Tue Sep 10, 2013 5:52 am
Simplified Server Option? Might open some opportunities...
Hey guys,
I know I'm not a very active part of this community as of late, but I still think about the game pretty often and admire it very much for how much it has adapted and changed over time, even with such a small (but dedicated) group of people.
With that being said, I think one huge area of the game, not much explored in the past is the social aspect.
Looking back on when I was a regular player, I recall that I *discussed* the game, either on the forums, PM or even AIM, about as much if not more than I actually played.
I think most bitfighter players can relate to that- map making is also a big time consideration for some people, but even there, it's fairly social.
When I am in a bitfighter game and someone I know logs on, I always at least say hi. If someone I don't know logs in and doesn't respond to my greeting (and after telling him to press g to chat), I consider him weird or rude. Often, the other person had a lot to say I would get into lengthy conversations in game.
Further, Bobaduck has talked about DnD games on bitfighter. I'm not sure *exactly* what he has in mind, but if it's like DnD that I'm used to, there will be a fair amount of dialog and textual (if not verbal) interaction.
So why do I bring this up? Well, there is one *very* good feature of bitfighter that is very rarely emphasized. We all know that the map maker is good, and that the game is what it is - and that it has a lot of things that make it fun.
But I'm talking about the Chat. The chat is used in Bitfighter, probably a lot more than in other action games. Bitfighter is unique in that it can be played as a very intense game, a very casual game, or anything in between- probably because the game is so simple and the map maker is so open to creativity.
In the past when we have wanted to get more players involved in bitfighter, we have usually tried to make it more competitive- with league games or "party" kind of gatherings with a competitive edge.
After a few *years* of thought, I now realize that maybe we should have tried the other direction. What if we somehow had a server option that would simplify physics (possibly turn off turrets, disable asteroid re-spawning, maybe even lower the graphics) and emphasize low-lag scenarios?
With the ultimate goal of drawing in people who are looking for a chat room with some virtual-interaction. Then when people feel like being competative, the server host can flip the switch and amp-up the game, and the chat feature fades back into the background.
I know that "virtual reality" chat rooms are viewed as kind of cheesy, but there really is a big call for a light weight version, and I think Bitfighter is *already* a good option for that.
Correct me if I'm wrong Bobaduck or Watusimoto, but I think that with a few tweaks, and an average server strength, bitfighter could run on about as much memory as skype.
I know I'm not a very active part of this community as of late, but I still think about the game pretty often and admire it very much for how much it has adapted and changed over time, even with such a small (but dedicated) group of people.
With that being said, I think one huge area of the game, not much explored in the past is the social aspect.
Looking back on when I was a regular player, I recall that I *discussed* the game, either on the forums, PM or even AIM, about as much if not more than I actually played.
I think most bitfighter players can relate to that- map making is also a big time consideration for some people, but even there, it's fairly social.
When I am in a bitfighter game and someone I know logs on, I always at least say hi. If someone I don't know logs in and doesn't respond to my greeting (and after telling him to press g to chat), I consider him weird or rude. Often, the other person had a lot to say I would get into lengthy conversations in game.
Further, Bobaduck has talked about DnD games on bitfighter. I'm not sure *exactly* what he has in mind, but if it's like DnD that I'm used to, there will be a fair amount of dialog and textual (if not verbal) interaction.
So why do I bring this up? Well, there is one *very* good feature of bitfighter that is very rarely emphasized. We all know that the map maker is good, and that the game is what it is - and that it has a lot of things that make it fun.
But I'm talking about the Chat. The chat is used in Bitfighter, probably a lot more than in other action games. Bitfighter is unique in that it can be played as a very intense game, a very casual game, or anything in between- probably because the game is so simple and the map maker is so open to creativity.
In the past when we have wanted to get more players involved in bitfighter, we have usually tried to make it more competitive- with league games or "party" kind of gatherings with a competitive edge.
After a few *years* of thought, I now realize that maybe we should have tried the other direction. What if we somehow had a server option that would simplify physics (possibly turn off turrets, disable asteroid re-spawning, maybe even lower the graphics) and emphasize low-lag scenarios?
With the ultimate goal of drawing in people who are looking for a chat room with some virtual-interaction. Then when people feel like being competative, the server host can flip the switch and amp-up the game, and the chat feature fades back into the background.
I know that "virtual reality" chat rooms are viewed as kind of cheesy, but there really is a big call for a light weight version, and I think Bitfighter is *already* a good option for that.
Correct me if I'm wrong Bobaduck or Watusimoto, but I think that with a few tweaks, and an average server strength, bitfighter could run on about as much memory as skype.
BAM! I'm back.
