Disabling the second hand slot, ideas please.

[requiem_for_a_starfury]

I really think that being able to equip two weapons at once (even if you can only use one at a time) is really overpowering in FOT. In the RPG's it didn't matter but in a tactical combat game being able to switch between weapons without an ap penalty can ruin the balance of a map. Having a knife in one hand and a pistol in the other is one thing but switching between a sniper rifle and an smg should really cost at least 2 ap in my mind.

I'm still in the planning stage of a series of maps, and I need to work out how I can disable the second slot, so I can plan the triggers and set the enemy positions up on paper. I've got some ideas as to items which need to be equipped which will limit the player to one weapon at a time, for example in the stealth missions you'll need to equip a silencer in the second hand slot if you want to make a silent kill, in the night missions NVG's if you want to see where you're going, in one mission (if I can remember whose custom map had the sprite) a gas mask will be required to avoid the triggering of a gas deathtrap, unfortunately or fortunately in this case the item tagged triggers ignore the armour slot making environmental armour worthless from a triggering point of view.

In the bog standard middle of the day missions for players with assault rifles I thought maybe having a seperate sprite for a talon grenade launcher or a masterkey shotgun which would allow a secondary attack but perhaps be more fitting than having them equip an assault rifle in one hand and a shotgun/M79 in the other. For snipers perhaps a seperate sniper scope which might give a perception boost, but for the average smg toting squaddie I'm stumped as to what I can make the player have to and want to carry, so as to disable the second hand slot. Any one got any ideas?

Edit Just had an Idea, if I create a lockpick entity using a helmet sprite and giving an armour class and damage resistance/threshold bonus instead of a lockpicking bonus would you equip your character with it even if it meant you could only equip one weapon at a time, or would you leave it in your inventory unused and trade it the first chance you got?

Cheers

[Max-Violence]

I'd probly use the helm for a bit then take it off to see if I really do get hit less/take less damage. If not, it's bye-bye hat!

Edit: Only took a week and a half for a reply! Cheers!

[Sirgalahadwizard]

The idea behind the secondhand slot is that it's a holster or it's a sling.

As in, switch from a rifle to a pistol... the rifle gets slung on the shoulder and the pistol comes out of a holster.

Im assuming that items in your "inventory" are securely strapped or something and take time to pull out - rifles and heavy weapons slung over the back, pistols and knives secured with a strap in the holster/shieth. Etc.

Not neccicarily all crammed into the backpack.

About the "elminitaing the secondhand slot"... it'll introduce problems with melee characters - they'll lose either the kick or the punch... since one of them will be taken up.

But if you wanna try it, i'd go for doing one of those "useful" items... like the steering wheel or something. If it can be implemented.

Idea: Carpace armor, extends the protection value of your armor suit, but it's bulky so you can't use two items at once (it's like a flak jacket that attaches to the outside of your normal armor).

[requiem_for_a_starfury]

I understood that it was a holster or sling, but even so it should still have an ap cost to change, or like in JA2 if you have a rifle equipped you can't carry anything in the second hand slot, it doesn't cost aps to open up your inventory but if you have aimed at an enemy and then switch weapons you get penalised as you need to re-aim.

But I'm limiting the weapons and going to make new punch and kick attacks, maybe make some martial arts combos.