[Mod] PLASMA BALL!@#$ ver0.12alpha

[bananaboy]

PLASMA BALL!@#% ver.0.12alpha
Okay, fine...stupid name hehe, it was originally called Larpa Ball, so named because it involved using a modified manipulator to throw balls of larpa at one another...the latest one is a lot more...um...complicated, but I've put it up here for the firing squad, so please, do criticize. Keep in mind that its intended for now more as a test mod, than as an actual game =\

Works best with Doom (by Sindalf) maps.

What's it all about
Every piece of equipment in the game deals with "plasma", basically particles that deal damage on contact and repel each other. Red plasma attracts blue plasma, and green is unaffected. All plasma repel their own kind. The game's primary weapons are MPIs (see below) which channel "plasma" into a containment field (read modified manipulator) to form a glowing orb. You can't hold the orb for too long because the "plasma" gets very unstable when a lot is compressed into a small space. Upon trigger release, the devices launch the larpa..uh...plasma forward using different methods (see below).

Gameplay is deathmatch for now, but new game modes shall be made available in future releases.

No guns!? :
Plasma Ball! does't use guns...instead, a fictional (duh) device known as a Magnetic Plasma Impeller is used to contain and launch charged plasma through use of magnetic fields. By varying the shape of the containment field, different effects can be achieved. Here's a list (and some fictional infromation) of all the devices included in this release.

Magnetic Plasma Impellers

1. MPIx (modified very slightly)
A millitary grade magnetic plasma impeller, with reasonable containment field strength and a good channel rate. It is fairly accurate at medium distances when launching a small amount of plasma, and can be used as a wide spread area denial weapon when highly charged.

2. MPIx-C
A variant of the MPIx, featuring a modified field compressor that uh...compresses the plasma field, making it more accurate and potent at higher charge levels. Although the field leaks less than one without the modified compressor, it tends to leak larger amounts at a time so that contact with even a small plasma spike may prove to be fatal, making overcharging a much bigger risk. It is more difficult to handle than the standard MPI.

3. MPI-NP
A standard MPI modified to contain and fire positively charged plasma clouds. This has the effect of attracting stray negative plasma, and is usually deployed as a counter attack to conventional blue plasma impellers.

4. XG-PlasmaLance (modified very slightly)
A prototype MPI, with a totally unconventional containment field, that contains plasma within a cylindrical magnetic container weaker at one end. This virtually eliminates the risk of plasma backflaring when overcharging, as excess plasma is constantly leaked forwards. The discharge is in the form of a very compact fast moving stream which is ideal for long range sniping, but charges much slower than other impellers due to the increased power consumption of the barrel field.

Unconventional Plasmacasters

5. xMSP-MK3 (modified)
A prototype Magnetic Soliton Projector, developed by PwntN00bsorz Labs. It charges and contains plasma the same way conventional MPIs do, but launches it differently. Instead of inverting the magnetic bottle to expel plasma, the xMSP projects a relatively slow moving magnetic field, pulling the charged plasma with it towards the target. The projector can be fired even without any plasma in containment, and is commonly used to disrupt plasma in other player's containment fields.

6. E6-ChargeCannon (new)
The ChargeCannon is essentially a plasmabomb coupled with a high voltage discharge rail. The device can be loaded with a single canister charge at a time, which is injected onto the charged rails, where the antimatter fuse is ignited. The resulting plasma completes the circuit between the rails, and is accelerated by Lorentz forces outwards at immense speeds. The device is unable to charge or contain plasma over long periods of time, as it lacks a containment field projector.

Grenades

7. C92g-PlasmaGrenade (modified)
An antimatter fused microplasmabomb. Carries a smaller, hotter burning payload compared with the C86, and has a smaller spread. An effective anti personnel (read: worm) weapon.

8. C86-PlasmaGrenade (new)
An area denial weapon, most effective in small tunnels and rooms. The primary unit contains 20 smaller riser charges, which it scatters milliseconds before detonation to help spread the payload of superheated plasma evely.

