Would Like To Use Photos As Loading Screens And In Multiplayer Unit Introductions

[Gamburd]

I would like, in the game that succeeds RO, to be able to use computerized photographs to create my own Custom Loading Screens for the Custom Maps I make and also be able to use photos in the Unit Introductions for both sides.


I'm sure some of you are familiar with the Forgotten Hope Mod for Battlefield 1942, and in some of the Custom Maps made by individual server communities, like The Damned Priests; they have their own Loading Screens that are sort of a montage of photos, contain a real brief description of the map that is loading, or contain what looks to be original artwork.

I would still like to be able to use the screenshots too.




I just think, IMO, the Loading Screens for RO currently are very repetitious and sort of boring to look at (some light criticism).




I actually preferred the old sepia colored Loading Screens that were around about a year ago or so.

Now, there's just the German tank screen, a Danzig one (which is a nice one), and then a Soviet Soldier using a pair of binoculars.

Just a little tired seeing the same screens used over and over.

 

[Foo'bar]

I think that's beeing made because of bandwidth matters. Imagine each time you'd enter a custom made map with a 1024 custom preview loading screen image you'd have to download this thing first. No fun...

But I must say that I would like such feature.

 

[blizzard]

In addition to this, the current loading screens should be matched up with the actual maps they portray, I'm tired of loading into a map like smolenskstalemate with a konigsplatz loading screen.

 

[D3terioNation]

Why cant we just have it like it was in the mod days???

It looked cool and offered good tips which can be very useful to new players

 

[Lt_Kettch]

Best thing would be if mappers could set custom loading screens just like they can do it with the map preview and the overhead.

Creative individuals could make good use of this

 

[Gamburd]

I never modded for Forgotten Hope #1, so I don't really know how they create this, but they do.

Despite the nice presentation, the gameplay actually is very arcade like and quite inferior to Red Orchestra (in case you are not familiar, FH is a mod for EA Games' Battlefield 1942):

 

[7-CLOWN-7]

Agreed...

Agreed...

If map makers simply had a picture as you already see for each map it represents it would only need to be downloaded once from the server as are custom maps it would just be another file or it's part of one of the map files itself that's all.

They probably could do it already with some calls or something. As someone mentioned I hate seeing the screen for Danzig then you're playing Smolensk and so on.

They need to fix this or add this feature at least for all of the standard maps currently, they obviously made it for 5 or 6 maps why not all of the standards to show what is coming for those that don't know the names and what the map represents. They could at least give the mappers the proper code needed to implement it themselves for their custom maps. A picture does tell a thousand words.

Maybe one of the mappers or people who create maps know how to have the map call on a picture - it has to be there in the code somewhere because it does it already but only for those 5-6 pictures... Probably wouldn't be hard at all it's probably in the map.rom file or in one of the .u files... Even if it had a map overview picture as you see for Gameservers games screen as you can see here in the middle of screen for Current Map: http://www.gametracker.com/server_info/8.12.17.81:7757

 

[Colt .45 killer]

hrmm yes bit of an off topic here, but for those who have played world in conflict youl also notice the pic is of the map you are loading, BUT it also has a chat window in the bottom and your mics still work, this give people a chance to chat about last round either using text or voip while the next map is loading and makes loading times much less annoying.

 

[18Bravo]

Fuuny thing about that FH mod, it was as big as if not bigger than the actual game, in space required for the hard drive. Gotta love that Prokhorovka map with the stuka that had 2 37mm guns under the wings.

 

[Murphy]

hrmm yes bit of an off topic here, but for those who have played world in conflict youl also notice the pic is of the map you are loading, BUT it also has a chat window in the bottom and your mics still work, this give people a chance to chat about last round either using text or voip while the next map is loading and makes loading times much less annoying.

First time I hear about something like that. Sounds great.
Seems to me like it should become standard for every newer game.

Devs: Get this in your next game please!

 

[levelup]

is really useful for me

 

[Shadrach]

Both Mare Nostrum and Darkest Hour have custom load screens for the different maps, at least the official ones. No idea how its done though, probably its up to the mapper to include one?

Edit; D'oh thread necromancy...

 

[UncleDrax]

Both Mare Nostrum and Darkest Hour have custom load screens for the different maps, at least the official ones. No idea how its done though, probably its up to the mapper to include one?

Edit; D'oh thread necromancy...

Actually, I can tell you exactly how it's done:

- You have to create a custom class that replaces/extendeds the ROInterface.ROServerLoading class.

In that class, you do some detection of what map is being loaded (already done for you in the RO stock version), then just make a switch() based on the level name.

Incidentally; when matching the map name; remember to check for the correct caps, and also all lower caps.

--

It could be done with a mutator to the existing setup; so it'd be possible to 'bolt it on'.