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Old 08-17-16, 04:43 AM   #27
ozzietj
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Join Date: Feb 2007
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Hello All!
First of all, congratulations of the great work of all involved. I have been searching for such a title since i stumbled across the SH series!

It's no secret that multiplayer is taking over games and how they are developed, yet, for those unable to (or wish) to play with fewer than the "desired" quota for a team or indeed solo are often left trying to accomplish too much simultaneously.

There are those in the world who aren't part of a group of friends with enough for a sub crew, some dont have reliable internet connections (and yes, other parts of the world acutally have monthly download / upload quotas!) or... they simply accept and relish the challenge of achieving what a capable team can do all by themselves.

So, bearing all of that in mind... I can't help but look toward the Elite Dangerous. A title that has become serious study material for those interested in UI design, on how to "crew" a complex ship and carry out all the tasks needed by yourself. Be that of combat, navigation, system management... this is no different to other tasks such as engine room, diving, sonar, Targeting etc.

This does mean every control is assignable to either buttons, sliders, joysticks etc. And this is all very great. Some people will put in the hard yards and create macros to achieve common functions required in sequence due to the situation. This is no different to the chap before describing "training" a crew member. You are recording what you want done and how... so it will be faithfully replicated on command.

What generates the most interest is the natural input and feedback via voice. This is after all a huge draw card and immersion factor for Marulken / Wolfpack. The ability to request, demand, order etc and have it done. Or not. If you search any videos on people who use a mod to issue voice commands, the bulk replies are "how can i do this too, it's so cool" etc etc.

So, people are impressed with the captains perspective of barking and it happens. Where Marulken / Wolfpack distinguishes itself from a macro running, or voice activation performing the required function is the social element, level of skill and im sure at times level of compliance! Dealing with somebody slightly drunk and in need of a giggle not doing their part ensures chaos erupts. hopefully among friends who can see the funny side and not end up as a screaming match over teamspeak.

I can't remember the last time I pressed a key on a keyboard and it hasn't done what its supposed to because:
it wasn't sure what to do exactly
when to do it exactly
the computer had an attitude and thought, stuff you... im not going to, its time for REVOLT!

So, naturally we will have trade off's. As a single player we expect a task to be carried out however it's requested (key, icon, other physical input, voice) without issue. Dealing with humans we have to pick up on the replies. Was the order received correctly? do they sound confident in the task? That level of natural information we process when interacting is another layer in the attraction of the multiplayer aspect. For single players or lesser crewed subs...Will we end up with AI crew needing some encouragement to get the job done? repeated commands? congratualtions on a job well done (sinking a boat, repairs carried out, target located etc). We saw the employment of encouraging crew in SH5 and in earlier series by way of medals etc, promotion yada yada.

Sorry if all this is hard to read, I just notice where others have tried successfully in bridging the gap in how one person interacts and receives meaningful help when technology is involved. Years ago this idea of a multiplayer sub was nothing but a dream. I downloaded a voice control mod for SH4 where it simply executed the same things as the icons did by hidden mouse clicks. After i learned the list of things to say, I can tell you... not having to touch a keyboard and simply thinking... I need to get to the surface, I just say "blow ballast" and it happens is truly game changing. And yet, it's a very unused mod due to the limitations of needing to train the program a bit to your voice. I think it used microsoft speech somehow. Anyway, once that works... keyboards, icons all mean nada. Just speaking wins hands down.

Long story short, voice input shouldn't be overlooked. Think about that the next time you use Siri / Cortana / Xbox Kinect / Whatever samsungs Siri is called / Voice dialling in your car. We enjoy completing tasks and interacting in the way humans best communicate. Vocally.

Good luck reading all of that!
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