New Tricks for the Pack: Improving MP functionality

[loboLoco]

What will the tick rate of the server be? Are they dedicated instances like Overwatch or are they P2P?

Our sync rate (which I guess is the same as tick rate) is 12 per second, which is slow compared to shooter games but sufficient for our gameplay. We're using Photon master/client multiplayer service, so the host's computer/device is running the game and other players are the clients.

Thanks for the answer Dave! Would you be willing to put it higher to something like 30 maybe? In a "High Performance" mode almost, maybe put a tag of #30 or #15 to let players know they'd need a better connection for 30 tick servers? I don't know. If there's going to be PVP, I'd value higher refreshes for the sake of stopping arguments and people saying "No, I bit first!". /Shrug

Edit; Optimally I'd love to have 60, but that sounds expensive performance-wise and money-wise. Thanks for your time though and putting up with my weird niche questions lol.

Pack vs Pack may require a higher rate, but I don't see any need to change it otherwise. Wolves don't move nearly as fast as bullets.

[Weylenn]

What will the tick rate of the server be? Are they dedicated instances like Overwatch or are they P2P?

Our sync rate (which I guess is the same as tick rate) is 12 per second, which is slow compared to shooter games but sufficient for our gameplay. We're using Photon master/client multiplayer service, so the host's computer/device is running the game and other players are the clients.

Thanks for the answer Dave! Would you be willing to put it higher to something like 30 maybe? In a "High Performance" mode almost, maybe put a tag of #30 or #15 to let players know they'd need a better connection for 30 tick servers? I don't know. If there's going to be PVP, I'd value higher refreshes for the sake of stopping arguments and people saying "No, I bit first!". /Shrug

Edit; Optimally I'd love to have 60, but that sounds expensive performance-wise and money-wise. Thanks for your time though and putting up with my weird niche questions lol.

Pack vs Pack may require a higher rate, but I don't see any need to change it otherwise. Wolves don't move nearly as fast as bullets.

True. I'd like to see it for PvP, but for Campaign it'd be totally fine where it is now.

[xc92u3]

Oh, I have an idea! Maybe when you make a new wolf, you can choose what rank you want. If you are the host, you're automatically the leader of the pack. If not, you can choose like omega, babysitter, beta, etc.
For this case, you know you can make your game with two modes: Pack Life, and Raise Pups? Well, maybe you would add a Roleplaying Game mode, where you can access this. I don't think it would improve multiplayer functionality... maybe even make it worse. Well, then again, just a suggestion!

[Echodextrous]

Ohh! Could we have a quieter "softer" chat notification sound? The current one is extremely loud and "sharp". Having a notification sound is awesome and very helpful because it helps me (personally) to keep track of the chat, especially if I minimize the game during a lull in the conversation, or just generally when the conversation slows and suddenly starts up again. A quieter softer sound would be nice and helpful while not taking to much immersion away from the game with a sudden "PING".

[BlueLeopard]

Ooh! All of these ideas sound great!

I love the idea about having a quieter notification sound. I agree that the chat sound is a little too loud, although it’s a great way to catch peoples’ attention so they keep track of the chat, but it would still be nice to have a softer notification sound.

[xc92u3]

The notification sound is fine to me, but my mom finds it very annoying when she's trying to work with something or sleep (the P.C. I play on is hers; and in her room). And I've noticed there is no way to turn the game down; just the music. There is no "Master Sound" to turn down... or "Game Effects" to turn down, like the sound of eating, pups, and chat sound. Only the music's volume is tweakable. So I kinda do, kinda not, agree with the new, "softer" notification sound.

[thirteen889184]

I think that a "Game Effects" sound to tweak would be very nice, especially if it included the chat sound. I think that the biting sound in particular is just too loud for my tastes. That, and making it easier to scroll through the chat box. It's probably just me but if the box was easier or you didn't have to actually hold the scroller thing to scroll, it would make it easier especially during RP type games or with people who are fast typers. I also think that the suggestion of increasing the character limit for the chat would be really helpful especially for the RP games.

[BlueLeopard]

I think that a "Game Effects" sound to tweak would be very nice, especially if it included the chat sound. I think that the biting sound in particular is just too loud for my tastes.

I actually like this idea a lot more! Because players who are fine with the current chat sound volume can keep it the way it is, while other players can adjust the volume to their liking; be it the chat, a bite, or other in-game sounds. That's a good suggestion.

