More realistic reloading in FPSs

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TKandPBC

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#1 TKandPBC
Member since 2005 • 1431 Posts
In most shooters like Halo, Gears of War, and Ghost Recon you're told exactly how many bullets you have left via your HUD. Another post has gotten me to thinking that the whole "knowing exactly how many bullets" is kind of unrealistic. So I've been thinking of some more realistic ways to reload. Here's what I came up with: There is almost no HUD (just an aiming reticle.) Instead of a pile of bullets, the player has a series of magazines. The HUD does not say how many bullets are left in the magazine nor how many magazines he has left. The player has to rely on instinct to determine when the bullets in his magazine are running low. When the magazine is empty it will be very obvious (bullets will stop firing.) The reloading would be similar to the Gears of War system. The player reloads by pressing RB. When the player reloads, the camera would cut to the in-game character looking at and reaching for a magazine pouch at his side from a first person perspective. The pouch is buttoned to keep the magazines in. As the player is looking at his magazine pouch, he is told how many magazines he has left. However, the player can also do a blind reload. If he holds down RB, a timing bar similar to the Gears of War reload bar will appear. I assume most of you know how the timing bar system works so I won't elaborate on that. If the player's timing is right, the in-game character will quickly unbutton his magazine pouch, take a magazine, close the pouch, and reload without looking (causing a faster reload.) However, if the player screws up his timing, the in-game character will fumble with unbuttoning the pouch, which will waste more time than doing a regular reload. In both blind reload situations, the player is not told how many magazines he has left. I think that this reloading system is really realistic, and can find a spot in any realistic, cover-based shooter. On the battlefield, nobody reloads while fully exposed, and I think that this system will allow cover to be more than just a place to remain safe, but also a place where someone can reload safely. This will make cover even more important. What do you guys think?
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Warlord20

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#2 Warlord20
Member since 2006 • 2855 Posts

Good ideas. I never thought about it before but yea...it would be more realistic that way. Im not sure about a FPS going into a character view to watch him reload every time u have to reload. It might get annoying (plus i like to keep my eye on the enemy when im reloading) but all in all its some good ideas.

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TKandPBC

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#3 TKandPBC
Member since 2005 • 1431 Posts

Good ideas. I never thought about it before but yea...it would be more realistic that way. Im not sure about a FPS going into a character view to watch him reload every time u have to reload. It might get annoying (plus i like to keep my eye on the enemy when im reloading) but all in all its some good ideas.

Warlord20
thanks, but remember that you don't go into a character view. The entire process (reaching for the magazine pouch, unbuttoning, etc.) is done from a first person perspective. Also, think more Gears of War's cover mixed with Resident Evil's slow pace. 90% of the time you'll be reloading in cover, but if you're out in the open trying to reload (which in a real life situation usually means death), you can always blind reload.
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orb_03_2006

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#4 orb_03_2006
Member since 2006 • 8494 Posts

Good ideas. I never thought about it before but yea...it would be more realistic that way. Im not sure about a FPS going into a character view to watch him reload every time u have to reload. It might get annoying (plus i like to keep my eye on the enemy when im reloading) but all in all its some good ideas.

Warlord20

^exactly.

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chaoz-king

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#5 chaoz-king
Member since 2005 • 5956 Posts
Well CoD4 has Hardcore modes. Takes away your hudd. I actually like the fact the hudd is gone it makes me feel like I am there a bit more than with a hudd. Too bad I don't like the fact that I can be killed by someone so easy.
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RipaX21

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#6 RipaX21
Member since 2005 • 1675 Posts
This would be fantastic in a Rainbow Six style of game and would make reloading and running out of ammo much more dangerous.
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akai_reaver

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#7 akai_reaver
Member since 2004 • 7754 Posts

Well CoD4 has Hardcore modes. Takes away your hudd. I actually like the fact the hudd is gone it makes me feel like I am there a bit more than with a hudd. Too bad I don't like the fact that I can be killed by someone so easy.chaoz-king

Yep. I agree with you.

In WarRock (. . . even though I don't like the game), they have a system where if you reload even if you wasted only 3 bullets in your clip, then you drop your whole clip and lose the bullets that you didn't use. It makes a lot more sense, and it'll make knowing when to reload more strategic since you can't reload only if you wasted a few bullets.

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cabjnico

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#8 cabjnico
Member since 2003 • 748 Posts

Instead of a pile of bullets, the player has a series of magazines. The HUD does not say how many bullets are left in the magazine nor how many magazines he has left. The player has to rely on instinct to determine when the bullets in his magazine are running low. TKandPBC

um.... i think soldiers who go to the battlefield without knowing how many magazines they carry are very f'ing stupid.

anyway. most people don't even look at how many bullets left one has... obviously soon after you finish some enemies you'll reload before more appear, and you're not gonna be reloading when they're shooting at you, unless you take cover.. really the little numbers are there for no reason, it's not a big advantage.

however when you change a whole magazine for one bullet and only one bullet gets discounted (instead of the whole amgazine you threw away) is pretty ridiculous haha.