Defensive Equipment

9. D36e-Magnetized Chaff Grenade (new)
The D36e is a simple yet highly effective defensive tool, which consists of a small explosive charge inside an electrically charged solenoid within a ferromagnetic shell. When the charge is detonated, the charged solenoid short circuits causing a large compressed magnetic field to be generated, while the shell fragments. The shrapnel is then magnetized by the expanding magnetic burst, forming a fine cloud of magnetic particles. The particles effectively disperse charged plasma, and disrupt the delicate containment fields used in common MPIs causing them to become rather unpredictable within the cloud.

10. APS-Unit (new)
An Active Personal Shielding Unit is a device slung under the barrel of an MPI, that generates a charged particle field in a 120 degree arc in front of the bearer. The field is actively adjusted through changes in the magnetic flux, to intercept and repel incoming bolts of plasma. While the first designs did not allow the use of the MPI while the field was active, the latest models easily take into account and compensate for the field generated by the user's MPI, allowing limited charging and firing even when the shield is active. This compensation however, is not perfect and firing an MPI from behind an active shield is usually much harder than otherwise.

What's next!? :
The most urgent thing coming up are some new maps and game modes. Maps like ReactorCore will feature a stream of plasma at the center of a large complex, which players will be able to use and control in defence and offense. Another thing in the works is a game mode called Critical Mass, where players have to work in teams to overload each other's "reactor" by filling it with white plasma taken from some place on the map.

Also being worked on are optimizations. The mod uses a lot of particles, which each play a sound on contact with the ground. This can get pretty laggy on slower pcs.


Here's the file. Please come back with your comments once you've tried it.
Emergency Bugfix Script
This bugfix is required for netplay with version 0.12. Please update accordingly.
Bugfix @ Rapidshare : http://rapidshare.de/files/19829388/Bugfix012.zip.html
Latest Version
PlasmaBall v0.12alpha @ Powerhuhn : http://powerhuhn.net/depot/gusanos/mods/pb012.zip
PlasmaBall v0.12alpha @ BJwayMods : http://www.bjwaymods.net/download.php?file=pb012.zip
PlasmaBall v0.12alpha @ Rapidshare : http://rapidshare.de/files/19580836/pb012.zip.html
Back Versions
PlasmaBall v0.06alpha @ Rapidshare : http://rapidshare.de/files/19328524/pb006.zip.html
PlasmaBall v0.06alpha @ Powerhuhn : http://powerhuhn.net/depot/gusanos/mods/pb006.zip

Edit : Wow I didn't realize it was soooo long =\ Sorry for the lengthy post.
Edit : Added a [Mod] prefix to the title...I didn't realize it was convention to do so =) Also, added Setrodox's Depot link. Thanks for hosting, setro. New version due in about 2 days.
Edit : Uploaded new version and changed text to reflect changes. Thanks for the advice, basara..and for Gusanos. Sorry for the repeated edits. Let me know if I'm not supposed to do this.
Edit : The latest version of PlasmaBall had a netplay desync because of the LUA I used. The Bugfix012 file fixes that issue. If you're downloading pb012.zip now, you will still need to bugfix because I have not updated the full packages with the fix. Sorry for the inconvenience. Most of the recent posts have been highly encouraging. Thanks for all your support, and I'm glad you had fun. All suggestions are being seriously considered.

[setrodox]

haven't tested it yet, but sounds like a very much improved version of the magnetic balls mod to me 

[basara]

Its really good, pure manipulator fun! Its also visually astonishing and it looks like it may sync fairly good over netplay.
I also loved your descriptions of each weapon, it gives more depth to the game :>

I would like to see a weapon which charges a mixture between red and blue plasma

[bananaboy]

Thanks for the encouragement, basara    and thanks to setrodox too, for the hosting. Btw, I think the only way this resembles Magnetic Balls, is how they both have "ball" in the title

Working on a new release right now, and I have a few little questions:
1. I'm planning on making it run faster on slower pcs...any hints and tips on how I can do that? The large amount of particles, aren't just cosmetic...they play a part in gameplay too...
2. basara, you mentioned about syncing over netplay; what are the factors that affect that? Perhaps give me some tips on what I can do to further optimize things...
3. Is there a way to make an object make a bouncing sound when it hits the ground? The on ground_collision() event doesn't work, because it will make the sound not just upon contact, but the whole time it's in contact with the ground.

