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Jump Physics

Posted: Fri Dec 02, 2016 12:22 pm
by CommanderSpleen
During an IRC conversation earlier with Dynamo (CKeen), we discussed the idea of modifying the physics in the Vorticons episodes to eliminate the wind-up before jumping.

Although I find it just forms a unique style of gameplay, for some it can be a frustrating latency between the player and the game's response, particularly for avoiding deadly obstacles. It could potentially broaden the appeal of Vorticons mods, and enhance the capacity for Galaxy-style gameplay, to make a kind of trainer available with an instantaneous jump.

There is a patch which eliminates the wind-up, which I trialed in this modified version of XkyKeen1 (along with one-button firing and unlimited lives). However, it results in a constant jump height. This would be fine for a new mod designed with that in mind, but the original series and many existing mods rely on a variable jump and would become even more frustrating or impossible to play.

So, how improbable is an alternative approach that immediately launches the player at a particular velocity, sustained to some degree while the jump button is held, and then begins decelerating when it is released or the maximum height is reached? Perhaps there is a way of hijacking some of the pogo code which seems to do just this?

Of course, there is the purist consideration of whether this should even. Is this an abomination that shouldn't be brought into existence; just another repugnant dumbing down of an integral aspect of a classic game for the sake of pandering to so-called gamers who can't fully appreciate the game as a whole and don't deserve to experience the fruits of our efforts?

(Also my 1,000th post :birthday)

Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2016 12:16 pm
by levellass
It should certainly be possible but I don't have much idea how it'd be implemented. I personally don't see much need for it.

Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2016 12:50 pm
by CommanderSpleen
Certainly not a priority for what it's worth in relation to other patching efforts.

Thinking it would be a better idea to suggest it as a Commander Genius option where it can be coded from scratch. Players who want to use such a feature are probably more inclined to use the modernised and more casually accessible engine anyway.

Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2016 7:24 am
by KeenRush
I wouldn't know how to implement it, and in any case I would refuse to. :P The way the original works is special. It's part of the game's/engine's charm.

Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2016 5:53 am
by XkyRauh
I spent a little while trying to figure out how to IMPLEMENT the jump delay into LittleBigPlanet2's editor, when I was still playing that regularly... :) I never figured out a good way to make the jump height be variable with the wind-up. (I'm confident there's a way, I just never got it, personally).

The wind-up was definitely something I hated as a kid, but grew to love as a modder. I agree with LevelLass--it's part of the charm of the original trilogy!