NPC SRV coming with 4.0?

Lightspeed

Lightspeed
Alec Turner said:
Yeah, that's surprising on the face it but perhaps they're already working on it, have discovered it's really hard and are just looking for some bright young thing to really focus on the problem?
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That of course is a distinct possibility.

But also, looking at OP's quote from the job requirement again ....

As part of our gameplay programming team, you will work with Frontier’s proprietary COBRA engine and the game systems that create our simulation of the whole galaxy. You will build upon the physics, driving model, navigation and networking systems to create driving AI that understands and explores the surfaces of procedurally generated planets. Working in a cross-discipline game development team you will build an understanding of how vehicle AI fits into the wider game, and help the team to enhance the game with the opportunities that vehicle AI offers.

Let's assume for a moment, Legs becomes the Next Big Thing. They know there will be complaints about depth of gameplay, and this appears to point towards developing that. Which suggests development Beyond the Next Big Thing - the pre-development before "full development."

So, if we get new vehicles to drive around in on planet surfaces, or even bikes to skim over the surface, the possibility of NPCs on the surface of a planet to challenge us, or work alongside us, is yet to come.

I'd say it's looking healthy for the game beyond Legs. Either that, or they really were developing "only" atmospheric planets and much of the player-hype has made them realize that planet-based activity including Legs (and accompanying vehicles) is more important to us than they originally envisaged ! :eek:

But, yes, I am speculating.
 

Lightspeed

Lightspeed
ZeeWolf said:
  • Just because they are hiring for a role doesn't mean it's 100% confirmed for the game.
  • There could be blockers further down the line, they might wind up dropping this in favor of something else.
  • Being dynamic/agile is how you survive in this industry for over 25 years (the UK game industry is especially vicious)
  • This is why features aren't announced to the community until they are matured
  • It could well be for features intended after the 2020 update
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Yes, my thoughts also.
 

Phongsalt

Phongsalt
Ai Guardian constructs are at first a bit miffed that you spoilt their game of hide and go seek,but offers on the valet parking concession piques their interest.
 

Watcher

W
Ian Skippy said:
https://careers.frontier.co.uk/e/careers/positions/a0Ia-6g7Tg9Rc4ntm-8WY-



They are also hiring a technical game designer:
https://careers.frontier.co.uk/e/careers/positions/bDUN2ZTxTp66TG5dPRuBaL
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Driving certainly sounds more like SRVs or perhaps skimmers than ships... This would tend to fit in with the idea of base building in the leaks* and lends futher credence to them.

Curious.

On the downside if this is still being advertised that suggests they haven't got enough people/anyone for this yet and they haven't got a huge amount of time to find someone, bring them on board and get stuff properly implemented for next year :/ Dev's can move fast I'm sure but finding the right person and familarising them with a new code base may prove challenging - and that's ignoring time for design iteration and testing. Fingers crossed they can find someone soon!

* I suspect whoever is doing this is going to be in a whole lot more trouble than just fired..
 

BlackSpaceCowboy

BlackSpaceCowboy
I don't think they could make the Ai work properly in low G if it's an enemy SRV.

I'm hoping they have enemies driving hover tanks. I'm hoping we get hover tanks. Then we can have land combat that plays like BattleZone.
 

milligna

milligna
More planetary missions would be great, they should work Brookes' old musing about naval careers into the project Watson gameplay. Give it a good framework to engage in all the combat hijinks.
 

Requiem Mortis

Requiem Mortis
Watcher said:
Driving certainly sounds more like SRVs or perhaps skimmers than ships... This would tend to fit in with the idea of base building in the leaks* and lends futher credence to them.

Curious.

On the downside if this is still being advertised that suggests they haven't got enough people/anyone for this yet and they haven't got a huge amount of time to find someone, bring them on board and get stuff properly implemented for next year :/ Dev's can move fast I'm sure but finding the right person and familarising them with a new code base may prove challenging - and that's ignoring time for design iteration and testing. Fingers crossed they can find someone soon!

* I suspect whoever is doing this is going to be in a whole lot more trouble than just fired..
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It is of course possible that ground work has already been done and they're expanding the team or replacing natural churn.
 

Ziljan

Ziljan
Factabulous said:
Unexpected.... bit puzzled by what gameplay this is for 🤔 We already have skimmers bimbling around, and SRVs are near invisible from ships...
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The skimmers were always placeholders because they circumvented the problem of AI terrain navigation, however they are restricted to defending somewhat flattened areas and don't pursue you much beyond those predictable terrain landscapes which leaves the vast % of current surfaces lifeless, even in older high pop systems.

The next big update is set to include FPS, so shooter-style ground vehicle combat is a natural extension of this genre, and since this is mostly a PVE game where we compete primarily against human NPCs, it makes sense to have them occupying SRVs (probably in lots of new flavors). Having NPCs that are able to navigate all of the same surfaces that human players currently navigate will allow for a vastly greater % of planet surfaces to become alive with activity. Floating drones simply don't cut it, and certainly won't allow for the kind of living base activity that one would expect in places inhabited by actual humans.
 

Druner

Druner
"Key Responsibilities
Design and setup of scenarios/missions
Design of mechanics and games systems
Testing and balancing gameplay
Providing specifications for game features and content
Using a range of software and in-house tools to create compelling game play experiences."


Good thing they are taking compelling gameplay loops into account.
 

Watcher

W
Requiem Mortis said:
It is of course possible that ground work has already been done and they're expanding the team or replacing natural churn.
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Absolutely and we have to hope that not finding one soon doesn't translate in to too much of a delay or reduction of those features. If we're lucky they can continue development as is and anyone additional they hire can add in to that.
Still, I wouldn't expect FD to comment on this at all, be very unusual if they did :) Just generally that is, not FD in particular!
 

CMDR Redcrest

C
Planet surfcaes does not have to be anything different to rhe planet surfaces we have now.
I'm not personally too hyped until I know for sure what's coming.
 

VR SenseiMatty

VR SenseiMatty
LeoBartlet85 said:
I trust everyone is getting themselves excited over a new SRV off the back of vague information.
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134000
 
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