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TKandPBC

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#9 TKandPBC
Member since 2005 • 1431 Posts

[QUOTE="TKandPBC"]Instead of a pile of bullets, the player has a series of magazines. The HUD does not say how many bullets are left in the magazine nor how many magazines he has left. The player has to rely on instinct to determine when the bullets in his magazine are running low. cabjnico

um.... i think soldiers who go to the battlefield without knowing how many magazines they carry are very f'ing stupid.

anyway. most people don't even look at how many bullets left one has... obviously soon after you finish some enemies you'll reload before more appear, and you're not gonna be reloading when they're shooting at you, unless you take cover.. really the little numbers are there for no reason, it's not a big advantage.

however when you change a whole magazine for one bullet and only one bullet gets discounted (instead of the whole amgazine you threw away) is pretty ridiculous haha.

I said that the HUD doesn't say how many mags one has left. The player can easily check at any time. If you read my first post, I said that you get a magazine count as you look into your magazine pouch when you reload. EDIT: Sorry, if you meant going into the battlefield (at the beginning of the fight), then you're right. You would probably need a magazine count at the beginning of the level, or maybe in a pre-level briefing.
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RipaX21

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#10 RipaX21
Member since 2005 • 1675 Posts

[QUOTE="chaoz-king"]Well CoD4 has Hardcore modes. Takes away your hudd. I actually like the fact the hudd is gone it makes me feel like I am there a bit more than with a hudd. Too bad I don't like the fact that I can be killed by someone so easy.akai_reaver

Yep. I agree with you.

In WarRock (. . . even though I don't like the game), they have a system where if you reload even if you wasted only 3 bullets in your clip, then you drop your whole clip and lose the bullets that you didn't use. It makes a lot more sense, and it'll make knowing when to reload more strategic since you can't reload only if you wasted a few bullets.

I remember in Rainbow Six 3 if you reloaded a clip and there were still 20 something bullets in it you would come back to those clips after you expended the rest of them. Sometimes in a really long game i'd be using clips with only 5 or 6 bullets in them.

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Digitz115

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#11 Digitz115
Member since 2006 • 111 Posts
i like how he put in 2 unrealistic games and then poof, ghost recon.
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Digitz115

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#12 Digitz115
Member since 2006 • 111 Posts
maybe in the next microsoft console when you loot corpses you don't just look at them, you have to crouch down, search their pockets, or when you're swapping weapons the gun doesn't automatically appear before you.
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a55a55inx

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#13 a55a55inx
Member since 2004 • 4188 Posts
i think that Condemned didn't tell u how many bullets you had left until u took tha magazine out and looked at it...
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TrueProphecy22

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#14 TrueProphecy22
Member since 2005 • 1757 Posts

I like it... in fact, I like anything that makes the camera feel like the character's eyes attached to a body instead of just a floating orb... like seeing your body when you look down.

But I'm going to have to say, I don't think a soldier would take even a brief moment to look at his pouch to look for a magazine... even while under cover.

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nethernova

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#15 nethernova
Member since 2008 • 5721 Posts
I'm pretty sure that guns in Halo, Gears of War, etc. are futuristic enough to tell me how many bullets they have left.
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chaoscougar1

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#16 chaoscougar1
Member since 2005 • 37603 Posts
it is somewhat a good idea in the more realistic shooters, but seeing as the master chief has a cybernetic suit on, i expect some extra info about my ammo situation. and when u think about it you wont readily find a soldier in the heat of battle going, 'hold on guys, dont start the offensive yet, i need to check how many mags i have left'
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#17 McNulty5
Member since 2008 • 182 Posts

How about a shooter game where you have one life, and if you die the game self destructs, how's that for realism? Knowing how many bullets you have is great, and the newly developed weapons will infact let soldiers know how many bullets their guns have left (it's not unrealistic at all it just isn't in use today due to cost) so leave things as they are is what I think.

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chaoscougar1

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#18 chaoscougar1
Member since 2005 • 37603 Posts

How about a shooter game where you have one life, and if you die the game self destructs, how's that for realism? Knowing how many bullets you have is great, and the newly developed weapons will infact let soldiers know how many bullets their guns have left (it's not unrealistic at all it just isn't in use today due to cost) so leave things as they are is what I think.

