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Expansion of "Pause" "menu" functionality

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 5:00 am
by XLightningStormL
A rather big feature request, but one that would be feasible and very useful.

Essentially pausing the game in it's base essence is basically stuck to simple esc to menu screen whilst in-game, and freezing the game's rendering (and sound) processes with Print/Break button, surely there should be a needed overhaul for mods, and even wads to do beyond that?

Here's the gist/feature expansion request:
- Either make the system Zscript-based, expand it through GAMEINFO, or ACS.
- Allow the z-scripted system to do these things (based on options of the modder):
*Play sound upon pressing the input, and another sound upon pressing the input again (exiting the pause menu)
*Allow in-game music to continue playing.
*Allow for custom graphics (that aren't named M_PAUSE), and all the good stuff with that (forcescaling for one)
*Allow for a constant sound/music playing (or a variety of so)
*Separate (to an extent) menu-based pausing, and proper pausing.
- Allow for "Pause" to be a menu in of itself, even giving the option to let it replace the main menu in-gameplay (outside of graphic-backed, and titlemap's of course)
- At the very least add a new script type for ACS that detects when the game is paused.

Example: Be able to create a remake of the Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number pause menu in GZDoom.

I'd understand that this would be a big feature, but it would be pretty worth it, mostly for total-conversions and game makers.

At the least, open ACS scripts to allow for a "Pause" type.

Re: Expansion of "Pause" "menu" functionality

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 5:29 am
by Graf Zahl
This sounds like a lot work for no gain but high potential for abuse

(You want to pause - now you die)
(You want to pause but I won't let you until you complete your curent task)

Sorry, but this has absolutely no place in modder controlled space. The one thing I may grant you is to add a DrawPauseScreen to the status bar class, but that's really all I am willing to do.

Re: Expansion of "Pause" "menu" functionality

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 5:39 am
by XLightningStormL
Fair enough, but aren't there already worse tricks that exist from other time consumingly made systems? (Only have to look at a CERTAIN categorical abomination, cough cough)

As long as DrawPauseScreen is for both zscript status bar, and sbarinfo (which I use since it's easier to modify, and doesn't rely on as much expert-heavy skill), People will be happy (though I would prefer at least to allow for pause sound events, though abuse and time consuming processes would cause issues with that as well)

Re: Expansion of "Pause" "menu" functionality

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 5:42 am
by Enjay
Having a pause sound might be nice, but that's all it would be. Personally, I go for long periods of time (read months or years - until I see a post like this (or similar)) without even remembering that the game has pause functionality. To be honest, I never press the pause key on my keyboard for anything else so I usually have to do a little hunt for exactly where it is when I press it. If I need to pause the game for some reason, I usually just bring up the menu. I know that the functionality isn't quite the same (e.g. music keeps playing) but it does what I need - pauses gameplay and I bring up the menu almost every time I play so that's just my goto way of pausing the game.

So I guess what I am saying is that there may be many other people like me (or maybe not) who never really use the pause feature because an easily available and familiar alternative exists and so any enhancements to the pause functionality may simply not even be noticed by many users.

Re: Expansion of "Pause" "menu" functionality

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 6:05 am
by Graf Zahl
Same here, actually. The Escape key is just far more conveniently placed than the pause key.

Re: Expansion of "Pause" "menu" functionality

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 10:37 am
by Blue Shadow
XLightningStormL wrote:*Allow in-game music to continue playing.
*Allow for a constant sound/music playing (or a variety of so)
For a few reasons, when pausing the game, I sometimes use the pause key because not only I want to pause the game, but also pause the music.

Re: Expansion of "Pause" "menu" functionality

Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2019 2:20 am
by StroggVorbis
The pause button has one profound advantage over escape:

In Heretic, Hexen, Strife or Doom mods, you can take your time to select an inventory item (if you didn't bind hotkeys ofc)