Flashbombs

[Springheel]

From another thread:

 

On flashbombs:

I recall testing transaction and if I blinded an AI and ran away, the headstart I get wasn't very long. Usually the flash bomb is used in a panic withdraw situation and it is easy to fumble with that. Since FB's cost a lot of money and they are scarce, maybe the blind time should be tad bit longer. Of course, if the Important People agree.

[Midnight]

I don't have any problem with the blind time of flashbombs which serve well as a means of escape 75% of the time (any more and they'd be too powerful IMO).

I've got flashbombs mapped to the 'G' key, and the use key is 'Tab', so even in those emergency situations I never fumble when dropping a flashbomb. My one gripe is that sometimes I get stunned by my own flashbomb if I look upwards at the same time (surely this should protect me from the flash?).

[Glyph Seeker]

Would it be possible for blind time to be dependent on difficulty - so they are more forgiving for newer players?

[fllood]

Would it be possible for blind time to be dependent on difficulty - so they are more forgiving for newer players?

+1

 

to me specially lowering AI sound awareness for the time of effect. For me most issue is what is mentioned in the other thread that the AI still hear your footstep the same as the AI being undistracted.

[Baddcog]

Even if it also 'deafened' the ai, which might not even be that far from reality ( It's possible that it could be a flash/bang bomb. They do make a noise afterall), might be a good way to go.

 

The player would never be aware that the ai lost it's hearing for a second anyway. And if them hearing you is what's making the bomb fairly useless, then it would make sense for it to deafen them just to make it a more effiecient tool.

 

Again, the player would never know it had a deafening effect so we wouldn't need to say it's a bang bomb or anything.

 

In T2 if you stunned a guard with one it was easy to get away. The only issue was running into another guard while doing so.

 

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I feel that using one should make it pretty easy to escape no matter the difficulty if it's used correctly.

 

it's almost on par with other 'OP' tools as a fire arrow. They are rare, and you only use it if you need to. Not like a water arrow that you are 'careless' with.

 

So if you are going to use one it needs to be effective.

[Sotha]

BC's suggestion sounds right to me. No difficulty effect, no blind time change, just add a deafening effect.

 

If you suddenly lose your sight, you're probably so distressed by the experience that you will not be able to actively listen where your opponent went. Therefore the flashbomb doesn't even need to have a deafening bang. The shock would be enough.

 

The most likely way the player escapes after using the bomb is running, so that would support the deafening effect even more.

 

I think it will be a big help if the AI does not immediately face the direction you ran to after recovering from the bomb. Realistic too. Realistic, in away that aids gameplay: the player could viably run behind a nearby pile crates and the AI wouldn't immediately know the player is there. Would be right, considering the bombs are single use and cost money.

[SeriousToni]

Im not one of the important people, but I also answered the poll with "Pretty good", so you can count me out if you want to.

 

Timing is just awesome, you get a change to get away but allways have the heart beating that the enemy still can see you if you don't find a quick escape!

 

I am not a friend of the ai awareness and flash time change on easy/normal/hard. The game should in my opinion be constant in such things, otherwise players would may be confused about such "game intern" things. Obvious things like more guards or harder mission targets are better to change the level of difficulty and everybody can deal with it.

 

But count me out if you want to

Edited July 30, 2011 by SeriousToni

[Tels]

BC's suggestion sounds right to me. No difficulty effect, no blind time change, just add a deafening effect.

 

If you suddenly lose your sight, you're probably so distressed by the experience that you will not be able to actively listen where your opponent went. Therefore the flashbomb doesn't even need to have a deafening bang. The shock would be enough.

 

The most likely way the player escapes after using the bomb is running, so that would support the deafening effect even more.

 

I think it will be a big help if the AI does not immediately face the direction you ran to after recovering from the bomb. Realistic too. Realistic, in away that aids gameplay: the player could viably run behind a nearby pile crates and the AI wouldn't immediately know the player is there. Would be right, considering the bombs are single use and cost money.

 

I admit I never have used a bomb in a game (because I play waay to seldom), but the "make AI deaf for a brief moment of time" is spot on. You can't get such a bright light without a bang (with medivial methods I mean) so it stands to reason that the AI goes deaf for a second. Plus the confusion from the light.

 

So +1 for this idea.

 

I don't favour the "scale it with difficulty" that much, but its hard to judge if the effect should be longer for the easier scales (or short for the harder scale)

[jaxa]

I was always a fan of the ol' Flashbomb 'em and then blackjack 'em. I haven't used one in a while so I don't remember if that particular mechanic carried over to TDM.

[fllood]

The game should in my opinion be constant in such things, otherwise players would may be confused about such "game intern" things.

good point indeed.

 

Deafening would be enough for a better possibility to use of Fleshbombs.

[Springheel]

BC's suggestion sounds right to me. No difficulty effect, no blind time change, just add a deafening effect.

 

Yes, that would be fine with me as well. It will require code support though.

[Glyph Seeker]

Yes, a deafening effect would make sense - after all, this is a clockwork punk version of a flashbang. =-P

[PranQster]

I was always a fan of the ol' Flashbomb 'em and then blackjack 'em. I haven't used one in a while so I don't remember if that particular mechanic carried over to TDM.

I used that method too. Found that it is nowhere near as easy to do this in TDM. In Thief/T2, it was easy to throw a flashbomb into a room with 3 or 4 guards and go in an knock them all out. Now I find that it is difficult to knock out 2 guards after using a flashbomb, and you still have to blackjack them 'just right', else you just piss them off.

Plus, they go off much faster now and the player needs to spin their head away at the same time they use the flashbomb, making it hard to throw the flashbomb right where you want it to land.

Edited July 31, 2011 by PranQster

[Xarg]

good point indeed.

 

Deafening would be enough for a better possibility to use of Fleshbombs.

 

Fleshbombs, eh? This idea intrigues me..

[Professor Paul1290]

I think it would be nice if the flashbombs temporarily prevented the NPCs from tracking you with sound to make them more useful but I would stop short of actually adding a deafening bang to them or making them too flashbang-like.

It would seem kind of odd for something loud enough to cause temporary deafness to not make every guard in the building come in running to see what the explosion was.