Potato Blog

[[TW]Wilsonam]

Well, before starting in on RO2 progress, let's talk about potatoes. Yes, spuds. No, not an April Fool Potato - more a wtfisgoingon Potato. Now, to be fair, I am too focused on RO2 to even begin to follow everything that is going down right now. But for those of you who haven't figured it out yet - "the game is afoot, Watson!"

All over the Interwebski, people are chasing around an ever-growing storyline (http://valvearg.com/wiki/Investigation_History), that seems to have started off with a bunch of potatoes on Potato Fools Day. Except for the usually ever-vigilant Killing Floor fans, who appear to be hiding under rocks these days. For another quote: "the secret is to bang the rocks together, guys." I get the distinct impression that there is a lot more hiding under the covers, so I'd suggest that you "go do the voodoo that you do... so well!". http://valvearg.com/wiki/Valve_ARG_Wiki if you have no idea what I'm talking about.

But on to RO2... I could talk about tanks again, but we've beaten that to a pulp over the last couple of weeks. Training... why is setting up something as simple as in-game training so complicated? Keith has been building training maps - I've been dipping in and out doing scripty stuff for them. Then Keith keeps coming back and pointing out all the bits I'm missing. Actually, I know why it is difficult: we're having to go back to basics and run through systems that we have been using every day for the last 3 years or so. Should be easy, right?

Wrong. Those systems become so automatic, so quickly, that it is actually hard to think through the steps. Training for the squad leader functionality, for instance... I've got to move my squad up, expecting enemy contact. The basics are absolutely automatic... MG team, here, ready for covering fire on the building ahead... me and the assault team, move up. Fire from the right... cover... assault team, suppressing fire... and so on.

But to build a training scenario, we need to actually make sure the player goes through all the steps - and we have to make sure the player sees all the (key) functionality. We've already decided that the player can't be "trained" on absolutely every nuance. Call it "basic training". That'll get you ready for combat but, boy, is there going to be plenty more to learn when you get on the line!

It reminds us both how complex the systems all are - and just how intuitive. Also how much choice - Keith and I were discussing over the use of cover. Me, I like using cover, lock on, pause, take stock, decide on the next course of action, go again. But I'm that sort of player, which is why I'll play squad leader, commander or MG. Whereas Keith is more of a bull-in-a-china-shop. Much more aggressive and in-your-face. So he doesn't drop into cover and pause. He'll duck behind something, but always wants to be moving. Different styles of play.

Who wins? Well, that depends... if I've covered, then pop up and he's still moving, he's toast. If I pop up and he's stopped, waiting for me to do that, I'm toast. Or there are a couple of grenades flying. Or, quite often, Guppy wins - but that is just because he is so annoying. But there are always choices. I keep saying it, but we like "choices". Everyone will work up their own style of play - including those (like Keith and Dayle) who are more run-n-gun/twitch style players.

And for next week - I won't be here. This time next week, I will be at a wedding in deepest Somerset. First time my whole family has managed to get together from around the world in about 2 decades. UK, New Zealand, USA - I think people in from Canada and South Africa, or wherever else everyone has got to!

[RAnDOOm]

Nice info.

Have a good weeding Wilsonam.

[RiccardoTheBeAst]

Run-n-gun is CoD style. Anyone in the real life runs as an idiot in the battlefield searching for someone to kill.....there's many difference between an aggressive style and a run and gun style

Btw, good wedding

[Mormegil]

Thanks again for the insight and the update.

I suggest making sure you get some people in the beta witb limited or no Red Orchestra experience. Obviously, you'll have CoD and Counter-Strike players try this out who haven't any experience in ROOST (my nephew for one, is looking forward to this game but has only tried ROOST for 20 minutes).

You'll also have some WWII buffs who may not have played any FPS before.

Make sure the training handles those perspectives too.

Have a fun at the wedding!

BTW: If the game is a foot, can that be distributed on Steam?

[Snuffeldjuret]

Will the training map be both a sort of "performance" test as well as "function" test as you spoke about now?

("performance" test as in getting X hits on X area in X seconds etc, and "function" as "how do I use cover" etc.)

[Dogfacboy]

Great read! I'm really enjoying reading these every week

[XDC nOm]

Nice read thx, look forward to these

[Unterscharfuhrer]

Great! Nice info update!
Have fun at the wedding

[[TW]Wilsonam]

Originally Posted by Stephen

Somerset is possibly the most beautiful place in England. Enjoy the knees up.

Wiltshire is - bugger Zummerzet

[Gwaihir]

Great stuff. Im soo looking forward to this, never liked the Ro1 much.but the videos of avatar movement,bash 's podcasts and TWI donwn to earth aproach has got me sold on Ro2, havent been so eager to get my hands on a game since Bf2 . 37 old.

[Capt.Marion]

It's interesting how training is such a hassle to implement.... I think it is good though that y'all are going through all of the nitty-gritty basic functionalities. It's an excellent review/sanity check on some of the basic but ever-so-important gameplay mechanics.


A good long innings to the soon-to-be happy couple, and safe travels to you.

[Nicholas]

That sounds good, I'm glad its implemented, squad leaders must realize that they have smoke grenades!

One question though, is the training for Russians or Germans? Or both?

[kapulA]

Gotta have more Deckungsfeuer!

[Frostedfire]

Originally Posted by [TW]Wilsonam

Or, quite often, Guppy wins - but that is just because he is so annoying.

sounds like my game of hedgehog on friday. If I wasn't being endlessly mg'd or sniped as a rifleman, I was being blown up in spawn by people blind-firing panzerfausts 200m into my t-60

also, get doughshiro to do a blog or someone, the training stuff will be good to teach the noobs at least some things

[spraduke]

Originally Posted by [TW]Wilsonam

Wiltshire is - bugger Zummerzet

A fellow wiltshire-ite i see. I hail from warminster myself

[fiftyone]

Originally Posted by spraduke

A fellow wiltshire-ite i see. I hail from warminster myself

My condolences......

[[TW]Wilsonam]

Originally Posted by spraduke

A fellow wiltshire-ite i see. I hail from warminster myself

Originally Posted by fiftyone

My condolences......

Good grief - someone admits to coming from Warminster? My parents used to run the Dove Inn at Corton. Just a few years ago, mind

[JCoquillon]

Thankfully I was raised just outside of the Wiltshire quarantine zone...

[Miro!]

Nice read again Alan

Seems like that training talk was only about infantry, hope u guyz will deliver the same training options for tank action and all those newcomers.

[Nimsky]

Will the training missions be mandatory? I hope so, because there are so many players not using certain classes properly (commander not dropping smoke or artillery, etc).

Thanks for the updates