45 replies to this topic

[DingdongJR]

I'm not going to sugar coat this, I rank this much worse than the emoji taunts. It's like someone flashing their high beams at you while driving, a bright white blue neon blur with a transparent fill? Who thought that would be a good idea?

 

First off, let's just talk about the transparent fill, I'll get to the electric effect and a possible solution for it later. 

 

The problem

 

You have a situation in which a player can pay money to make it visibly difficult for other players to see what the outline of their mech is. Not only does this have massive implications for competitive play, but it also heavily applies a pay to win element. There is no point resizing the hitboxes and fixing them if you can pay to deliberately make it obscure. 

 

The Solution

 

Removing them now will make people upset, considering real money has been spent on them so that is not a solution. However, there is a very simple way to make it fair. 

 

1) Fill in the transparency with the camo designs! 

 

You already have a system in which some of the camos can be overlayed on chassis parts. As you can see below, the colour of the gold yellow of the camo is blending with the blue of the chassie design creating a sickly green. It's horrible but it shows my point. By allowing people to apply the camos under the electric effect, it will make the visibility of the mech much more in line with everyone else as well as make the electric effect stand out more. 

 

 

 

 

2) Reduce the bloom and lighting!

 

The effect does not need to be blasting out! As in, just look at it! It's hard to even look at from a screen perspective! If the gold camo was allowed to be the underlayer and the lighting effect was reduced to a much lower level, it might actually make the effect look really cool! You could then expand on this with more energy colour effects, like having purple energy faintly sparking around your mech? How cool would that be?

 

 

Not only would these effects make them unique in design, but it won't make them a complete eyesore to fight! Below I have made a concept design to show how I would like the effect to look like. Obviously, it will be a lot better than this but it shows how the electric effect does not need to be bright and blinding to be noticeable.

 

EDIT!

 

Kopra just posted this in the discord and it is so much better. THIS sort of thing is what I would love to see!

 

 

It is simple things like this that will make a lot of people happier.  Go on, make Hawken great again!

Edited by DingdongJR, 25 May 2017 - 06:45 AM.

[dorobo]

What about that golden shinny something head?!

 

It's a symptom. They need idk new art directors or someone that cares about the game at least.

 

[Amidatelion]

I agree its hideous, glaring, not in line with the aesthetic whatsoever and downright immersion-breaking (HURR DURR LOOK AT MAH FLOATY WEAPONS) but I dont see any implications for competitive play. Dermax mentioned it could be exploitable and I'd like to see some use cases, because I could be swayed on this. But ultimately, "competitive advantage" rings hollow to me on this like the ability to chassis change does - if you think that a game that brackets your mech in a giant glowy box is going to be affected by a friggin' chassis or skin, you probably need to work on your game sense.

[JeffMagnum]

a e s t h e t i c

 

 

i've never been so immersed

[DingdongJR]

What about that golden shinny something head?!

 

It's a symptom. They need idk new art directors or someone that cares about the game at least.

 

 

The gold was also a slight issue for me, but I give it a pass since it's a lesser of two evils compared to the electric chassis. At least I can see the gold and not be blinded by it. 

[EMEUTIER]

I have to agree that the gold and electric skins are damn idiotic and should never have been added.

[wischatesjesus]

I am curious as to what series of events led to this ever being included in the game. It wasn't shipped by accident.

[dorobo]

I am curious as to what series of events led to this ever being included in the game. It wasn't shipped by accident.

 

Crazy marketing person run things maybe? 

Edited by dorobo, 25 May 2017 - 06:10 AM.

[Amidatelion]

I am curious as to what series of events led to this ever being included in the game. It wasn't shipped by accident.

90% sure it was a "I wonder if I can do this..." that got pushed to prod.

 

Why it was pushed to prod and SOLD, that one's beyond me.

[Miscellaneous]

-disgrace-

 

I never thought a single image could hurt me quite as much as this one just did.

[dorobo]

I never thought a single image could hurt me quite as much as this one just did.

That's what immersion feels like.. It just needs a rainbow thrusters and it's a perfection.

 

edit: i demand for a much greater recoil on those floating guns

Edited by dorobo, 25 May 2017 - 06:14 AM.

[sabrehawk90]

Crazy marketing person run things maybe? 

 

It must be the ghost of meteor entertainment come back to haunt us

[(Xbox)x KiRK707]

I've never had an issue seeing what mech it is, even when the energy cosmetic is applied fully

[dorobo]

I've never had an issue seeing what mech it is, even when the energy cosmetic is applied fully

ok

[(Xbox)x KiRK707]

Hard to believe?

[Gueber]

Finally a decent rant thread for energy skin haters. Gueber likes this.

 

Edited by Gueber, 25 May 2017 - 10:11 AM.

[Charcoal]

It looks cool, but I think the fact that it obscures which way a meech is facing is too much of an advantage

[sabrehawk90]

 

Welcome to the optometry center. Howken I help you?

