The Energon Pub

Posted: **Wed May 16, 2007 9:02 pm**

We talk about all of these features and new game modes and things of that nature but I was wondering if the GUI will be seeing any enhancements? A move to a flash based system would certainly be welcome as well as better graphical representation of your TFs and the battles they engage in.

I was also wondering if anyone else out there would like HMW to have it's own browser window devoid of the usual Seibertron links and whatnot.

Now, I know visual spice and graphics are actually the hardest thing to do and offer the least returns in actual gameplay but I think after HMW2 is launched and most of the bugs get ironed out some real attention should be paid on a face lift for the game.

I've been playing the Chevy Autobot game quite a bit lately and it's really well done graphically speaking. I could care less about actually watching the battle (as the Chevy battle scenes are absolutely ridiculous looking) but I do enjoy having a much more personal avatar of my TF instead of small two tone gif image.

Posted: **Wed May 16, 2007 10:12 pm**

Well you can expect a bit of a facelift to the bio pages for sure.

As for Flash stuff. It's been brought up many times and mostly dismissed because of potential server strain.

I mean it would be nice and all, but for me part of HMW's charm is it's simplicity. If I wanted flashy whiz bang stuff i'd go get a console and pick up what TF games are out and coming out.

The two tone gif's that represent the alts are more for a copyright thing. If actual images of the alt were used we could end up with a copyright violation. Chances of that happening though are probably minor, plus it's part of the charm of HMW.

Posted: **Wed May 16, 2007 10:35 pm**

So many potential problems with Flash....

1. Long download times for people with modems.
2. Requires plugins creating potential client side problems.
3. Development times on Flash applications would be much longer.

I could go on, but I'll just say you can expect prettier but not neccesarily flashier.

Posted: **Wed May 16, 2007 10:38 pm**

You mean the HMWv2 interface wont cause seizures? :cry:

Posted: **Wed May 16, 2007 10:47 pm**

LuckytheWonderLlama wrote:You mean the HMWv2 interface wont cause seizures?

It will be Section 508 Compliant (For all my fellow engineers out there)

Posted: **Wed May 16, 2007 11:32 pm**

Omega Sentinel wrote:
LuckytheWonderLlama wrote:You mean the HMWv2 interface wont cause seizures?
It will be Section 508 Compliant (For all my fellow engineers out there)

Dammit man! This game is based on a toy line that originated in Japan!

We demand Japanese image triggered seizures dammit!

Posted: **Thu May 17, 2007 3:25 am**

Omega Sentinel wrote:So many potential problems with Flash....

1. Long download times for people with modems.
2. Requires plugins creating potential client side problems.
3. Development times on Flash applications would be much longer.

I could go on, but I'll just say you can expect prettier but not neccesarily flashier.

Yeah many companies won't allow flash for their employees (wonder why :-?

) so those of us who play at *cough* lunchtimes wouldn't be able to play.
Actually that's pretty much the crux of me continuing in V2 as if I can't play at work I probably won't play at home.

Posted: **Thu May 17, 2007 4:35 am**

That's right for me.
More content, not more visuals. God knows there's enough games over there which doesn't follow this line anymore!!!

(Back in '84, you could have an entire 8 galaxies with 2000 planets, stations, pirates, traders and police interceptors on your 360k floppy disk...

Would anybody believe it now?)

Posted: **Thu May 17, 2007 4:49 am**

Elcor wrote:That's right for me.
More content, not more visuals. God knows there's enough games over there which doesn't follow this line anymore!!!

(Back in '84, you could have an entire 8 galaxies with 2000 planets, stations, pirates, traders and police interceptors on your 360k floppy disk...

Would anybody believe it now?)

Don't I'll get misty eyed about the c64!

In 1981 Bill Gates wrote:640K ought to be enough for anybody

And I was playing space invaders then

Posted: **Thu May 17, 2007 4:54 am**

Elcor wrote:Back in '84, you could have an entire 8 galaxies with 2000 planets, stations, pirates, traders and police interceptors on your 360k floppy disk...

Thats becuse Elite was THE daddy.

Omega, on the visuals theme, further along in the game as people get higher up, is there a chance of adding new planets eg. Earth, Nebulos, Quintessa or Junk as 'expansions'. (Player numbers dependant etc.)

Altering the visuals slightly for warriors battling on those planets might be an idea? It wouldnt be more than an alternate skin to play in, but may add a bit of extra colour to the game further down the line.

Also a good excuse to hold off on head/gun/ass masters for a while too.

Posted: **Thu May 17, 2007 10:04 am**

GIFs are enough visuals for me.

Posted: **Thu May 17, 2007 10:14 am**

Burn wrote:As for Flash stuff. It's been brought up many times and mostly dismissed because of potential server strain.

Makes it pretty hard to play at work, too.

Burn wrote:Well you can expect a bit of a facelift to the bio pages for sure.

