Friday, July 13, 2012

Tutorials

This is an overview of the approach for completing the tutorials (and more importantly, the event manager).  Each tutorial will feature an independent event manager in these initial stages.  As the tutorials progress, I'll create a single generic event manager that handles the most common events in all missions.  Unusual events will be handled by an independent event manager.  Basically, the plan is to have two event managers in a mission (one for generic stuff; the other for unique mission objective stuff).  The event manager will handle the flow of each tutorial and will rely heavily on a resource manager. 

The resource manager will handle the actual operations (like retrieving data from a database).  Every mission will have a resource manager hidden in the background.  The event manager figures out what needs to be done, and the resource manager get the information so the event manager can complete the task. 

So, the first tutorial will be a straight forward mission.  The player's fighter will start in a relatively clear section of space at a full stop.  There will be a planet in the distance, a visible relay station (space station) and the Battlestar Minoa (a Hermes class destroyer).  I might add some asteroids; however, I want to avoid using asteroids as a crutch for reference material.  The mission will progress as follows:

Full stop (no player control)
Voice over describing the parameters of mission
Voice over for initial instructions (Turn Left)
Transfer control to player
Voice over confirmation (Turn Left)
Voice over instruction (Turn Right)
Voice over confirmation (Turn Right)
Voice over instruction (Find first waypoint)
Voice over confirmation (Found first waypoint)
Voice over description of thrusting controls
Voice over instruction (Forward Thurst)
Voice over confirmation (Forward Thrust)
Voice over instruction (Zero Thrust)
Voice over description of turning with existing momentum
Voice over instruction (Turn Any)
Voice over confirmation (Turn Any)
Trigger Changed Waypoint
Voice over instruction (Turn to waypoint)
Voice over confirmation (Turn towards waypoint)
Voice instruction (Forward Thrust)
Voice over confirmation (Forward Thrust)
Voice over instruction (Keep the waypoint in front)
Trigger failed to keep waypoint in front (Voice over admonishment)
Trigger Changed Waypoint
Voice over instruction (Turn to next waypoint)
Voice over confirmation (Turn towards next waypoint)
Voice description of stopping the fighter
Trigger Changed Waypoint
Voice over instruction (Full Stop)
Voice over confirmaton (Full Stop)

End Tutorial Mission

This will be the first tutorial mission.  I forsee that the voice overs will be in the generic event manager.  In addition, some (if not all) of the trigger events (like the changed waypoint) will be in the generic event manager. 

Future tutorials will get more in depth in the fighter's flight controls; however, is there anything else that should be added to the initial tutorial mission?

4 comments:

  1. Looks good. Might be easier to assess if you included the text of what will be the description of the mission parameters. Also, are you now fixed on a particular control layout? Or are you still open to changing it to make it more learnable/intuitive?

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  3. I probably should answer the question. I've had a busy week...

    I'm not set on the keymapping and would prefer to create a system that allows the user to create his/her own mapping. That will have to wait though. I'm more interested in the resource manager, event manager and database tools at this point.

    However, I don't forsee myself diverging from the hybrid aeroplane/inertial physics model for flight. The game is based on the reimagined series of Battlestar, and the physics model is based on the show. I think it would be too big of an IP violation to CANEX the physic engine.

    In addition, I think part of the problem is the lack of understanding in the physics. It is a divergence from the standard (and I'll add bland) space game engine found in most games. However, I believe that a good tutorial system can provide a point of reference to the traditional systems and bring an average player "up to speed".

    So, the answers are no and yes (but up to a point).

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