Gameplay Constraints
tracked
Extrude Ragu
Since client side scripting is being explored and developed I thought I'd express my personal desire to not only expose 'get' and 'set' of client state via script, but also the ability to 'restrict' certain actions
For example, for certain types of games, the ability to restrict seeing other players on the minimap would be a useful gameplay mechanic. But the problem is if we only have 'get' and 'set', whilst our lua script might hide the map, another script could then show it again or the player could just open it again themselves.
The ability to set constraints would therefor be useful. The constraints could be tied to an attachment assuming we can run lua scripts on avatars in inworld objects such that the constraint releases when the attachment is removed. Other lua scripts would not be able to remove the constraint if that makes sense - so we can be sure the user is not cheating the game.
examples of useful constraints might be
- disallow flight
- radar/minimap don't show avatars nearby
- max alt cam distance
- max draw distance (think skyboxes)
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WolfGang Senizen
I would be nice for a clientside script to "take control" of some setting or so, and block other scripts access to it.
My pipe dream would be a true "event system" in lua, where when an action is performed it can be caught and canceled or modified before actually executing.
Coaldust Numbers
This is only a good idea if it is enforced server-side. Client-side enforcement will be removed by anyone that wishes to cheat.
WolfGang Senizen
Coaldust Numbers Thats not a reason to not have the feature.
Yes users can cheat, but this would likely be for most users that do not wish to, and therefore help prevent accidental cheating or just make games in sl more interesting.
SL Feedback
Hello, and thank you for your detailed feature request regarding gameplay constraints. This particular suggestion has been brought up in the past and is already documented in our Jira archive under the title 'llSetGameConstraints.' We will set this issue to tracked. We appreciate your input and encourage you to keep sharing your ideas to help improve Second Life. Please stay tuned for future updates.
SL Feedback
tracked
Bleuhazenfurfle Resident
What has any of this even got to do with Lua?
Low-latency things like handling the controls could be good client-side. Likewise UI's being able to do hover effects and react to mouse movement. Lua being able to generate local textures for HUDs would be awesome as well, and other stuff that requires too much memory to be done server-side (though, I hope they're thinking about not allowing a script to consume GB's of memory).
But all those features you listed there could just as easily be done from LSL — being viewer-side makes no difference at all. RLV can be switched off, and it's features selectively blocked — so can Lua's.
Extrude Ragu
I should have pointed out that most of these commands are basically things that currently only RLV can do.
Gameplay experiences that rely on RLV have the issue currently that they present a barrier to entry in that the user needs an RLV supporting TPV. Being able to do this kind of thing without RLV would make more experiences easily accessible to residents.
Coffee Pancake
Extrude Ragu Doesn't matter what you call it. Camera restrictions are the most hated RLV restrictions.
"LUA camera controls" will not suddenly change user opinion or reaction to having their camera controlled.
Extrude Ragu
Coffee Pancake
I think the reaction mostly comes because those people are used to and want to play SecondLife.
Personally, I'm not in the business of building SecondLife but more interested in using SecondLife as a platform to build experiences.
I want to make my own game world, and control how it works. Most people don't feel restricted by the fact they can't cam across their MMO world for example.
There's already plenty of SecondLife to SecondLife in. What harm does it do to let a private region operator offer something different?
Coffee Pancake
Extrude Ragu I'm not arguing with your motivation, being able to build game environments with game rules and controls is a personal dream for SL.
But there are expectations that will cause conflict, one being able to look around a location without blindly walking in on people.
SL is a social space first, avatars have personal space. It's rude or awkward to walk blindly into a space that is already occupied. Visitors to a location like to get an idea of where they are going, and who might be there already, before they go.
This is why teleport doors never really took off as a way to separate spaces and play to SL's strengths.