[WIP][0.7.3] Typist.pk3: Type to shoot

[Zhs2]

Finally got around to trying this, and it's pretty neat aside from a couple gripes. My suggestions for improvement of the next version:

- A command that aims you at the nearest foe. Perhaps not so useful as immersive when all of the possible words to type are at the top of the screen, but it'd be an option for when you have enemies behind you and you want to know which ones have which words...
- Right now typist fires at exactly the center of an enemy's mass when a word is typed, but level geometry in your way means a wasted shot. Could you set it up to trace points an enemy can possibly be hit from your firing position if center mass isn't available but you're still stuck in combat mode?
- And on the subject of being stuck in combat mode, it'd be nice if, for those instances where you absolutely cannot hit something but combat mode says otherwise, unlocking the game mode only occurred for a short, configurable time, optionally followed by a cooldown where you could not unlock the game mode again until it runs out. Right now you're allowed to cheat and unlock the game mode permanently until a second key is hit, which lets you keep OP weapon damage with vanilla gameplay.
- Likewise, an option to only increase player damage when typist combat mode is enabled?
- Configuration of player damage/defense multipliers?
- Commands to switch weapon slot in the heat of combat (using, say, PickWeapon, or PickNext/PrevWeapon)?

[m8f]

A command that aims you at the nearest foe. Perhaps not so useful as immersive when all of the possible words to type are at the top of the screen, but it'd be an option for when you have enemies behind you and you want to know which ones have which words...

I'm not sure how to implement this. Maybe as a command to center on the nearest foe.

Right now typist fires at exactly the center of an enemy's mass when a word is typed, but level geometry in your way means a wasted shot. Could you set it up to trace points an enemy can possibly be hit from your firing position if center mass isn't available but you're still stuck in combat mode?

Excellent idea! Will try to do in future versions.

Right now you're allowed to cheat and unlock the game mode permanently until a second key is hit, which lets you keep OP weapon damage with vanilla gameplay.

I don't consider this cheating. If the player doesn't return to typing mode when they can, that's their conscious choice.

- Likewise, an option to only increase player damage when typist combat mode is enabled?
- Configuration of player damage/defense multipliers?

Viable.

Commands to switch weapon slot in the heat of combat (using, say, PickWeapon, or PickNext/PrevWeapon)?

Already planned for the next version.

[m8f]

Bug fix update: v0.7.2.

This update fixes an embarrassing oversight that prevented Typist from working after loading a savegame. This bug was introduced in v0.7.1 and went unnoticed and unreported for 9 months...

[shino1]

Wouldn't it make more sense that instead of Exploration/Combat modes being switched automatically, there'd be at least an option for turning Combat mode on/off by pressing the left mouse button? So you could easily switch it on and off at will?

Anyway, I'm absolutely loving this idea and I think this is a great mod aside from small quirks.

[m8f]

Makes sense. Thanks for the suggestion! Added an issue.

[ZikShadow]

Wouldn't it make more sense that instead of Exploration/Combat modes being switched automatically, there'd be at least an option for turning Combat mode on/off by pressing the left mouse button? So you could easily switch it on and off at will?

Anyway, I'm absolutely loving this idea and I think this is a great mod aside from small quirks.

That's exactly what I did by pressing Escape to leave game mode and then using the Force Combat Mode to start typing.
Using the attack key to do that has the conundrum of shootable switches or out of the way enemies that are untypeable.
Of which the suggestion would then change to "have a word you could use to manually shoot at anything".

[m8f]

At this point Zik knows Typist better than I do

[shino1]

Wouldn't it make more sense that instead of Exploration/Combat modes being switched automatically, there'd be at least an option for turning Combat mode on/off by pressing the left mouse button? So you could easily switch it on and off at will?

Anyway, I'm absolutely loving this idea and I think this is a great mod aside from small quirks.

That's exactly what I did by pressing Escape to leave game mode and then using the Force Combat Mode to start typing.
Using the attack key to do that has the conundrum of shootable switches or out of the way enemies that are untypeable.
Of which the suggestion would then change to "have a word you could use to manually shoot at anything".

Hmm, shootable switches might be an issue. Perhaps main fire key would be engage combat mode, while altfire would be actually shooting?

A way to do it would be to change escaping combat mode from hardcoded Escape to a bindable key (since Escape isn't bindable otherwise, make it a toggle? like "Exiting combat mode is a keybind: True/False), and add an option to disable automatic engagement of Combat mode - so people who want could play the way I suggest with some setup. Or simply changing "Force Combat Mode" to "Toggle Combat Mode".

Also m8f - would you mind if I potentially use this code to make a Typing of the Dead-style game on GZDoom engine? I know it's GPL but I prefer to ask for permission if possible.

[ZikShadow]

The problem with using any keys other than Escape is that they could be keys used in typing mode.
Typist is a universal mod, and altfires exist in other mods. I'm actually wondering now if there should be a mode switch where every attack entered would divert to altfires instead.

[m8f]

Configurable Exit Combat mode key is planned: https://github.com/mmaulwurff/typist.pk3/issues/98

Making a game - I don't mind, more than that, I would be very glad to see what comes of it. The only thing I'm afraid of is that Typist is a bit half-baked at the moment.

Typist is a universal mod, and altfires exist in other mods. I'm actually wondering now if there should be a mode switch where every attack entered would divert to altfires instead.

This is planned too: https://github.com/mmaulwurff/typist.pk3/issues/82

[ZikShadow]

Oh, yeah. I almost forgot.

[ZikShadow]

Code: Select all

GScript error, "typist-v0.7.2.pk3:zscript/clematis/clematis_tt.zs" line 68:
GCannot convert to name

Seems like the current release is not compatible with latest GZD. Not sure how to fix.

[m8f]

Fixed and updated the file on the releases page: https://github.com/mmaulwurff/typist.pk ... v0.7.3.pk3

(the fix is not in the repository, it's currently in broken state, sorry)

[ZikShadow]

Thanks for the quick fix, in any case.