[Tlitoo]

Ok so so far I've seen these things popping up in the ideas:

~ more players in servers, considering the new maps will be bigger and with the new coding this should be possible. Most people agree we aren't asking an insane amount like 80 to a server but 10-15 players would be a lot more fun than just the current 8 ^.^

~ adding the option for a pop up of the in game server rules and a description of the role play added to the pop up where you click join your pack

~ block players, not everyone is going to get along and some players can be total trolls, this would be useful. (especially with noobs)

(And something that idk if anyone else wants but could be added in the future maaaaaaaybe bison and fish :3)

[Wolvesarelife994]

I'm going to make a little list here so bear with me.
Something that I am hoping can be added is to extend both the amount of characters in the chat box, and when naming your wolf. (I wanted to name a wolf "Laughinggirl" after a story I heard in my child hood but it had too many characters so I ended up called her "Laughingshe" and it just wasn't the same. This isn't a huge deal but it would be an awesome feature to see! )
Can we PLEASE fix the steering when hosting in MP? It becomes really stiff and hard to turn no matter how sensitive turning is set to.
Is there anyway we can make xp more visible after each kill?
It would be awesome if we could add in more player spaces. Such as, instead of 8 as a maximum per server, you could have up to 12 or 15?
It would also be really cool to have the cattle ranch available in multiplayer.
One more idea then I'm done; in pup servers, it would be cool if the "spawn amount" of the pups was randomized. For example, lets say the average wild wolf has about 4 pups, that doesn't mean that a wild wolf will have 4 pups every time. (If there was a way to make it happen), it would be cool to make the "amount of pups" randomized, so that there is a chance to have anywhere from 1 - 4 pups per litter, instead of a set number of pups every time. Or if it is easier to code, perhaps the amount of pups you get is dependent on your difficulty level? I hope that made sense.

This is a great idea! I was thinking the randomized pups as well, but maybe based on difficulty and how much exp you have.

[xc92u3]

Ok so so far I've seen these things popping up in the ideas:

~ more players in servers, considering the new maps will be bigger and with the new coding this should be possible. Most people agree we aren't asking an insane amount like 80 to a server but 10-15 players would be a lot more fun than just the current 8 ^.^

~ adding the option for a pop up of the in game server rules and a description of the role play added to the pop up where you click join your pack

~ block players, not everyone is going to get along and some players can be total trolls, this would be useful. (especially with noobs)

(And something that idk if anyone else wants but could be added in the future maaaaaaaybe bison and fish :3)

Uh... I think it's sometimes hard to keep track of just six players... eight is just sometimes chaotic.
Bison is to be added sometime later, but fishwise maybe later Dave will have fish jump in rivers or something. Wolves do not fish in Yellowstone. I like the adding the pop up thing for roleplay, and the host could write in the rules and the type of RP, even though usually the name states that. The block players would be handy, but some players that are friends with your friends may be blocked and your friends might get a little upset about it, even though they know that their own game friend is kind of a stinker. I would love to put up that block for [a very specific username and I don't need to name it] a player, but I am friends with a user who is friends with that specific player. So I don't know............... I like seeing new ideas, though! Keep them coming!

[Northings]

Really excited for the mini bio in pack stats!

-I think the main thing I'd recommend is more players. With bigger maps it would make sense for more players. At-least maybe up to 15? More may cause it to get a bit hectic.

-Maybe multiple packs in multiplayer? In the new Tower Fall map make it possible for multi players to form multiple packs.

[xc92u3]

I am against people's ideas of more players. It just wouldn't work on a person's cheapy fire tablet... and it would be laggy on a person's big ol'honkin' beefy computer connected by cord to internet. And eight players is really hard to keep track of! Just because the maps are bigger doesn't mean there HAS to be more players. I really would like it if we just stuck with the two-eight players function.

[ForeverEverest]

I am against people's ideas of more players. It just wouldn't work on a person's cheapy fire tablet... and it would be laggy on a person's big ol'honkin' beefy computer connected by cord to internet. And eight players is really hard to keep track of! Just because the maps are bigger doesn't mean there HAS to be more players. I really would like it if we just stuck with the two-eight players function.

I personally think more players would be great for a pack versus pack, but I see what you mean with other modes (like raise pups). However, I think the pack chat idea would work pretty well, and help keep the chat clean, so you actually have time to read it. Lag would be a bigger problem, but that can be fixed (at least a little) by lowering the picture quality.

Maybe there could be a chat where you can only hear those who are nearby, or different types of howl. Like a territorial, or rallying howl.

[Frodo1]

Here's a thought that just popped into my head-- maybe you wouldn't need the whole pack to rally, but just the majority of players. It's really annoying when one person goes AFK and then you can't rally at all. It'd be nice if you just needed the majority-- you could still rally if you needed to in most cases that way...