I previously posted that smaller amusement parks where I live tend to have miniature golf, but another feature they tend to have is laser tag. I didn't get to visit it when it was open, but Pharaoh's Lost Kingdom had one. Knott's Berry Farm has one during the Halloween season, although it's a bit different in that it is not player versus player, but instead player versus staff... also, I am pretty sure the lasers don't actually do anything, and the staff just pretends to get hit. There are also dark rides that have player versus environment laser tag features, where players can compare scores; these are even in very large theme parks, including Disney parks. To be honest, all three of these are distinct attractions and/or elements, so it's a bit confusing that they are all referred to as "laser tag." However, I think they're all worthy of consideration.
Arena Laser Tag (Player Versus Player): I think of this as true laser tag. Many stand-alone laser tag arenas popped up in the 90s, although some appeared in amusement parks as well. This can be played in teams or in free-for-all. Players are equipped with a target vest (probably also protective goggles) and attached laser gun, and are encouraged to shoot their opponents on receivers on their vest or gun. In team modes, there are sometimes also bases that can include targets that can be shot at and need to be protected. If a player takes too many hits, they need to a location near their base to recharge. This is why it's impractical for players to camp at their opponent's base. The arena itself is often built as an elaborate maze, and can include mirrors, fog machines, lasers, black lights and fluorescent paint, and of course music.
If this were implemented into Planco 2, it would basically just be a maze/playground where the guests try to keep distance from "hostile" guests, but initiate a special "shooting" animation when within a certain distance (or, since you are now using ray-tracing, when in line of sight), and after a certain amount of time doing this, one random guest will perform an animation to indicate they won, and the other will perform an animation to indicate they lost. The loser will then path-find back to their friendly base and perform an animation to "recharge." This park attraction will take advantage of the new and improved path system, and would effectively be a playground with a few extra steps (teams, animations). This is why I originally suggested this in the Playgrounds thread. However, I think it's worthy of its own post.
Haunted House Laser "Tag" (Player Versus Staff): This sort of laser tag includes staff members acting as enemies - often zombies or monsters - and making a false act of being hostile toward the guest as the guest moves through a path. This path could possibly fork, or it could be entirely linear. However, it is not a maze that the guest could get lost in, try to set up ambushes in, or anything of that sort. The staff members will often try to jump out and scare the guests, and the guests are encouraged to shoot the staff with their laser guns (although the staff is not wearing target vests, so there is no actual confirmation of a hit. The staff simply pretends to be hit).
There's not as much to say about this type of laser tag. It's sort of like a dark ride, but with no cars. The guests walk through a path and will all player an animation when any elements that "attack" them. This would mean setting up staff members in costumes as elements within the Event Sequencer. After guests play their animation, the "attacking" element resets and the guests proceed. This continues until they finish the track.
Ride Car Laser Tag (Player Versus Environment): The last is probably by now the most widely-known due to it featuring in popular attractions. A laser gun on a pivot is mounted to a ride car in front of the guest. The guest can manipulate the laser gun to shoot at targets placed along the ride's path. When they get a hit, their score increases. The ride continues regardless of their accuracy, but it's possible that ride elements can react to getting hit by having their animations interrupted and a new animation playing.
In Planco 2, this would merely be an accessory that can be mounted to any ride car, be them roller coasters, dark rides, or even log flumes, except for rides which restrain the arms or expect the arms to be in a particular position. The position of the laser gun would probably need to be pre-set, as the guests would need to be able to reach the laser gun to interact with it. Some degree of inverse kinematics may be required. The Event Sequencer would be used to tell target elements when to animate. The guests could simply aim their gun around at random, and if there's a target in that general cone of direction, a laser could be generated between the gun and the a space within a certain random distance of the target. If the randomly-generated distance is less than a certain amount, it is considered a hit. A hit simply plays an alternative version of the animation in the Event Manager, instead of canceling an existing animation.
I believe all three of these types of laser tag could be very useful in designing parks. While these would be useful in science fiction parks, crossbows could replace any gun-like elements for fantasy. Imagine riding along in a roller coaster while shooting a mounted crossbow at a dragon! Even if it's a laser that comes out of the crossbow, to me, that's still super-cool. All of these could have skeletal basic guns that other elements could be slapped onto to make them however you wanted. The first two types of laser tag would be useful for filling space in the park that other rides might not. A Laser Tag Arena might fit really well in the center of a food court. A Haunted House Laser Tag might fit in a narrow band between rides, moving guests in narrow alleys in a fun way. Ride Car Laser Tag is a fun element that could be added to such a variety of different rides that it would really enhance the customization features for ride cars. Using different visual elements, sounds, and Event Sequencer elements could really change the flavor of any of these. For those who like making intricate decorations, all of these would be a great way to showcase player-created environments.
