacemoon]

6 minutes ago, Caulderone said:

Fire Sword and Ice Sword could both be "fixed" to no weapon versions using the Barrage/Frozen Fists animations, for example.

 

I would really like for some/most/all of the longer animations to be "shaved" like was done for Energy Assault (TF from 3.3 to 2.5, PB from 2.0 to 1.67).  This could make sooo many powers feel much better and be more competitive dps-wise.

 

The disparity between things like Tesla Cage and Char could be shrunk with animation shaves, too.

Okay, but we need new terminology as ‘animation shaves’ sounds awful!

 

Inthjnk this could overdone and some variance between sets is nice. But Radiation Infection, Tar Patch and a Quicksand - do they really all need 3s cast time? (I seem to like choosing characters with this!) 

[Galaxy Brain]

17 minutes ago, Redlynne said:

 It me

It me!

[Caulderone]

22 minutes ago, Peacemoon said:

Okay, but we need new terminology as ‘animation shaves’ sounds awful!

I'm open to suggestions.  I just wasn't sure what to call it.  That seemed adequately clear and descriptive.

[MTeague]

32 minutes ago, Redlynne said:

  

 

I actually meant a Blue Oni for the summoned T3 pet, not for his own personal costume.

But I admit, that's a great piece of work you did in the costume editor there, and I'm shamelessly going to copy elements of it for a "Battle Armor" costume on him. 

(so far my MM himself has a sleeveless Baron jacket / sorceror look, and a businessman in a grey pinstripe suit look.... something for the more understated infernal evil....)

[Shocktacular]

6 hours ago, Nemeroff said:

More variety of objects for Gravity Control's Propel.

I'd like to have different-themed categories of objects for Propel, for character reasons.  If one of my grav-based characters is an alien being from another dimension, why are they throwing gargoyle statues at people?  Or office desks?  Why can't they just throw weird rocks and crystals?  If my grav character is magic-based, why are they throwing technical equipment at people rather than cauldrons and statues and magic-type items?

[Darkneblade]

Fade as alternate FX ''Shadowy Presence'' from inherent could be nice.

[Redlynne]

35 minutes ago, MTeague said:

I actually meant a Blue Oni for the summoned T3 pet, not for his own personal costume.

So did I.  @Galaxy Brain merely demonstrated how EASY it would be to create an alternate costume option for the Ninja T3 pet.

[MTeague]

Just now, Redlynne said:

So did I.  @Galaxy Brain merely demonstrated how EASY it would be to create an alternate costume option for the Ninja T3 pet.

Ack!  My apologies @Galaxy Brain, I mistook who originally posted the image!

[Keen]

Hm...

• An option to not have my animation changed by any ally buffs (Kinetics, Thermal, Elec Affinity buffs, etc)
• An option to not change an ally's animation when I cast buffs on them, similar to above but different viewpoint (both could co-exist)
• Real Minimum FX for everything, specially things like Bio Armor
• Non-visual-stealth options for stealth powers. Dark Armor has this already, as their "Soul Noir" option for their cloak power doesn't apply any visual stealth on the user (but applies stealth attribute), unlike the other options. This could also extend to area buffs, so defenders can like, cast Fade without making everyone visually invisible.
• Related to the above but different viewpoint: an option to not be visually affected by stealth/invisibility effects from ally buffs (Fade, Shadow Fall, Arctic Fog, Grant Invis, Mass Invis, etc)
• Ability to set the default flying animation among the existing ones without having to use an emote -- include Hover's current animation as an option for that, that'd be pretty cool to use as a normal flying animation.
• Ability to set a default stance animation among the existing ones, same as above. Examples: centered, cross arms, hero/villain stances, etc
• Ability to set a default running animation to perform like a Slide, Ninja Run or Beast Run, etc, without having to use those powers.
• Pistol animations from Thugs MM set proliferated to Dual Pistols
• The Spinning Kick animation from Martial Assault proliferated everywhere it can, including sets that don't do kicks (Super Strength) or sets that have their own exclusive animations (Street Justice) or elemental sets like Fire, Dark etc, with proper effects added to kicks. (This could apply to other animations too. 🙂 )

 

Edited May 6, 2020 by Keen

[LooneyToons]

I have to agree with those who've complained about particle spam in groups with large numbers of auras, and radiances, and just plain large-area glowy stuff.  I've played in PUGs where I literally couldn't see anything but the power effects and the occasional team member or enemy, where I had to use the map to follow the team instead of just following the person in front of me.  If you had the option to dial that down to a thin mist instead of an all-encompassing fog that would be great.

