Loadouts manager

[spm1138]

We need a new way of managing all of our loadouts.

I was thinking that allowing for more than 36 and having an explorer style interface with folders was the way to go.

Could this be done as an external app?

Discuss.

 

[Crowze]

Allowing more than 32 (or whatever the limit is), not without modifying the inf base code. An external app for modifying loadouts (like INFSpy had) would be very useful, but I'm not sure how easy it would be to take into account add-on weapons.

 

[geogob]

We need a new way of managing all of our loadouts.

I was thinking that allowing for more than 36 and having an explorer style interface with folders was the way to go.

Could this be done as an external app?

Discuss.

I strongly agree we need something to work with loadouts more efficiently. IMO a fix for the numbers of ladouts would be welcome too.

As for an external app, these features would be nices:

- Check for custom weapons (mutators)
- Long loadout list with all loadouts and an active list for the limit
- Loadout list presets
- Visual bulk indication
- Cross platform coding (java maybe) for the linux and mac users (I insist on this one)
- Support for multiple installation of Infiltration
- Ammo configuration setup or presets for a same loadout

And I suggestion the implementation of in-game live intereaction:
- Quick change key to select or rotate through presets
- Preset selection shortcut
- Loadout selection shortcut
- Realtime on screen display of the interaction (might be customised)
- Display linked with a mutator maybe?
- Quick change within a same loadout for ammo types or quatities
- Alternate menu (mutator?) for loadout management and ext. app integration.



That's a few things I can think of right now, and I guess is way enough for now too!

 

[Crowze]

Well, an idea for getting around the limit with a mutator would be to simply store the loadouts in groups of 32, and have ways of selecting which loadout group you want to use (i.e. 'set input c loadoutset cqb' or something like that). I'm not sure how effective it would actually be in-game, as it might not pick up the changes until you restart the level. Also, every server would have to run this for it to be effective at all, as you'd end up stuck with just one list if you join a server not running it, and you'd have to join another server/offline game just to select the right list.

 

[geogob]

Couldn't this be a client-side only mutator? does that work?

 

[Nukeproof]

I thought about something like this since SS announced the 'store location based' loadout system.

Since I already hit the Loadout limit with the vanilla weapons (ok I hardly use more than 10 or 12) something needs to be done, unless one wants to swap/rename the INF_Loadouts.ini all the time with all the upcoming weapons.


Maybe a configurable tree system with sub-loadouts could help.

Like 'Sniper', 'Defense', 'Offense' 'Explosives'...etc folders that contain certain loudouts, similar to the loadout creation browser.

I don't have a clue, but shouldn't it be possible to do just that inside a mutator?

You would simply have a couple of loadout files (with the original structure), each representing one of the above mentioned folders. The QA_Menu would need a tweak to shows all these Folders instead of the actual loadouts. The next level in the QA_Menu would show all loadouts contained in the particular folder.

If you chose a certain loadout the mutator would just rename the refered loadout file i.e. sniper_loadout.ini to INF_Loadouts.ini (that inf uses). By subdividing the list into groups we wouldn't need to browse through a three screensize list anymore, were able to organize things a little more and would have plenty of space for those funky weapons to come...

I hope I put it in a half way understandable manner, the final idea came to me when I wrote already

 

[Crowze]

All mutators are serverside.

I don't think the dynamic ini thing is possible, but it should be easy enough to do in a single ini. And there'll be no modifying the QA menu, at least by me.

 

[ravens_hawk]

This would be easy enough to do if I knew more about how INF works. I could easily create an external app to edit loadouts (all you're doing there is editing an .ini file.) To get around the 32 limit you could just use more than one .ini file and rename it as necessary. However as far as I've tested it changes to the INF_Loadouts.ini only take effect on program load (ie when UT starts.) For third party weapon those could be done to... but it would require either some way of exporting the ItemID or having the user enter it in.
Modifying the QA menu would be interesting (if you could have it read different ini files it'd work fine) but goes a lot deeper than I could imagine at this moment.

 

[fist_mlrs]

but do we truely need this? we are far from havin 32 weapons, you don't need five pistol-only loadouts, and you don't need several loadouts of one and the same weapon if an other one can do the job much better. how many of your loadouts do you truely use?

 

[Crowze]

I have 10 different FAMAS loadouts, all of which I use. These are all variations on the FAMAS attachments, armour and secondary weapons (pistols, hk69, clays). Add my 4 sniper loadouts, 2 Minimis, 1 shotty, 4 MP5s, 4 M16s... you get the picture. True I don't need loadouts for every weapon ever made for inf, I do have my favourites (FAMAS ), but even so it'd be nice not to have to scroll down a list of 32 in less than 10 seconds to change my loadout between rounds or respawns.

EDIT: Since I missed my 1,000th, I'll celebrate my 1,111th post! Yay!

 

[Nukeproof]

but do we truely need this? we are far from havin 32 weapons, you don't need five pistol-only loadouts, and you don't need several loadouts of one and the same weapon if an other one can do the job much better. how many of your loadouts do you truely use?