Arena Laser Tag (Player Versus Player): I think of this as true laser tag. Many stand-alone laser tag arenas popped up in the 90s, although some appeared in amusement parks as well. This can be played in teams or in free-for-all. Players are equipped with a target vest (probably also protective goggles) and attached laser gun, and are encouraged to shoot their opponents on receivers on their vest or gun. In team modes, there are sometimes also bases that can include targets that can be shot at and need to be protected. If a player takes too many hits, they need to a location near their base to recharge. This is why it's impractical for players to camp at their opponent's base. The arena itself is often built as an elaborate maze, and can include mirrors, fog machines, lasers, black lights and fluorescent paint, and of course music.
If this were implemented into Planco 2, it would basically just be a maze/playground where the guests try to keep distance from "hostile" guests, but initiate a special "shooting" animation when within a certain distance (or, since you are now using ray-tracing, when in line of sight), and after a certain amount of time doing this, one random guest will perform an animation to indicate they won, and the other will perform an animation to indicate they lost. The loser will then path-find back to their friendly base and perform an animation to "recharge." This park attraction will take advantage of the new and improved path system, and would effectively be a playground with a few extra steps (teams, animations). This is why I originally suggested this in the Playgrounds thread. However, I think it's worthy of its own post.
Haunted House Laser "Tag" (Player Versus Staff): This sort of laser tag includes staff members acting as enemies - often zombies or monsters - and making a false act of being hostile toward the guest as the guest moves through a path. This path could possibly fork, or it could be entirely linear. However, it is not a maze that the guest could get lost in, try to set up ambushes in, or anything of that sort. The staff members will often try to jump out and scare the guests, and the guests are encouraged to shoot the staff with their laser guns (although the staff is not wearing target vests, so there is no actual confirmation of a hit. The staff simply pretends to be hit).
There's not as much to say about this type of laser tag. It's sort of like a dark ride, but with no cars. The guests walk through a path and will all player an animation when any elements that "attack" them. This would mean setting up staff members in costumes as elements within the Event Sequencer. After guests play their animation, the "attacking" element resets and the guests proceed. This continues until they finish the track.
Ride Car Laser Tag (Player Versus Environment): The last is probably by now the most widely-known due to it featuring in popular attractions. A laser gun on a pivot is mounted to a ride car in front of the guest. The guest can manipulate the laser gun to shoot at targets placed along the ride's path. When they get a hit, their score increases. The ride continues regardless of their accuracy, but it's possible that ride elements can react to getting hit by having their animations interrupted and a new animation playing.
In Planco 2, this would merely be an accessory that can be mounted to any ride car, be them roller coasters, dark rides, or even log flumes, except for rides which restrain the arms or expect the arms to be in a particular position. The position of the laser gun would probably need to be pre-set, as the guests would need to be able to reach the laser gun to interact with it. Some degree of inverse kinematics may be required. The Event Sequencer would be used to tell target elements when to animate. The guests could simply aim their gun around at random, and if there's a target in that general cone of direction, a laser could be generated between the gun and the a space within a certain random distance of the target. If the randomly-generated distance is less than a certain amount, it is considered a hit. A hit simply plays an alternative version of the animation in the Event Manager, instead of canceling an existing animation.
I believe all three of these types of laser tag could be very useful in designing parks. While these would be useful in science fiction parks, crossbows could replace any gun-like elements for fantasy. Imagine riding along in a roller coaster while shooting a mounted crossbow at a dragon! Even if it's a laser that comes out of the crossbow, to me, that's still super-cool. All of these could have skeletal basic guns that other elements could be slapped onto to make them however you wanted. The first two types of laser tag would be useful for filling space in the park that other rides might not. A Laser Tag Arena might fit really well in the center of a food court. A Haunted House Laser Tag might fit in a narrow band between rides, moving guests in narrow alleys in a fun way. Ride Car Laser Tag is a fun element that could be added to such a variety of different rides that it would really enhance the customization features for ride cars. Using different visual elements, sounds, and Event Sequencer elements could really change the flavor of any of these. For those who like making intricate decorations, all of these would be a great way to showcase player-created environments.