[Hack-and-slash-code] [Hack-and-Slash] The Future of the Hack and Slash Computer Game

[BFGalbraith <bga...@kr...>]

OK, here's what I have NOT included yet in the "New Hack and Slash Computer 
Game Project Documentation" 
( http://www.planetquake.com/gg/hands_docs/index.html ) from The Serpent 
Lord's "The Future of Hack and Slash."
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The system needs to be documented to be useful:

 * playing the game, starting and joining games, settings, etc.
 * editing the game, code, maps, models, gfx, sounds, music, etc.
 * creating classes of characters, and weapon classes
 * using other Hack and Slash entities

The weapon system is incomplete:

 * Missile attacks should not use hit points like hand to hand
   (see player.qc, player_attack)
 * Check whether weapons are automatically aimed up and down
 
The HP used by each attack should be part of the class entity:

 * HP can be used to damage, manipulate, maneuver or recover
 * So, each attack should have a damage and manipulate value
 * animation_jab_damage, animation_kick_damage, animation_push_damage
 * animation_jab_manipulate, animation_kick_manipulate, etc.
 * OR you might combine them into a single .vector value
 * animation_jab_hp or animation_jab_hitPoints or something
 * The vector '1 2 0' might represent 1 damage, 2 manipulation
 * I don't know what the third number might be used for (kick?)

Cameras need some work:

 * I'm not sure we need "hint" cameras, maybe they should work
   just like "revert" cameras, and both should be classified as
   "moving" as opposed to "fixed" cameras
 * "spawnflags" are a confusing way to specify options perhaps it
   (and other confusing options like "health") should be replaced
   with more human readable options like "camera_type" ("moving"
   or "fixed" perhaps) and "camera_distance" (a number)

The Hack and Slash levels need some work:

 * gym_01: faster attack animation, add animation_rise_frames
 * oq_hands: disable trigger near single player start in deathmatch
 * valley: add monsters then run "QBSP - Only Entities"
 * IKLITE emulation in OpenQuartz light.exe is not bright enough
   Fixing OQ light is doubly important because IKLITE no longer
   runs from QuArK (though this could be called a bug in QuArK)
 * wyvern too dark because of this problem with OQ light
 * 3streams: big black blotches, whether IK or OQ light is used
   (could it be a problem with the QBSP programs? QuArK texturing?
   if so, perhaps using an older QBSP will have different results?)

The QuakeForge engine needs some work:

 * The menu system has not been totally re-implemented
 * Client side QC should allow us to design a new status bar
 * We need a system for installing the game and engine in Linux
 * Input doesn't work in QF dedicated servers (Windows only?)
 * Joystick control does not seem to work in Windows
 * 24 bit texture support (32 bit without alpha)
 * 24/32 bit textures on players (option to disable team colors?)
 * 24/32 bit textures on water and other textures still only 8 bit
 * Alternate water warp effects like scrolling instead of oozing
 * Allow larger playable area (compile option, per-map variable,
   or an option to compile with or without the variable?)  see
   MSG_ReadCoord, MSG_WriteCoord and similar functions in msg.c
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-BFGalbraith
Hack and Slash Project Manager
BFG...@pl...

Here's what's up:
www.planetquake.com/gg