Team Flying
by Joar Nessosin · in Game Design and Creative Issues · 08/09/2005 (7:38 am) · 23 replies
I was sitting here thinking about what made some of my all-time favorite games so much fun to play when I came across a realization. StarFox 64, easily one of my all-time favorites, touched on team flying, but never pursued it outside single player. (Which turned into babysitting very quickly.) Why haven't games taken flight teams to multiplayer? Even StarFox 64 had multiplayer flying, but it boiled down to a deathmatch mode... Is there any reason a cooperative mode isn't feasible? Or has it just not been proven?
In my opinion, a team based flying game would be slick. However, shifting from a single player flight team to an actual flight team could develop a few restrictions in gameplay. For instance, the "on-rails" style would have to either be used sparingly or not at all, considering how crowded things would be with even 4 or so people. (I suppose it could just be adapted to allow you to fall back or push ahead with a little more control, but frankly I prefer freedom to the rails anyway.) I'd say more free-form dogfight-style missions would work nicely.
One mistake game developers have made recently is the assumption that flying alone doesn't make enough gameplay. (This even started in StarFox 64, with the tank and submarine.) StarFox Assault and (I believe...) the most recent Rogue Squadron game even went so far as to add walking levels. Blargh. Given the genre's past successes, why has it been dumbed down with the addition of platformer garbage? (This may be different if they at least gave the ground missions some focus. From all sources I've seen, they just seem too slapped together.) *Tangent Alert*
Does anyone else think a team flyer would be fun? Is there any kind of special consideration that would be required to make the idea... fly?
In my opinion, a team based flying game would be slick. However, shifting from a single player flight team to an actual flight team could develop a few restrictions in gameplay. For instance, the "on-rails" style would have to either be used sparingly or not at all, considering how crowded things would be with even 4 or so people. (I suppose it could just be adapted to allow you to fall back or push ahead with a little more control, but frankly I prefer freedom to the rails anyway.) I'd say more free-form dogfight-style missions would work nicely.
One mistake game developers have made recently is the assumption that flying alone doesn't make enough gameplay. (This even started in StarFox 64, with the tank and submarine.) StarFox Assault and (I believe...) the most recent Rogue Squadron game even went so far as to add walking levels. Blargh. Given the genre's past successes, why has it been dumbed down with the addition of platformer garbage? (This may be different if they at least gave the ground missions some focus. From all sources I've seen, they just seem too slapped together.) *Tangent Alert*
Does anyone else think a team flyer would be fun? Is there any kind of special consideration that would be required to make the idea... fly?
#22
1-Team flying is a sound idea and doable idea.
2-The flight alone can be a blast.
3-And it has been done of a sort
I think I can address all 3 in one example. Planetside. I had a blast coordinating attack of Reavers on enemy teams. With a VOIP, it was the next best thing to actually being there, and I had a blast.
As for the flying its self being entertainment, thats a big YES. In Planetside, I would often log on late at night and just find a mostly empty zone and cruz for an hour or so. The freedom and scenery made for much entertainment. Thats not a far shot for a adding an objective to drive play, but keeping the entertainment factor focused on flight alone.
My two cents worth.
...Damn, now I am itching to reinstall it and go flying.
10/14/2005 (5:38 pm)
Have a nasty head ache so I haven't read all the post and my points may well be covered, so forgive me in advance.1-Team flying is a sound idea and doable idea.
2-The flight alone can be a blast.
3-And it has been done of a sort
I think I can address all 3 in one example. Planetside. I had a blast coordinating attack of Reavers on enemy teams. With a VOIP, it was the next best thing to actually being there, and I had a blast.
As for the flying its self being entertainment, thats a big YES. In Planetside, I would often log on late at night and just find a mostly empty zone and cruz for an hour or so. The freedom and scenery made for much entertainment. Thats not a far shot for a adding an objective to drive play, but keeping the entertainment factor focused on flight alone.
My two cents worth.
...Damn, now I am itching to reinstall it and go flying.
#23
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11/12/2005 (9:26 pm)
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Aces High II is a massive multi-player online combat simulation centered around the World War II air-war. Here are some of the highlights.
* Accurate flight modeling of over 80 aircraft, vehicles, and boats from around the world.
* Fight against hundreds of real players from around the world.
* Multiple arenas with unique environments offer different styles of gameplay.
* Constant updates and additions keep the game fresh.
* Create historical skins for your plane.
* Start or join a squadron for even more fun.
* Participate in special events recreating scenarios from World War II.
* Learn from films you can record and view using the Aces High Film Viewer.
* Design and build your own terrain with the Aces High Terrain Editor.
* In game voice support.
* The most flexible view system in the genre. Tailor it to your liking.
* Full, true 3D cockpits.
* Customize your commands on the keyboard and the joystick.
* In-game secure account management.
* Auto-update in the game for all updates.
* Auto-update for all new skins released for the game.
* Free 8 player head to head over the Internet and LAN play.
* Free 2 week online trial (no billing information needed).
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