Player Customization

[Unit2209]

Instead of classes let players make their own character. You could use a point system that they could use to run a little faster or have a little less recoil, more accuracy, more armor, ability to heal, ability to place a shield/barrier/bunker, a snipers gun, weapons, ect.

(Example)
A person that likes to be stronger may spend points in Armor and weapons but will not be able to spend points in foot speed and the ability to heal.

A person that likes to be more of a support role may wish to acquire the medic ability with some foot speed or the one that lets you place a mine/turret/shield/bunker.

A person who likes to be a sniper can spend points in the snipers gun, more accuracy, and less recoil.
(End Example)

So no matter what you pick you will always be exploited. This will make players want to stick together instead of lone wolfing it.

[Knutselmaaster]

As there will be no classes system, i don't think there will be "different" players at all.
In all TM games everybody is equal, and i think it will be the same in ShootMania.

[Unit2209]

My idea does not use classes but is similar to Trackmaniacks post

I don't think classes are necessary...I envision people starting to form clans and teams, and then the classes will come out of that. For example, pre battle, people are chatting it up: Okay, reddog47 is the medic, RedThunder is the scout, blah blah blah. Each person on the team decides a role, and then it can change from game to game based on who needs what where. Or something. But then it's more flexible than going into the player profile and saying "Class=heavy weapons guy"
This way it becomes easy for the specialists with a certain skill to become the best in their role. For example, I LOVE exploring a map. So I'd probably be a good scout. But people who don't want to specialize can be the general infantry who fight head to head. Which is probably what most of a team is going to be made up of anyway, if teamsizes are going to be anything like the size of players we see now.

This would fit in with that greatly.

And since the maps are going to be big maps for around 200 player games, this system might make the cut.

@Knultselmaaster
Do you not think 200 players with all the same equipment on 1 map will get boring.

[tcq]

Do you not think 200 players with all the same equipment on 1 map will get boring.

Why shouldn't it get boring? In TM there are servers with 200 players and they all drive with the same physics (even if not the same car) and no one complains about it. They are just still fighting for the win.

[Knutselmaaster]

Well, i doubt that there will be 200 players in one server.

But, to clarify my point:
The power of TM is that you win because you're more skilled on a track than other players.
You don't win because you played more to gain more "powerups" for your vehicle, nor because you chose a better vehicle for the occasion or because your vehicles geometrical settings are better.
I would like to see the same thing in ShootMania, and reading the info Nadeo (Hylis) released, that is what they want too.
So, projecting the "TM way" on ShootMania, you win because you (your team) is more skilled, not because they have chosen (intelligently, or just by sheer luck) another skill, another weapon or another powerup.
You cannot get more skill by playing longer (well, only because you trained, not because of experience points or something), you cannot get more skill by paying (in money or planets) for it, or by paying someone to play for you when you're offline yourself.
The only way to win is to be better than the other players (team), by training, learning maps etc.

People who like hiding themselves and "snipe" can still do it, people that prefer the Rambo approach can still do it, (when a team wants to be good, it will probably need players of all kinds) it is not higher "sniper" stats that make someone a good sniper, he will just need to aim very well, find a good spot to hide, shoot at the right moment so noone finds out where he is, etc.

That is the way i hope it will be.
But, like with custom car skins, it can still be done with different weapons, i mean i don't mind that another player's gun looks and sounds like another weapon, as long as the characteristics stay the same.

[Trackmaniack]

My idea does not use classes but is similar to Trackmaniacks post

I don't think classes are necessary...I envision people starting to form clans and teams, and then the classes will come out of that. For example, pre battle, people are chatting it up: Okay, reddog47 is the medic, RedThunder is the scout, blah blah blah. Each person on the team decides a role, and then it can change from game to game based on who needs what where. Or something. But then it's more flexible than going into the player profile and saying "Class=heavy weapons guy"
This way it becomes easy for the specialists with a certain skill to become the best in their role. For example, I LOVE exploring a map. So I'd probably be a good scout. But people who don't want to specialize can be the general infantry who fight head to head. Which is probably what most of a team is going to be made up of anyway, if teamsizes are going to be anything like the size of players we see now.

This would fit in with that greatly.

And since the maps are going to be big maps for around 200 player games, this system might make the cut.

@Knultselmaaster
Do you not think 200 players with all the same equipment on 1 map will get boring.

To clarify -my- post, I'm not saying anything about points at all. I'm saying that roles will come naturally out of what people are good at--while every player will get access to the same weapons, skills, items, and abilities, naturally talented people in specialized areas will end up utilizing the majority of their special role per map because it's what they're good at.
EDIT @Knutsel: But I'm still guessing there will be multiple guns per enviro...just that everybody has access to the same gun.

[Knutselmaaster]

Yup, i agree with that.
Like there are tech drivers, fs drivers, dirt drivers etc in TM.
But, it might be the case that different skilled people are on the same server now, as a team needs a bit of everything.

[Unit2209]

@Trackmaniack

Your post gave me this idea so I am building upon it.

@Knutselmaaster
You mean like counterstrike/halo/most FPS games? (CODMW uses classes so im not including it)
I don’t want this game to be something I have already seen. My opinion is that it needs to be new and do things that other online FPS's have not done yet.

[Trackmaniack]

@Trackmaniack

Your post gave me this idea so I am building upon it.

@Knutselmaaster
You mean like counterstrike/halo/most FPS games? (CODMW uses classes so im not including it)
I don’t want this game to be something I have already seen. My opinion is that it needs to be new and do things that other online FPS's have not done yet.

Nadeo can do what's been done before--they'll just do it better. TM technically was done before--Stunt Driver was basically an old-school TM for Windows 95...and other games such as Fatal Racing (Whiplash here in the US) had the TM-style of racing, just without the editor.

[Unit2209]

It just came to me.

I think TM is the best racing game ever made.
Anyone think otherwise?

But about Shoot Mania.

We really shouldnt look back at TM for how this game mechanics should work. Since this is the first time they are making a shooter, they are bound by almost nothing. Because this is the case I cant wait to see what they use for it.

Dang now I have to reinstall Track Mania.