McNulty5

yeh thats a good point, respawning after u die also takes away from the realism haha

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craigalan23

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#19 craigalan23
Member since 2006 • 15879 Posts
[QUOTE="McNulty5"]

How about a shooter game where you have one life, and if you die the game self destructs, how's that for realism? Knowing how many bullets you have is great, and the newly developed weapons will infact let soldiers know how many bullets their guns have left (it's not unrealistic at all it just isn't in use today due to cost) so leave things as they are is what I think.

chaoscougar1

yeh thats a good point, respawning after u die also takes away from the realism haha

True lets add realism to games. If you die the games disc dies. That'll be the most realistic game ever then we need to add the ability to need to use the bathroom and eat. Lets kill nazis then eat their chicken.

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LUK3isH3RE

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#20 LUK3isH3RE
Member since 2006 • 1492 Posts
Your idea might sound good in theory, but I know I'd get frustrated due to the many deaths that would surely come from not knowing when to reload.
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kangaroo

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#21 kangaroo
Member since 2003 • 50 Posts
In the rare case somebody didn't beat me to it, games need more realistic reloading as demonstrated by Gears of War and its speed minigame.
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nethernova

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#22 nethernova
Member since 2008 • 5721 Posts

True lets add realism to games. If you die the games disc dies. That'll be the most realistic game ever then we need to add the ability to need to use the bathroom and eat. Lets kill nazis then eat their chicken.

craigalan23

It would be far more realistic if you get some electric shock through your controller and die in real life when you die in game though. Finally something for the true hardcore gamers.

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fireball_016

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#23 fireball_016
Member since 2005 • 779 Posts
I like your idea, but I think there should be a tracer round in the magazine that lets you know when you're getting to the bottom. I'm pretty sure that some soldiers do this.
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McNulty5

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#24 McNulty5
Member since 2008 • 182 Posts
[QUOTE="chaoscougar1"][QUOTE="McNulty5"]

How about a shooter game where you have one life, and if you die the game self destructs, how's that for realism? Knowing how many bullets you have is great, and the newly developed weapons will infact let soldiers know how many bullets their guns have left (it's not unrealistic at all it just isn't in use today due to cost) so leave things as they are is what I think.

craigalan23

yeh thats a good point, respawning after u die also takes away from the realism haha

True lets add realism to games. If you die the games disc dies. That'll be the most realistic game ever then we need to add the ability to need to use the bathroom and eat. Lets kill nazis then eat their chicken.


You didn't know? In the next GTA your character can be afflicted with several diseases, eat too much junk food and it's heart disease for you! Realism to the max.
While I enjoy realism some games just take it too far, when it comes to making a FPS more real they should work on how getting hit in different area effects you in many ways like aiming, speed, and such or improving physics or destructible environments, these are things that make a game feel real without being annoying.
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easykill_astari

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#25 easykill_astari
Member since 2007 • 704 Posts
Cool Idea, I wouldn't mind seing it in game.. ;)
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Digitz115

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#26 Digitz115
Member since 2006 • 111 Posts

I like it... in fact, I like anything that makes the camera feel like the character's eyes attached to a body instead of just a floating orb... like seeing your body when you look down.

But I'm going to have to say, I don't think a soldier would take even a brief moment to look at his pouch to look for a magazine... even while under cover.

TrueProphecy22

I know when youre refering to bioshock lol

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nate_c-12

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#27 nate_c-12
Member since 2008 • 3072 Posts
good ideas, it would help from people just ridiculously running and gunning
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mooserider

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#28 mooserider
Member since 2005 • 120 Posts

If we're gonna talk realistic reloading then you have to consider that some special forces in the military are trained to reload their firearms in the most efficient and time effective way. This being said, I know that the Army rangers spec ops are trained to reload their firearms with minimal usage of eyes, meaning that their taught to use their eyes sparingly when reloading because taking ones eyes off an enemy is never a wise decision.

but yeah, I didn't really have any point, just some random input

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k2theswiss

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#29 k2theswiss
Member since 2007 • 16599 Posts

i rather gaming company spend few more days on the gameplay then spending stupid time doing stuff that dont matter

even if u was real person u know how many megz u got left and u know how many bullets in each magz so it dont matter

it be nice or like mility games where u can do a fast reload be actly looking at it and bla or do slow reload by doing it blindly and by doing that your moveing faster because your not looking at it

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paulokoenigkam

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#30 paulokoenigkam
Member since 2005 • 3930 Posts

In Rainbow Six Vegas 2, if you reload before you empty the clip, you'll lose the bullets that were in it, and the character has a reasonable "picking up magazine from his pocket and reload" animation, not perfect but you can see it clearly.

Nowdays, some guns have magazines that you can check how much ammo you have left without even having to take them off.

The only thing I agree with the more realistic reloading is the fact that if you reload before you empty the clip, you'll waste ammo. The rest I say it hurts the gameplay. Realism is nice, but too much realism takes off what makes videogames fun: the fact that it's not real. =)