MOD NOTE: Hi all. There are lots of Stealth threads around so I'm combining them together. Please continue to use this thread to talk about stealth mechanics rather than making new ones. Thanks.
First take a look at this video here, and see how stealth functions:
https://youtu.be/dJnf4XeAWug?t=39
Then let me explain how stealth is implemented in the game.
The shader of the character where you have your texture, normalmaps, bumpmaps, specular maps etc also have a slot to control opacity, or transparency. What they have done here, is to have a
"NoiseMap", which basically is a black and white map that is animated to somewhat shift between whiter and blacker parts of the character model. Black is full transparency and White is zero transparency.
In the video we can see that while the character is moving, this "NoiseMap" is animated. What I'd like to know is what happens when the character stand still? Do we have footage of this somewhere? I hope that the map's phaze (animation) is halted, so that nothing moves in the shader while standing still. This means that for Rogues, it would be hard for them to move around, since as you can see, they go in and out somewhat between almost completely transparent, to then sometimes be way more visible. But then easier and easier with more stealth the slower they move. Also don't restrict movements in terms of velocity, keep it the same speed as normal running with the ability to skill it up even more, since its already got its "negatives" in forms of transparency that is easily seen if looked for.
I hope that:
1. The NoiseMap's phaze animation can be linked to velocity of the character, so that if the Rogue runs, then more white elements (less invisibility) is introduced in the NoiseMap, while more and more black elements (more invisibility) is introduced the slower the character moves. This means one level of stealth for running, one for walking, one for crouching, one for crawling, and one for standing completely still, where the NoiseMap is switched out with an almost white map.
2. Adjust and introduce sound as a big element for stealth. This means that for a player with no stats put into stealth detection, the sound for a rogue walking and running is normal. While if he increases the stat, nuanced noises like branches breaking under the feet of the rogue on the move in the forest, or snow cracking in the mountains is increased. This would make sound a bit important again. Something MMO's often neglect I feel.