Thanks in advance for any answer I may (or may not) recieve...

[basara]

1)
I am not sure how slow it is, for me it run smoothly even when there were a lot of particles were on screen. Gusanos has already been optimized a lot in terms of particle-particle interactions. Ofcourse, wu pixels are a bit slower than normal pixels and there is a console option to disable the antialiasing on the distortions. IMO you should first wait untill someone complains that it runs too slow and then consider how to make it run faster.

2)
The more deterministic your game is the more it will sync over netplay, if your mod shoots a single particle in some random angle between -90 and 90 degrees the unsyncness will become highly visible, however if you shoot 100000 at the same time the probabilities of them covering the whole range uniformly are high so it becomes aproximately deterministic and will happen almost in the same way in all pc's.

For example, shotguns with high distribution will seem to sync fine, but if you made a single shot sniper with the same distribution it would almost never seem synced

3)
For ground hitting sounds you can use lua, check the techtest map in 0.9b ( I think I removed it from 0.9c since it was a bit silly ;P ) There is a flying orb, if you manipulate it and shoot it against a wall it will make a colision sound.

[bananaboy]

Well explained, thanks a lot.

Was messing around without lua at first...i got the effect by generating a particle each time on ground_collision is triggered, and making that particle detect if another of its kind was close by before making a sound...It didn't really work out for obvious reasons =)

[Kamil077]

Woooow,
Doom 3000 

it's a manipulator wars ! I like it !

[bananaboy]

0.12 is out, with 4 new pieces of equipment! Brought to you by ToastedWormTech Pte. Ltd.

Setrodox if you see this, could you do me a fav and update the depot? Else, nevermind. Don't want to trouble you too much for such a small release. Thanks

[sindalf]

Nice mod, like it.  It's a very original idea.

[Kamil077]

Next version, next good job!
I'm Love this Sheld !!!

[bananaboy]

Thanks guys =)

Anyway, I've recieved reports about the shield not working on netplay. One party sees it while the other party doesn't. Must be because its my first attempt at lua =p I'll work on it asap.

Any advice is appreciated.

[Mauganra99]

You'll probably need to use network_player_events to properly synchronize stuff like that.

Take a look at the ballpark map, it has some net-sync code, or the WH (Warhammer 40K) and LA (Lightsaber Arena) mods use it too.

And the documentation of course.

[SpaceBoy2000]

Well, this mod has blown me away to the point that I had to delurk and register here. Amazing job here Bananaboy, a very original concept. Only thing I really miss using the manipulator to grab other worms...but that's just me. May I suggest a repeating plasma charge cannon, as opposed to me mashing the keys with a MPIx?

Keep up the great work!

[setrodox]

0.12 is out, with 4 new pieces of equipment! Brought to you by ToastedWormTech Pte. Ltd.

Setrodox if you see this, could you do me a fav and update the depot? Else, nevermind. Don't want to trouble you too much for such a small release. Thanks

i have uploaded it yesterday, forgot to write a reply in this topic though 

[Mauganra99]

May I suggest a repeating plasma charge cannon, as opposed to me mashing the keys with a MPIx?

Yes, some repeater plasmacaster would be nice. Or a plasmahose, which sprays plasma continuously without really containing it. They wouldn't really overpower everything since they can be blocked/assimilated easily, and turned against their users

Anyway, I seemed to forgot to say this: I like it! Both the graphics and sound are very good, and gameplay deserves at least an 'original' label. Got to love how almost everything is done with simple pixels and some 'glow' sprites, and looks wicked!