Currently, we have eight (8!) weapon positions planned, excluding sprinting or similar.
Why so many?
A few reasons.
- Prevents clipping issues.
- Visually indicates accuracy.
- Naturally helps balances different weapon types.
- Gives weapons a sense of weight and size
What follows is essentially a cut and paste from our dev wiki, minus requirements and references.
On target positions
‘Contact’ positions that all share these traits:
- On target.
- Finger on trigger
- Safety off.
Engaged
Full extension, sights engaged.
- Very accurate.
- Significantly decreased weapon retention.
- Decreased awareness due to focus & visible weapon.
- Increased chance of weapon being obstructed.
Ready
Full extension, sights not engaged.
Aside from change of head angle, no different in animation from engaged.
Distinction made between ready and engaged because you don’t always use the weapons sights, especially in snap shooting / CQB.
- Accurate
- Decreased weapon retention.
- Decreased awareness due to visible weapon.
- Increased chance of weapon being obstructed.
Close Ready
Handguns : Held tightly near chest.
Long guns : Stock under shoulder, above hip.
With either weapon type, sights are not engaged.
Not referenced much when talking about long guns, but for handguns, comes up quite often. For some, this is the standard position for a handgun when not engaged.
- Less accurate
- Increased awareness due to less visible weapon.
- Increased weapon retention.
- Handguns : No chance of weapon being obstructed.
- Long guns : Less chance of weapon being obstructed.
Off target positions
‘Safe’ positions that all share these traits:
- Off target.
- Finger off trigger
- Safety on.
Low Ready
Muzzle pointing down, allowing player to see more.
A position everyone seems to agree on for long guns, being off target, yet allowing you to get quickly back on target.
Standard position for long gun when not engaged.
- Slight firing delay.
- Increased awareness due to less visible weapon.
- Slightly decreased chance of weapon being obstructed.
High Ready
Elbows close to the body, muzzle pointing up.
Used when low ready is inappropriate, ie. moving up stairs or inclines.
A position everyone seems to disagree on, except when reference stairs or elevations, at which point it is preferred over low ready.
- Increased weapon retention.
- Increased awareness due to less visible weapon.
- Faster interaction due to a more free offhand.
- Decreased chance of weapon being obstructed.
Sul
Weapon rotated 90 degrees and held close to chest, muzzle pointing almost vertically down, slightly cantered away from players body.
Used when within close proximity of a team mate or non-hostiles.
Less aggressive pose the low ready, while still maintaining good control of weapon.
Can also be referred to as low ready, indoor ready etc.
- Firing delay.
- Maximum awareness due to no visible weapon.
- Handguns : No chance of weapon being obstructed.
- Long guns : Little chance of weapon being obstructed.
Obstructed positions
‘Obstructed’ positions that all share these traits:
- Off target.
- Finger off trigger
- Safety on.
Obstructed Low
Handguns : Arms and weapon pointing down, almost vertically, close to body.
Long gun: Muzzle pointing down, almost vertically, arms and weapon close to body, arms tucked in.
For handguns, we could probably drop this and just use Sul.
NOTE: Not sure if this should be auto-used when near open window or similar to prevent giving position away or left to player choice.
- Significant firing delay.
- Must use transition to go over objects if found to be clear.
Obstructed High
Handguns : Arms and weapon pointing up, almost vertically, close to body.
Long gun : Muzzle pointing up, almost vertically, weapon held low and close to body.
- Significant firing delay, but less than obstructed low.
Freeaim
Enable a limited amount of weapon movement/freeaim while at the ready or engaged to allow players increased awareness by lowering their weapon slightly.
Switching weapon positions
Tapping aim will switch to or from low/high ready, determined by weapon angle and stance.
Holding aim switches between engaged or ready.
Obstructed positions are automatic, with a high or low being determined by weapon angle and stance.
Sul will probably be automated, based on proximity to team mates.
Close ready will probably be semi-automated, based on proximity to lots of obstructions.
While we are pretty happy with this setup, none of it is final, as usual.
We are trying to make the system easy, but with the flexibility to take it further for those who want to.
eg. An experienced player may choose to manually switch to sul before doing a 180 or similar large turn in an enclosed space. Aside from greatly reducing the chance of their weapon snagging on the environment around them, the increased retention lets them bring it back on target more accurately then if they’d kept it at full extension.
Hopefully this gives you some insight into our methods.