 

As far as anything else, the only thing that currently comes to mind is an old request of mine -- a hockey stick option (field and ice) for War Mace.

 

 

[Laenan]

It would be nice to have the ability to project blasts from different points. Eye beams, hand beams, chest beams, etc.

[Gulbasaur]

21 hours ago, Peacemoon said:

each time it makes the FF shield sound

It took me a while to work out what that was and GOOD GOLLY GOSH it is annoying. 

[Galaxy Brain]

Legit question, if animations can be easily manipulated in terms of timing (sped up as we saw with say, Earth Assault tremor, and conceivably slowed down though I cant think of an example at this second), what is really preventing a bunch of like animations being ported back and forth?

 

Crane kick for fireball

 

Rising uppercut for KO blow

 

Etc

[Caulderone]

2 minutes ago, Galaxy Brain said:

if animations can be easily manipulated in terms of timing

I don't think it was all that simple.  I suspect it was rather difficult, actually.

The Dominator changes to Tremor and Total Focus (shared animation, different fx) should be fairly easy to copy to the other powers that share the animation.  Fx work may be a pain in each case, though, plus realigning the audio fx.  The Dominator Power Burst change should be even easier to copy to all the Energy Blast sets, as it is identical in each case.

[Naraka]

44 minutes ago, Galaxy Brain said:

Legit question, if animations can be easily manipulated in terms of timing (sped up as we saw with say, Earth Assault tremor, and conceivably slowed down though I cant think of an example at this second), what is really preventing a bunch of like animations being ported back and forth?

 

Crane kick for fireball

 

Rising uppercut for KO blow

 

Etc

Emanation points (with regards to something like your first example) and syncing the audio impacts.  An example of the latter, the new Shadow Maul's impact sounds are more out of sync with the animation than the old animation.  Not saying the old animation was perfect, but the punches synced up better to the duration you were punching for.  Same deal for if you swapped Shadow Maul for, I dunno...Jump Kick's animation but the damage is a DoT but you're only kicking once.  The former would be having Laserbeam Eye's effect emanating off of KO Blow, having 2 beams coming out of...the air that you then punch up?

 

There's definitely limitations.  Personally, I enjoy unique thought out animations that require concept consideration vs lego animation work.

[Peacemoon]

3 hours ago, Gulbasaur said:

It took me a while to work out what that was and GOOD GOLLY GOSH it is annoying. 

I’m glad I’m not the only one. I don’t need a audio cue that the proc has fired. Particularly since it seems to have a 50% chance to fire on my snipe! 

[ShardWarrior]

On 5/4/2020 at 3:59 PM, ArchVileTerror said:

Minimal FX

for

everything.

This cannot be repeated enough.  If I were able to up-vote this post a million times, I would.  The amount of visual spam in the game is to the point where it is difficult if not impossible to see where you are and what you are doing. 

[ShardWarrior]

On 5/4/2020 at 4:14 PM, Lost Deep said:

The main thing I can think of, and this isn't quite power customization, is a way to deactivate visibility or turn down the business of some power effects.

^ This please 3000!

[Heraclea]

35 minutes ago, ShardWarrior said:

This cannot be repeated enough.  If I were able to up-vote this post a million times, I would.  The amount of visual spam in the game is to the point where it is difficult if not impossible to see where you are and what you are doing. 

When it gets too bad, going into graphics options and turning particles down to say 200 helps a lot. 

 

(You'll want to turn them back up to see what you're actually doing in base building, though, )

[Chris24601]

Repeating this from back on the Kheldian topics;

 

Please add a minimal effects option for Nova and Dwarf.

 

The game already has human-form animations visible in the costume editor for the form attack powers so we really just need the toggles to not change the model to nova and dwarf.

 

I love my costumes, but tri-form Khelds basically make them irrelevant since you end up looking like every other nova or dwarf most of the time. Having a minimal fx option for the forms would let me enjoy my costumes all the time. 

[Chance Jackson]

Air superiority & jump kick animations are relatively unique & those powers are relatively under utilized it would be great if those animations could be alternates for Kick

[Aoleleb]

Minimum FX Shadow Fall would be great. Remove the massive shadow puddle at people's feet.