TODO/General

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Git working directory: root

The stuff in General is not assigned to a specific version.

But please do only commit stuff to trunk if it's no major change. If it is please ask a project manager before doing that.

Artwork

2D artwork

  • [open] Alternate skins for existing civilians, scientists, pilots, etc.
  • [open] We need normalmaps, specular maps, glow maps, etc. for a lot of our existing artwork. See Artwork for more details and use the forums to coordinate work.
  • [open] Alternate skins for 'crashed' aircraft.

3D models (other than maps)

  • [open] We need various character models that are animated
    • [WIP] Several soldier models with a unified style, in several different armors. TODO/Soldier_Models
    • [open] Civilians in all shapes and sizes
    • [open] Alternate scientists' models/heads
    • [open] Small 1x1 robot to be used as a scout drone
    • [open] New aliens with animations Proposals/Alien_Bestiary
  • [open] Aircraft/Hyperion-class_Armed_Dropship
  • [open] 'crashed' versions for the already existing aircraft models, essentially cutting the model into parts and making each part a seperate model
  • [open] Human-Alien Hybrid Missile (as aircraft weapon, I think)
  • [done] We must find GPL'd replacements for a few models with UNKNOWN licenses. http://ufoai.org/licenses/.

Maps

PHALANX craft

Equipment interface and team handling

  • [open] equip screen before mission start, after map load, which will allow to adjust soldiers' equipment after reading mission briefing

Map code

  • [open] code to spawn a light on the map, which will be used for example with flares
    • That code is already there - spawn a server side edict that will spawn a particle for each client where at least one actor can see this edict. you can also use some triggers to use touch functions (to be able to execute different actions as soon as an actor enters a given grid field) --Mattn 19:41, 17 August 2008 (UTC)
  • [open] nextmap mission trigger (to immediately start new map after "finishing" first one) - useful for situations where we need to have a mission with more than 8 levels
  • [open] Code to allow aliens and humans to destroy cameras placed in the battlescape.

LUA driven AI

  • [done] find targets
  • [done] shoot targets
  • [WIP] handle approaching far away enemies or when enemies are not seen
  • [WIP] better grenade handling
  • [WIP] hiding
  • [WIP] civilian ai

Music & Sounds

  • Atmospheric background noise for the missions (the more the better)
  • New music tracks for the geoscape and the battlescape
  • [WIP] Replace sounds from this list with gpled ones

Code

  • XVI Incorporate overarching XVI system.
  • Map ladders Code and model changes to allow using ladders on maps
  • [open] mission briefings at mission selection (to re-equip soldiers and decide whether you want to do that mission or not BEFORE you send your craft)
  • [WIP] Generate soldier names depending on their nation of origin. Change team_humans.ufo so it defines names per nation rather than per class. --Cmdrquan 23:11, 15 February 2008 (EDT)
  • [open] Proposed: Knockdown effect for very damaging hits.
  • [open] Code to handle Alien Containment behaviour during base defence mission - based on difficulty, aliens stored in containment should get free in certain situations and participate in the battle; i know more what to do and how, but this is a long-term task--Zenerka 12:07, 22 January 2007 (CET)
  • Multiplayer: (proposed) Point-based setup system.
  • (Proposed) Changes to reaction fire.
  • Support for 2x2 units such as Phoenix, Triax, Hovernets/Floaters, etc...

Equipment

  • extension container
  • [open] fix/finish equipments
    • [open] fuel pod (aircraft)
      • [open] reduces the operational range instead of increasing it
      • [open] can be equipped to antimatter powered craft and works on it

