Topic: Surprising Support for the DS

[BlackGriffen]

A lot of memory? Not at all, grasshopper.

The screen is 256X192, right? Well, storing the path in the absolute dumbest way possible would be 256X192 bitmap where each pixel is a single bit. So, that's 49152 bits, or 6144 bytes per path. That's not all, though, because this thing is going to be mostly zeroes, making it extremely easy to compress.

That's the dumb way. The smart way would be to have the user pick points on the path, and then connect them with an interpolated spline. I don't know if you're familiar with this drawing tool, but you can find it in most drawing programs, especially vector based ones. Basically, it's a way for the computer to connect the dots, smoothly. Giving the user the option of using that or straight line connect the dots, and they'll be able to make any path they like with no more than 3 or 4 points per path. Each point would be two bytes: one for the width (range of one unsigned byte = 256), and one for the height. The unused bits in the upper part of the height could be used to tell the AI whether that point is connected to the previous one by a spline or a sharp turn. Now, a football team has, what, 11 guys, right? Say that the devs place a limit of ten points per path (no particular reason other than that you should be able to get just about any path with that many points). That's 11*10*2 = 220 bytes per play. Now, considering that most of the players don't get told to do anything special (i.e. the linemen just block most of the time), the dev could let you spread the points out, say, giving more detailed instructions to the receivers.

Point being, there's plenty of room to let players make their own play books, especially if the dev compresses them (again, most of those points will probably go unused, and what's left should be highly compressible).

BlackGriffen

[darknight06]

"Draw out/modify plays could be a problem though, due to the cartridge and not enough save data? It would be cool if you touch the screen where you want the QB to throw the ball. And maybe use voice recognition so you can call "hut" and possibly audibles, although it can be embarrassing doing that on the train."

That idea sounds absolutely killer.  I don't even play sports games that often but I would definitely give something like this a try.  However this is something I could see Sega doing moreso than EA.  I just don't see them taking the time to actually implement something like that, especially if they're just doing a PSP port.
   

[Koopa Troopa]

Quote
"Draw out/modify plays could be a problem though, due to the cartridge and not enough save data? It would be cool if you touch the screen where you want the QB to throw the ball. And maybe use voice recognition so you can call "hut" and possibly audibles, although it can be embarrassing doing that on the train."

Can you imagine the advertisement for something like that? Cut to commercial of Nintendo DS. "The Nintendo DS puts you right IN the game!  Allowing you to plan and use you own plays!" Shift to footage of the player drawing out a play. "For the first time YOU are in complete control of your team."


A feature like this would sell DS's like hotcakes. I wouldn't buy it(not a fan of sports games) but millions of other people would. It would be killer. Maybe even make it a connectivity title so you can draw plays for your console games too.  

[Blackknight131]

Quote
That idea sounds absolutely killer. I don't even play sports games that often but I would definitely give something like this a try. However this is something I could see Sega doing moreso than EA. I just don't see them taking the time to actually implement something like that, especially if they're just doing a PSP port.

Hehe, my buddy and I have a joke about "for what EA giveth, EA will taketh away."
Or, in other words, he felt that for all the features new editions of NBA Live would add, useful features or another aspect of the previous game would be cut out.
Maybe thats one way of guarunteeing "new gameplay enhancements" every year =p

Technically, I think the PS2 or XBox could have their versions of Madden do these things, since they both have headset peripherals...but of course having it all in one package that you can take with you on the road would be kewl. I like yer idea for a commercial focusing on that...I think that would effectively illustrate some of the little things possible on the DS that add up to a more immersive experience. One thing to add to your idea however, is to pimp the different multiplayer modes, both WI-FI and LAN...
==$$$

On the memory and the ability to save plays drawn up on the fly Im sure at least a handful of plays could be tucked somewhere in system memory since from B.Griffens technical description, such information mappings wouldnt take an unreasonable amount of memory at all...
Now what if you could marry plays you draw out yourself with the stylus with voice keyword commands that you can record...or at least pre-recorded key words that can be used to identify your custom play. Thats an intriguing dimension of video game coaching...

-Blackknight131

[BlackGriffen]

This exact same feature could be used extremely well to make and execute battle plans in RTS games. Frankly, I don't know why nobody has implemented it in PC based RTSs.

BG

[Blackknight131]

Hmm, so in say a "WarCraft DS" you could round up a group of units and give it a command and a target like "raze village", and they'll stomp off and schlack the nearest enemy village...
-Blackknight131

[reverend_tod]

I've always wondered the same thing, Griffen.  I used to play TA like mad when it was out (stone age :-p) and it had a SIMILAR feature, you could assign any number and combonation of units to a hot key, I think it was shift 1 so you could have like ten or something...can't remember quite though.

Anyway your idea, though, is that taken to a more detailed and filled out level.  If you could for instance lay out what path the unit should take and what other units it should concentrate on attacking ect. then that would be a cool feature, however being RTS, emphasis on RT, I wonder if it would be practical...OR maybe, get this, you could work on battle plans ect. ect. just all by your lonesome and when you go to battle somebody through your wireless link then you can call up the pre-determined battle strategy you find most useful.

Boy...boy oh boy I have to admit I was sure pissed about the DS at first "I just bought my SP!" but I've really fallen in love with the thing...

[Draygaia]

*touches screen*

Virtual Girl:  Oh baby!

[reverend_tod]

Those ones probably won't get brought to the US market

[Blackknight131]

Not if Team Ninja has anything to say about that!

-Blackknight131