Controlling Lighting

[Glitch0011]

While playing (and loving the game btw), I feel like the hacking is more of a limit than a feature. Managing my power is a nice game-play component, but there are few situations where I see it as an advantage rather than the only way to solve a problem.

Examples: Cameras; the only way to bypass is cloak, or hacking. But if I get an agent to the Camera Terminal, wouldn't it be much cheaper to hack it physically rather than by hack?

Or Lighting (as my topic says), the ability to turns lights on or off offering a brief window to dodge an ambush would make hacking seem more like a tactical weapon, rather than it's current use as a mandatory lockpick for every safe.

There are a host of things like controlling door access (eg locking enemies out of a room) that would add a lot of gameplay. Hopefully to see in later updates.

[the truthseeker]

Since we have ping, that makes a lot of sense....why not hack the lights? 

[Snows]

On Cameras and Other Rude Machines

 

   I do agree that fundamentally, hacking being the only solution the problem of cameras obstructing your path does not feel good. This is super relevant in the late game when cameras cost 4+ power to hack.

   I had the unfortunate experience of running out of power in the final story mission and the generated level was completely linear; I had no option but to wait for my power drip. There is an item that can be used to manually hack devices, but its rarity, cost, and irrelevance when hacking cameras make it feel like a very weak option.

 

   The idea of a temporary disable on machines appeals to me. I haven't had the fortune to use EMPs yet so I don't know exactly how it works /flameshield. My thinking is that a ranged gun-type item would be a great solution to this. I immediately think of Splinter Cell's pistol attachment, the Optically Channeled Potentiator. A gun that can temporarily knock out machines would allow for some really interesting things, and actually might fit the game really well. If you can knock out guards, why not cameras? On that line of thinking, why not allow for cameras to be shot (with bullets) at the cost of raising the alarm state?

 

 

On the subject of lighting

 

    The problem with playing with lighting is then you have to add guards with flashlights and other similiar security measures to counteract the player's new power. This would be similar to the way the IR elite guards can see cloaked units. 

 

    Lighting could add another huge level of depth to the game, and I would be very excited to see dark levels, but perhaps it wouldn't be different from the already existing field of vision cones. If we pretended that every level was completely dark and instead of normal vision every guard and camera just had a light on it, the game would be exactly the same. 

 

    Really what you're asking for is a way to obscure vision temporarily, which would be much better applied as a smoke bomb or flashbang. In any case, you'll be attracting attention to the area while also being able to hide in it. In the Kleicast twitch session they revealed that a smoke bomb item is already under construction, so I expect we'll see it very soon. 

 

Perhaps this topic would be better off in Suggestions and Feedback

[the truthseeker]

Hmm, good points indeed. 

 

But whether this is suggestions feedback re-do complicated or a "simple tweak" for a temporary stunning like effect with lighting, I think there's something we can expand on this and hope Klei brainstorms over it for the future at the very least!

 

After all, they did completely rewrite parts of this game from Alpha to early access, so visuals could be redone as well. 

[Snows]

To elaborate on the topic of shooting cameras, it makes sense to have some overlapping solutions to multiple problems. For example, guards and drones can be knocked out. Drones and cameras can be hacked.

    So, if we look at the missing link in this trio, logically cameras should be hackable and shootable. Aside from the other list of reasons, I like the core concept of metaphorical "keys" opening some- but not all- locks. I see it as a compelling reason to at least try shootable cameras in the next build.

It is early access after all.

[PorkSoda86]

The idea of a temporary disable on machines appeals to me. I haven't had the fortune to use EMPs yet so I don't know exactly how it works /flameshield. My thinking is that a ranged gun-type item would be a great solution to this. I immediately think of Splinter Cell's pistol attachment, the Optically Channeled Potentiator. A gun that can temporarily knock out machines would allow for some really interesting things, and actually might fit the game really well. If you can knock out guards, why not cameras? On that line of thinking, why not allow for cameras to be shot (with bullets) at the cost of raising the alarm state?

 

Love these ideas, more ways to deal with cameras would be great.  

 

On the subject of lighting

 

    The problem with playing with lighting is then you have to add guards with flashlights and other similiar security measures to counteract the player's new power. This would be similar to the way the IR elite guards can see cloaked units. 

 

    Lighting could add another huge level of depth to the game, and I would be very excited to see dark levels, but perhaps it wouldn't be different from the already existing field of vision cones. If we pretended that every level was completely dark and instead of normal vision every guard and camera just had a light on it, the game would be exactly the same. 

 

I actually think this could work in some really interesting ways.  Some rooms could have a light switch that, once hacked, could be toggled to switch the room's lights on and off.  Toggling the lights would obviously alert any guards in the room, causing them to flip on their flashlight during their next turn (I imagine all guards would have them)  and investigate the tile where the switch is located, possibly even flipping them back on.

 

I think this could create all kinds of interesting scenarios... For example, it would give the player another way to sneak in to those pesky rooms where a stationary guard is just staring at the only entrance -- hack the lights, toggle them off, and make your way through the room before the guard can flip on his flashlight.  Perhaps we could even hack the guards' flashlights, causing them to stumble around blindly in the dark!  Maybe, like you said above, you could shoot the lights out and permanently disable them at the cost of raising alarm/causing guards to come investigate.

 

This could be balanced by not allowing the player to see in the dark, either -- maybe it's possible to physically bump in to a guard that you didn't realize was there, immediately alerting him to your presence.  Maybe the heavier guards and robots are equipped with night-vision goggles, negating their need for flashlights.  Perhaps there could be night-vision goggles that the player can find/buy.  Or a night-vision augment, or an augment that gives AP when entering darkness!

I loved the way Klei handled the lighting in Mark of the Ninja, and I think it would fit the theme of this game perfectly for the player to have more control over/interaction with the lighting systems.  That said... the smoke bomb sounds AWESOME!