Implemented On The Subject of Spectral...

[Skuhoo]

Currently, we're planning on changing the spectral module to visually change armor (just like the leather armor) instead of giving the spectral effect. This is because certain players lose a significant amount of FPS when trying to render the spectral effect. The problem with changing armor type is that it is nowhere near as cool as the spectral effect, significantly less reliable since we need to intercept and modify packets, and isn't a direct replacement as a change in armor type doesn't let you see players through walls.

With all this in mind, one solution we're considering is allowing players to choose what the spectral effect does via player settings (under /profile). That way, players with lower-end PCs can enable the "armor change" spectral module, while others can keep the current spectral effect. Thoughts?


On a side note: from my testing, I was able to almost completely reduce the framerate loss caused by spectral'd entities by turning Optifine's "Fast Render" setting on. However, we should be careful about developing Loka around Optifine, as mods should never be required to play Loka.

 

[catfishjw]

I wouldn’t really think about it as developing around the mod, more like taking advantage of what the mod was designed to do, and people can choose whether or not to use it

 

[DeceitfulPear]

I personally didn't experience too harsh of lag from the spectral mod (more so than conquest already gives ) and I agree that Glowing just plainly looks cooler. While I do agree that the glow looks cooler, having those options between the two sounds like it would give a significant advantage to those with better PCs past just the point of FPS. Glowing lets you see them through walls so its essentially an option of:

FPS Drop but Wall Hacks
or
No FPS change but Armor Change

I would be behind the idea of making it an option only if Glowing didn't allow the ability to see through walls, but I don't know if such a thing could be coded?

 

[Skuhoo]

I wouldn’t really think about it as developing around the mod, more like taking advantage of what the mod was designed to do, and people can choose whether or not to use it

I think you missed my point. I'm saying that it's wrong to force the spectral effect onto players using the belief that "they should be using Optifine if they want to not lag".

 

[MasonMcBadbat]

I haven't had much in the way of experience with the spectral mod. That said, from the battle streams I've seen on Balak, the module seems to be a really powerful addition that might turn out to be the new meta for how you setup a t gen. The primary reason it is so strong is that clipping effect.
(Does the spectral turn red at half health still? If so it's a huge help, especially with the crowd fighting that has become a big trend recently.)
I figure if we're trying to go for a module situation where no one mod is *always* correct then maybe hit two birds with one stone and just change armor. Or perhaps as Pear recommends, if the spectral effect can be made to not clip that might be a middle road here.

Tldr: If it lags ppl and its super strong kill two birds with one stone and nerf it while relieving lag

 

[ArcherSquid]

I like the idea of the interchangeable option however I think that would give some players a disadvantage. So it has to be either the glowing effect or the different armor.

 

[Skuhoo]

I like the idea of the interchangeable option however I think that would give some players a disadvantage. So it has to be either the glowing effect or the different armor.

It's true that, however minor it may be, players using the changing armor would be put at a disadvantage to players using the spectral effect. But how much should we cater to players without Optifine? If nearly the entirety of Loka's playerbase uses a mod that fixes the FPS loss caused by spectral, why shouldn't we use it? I'd imagine the vast majority of players would play with spectral enabled, and only a small subset of players who both have bad PCs and are unwilling to download Optifine would use the armor changing setting. Is the minor, remediable disadvantage that these subset of players would be put at not worth the ability for Loka to develop cool stuff using the spectral effect?

I haven't had much in the way of experience with the spectral mod. That said, from the battle streams I've seen on Balak, the module seems to be a really powerful addition that might turn out to be the new meta for how you setup a t gen. The primary reason it is so strong is that clipping effect.
(Does the spectral turn red at half health still? If so it's a huge help, especially with the crowd fighting that has become a big trend recently.)
I figure if we're trying to go for a module situation where no one mod is *always* correct then maybe hit two birds with one stone and just change armor. Or perhaps as Pear recommends, if the spectral effect can be made to not clip that might be a middle road here.

Tldr: If it lags ppl and its super strong kill two birds with one stone and nerf it while relieving lag

Making spectral not work through walls is both difficult/expensive to do (as it would involve raycasting between the spectral'd player and everyone else on the battlefield), and is not at all what this discussion is about. The problem we're trying to solve isn't balance, it's certain players' FPS issues. I believe part of the spectral module rebalancing includes making the module's spectral effect have a limited range, rather than affecting the entire battlezone. Switching from spectral to armor changing isn't an effort to balance the module.

 

[Walkers]

Im sure you know i was one of the people that brought this up and my PC isnt too bad. I think I noticed it was an issue when the <50% health effect was happening to many people at once, if spectral is limited to just charged people I imagine it wont effect fps as much since that’s a max of 4 people who can have it.

 

[Skuhoo]

Im sure you know i was one of the people that brought this up and my PC isnt too bad. I think I noticed it was an issue when the <50% health effect was happening to many people at once, if spectral is limited to just charged people I imagine it wont effect fps as much since that’s a max of 4 people who can have it.

Were you using Optifine's fast render setting?

 

[Magpieman]

We have recently done some testing on replacing the spectral effect with a change in armour/armour colour. The big issue we have experienced with it is the armour not updating until the player has been hit. The only way to fix this is to try and send the packet manually, but doing that is a bit janky and far from ideal. As a result it is very unlikely we will replace the spectral effect with changing the players armour. So if we wanted to keep the module we will probably still have to use the spectral effect.

 

[BuscoNombre]

The good part of this is that finally the spectral mod has a worthy use.
Killing players without optifine or with bad PCs is the new meta