Customizable Teams

[ElPared]

I think randomized pieces of the units could be fun too. Like sometimes when you spawn an Adorables soldier it'll have a spoon or a pie server instead of a fork, or the heavy would have a star on its belly instead of a heart. Stuff like that, just to make each unit look more unique

[TheGreatErenan]

(01-08-2014 06:22 PM)ElPared Wrote:  I think randomized pieces of the units could be fun too. Like sometimes when you spawn an Adorables soldier it'll have a spoon or a pie server instead of a fork, or the heavy would have a star on its belly instead of a heart. Stuff like that, just to make each unit look more unique

I like this idea a lot.

But it does mean a lot of extra development time for a purely cosmetic change. Not really feasible from a commercial perspective.

[lawtai]

(01-09-2014 02:29 AM)TheGreatErenan Wrote:  I like this idea a lot.

But it does mean a lot of extra development time for a purely cosmetic change. Not really feasible from a commercial perspective.

But isn't that how some games make money? Like Hero Academy? You essentially pay to skin your units, and I thought I had read something that it actually worked well?

[.Memories.]

(01-09-2014 02:40 AM)lawtai Wrote:  

(01-09-2014 02:29 AM)TheGreatErenan Wrote:  I like this idea a lot.

But it does mean a lot of extra development time for a purely cosmetic change. Not really feasible from a commercial perspective.

But isn't that how some games make money? Like Hero Academy? You essentially pay to skin your units, and I thought I had read something that it actually worked well?

I think 'if it's profitable' will depend on a lot of factors: development team size and effort needed, player base, amount of new players / month, etc.

It may make some money but not be worth it depending on those things, which can change from game to game / company to company.

EDIT: 2,000th post. Yay.

[TheGreatErenan]

We're not really talking about new skins exactly. We're talking about Adam making a bunch of slightly modified alternate versions of every last frame of certain units, and these frames would randomly be used instead of the normal ones when those units are spawned. I think it would be hard to persuade players that paying for this is a worthwhile use of their money.

[ElPared]

here's a crazy idea: What if we implemented some of this stuff ourselves? I know it can be done, I'm just not sure of the logistics of it like where in the filesystem the graphics are or where in the code to insert a "random weapon" algorithm or whatever.

I mean, I know that's considered "hacking" but it's purely for looks, so no big deal right? Unless of course it's against the EULA or something (I knew I should have read that)

[Juslas]

At 90's id Software opened their game Doom the way user was able to swap game graphics (all of them). Modding has been common since then (for PC games).
Outwitters units seem to be animated sprites (= 2d pictures). To replace sprites with user created frames shouldn't be any harder today than it was 20 years ago. But can iOS app send those skins to another device to be rendered for opponent to view them as intended. How badly altered looks disturb playability. And how disturbing those user created sprites end up being - first ones are normally inspired from genitals.
If changed graphics are viewed only by the player modding the game, then potential legal troubles diminish. If OML points out where the graphics are stored, they can be changed by user even without jail braking the iOS device. Since this hasn't been a planned feature, sprites might have been stored the way that doesn't support easy switching. Meaning plenty of work to change code that handles graphics.
As much I love modding, Outwitters to me is not the game to mod. Personally I would find it disturbing to play against altered looking troops.

[.Memories.]

(01-09-2014 06:36 PM)Juslas Wrote:  But can iOS app send those skins to another device to be rendered for opponent to view them as intended.

I doubt this would ever be possible.

(01-09-2014 06:36 PM)Juslas Wrote:  If OML points out where the graphics are stored, they can be changed by user even without jail braking the iOS device.

They're not that hard to find. I've used them, but have not modified and then seen if it carries into the game. I'll try that tonight, maybe. Could be cool.

[TheGreatErenan]

Right, theoretically you might be able to modify the graphics data so that every unit of a particular type looks different from normal, and this wouldn't require changing code. But in order to have alternate sprites that sometimes appear and persist as such requires altering the code since it almost surely means adding additional data elements to the structures that store unit data.

[ElPared]

(01-10-2014 03:04 AM)TheGreatErenan Wrote:  Right, theoretically you might be able to modify the graphics data so that every unit of a particular type looks different from normal, and this wouldn't require changing code. But in order to have alternate sprites that sometimes appear and persist as such requires altering the code since it almost surely means adding additional data elements to the structures that store unit data.

Which is why it would require a jailbreak to inject the code needed to randomize items. But why stop there? If we're modifying the game why not add the custom teams ability like OP wanted? Or my color changing idea

The only problem is other players couldn't see the new graphics unless they had the mod, but alternate units and colors should still be visible by all players because that doesn't add anything new.