Difference between revisions of "Flag ideas"

From BZFlagWiki
Jump to: navigation, search
Line 82: Line 82:
{| cellpadding="2" cellspacing="1" border="1" width="100%"
|- style="background-color:#transparent;"
|Jump and Stay (JS)
| +
|Crazy Color (CC)
| +

Revision as of 03:45, 8 May 2008

Some simple guidelines


  • Make sure your flag idea isn't overpowered or stupid.


If you do implement a flag keep these things in mind:

  • All powerful flags aren't fun.
  • Flags that ensure your immediate destruction aren't fun.
  • Flags that aren't useful aren't fun.
  • Flags boost/modulate tactical trait of tanks

Based on these observations we have the following rules:

Flag power must be limited


Flag powers can counteract/balance each other.

Don't add flags that (almost) instantly kill the owner.
Flags should require new skills

List of suggested flags:

To be Approved
Approved as a not bad idea, but needs research
Claimed (Implementing)
Maybe but there are issues
Name +/- Status Use
Name +/- Status Use
Name +/- Status Use
Name +/- Status Use


Switched Laser? (SL) + Not different enough Like Laser, but it doesn't ricochet on servers with ricochet on. Maybe a server option or plugin to make <flag-type> not ricochet instead?
Air Strike (AS) + no flag combos Tank can drive in air (like Wings). Right-click to lock on to target like GM, except that a) your shots may only aim down and b) your shots travel in straight lines.
Grenade (GN) + too deadly/complex When your shots die (i.e. hit wall when no ricochet, or expire in air or killing somebody) they explode in a SW. (I don't know if this is possible in 3.0.)
Ball (BA) + dosn't need to be a flag, is more of a game mode with plugins BA is for maps with a sport structure in CTF mode. Shots are like a reverse thief, where BA is passed to a tank that is hit by a BA shot. A tank with BA can only shoot one shot at a time. Instead of looking like a thief beam, it could resemble a regular shot with a distinguished color. A Thief can steal a BA only if the BA tank is fully loaded, that is there aren't any BA shots on the map from the corresponding BA tank. If a tank with BA makes a shot, and is killed before that shot expires, the BA flag doesn't respawn until that shot expires. It would have to be determined where the BA flag respawns in such a situation (i.e. at the location where the recently deceased BA carrier died, at the location where the BA bullet expired, or at the BA reset point). When a tank is on top of its own team base and is holding a BA flag, that tank's team's score is increased by one and the BA flag is reset, just like a capture.
Steerable Shot (SS) + too complex Shots can be steered using keyboard or mouse. HUD follows shot. Cannot move tank while a shot is active.
Player Distance (PD) + not a flag, but a mode for auto id. Right-clicking or pressing I to identify a player shows the distance to that player as well.
Flag Drop (FD) + flags generally kill Firing causes all tanks nearby to drop their flags. Cannot kill with this flag.
Shot Protection (SP) + too powerful, shield does a more fair job Firing destroys all shots nearby. Cannot kill with this flag. Does not affect Laser or Super Bullet.
Camouflage (C) + just use cloak The tank has the same color/texture as the nearest object within a specified range, if there isn't an object within that range then it has the same color/texture as the ground. The Tank can be killed by a Laser. Camouflage is a weaker form of Cloak. If Stealth properties are included, it is a stronger form of Stealth.
Snipper (SN) + no super powerfull combo flags Tank is Stealthed and Camouflaged(i.e. the tank has the same color/texture as the nearest object within a specified range, if there isn't an object within that range then it has the same color/texture as the ground). It has 4 times the range and speed of a normal shot. Reload time takes 4 times longer than a normal shot. SN has a shot # limit of 1 before requiring reload. SN can be killed by a laser. Binoculars are magnified twice as much as usual. SN is not too practical for short range use.
SCaler (SC) + No, basically the same as All Terain This flag enables the ability to climb the walls of a pyramid, box or any other object. A BZDB variables I thought of for it might be _scalerSpeed or maybe the speed should be the same as _tankSpeed. MDSKPR
BlinkMine (BM) + no mines This flag is shot and lays a mine that blinks very rapidly, if runover it disables shooting until BZDB variable _mineTimeLimit kicks in and enables shooting again. also another BZDB variable could be added _mineDeactivateTime setting how long a mine can remain dangerous. yet another BZDB variable could be added specifying the mine size. maybe BZDb variable _mineLimit could specify how many mines a player could have or it could be just based on the shot limit. this flag is useful if being chased and many other uses MDSKPR