Inventory to team assignment

  • [open] each object that can wear, use, store items should get its own equipment container (that is NOT related to a global linked list)
  • [open] capacity can be calculated for each of the above mentioned equipment container because the all use the same data structure just with a different size
  • [open] inventory templates
    • [open] allow to save current soldier inventory as a template
    • [open] allow to equip soldier by picking desired template from the list; when doing that check if the items exists in base storage, block usage of template if no items for hands in base storage
  • [open] unhiring soldier
    • [open] readd inventory to base storage
    • [open] if the storage inventory is full at any point in the unhiring processed, drop any remaining items that are not already stored.
  • [open] beginning a mission
    • [open] soldiers can reequip themselves by using items from aircraft equipment container - but this costs TUs when we are already in the tactical mission
    • [open] open inventory menu for aircraft before entering a mission (button to do this in mission brief screen)
  • [open] dropship returns to the base
    • [open] reload soldiers' weapons (check for item.a, check if such clip is in base storage, reload)
  • [open] destroying an aircraft will destroy its storage as well - as it's an equipment container that is stored in the aircraft_t data
  • [open] adding items to aircraft storage updates aircraft capacity - do not allow to put too many things to aircraft (see the above mentioned capacity function for all the equipment containers)

New equipping menu code

  • Soldier equip menu should not be dependent from any aircraft - equipment should be stored at the soldier and thus only the soldier is needed to equip him (and the storage equipment container of course)
  • Additional option for transfer menu: transfer soldier to another base with (default) OR without equipment assigned to this soldier (just move the soldiers equipment container back into the base the soldier is currently in, or the aircraft the soldier is currently assigned to [if any] in case the base equipment container is full).

Interface add-ons

  • [low priority] Tooltip action with content based on specific values, when moving cursor on the specific node; it could be used in various situations, few examples:
    • [done] Moving cursor to the ammo in inventory menu shows tooltip with names fo the weapons that use this ammo ... vice versa for weapons. As long as the weapons are researched that is.
    • [open] Moving cursor to the hire button (of the employee already hired in another base) in hire menu shows tooltip the base where this employee is hired.
    • [open] Moving cursor to the reaction fire button in HUD shows tooltip informing which weapon and which firemode will be used.
    • [open] Moving cursor to the button "next entry" in UFOpedia shows the name of the next entry, same for previous entry.
    • [open] Moving cursor to the reload button in HUD shows tooltip informing about the amount of TU needed to reload.
  • [open] Rework the input system to allow user-configurable key combinations (such as shift+key or control+key). Currently, they have to be hardcoded.
  • [open] Allow the user to change key bindings in the game menu, rather than having to edit keys.cfg.

Pathfinding and Tracing

  • [WIP] Support hovering/flying units
  • [done] Support areas that are only reachable when crouching
  • [open] Support more accurate model tracing to determine pathfinding
  • [open] Support accurate pathfinding for 2x2 actors

Other

  • Psionic warfare
  • Add support for item- and building-upgrades. <Suggested by Winter>
  • Unmanned recon/spy drones that search for alien activity. You'd simply pay X credits to send a UAV drone out to check for UFOs and alien bases and such. <Suggested by Winter>
  • [WIP] Pilot management (pilot skills) -- Malick
  • [open] "civilian" teams, which can fight against aliens, like soldiers
  • [open] knockdown effect for very damaged soldiers
  • [open] Incorporate UFO_CONDOR (UFO -- Corrupter to the game - we already have model and one map with that UFO
  • [open] Incorporate flare (base/models/weapons/flare/) into the game (scripts entry, UFOpaedia article)
  • [open] Add tutorials

Installer

This version is mainly point of discuss but we need some points to start it.