It's not that I can't live with the limit of 32 , but as Crowze mentioned its nice to have a lot of loadout variants of the favorite weapons (what's the reason of the flexible attachment system otherwise)

When you combine the different attchment combos with other additions like sidearm, claymore, lots of smokers, nades, armor etc. you'll always have to make a certain tradeoffs, so the different setups are justified IMO.

I was thinking myself wether its possible to implement some smart system that would alter all the 'basic' setups with a certain pattern (like adding clays, smoke etc) into those variants but I didn't come up with anything useful

Allowing more than 32 (or whatever the limit is), not without modifying the inf base code. An external app for modifying loadouts (like INFSpy had) would be very useful, but I'm not sure how easy it would be to take into account add-on weapons.

...looks like we came up with this idea simultanously, you must have finished your post as I was still typing

 

[Psychomorph]

What is Loadout?
I have only one custom Loadout, the M16A2, 5/7, 4 grenades, IIvest, helmet.
I don´t need enything else. I don´t use acog, don´t use fullauto. 5/7 is due to armored ppl. IIvest due to speed. Sometimes I use the standart CQB_MP5 or Sniper_PSG1, but that´s all.

 

[Blitzschlag]

I have 32 LO's and i truely use most of them, each is maked for special situations, so it would be nice to have a LO manager.

 

[Nukeproof]

What is Loadout?
I have only one custom Loadout, the M16A2, 5/7, 4 grenades, IIvest, helmet.
I don´t need enything else. I don´t use acog, don´t use fullauto. 5/7 is due to armored ppl. IIvest due to speed. Sometimes I use the standart CQB_MP5 or Sniper_PSG1, but that´s all.

Well playing INF without custom loadouts is like Pamela Anderson* beeing your girlfriend and never going beyond kissing her cheek ...especially with the upcoming bonus pack

* add your favorite Playmate here

 

[Psychomorph]

Well I´m one of those players that are satisfied even with one rifle I´m fully pleased with an M4A1 in AA:O. I´m not a weapon freak, most important for me is the sight handling and smart tactic usage (I love teamwork). I don´t love many weapons, I like many sight system variations for one weapon
I would like to have the ability ingame to adjust sights (maybe with the mousewheel), like to adjust the "V" sight on the MP5 for CQB, but to toggle to he next "peephole" sight to aim on longer distances .


P.S. I don´t like Pamela Anderson that much (I hate silicon ), they are much hotter girls outside

Hey, the bonuspack will have my girl for life... the G36K .

 

[Beppo]

I have a bunch of different loadouts but not even close to the limit. And I actively use about 6. Some with a claymore for the defense if the map doesn't feature clays, and the other versions without clays but then with some nades or smoke instead. The base weapons used are M16/M203, AKMSU and FAMAS/SUP. Each one with clay and without. That's the 6 loadouts I normally use.
Then I have one PSG, one RC.50 and one Minimi loadout I very rarely use. Only if needed or I want to get a revenge for a sniper that was getting me a minute before
So I have maybe 9-10 loadouts on my list that I 'need'... and so they are sorted in a way to easily access them with the frequently used on top of the list of course.

32 different combinations of your normally used weapons (noone plays with all different weapons available normally, you pick your favorites) are a lot. And if you need a special set of loadouts for a specific clan match (you know the enemy, your team and the location beforehand) then you can switch to a specialized loadout.ini if needed.

Really, I don't see a need to be able to switch between more than 32 loadouts on the fly while playing.

 

[mute_dammit]

It's on my wishlist. I don't understand how you could not have at least 36 loadouts. Bulk has a big effect on how fast you can get to an objective; I may want to ditch a vest, some nades, and maybe even a secondary weapon if my teammates need backup in a hurry. Also, situations change; maybe you suddenly need smoke to cover a breached area. I certainly don't want to add smoke to every loadout I have, but it's often useful once or twice in a match.

I had no problem coming up with ~50 usable loadouts with the current set of weapons; with new ones coming out, I can easily see having a dozen or two more.

An interesting way to do this might be to dynamically combine two or three loadouts runtime. So, you have one loadout with just armor and whatever accoutrements you like (a boonie cap, a jaunty scarf, whatever); one loadout for each primary weapon, with a reasonable number of magazines; one loadout with miscellaneous stuff... hmm. That sounds just as unwieldy.

Still, some way of dynamically modifying the current loadout ( basically, a menu driven tree structure ) could work, yeah?

 

[Psychomorph]

Also to be able to make groups of loadouts, even with different colores would be great, so you can have a group of silenced gunz and you define color red, or some kind of thing.

 

[Shrap]

Mute thats a really good idea...this way, the combination could be incredibly large.

 

[geogob]

@ Beppo: It's simple... one mission, one team, one loadout.

I tend to vary my role in the team a lot since i'm not part of a clan. It also depends a lot on the mission status and the opfor. And since there's no easy way to modify a loadout on the fly, you need different loadouts for different ammo types. If it where possible I'd have 5 or 6 different M16/M203 loadout with different permutations of 40mm types, depending on the needs.