Tesla Coil (TC) +/- too complex Zaps all tanks (including ST) that come within a SW radius of the TC carrier tank. Only works if TC carrier is grounded (i.e. it is touching the ground or touching something else that is touching the ground). Once a tank is zapped it becomes charged. If a charged tank is or becomes grounded it dies, unless the zapped tank has SH in which case it just becomes discharged and loses its SH flag. If a charged tank is not grounded and touches an uncharged tank, the charge is transfered. A TC carrier is by default uncharged, however, it can become charged from a transfer or from being zapped by another TC carrier. A tank that dies from the zap, either directly or from 1 or more charge transfers adds a point to the TC carrier's score, unless the killed tank is a teammate in which case the TC carrier looses a point and dies as normal. Charged tanks are indicated by corona discharge.
Nuclear Fallout (NF) +/- far far far too complex A modified version of GM. NF fires, locks on, and flies like GM except at the point and right after the time of impact, a Mushroom cloud and Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) emerges as a residual effect. To sum up what the effect of this weapon might look like: You start off by ideally locking on to an enemy tank, and then launch the NF. The NF soars through the sky like a gm and then impacts. At the time and from the point of impact a very short lived but extremely bright white flash is seen, considering the speed of sound, it is followed by a loud/dull roar that is heard until the NF expires, and whose amplitude is inversely proportional to the distance from the NF's epicenter. The EMP should propagate faster than a SW, lets say three times. The mushroom cloud should propagate slower than a SW, lets say 1/3 the SW's speed. However both the EMP and mushroom cloud dissipate at the same time. A tank hit directly by an NF, only at the point and time of impact with in a radius of a bullet, would die, just like being hit by a GM. The EMP radiates up to a radius equal to maybe three times the SW radius and causes Radar Jamming on all tanks within the EMP radius. Radar Jamming Stops either when the EMP expires or when the tank exits the EMP radius. The EMP would be invisible except for the fact that a tank within the EMP radius would see everything in the HUD as tinted the color of the tank that fired the NF, and the EMP would be marked on the radar of tanks outside the EMP as perhaps a black disk or a disk with the color of the firing tank. A tank while within the radius of an existing EMP, would not be seen on the radar except by a Seer flag carrier outside the EMP radius, thus it would effectively be stealthy. If a tank is outside of the EMP but over or under it, the tank would appear superimposed over the disk as if the disk was not there. Perhaps something similar could be done to the radar visibility of bullets. Similarly, if a Tank comes into contact with the Mushroom cloud, the tank becomes blinded until either the Mushroom Cloud Expires or if the tank leaves the mushroom cloud. The Mushroom cloud would be visible to everyone outside of the mushroom cloud, which would also be an out the window indication of the location of the epicenter of the NF. A tank with seer would not see the mushroom cloud but see everything in it as opposed to someone without seer. The Mushroom cloud Emanates from the point of impact and at the time of impact perhaps up to a height of 6 SW radii, the stem would be cylindrical and could expand to a radius of 1/4 of the SW radius, and the top of the cloud would look like a squashed sphere perhaps expand up to a short radius of 1/2 of the SW radius and a long radius of 1.5 SW radii. These are only ideas, the exact shape, color, textures, and maximum dimensions would have to be thought out more thoroughly, but I would think that none of the adjustable properties of the NF would have to be based on too many more variables than that of the GM and the SW. The NF could dissipate after it reaches its full dimensions, or it could linger for a set amount of time. Tanks carrying a Shield flag would be immune to the effect of both the EMP and mushroom cloud, however neither the EMP nor the mushroom cloud would cause a tank to drop its shield flag. Although, if a tank carrying a shield flag while encountering a direct impact at the time of impact from the NF, it will drop the shield flag as if hit by a GM, but then it will be affected by the EMP and mushroom cloud. A Seer flag is ineffective in the NF. Just like GM, you can't lock onto a tank that has Stealth, using NF. Reload time is twice as long. The NF, along with GM, can't lock onto a tank within the radius of a non-expired EMP. Conversely a tank that has an NF or a GM within the radius of a non-expired EMP, can't lock onto another tank. If it doesn't make this flag too powerful, perhaps an optional SW could emanate at the time and point of impact, having of course its usual properties except it could kill the tank that fires that NF if it impacts too closely. Another concept to consider is to include a radiation wave that has the same radius as the SW, but instead of killing tanks within its radius, tanks within its radius automatically drops any flags it carries except the shield flag, either until exiting the radiation wave and/or perhaps until a preset time period has expired after the tank exits. As an indication of being affected by a radiation wave, one would hear clicks like from a Geiger counter and maybe see small random flashes to simulate the way gamma rays affect one's eyes, while one still has radiation poisoning. The radiation wave would last for the same amount of time as the overall NF. I think the NF can really enhance strategy and action in this game, however if this flag seems too powerful, I hope that at least I have inspired spin offs.
DoNuts (DN) - too mean When you pick up this flag it has the affect of picking up SPinner and Don't Stop, which means the tank doesn't stop spinning and doesn't stop driving. The tank is now driving around in circles like it is doing donuts. Mmmm... Donuts!!
Looking Around (LA) - too mean This makes the camera view spin around but not the tank. It's like you are sitting on the turret and the turret is spinning around, but of course the tank is still facing forward, but this flag WON'T make the turret spin, only the camera you still have to fire forward. This could make the radar spin to the same way you are viewing, or leave the radar facing the same way.
Artillery (AY) + too complex, needs aiming to work right The distance the warhead travels is in direct relation to how long fire button is held down. Projectile flies in an arc exiting from tank at 45 degrees (no vertical aim required). Range indicated above HUD as RANGE:### (counter advances as fire button is held down).

possible advantages: -Very long range (though still finite unlike laser) -shots may be fired over obstacles -relatively large warhead, radius at 5%, 8%, or 10%, of normal bullet range though much less absolute than sw-perhaps the shot would be a cluster of 5 traditional bullets that travel together in an arc upon firing -can function akin to anti aircraft guns against wg as well

Possible disadvantages: -Tank becomes almost stationary except pivoting/rotation (maybe have some forward/backward motion, but at something like 5 or 3 units per second), or no jumping regardless of server (like with burrow) -Shot travels slowly, has close minimum range, shot lands where machine gun terminates at minimum release (as such player can't immediately hurt self, which actually aids the learning process) -very long reload time (does 15% sound reasonable?) -rarity of flag, like geno? -binocular view and radar only when used?

No Ricochet (NR) - Shots don't ricochet.




Cloaked Bullet (CB) + No, getting killed by a shot you can't see is bad Your bullets are invisible out-the-window.