 

Wow, I didn't know the energy parts were so fluorescent. The glowy effect isn't there on low graphics settings ^

[SparkyJJC]

[JeffMagnum]

 

 

HOWKEN S/S 17 COLLECTION

[comic_sans]

"Jesus Christ / How Horrifying"

 

Go me for being ignorant of this til now.  Please fix this kaleidoscope of garbage in basically any of the ways mentioned in the OP.

[Pulcinella]

But that's part of why it's so good. Its glaring brightness forces the opponent to avert their eyes 'less they feel like going blind 8D

[frostdragon2013]

i would also like an change on energy cosmetics

[Silverfire]

It looks cool, but I think the fact that it obscures which way a meech is facing is too much of an advantage

 

Have you tried looking at the direction the weapons are facing?

[Amidatelion]

Have you tried looking at the direction the weapons are facing?

 

Or radar.

[CraftyDus]

Energy skins on everything, to go with the timed automatic holo taunt macro.
Claimed for comp teamskin, this day 5/25/17
So happy we have in game VOIP to hear the weeping and the gnashing of the triggerd.

[comic_sans]

Claimed for comp teamskin, this day 5/25/17

 

You opportunistic bastard.

[nepacaka]

this sh!t looks a little bit better with config.

 

[The_Crab]

The gold skin is so basic looking it hurts. It needs some dirt or baked occlusion or scratches or any kind of variation in colour and reflectivity, it just looks so tacky and uniform.

I'm not sure if 505 has a technical artist, but Adhesive only had one for a brief-ish period. 

 

The energy skin looks like something out of Garry's Mod lol

[DingdongJR]

.

Edited by DingdongJR, 26 May 2017 - 04:01 AM.

[DingdongJR]

 

Welcome to the optometry center. Howken I help you?

 

Wow, I didn't know the energy parts were so fluorescent. The glowy effect isn't there on low graphics settings ^

 

[comic_sans]

As an aside, though, I absolutely adore how terrible the global camo is.

[Charcoal]

Have you tried looking at the direction the weapons are facing?

 

Not the point...

If you add an extra burden to an opponent you are giving an advantage to yourself

[Silverfire]

Not the point...

If you add an extra burden to an opponent you are giving an advantage to yourself

 

It's not an extra burden though.  If someone sees you, there will be visual indication that they see you.  Like shooting at you.  Or dodging away.  Dropping an item, etc.  This game's movement system benefits creating distance.  No one likes to be up close rubbing chassis.

 

 

If they don't see you, they won't respond to you.  It's pretty simple.  When was the last time an enemy was facing you and didn't shoot at you or respond to your presence in some way provided they were in visual range? 

Edited by Silverfire, 26 May 2017 - 01:13 PM.

[Bad_BennyAK]

Maybe instead of camo,  that could be a special ability or a deployable item  -  Spotlight burst.   Blind any player looking at you for 5 seconds.  kindof  like a disruptor effect, but only if cockpit is looking straight at mech.  Visual effect could be a giant lens flare. 

[sabrehawk90]

[what is this]

 

As an aside, though, I absolutely adore how terrible the global camo is.

 

If you'd like to recreate it and further spread the plague of the eyes, that's a Piston Racing chassis with Global camo applied to it. Best way to incapacitate your opponents while you zip zoom nyoom boom (that's the sound of their retinas exploding).

 

On its own the Global camo isn't exploding retinas level bad — the color balance makes it sort of kind of maybe not really fit the game aesthetic — but it looks rushed and doesn't mesh well because Antarctica. Combine that with the zerk's new clown suit and it looks like Prosk outsourced camo painting to kindergarteners in an effort to compensate for the new 45kHC mechs.

[Charcoal]

It's not an extra burden though.  If someone sees you, there will be visual indication that they see you.  Like shooting at you.  Or dodging away.  Dropping an item, etc.  This game's movement system benefits creating distance.  No one likes to be up close rubbing chassis.

 

 

If they don't see you, they won't respond to you.  It's pretty simple.  When was the last time an enemy was facing you and didn't shoot at you or respond to your presence in some way provided they were in visual range? 

 

But I only play team modes, I also need to know where they are pointing for the team's sake

It's not just about me...

[comic_sans]

If you'd like to recreate it and further spread the plague of the eyes, that's a Piston Racing chassis with Global camo applied to it. Best way to incapacitate your opponents while you zip zoom nyoom boom (that's the sound of their retinas exploding).

 

On its own the Global camo isn't exploding retinas level bad — the color balance makes it sort of kind of maybe not really fit the game aesthetic — but it looks rushed and doesn't mesh well because Antarctica. Combine that with the zerk's new clown suit and it looks like Prosk outsourced camo painting to kindergarteners in an effort to compensate for the new 45kHC mechs.

 

I'm with jeff in thinking it's more like high fashion b.s. in that it's purposely awful, but used to effect.

[Xer06siX]

I don't care for it at all. Honestly I first I thought it was a graphical glitch happening.

[Silverfire]

But I only play team modes, I also need to know where they are pointing for the team's sake

It's not just about me...

 

Why is knowing where they are pointing relevant for the team's sake?

 

DISCLAIMER: I only play team modes too.