So does this mean the Detail section of our Performance Summaries will be up and running again? :???:

Posted: **Thu May 17, 2007 1:11 pm**

Psychout wrote:ass masters

lmao

Anyway, I dont particularly see a need for a change in interface.

The interface functions near perfectly, and in a game that is gonna change quite drastically in the near future, it will help all the existing players if the GUI stays the same inorder to give them something familer to work off. We are gonna lose enough people as it is simply cuase they cant stand to lose their xp, no ned to put more off because they have to get their heads round a new interface too.

Posted: **Thu May 17, 2007 4:26 pm**

Thunderscream wrote:
Burn wrote:Well you can expect a bit of a facelift to the bio pages for sure.

So does this mean the Detail section of our Performance Summaries will be up and running again?

Hey we're talking visually here not functionality.

But seeing as OS has said there's going to be a lot more in the way of statistics available that performance summaries will definitely be expanded.

Posted: **Fri May 18, 2007 2:43 pm**

But seeing as OS has said there's going to be a lot more in the way of statistics available that performance summaries will definitely be expanded.

At the moment, we've got percentage of win/loss, most recent mission, etc.

How about "most regular opponent" (commander, or specific bot)? I don't know if that would be possible (I suspect it's either incredibly easy, or near-impossible to put in), but it would be quite cool to see it there.

It might also increase forum traffic and community, if you can see who you're up against more often than most.

Also, a "greatest victory" and "worst beat down" might be quite cool, although defining those would probably be tricky.

Posted: **Fri May 18, 2007 4:28 pm**

Not to mention every other day it wants to add a larger "better" (hack) update.

Posted: **Fri May 18, 2007 5:42 pm**

davidasnoddy wrote:Also, a "greatest victory" and "worst beat down" might be quite cool, although defining those would probably be tricky.

These could be self nominated. Sort of a brag and anti brag situation.... or something

Posted: **Fri May 18, 2007 7:09 pm**

COLOR BLIND!!! Please Make sure you look out of my peoples!

Posted: **Sat May 19, 2007 4:44 am**

Not to mention every other day it wants to add a larger "better" (hack) update.

It certainly would to begin with, but as time went on, it should stabilise to the point where it's only exceptional results being picked up.

Of course, the tricky bit would be defining just what the "greatest victory" is. Is it when you're outnumbered? When there's a level difference? Wen you're unharmed, and your opponent's lost? etc.

Posted: **Sat May 19, 2007 4:56 am**

Prowl240z wrote:COLOR BLIND!!! Please Make sure you look out of my peoples!

Agreed - very important

Posted: **Sat May 19, 2007 5:23 am**

Vanguard wrote:
Prowl240z wrote:COLOR BLIND!!! Please Make sure you look out of my peoples!

Agreed - very important

good point. i am colour blind and already i can't see the difference on the mission logs.
(somebody told me its there though)

Posted: **Sat May 19, 2007 11:16 am**

Subsonika wrote:
Vanguard wrote:
Prowl240z wrote:COLOR BLIND!!! Please Make sure you look out of my peoples!

Agreed - very important

good point. i am colour blind and already i can't see the difference on the mission logs.
(somebody told me its there though)

i thought it was called dyslexia when you couldn't tell the difference between "The Autobots have won....." and "The Decepticons have won...."

Posted: **Sat May 19, 2007 12:33 pm**

Tammuz wrote:
Subsonika wrote:
Vanguard wrote:
Prowl240z wrote:COLOR BLIND!!! Please Make sure you look out of my peoples!

Agreed - very important

good point. i am colour blind and already i can't see the difference on the mission logs.
(somebody told me its there though)

i thought it was called dyslexia when you couldn't tell the difference between "The Autobots have won....." and "The Decepticons have won...."

well, i was educated at bristol zoo.

but, seriously, apparently, my TF should be highlighted when it attacks or is attacked, but it all looks the same to me.
i am 75% colour blind and cannot see variations, only primaries.

fascinating eh.

aren't capital letters pointless.

Posted: **Sat May 19, 2007 2:31 pm**

Would it make a differnce if there was an "!" in the log. Like it would have the time stamp, which is the colored part then the actions

03:47 ! Frenzy hits subsonika....

Perhaps make the ! bigger than the text or color it actual red instead of the pink the time stamp has, as well as a differnt icon in a darker green for when your own TF attacks?

Posted: **Sat May 19, 2007 5:06 pm**

-Soundwave- wrote:Would it make a differnce if there was an "!" in the log. Like it would have the time stamp, which is the colored part then the actions

03:47 ! Frenzy hits subsonika....

Perhaps make the ! bigger than the text or color it actual red instead of the pink the time stamp has, as well as a differnt icon in a darker green for when your own TF attacks?

interesting idea SW. i'm glad this was brought up b/c it has always been an issue for me, but i kinda just try and get over it.
colourblind players unite!

The Energon Pub

Visuals and HMW2

Visuals and HMW2