mono rail network

[splicer]

does anyone have info on this?

[Newbeing]

It just seems like an area or areas of the game, possibly a transportation system that allows you to get quickly from one area of rapture to another. That's my guess. No sites have really gone into detail about it, only mentioned it really. Perhaps someone at IG or 2k could explain?

*Thread is moved through a complex system of monorails*

[Hatesink]

I'm guessing it's either going to be some kind of system enabling travel between different remote areas of rapture, or a rail shooting segment. Personally I hope it's the former. Maybe it could even be both.

I'm not sure how to feel about rail-shooting sequences, since they might detract from the atmosphere of the game. For instance the cable cars in RE4 would, I felt, have added a lot more to the game and to the atmosphere of the game if there weren't people you had to shoot.

[Raveness]

Most of the transitions for levels will use airlock, watertight tube-like corridors that you saw in the GameStar video.

A monorail system could be used, but it would seem like a waste to only use it to access a couple of far-reaching levels. Monorail is better suited as the main mode of transportation between levels within a game. I would like to see it, however, coupled with some subpod transitions, possibly some human vacuum elevator/tube system ala Futurama, and maybe some automated walkways like they have at the airports.

"We could be zipping around the whole city! I can't go back to back to normal walking now, I'll just be wishing for the walkways"

[splicer]

I'm not crazy about gun fights aboard the train,but it does have the potential to be one of the most awe inspiring moments in the game-I,d love to see the train malfunction,depressurise and begin flooding the compartments forcing a swift exit into an evac diving suit or radio controlled mini sub which can only be summoned via a switch in the drivers compartment,but your oxygens all but gone and the whole things about to implode...what do u do?

[nmrahde]

Assuming it's a sealed tube/pressurized network (I imagine water currents necessitating this so the train doesn't get jostled too much on the tracks. It could just be the ruins of said network you traverse.

What sort of monorail would they have though? Conventional train type like Seattle or Disney or maglev?

[gughunter]

Most of the transitions for levels will use airlock, watertight tube-like corridors that you saw in the GameStar video.

So, if I understand right, you're saying Bioshock is kind of a "semi-streaming" game, so you never get a loading screen but you do go through "bottlenecks" that delay you long enough for the larger areas to swap in. That sounds okay by me.

[Raveness]

Is streaming any better than load screens? You either get a couple seconds of a glitch-pause, or several seconds of a designer art-deco load screen with some useful tips or encyclopedic info on Rapture stuff.

If Irrational can get the streaming to be virtually seamless & negligibly noticeable on targeted mid-range systems, then I'm for it as well. If they cannot deliver it without big hiccup pauses, I'd rather go with some fanciful load screens.

[splicer]

I can't imagine any loading screens,it would detract from the immersive universe they have tried to create,my guess is certain"on rails" moments like travelling in lifts ect will act as streaming sections.

[Newbeing]

I'm pretty sure in one of the interviews with Ken, he said there would be loading screens of some sort, but they were trying to keep it to an absolute minimum.

[gughunter]

If Irrational can get the streaming to be virtually seamless & negligibly noticeable on targeted mid-range systems, then I'm for it as well. If they cannot deliver it without big hiccup pauses, I'd rather go with some fanciful load screens.

Then we are of one mind on the subject! Make it so, Bioshock developers. :)

[Raveness]

I can't imagine any loading screens,it would detract from the immersive universe they have tried to create,my guess is certain"on rails" moments like travelling in lifts ect will act as streaming sections.
No person is disputing that load screens detract immersion, technology is. Streaming sections are still quite infantile in their usefulness in todays hyper-graphicalized games. We still get these stop-pauses which can be just as annoying as load zone screens.

Unfortunately, since Bioshock is a game built on current tech (DX10), the chances of encountering no load screens is nigh impossible. Besides, I would like some transitional variety rather than going through a funnel all the time between levels, even if it means some dreaded screens.

[Hatesink]

Maybe they could combine the two techniques and make it more interesting by making the load zone a kind of pressure chamber, where stopping for a second or two is part of the actual game. They could have a variety of muzak style tunes and recorded voice announcements (maybe similar to those of Starship Titanic's tram (but more subtle)) and/or have some kind of readout detailing stats for various aspects of the game (e.g. temperature, percentage of areas flooded etc.)

[splicer]

my guess is that most of these issues wouldhave been resolved in the early stages of development,also current tec seems perfectly capable of keeping game distraction to a bare minimum-dead rising is a good example.

[v.dog]

Maybe they could combine the two techniques and make it more interesting by making the load zone a kind of pressure chamber, where stopping for a second or two is part of the actual game. They could have a variety of muzak style tunes and recorded voice announcements (maybe similar to those of Starship Titanic's tram (but more subtle)) and/or have some kind of readout detailing stats for various aspects of the game (e.g. temperature, percentage of areas flooded etc.)You mean like the bulkhead doors in SS2? Just as long as it's a lot quicker.

[Jeff]

If there are loading screens they need to be done in such a way as to keep players occupied, just staring at a loading bar or spinning icon has some wierd affect on my bladder making it almost immediately necessary to vacate the room and dash to the bathroom.

I've seen a lot of games through "helpful hints" up on loading screens and that's nice and all except that they're always completely out of order and with such little variety you start becoming frustrated with their stupid advice fairly quickly.

In EA sports NHL '07 they're loading screen leading in to a game showed an animated display of the control, showing all the controls. I liked this approach a lot and would still like it if the information given was tailored to the amount of time spent playing the game. By which I mean that if the game see's you've been playing for 10 or more hours, or your in a gamefile that has seen 40% of the game, maybe it could taylor it's advice to be something more useful for you? Perhaps triggering off a new plasmid or upgrade or something you've picked up, displaying a way of using it you may not have thought of.

Regardless something beyond a loading bar and spinning icon -needs- to be done.

[lotkrotan]

as far as alternate methods go, I remember in Castlevania SOTN, there were loading halways, which you walked through as the next big portion of the game loaded. The pressure chamber idea is great, as it's similar to this, only less boring, because you'd be listening/watching something going on. Also, they should have different ways of loading, like while an audio sample is playing, or you're in any area where you would be standing still, the next section of the world would partially load, and the rest would stream as you go through with it.

[nmrahde]

Fallout had the stationary loading screens where some of them were postcard style or other nice artwork that did not appear in the game. Morrowind had nice sketch art/character models. I prefer that to hints as I usually prefer to go through a game with as few hints as possible.

Honestly I don't think something like that would really fit though. The bulkhead/airlock idea seems to be the best for keeping immersion.

As far as the actual monorail network you could do something like HL1 where it serves as an intro to the game (does the lighthouse bathysphere come right down in the middle of Rapture?). I can think of all the cool things you could show off but it might be a lil too much like HL for some.