Misc decisions from developers

  • Marketsystem (should work like transfers) (geever | [open])
  • finish UFO-Yard support (geever | [open])
    • selling already stored UFOs: Need to rework UFO selling to avoid cheating
  • Destroyable bases: PHALANX bases should be destroyable (geever | [open])
    • refactoring structures needed, I have some progress on it in a local branch
  • implement Pilot skills (finish patches from Malick, @see patch#3194189) (geever | [open])
  • UGV support (accumulator | [open])
  • UFO-Gunboat: We have tech- and ufopaedia- entries for this UFO. Also we have draft model of the craft.
  • Incorporate Alien Launcher & Antimatter missile to campaign (Kildor | [WIP])
    • [done] Alien Launcher model
    • [done] Alien Launcher writeup
    • [done] Antimatter Rocket model
    • [done] Antimatter Rocket geoscape model
    • [done] Antimatter Rocket writeup
    • [done] Hybrid Launcher model
    • [open] Hybrid Rocket model
    • [open] Hybrid Rocket geoscape model
    • [open] Hybrid Rocket writeup
    • [open] scripts
  • [open] Decision: currently base storage sizes for craft items and soldier items are not much different. Do we want to change this? If so, we need to take a look at how it will effect campaign storage limits and make sure we re-balance appropriately.
  • [open] Add equipment scores for all equipment to be used in autoresolve
  • [open] Make shooting down a Carrier UFO the end of the game
    • [open] Complete tech tree
    • [open] Develop a mechanism in the geoscape for firing at the Carrier when research completed (automatically placed installation?), or just automatically fire at the Carrier.
    • [open] Tech image
    • [open] Crashed Carrier icon for geoscape

Things to think on

  • Campaign: we ought to move our campaign forward. What do we need to do for this?
    • Research topics and research entries?
    • New maps?
    • New missions and missions type?
    • XVI?
    • New UFO`s?
  • Lua-based AI: It is broken currently and there is no active maintainer. We should decide, kill it or bring back to live?
    • It's not broken, it's simply not implemented--Duke 23:29, 5 April 2012 (SAST)
  • Whole efficiency and perfomance of the game.
  • Current work in the branches (like renderer branch). Is they still alive? Is they still able to compiled?
  • Should we begin working towards a visibility sytem? See the roadmap.
  • …

Multiplayer

We should improve the overall multiplayer experience in the hopes of growing at least a small multiplayer community. A good multiplayer game could increase development participation (at least for maps). Here are some steps that I (H-Hour) think could help:

  • Better organization and selection of maps to allow players to find MP-appropriate maps more easily.
    • Improve mapcycle.txt as a temporary fix
    • Changes to maps.ufo definitions to allow categorization by recommended game types, map construction (static/dynamic), size, etc.
    • UI that supports selecting a theme and then the different available parameters (see changes to map.ufo definitions above). It should also allow the player to view only maps for the parameters they select (size, gametypes, fixed or random assembly, etc).
  • [WIP] Maps designed for properly balanced multiplayer games. These are typically static maps, but we could also create fixed assemblies designed exclusively for multiplayer.
  • Support for new game types (domination, alien rush, king of the hill implemented).
    • see #3392127
    • Game types will also need UI improvements to be done well: score counters, turn numbers, etc.
  • Changes to weapon selection
    • Clean up the equipment set selection process as described here proposed here. Ideally, it would be nice if a host could create and save custom equipment sets that could be used when hosting.
    • A nice addition, but maybe for post-2.5: allow a host to set a credits-limit in addition to the equipment set. Each item would cost the player credits and he would be forced to limit his selection. This would allow a host to (for instance) allow any type of weapon but prevent the player from equipping only the best items (because he can't afford it).
  • Small changes:
    • Rotate turn order from one map to another so the same player's do not always start first
    • Implement a bar that shows the time remaining in a turn and decreases each second.
    • Make some MP-specific information available on UI:
      • How many soldiers of each team are left alive
    • Message log of events in battlescape (not just multiplayer)

Balancing

  • Weapon balancing (H-Hour | [WIP])
  • Nation happiness: some complaints that nations go unhappy too quickly in early game. Test and, if verified, improve.
  • Consider switching order in which shevaar and ortnoks appear in campaign
  • Work out a way to scale the number of aliens based on the size of the map
  • [WIP] Campaign balancing, including new aliens, research items, alien teams, equipment, weapons research times, disassembly times, alien materials.

Artwork

Maps

  • [WIP] Alienbase theme (H-Hour | [WIP])
  • [WIP] +hills (The assembly needs more tiles and remaining ufos) (Kildor | [WIP])
  • early-[WIP] +railroad (Kildor | [WIP])
  • +harbour2 (it needs to be finished and polished before including to the campaign) (ShipIt | [done])
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