Matrix-style ‘Bullet-time’ in Multiplayer Gaming

[OldBrownShoe]

Found this at newscientist.com. (http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7703)

The challenge had been to achieve [“bullet-time”] with real-time online multiplayer games, says Jouni Smed at the University of Turku. So far the closest anyone has come to it is by speeding up the player, instead of slowing down the environment, he says. “It’s not the effect one wants because the player has even less time to react.”

Smed’s solution is to exploit something called a local perception filter (LPF). This is software that compensates for the natural communication-time delays which occur in networked games by rendering objects and players at slightly out-of-date locations.
Editor: It's been done (kinda), although his approach is interesting.

[TheKeck]

Does anyone know where this has "been done (kinda)"? This seems really cool to me, although it also seems to be based on something somewhat random. Perhaps I just don't understand exactly. (Ok, I'm SURE I don't understand "exactly".)

[Spanky1]

The Matrix Online for one.

[Kermit]

Fear (ok not realy out yet)

[Nameback]

I belive I saw a similar effect in "The Specialists" (http://www.specialistsmod.net/) mod for HL1.

[Dirty Harry]

The specialists has, two styles of bullet time, one where you can fire at normal speeds slightly and everyone else is slow and the other version where you slow down too and have to aim ahead but its great for throwing knifes and the such.

[sTubbs]

I belive I saw a similar effect in "The Specialists" (http://www.specialistsmod.net/) mod for HL1.

That is what I always say when this discussion comes up. It is ubelievable to me that these large companies keep talking about how next to impossible online multiplayer bullet time is while a few guys working on a mod have been doing it successfully for years. And in The Specialists bullet time can even be applied to one person while everyone moves normally, which is supposedly the hardest thing to do. So, why the fuck is this discussion even going on? Just hire The Specialists dev team - they are obiously talented enough and know how to make one hell of a fun game.

[Dirty Harry]

That is what I always say when this discussion comes up. It is ubelievable to me that these large companies keep talking about how next to impossible online multiplayer bullet time is while a few guys working on a mod have been doing it successfully for years. And in The Specialists bullet time can even be applied to one person while everyone moves normally, which is supposedly the hardest thing to do. So, why the fuck is this discussion even going on? Just hire The Specialists dev team - they are obiously talented enough and know how to make one hell of a fun game.
I belive the two main dev's that started TS have moved onto real game making, this is also the reason why TS is not being ported to Source.

[Draft]

TS was an awesome mod, and handled bullet time perfectly.

Man, I loved being "The Specialist" in that game. My ultimate set up was the MP5 and a combat knife. Bum rush people with the MP5, and switch to the knife at close range to chop em up. I'd rack up x3 and x5 kills like crazy.

[H.Bogard]

f.e.a.r.

oh man i cant wait to get my hands on ittt!!!

hmmmm and i wanna smell me some max payne 3 multiplayer !!

[Arcon]

what about slowing both games down and just leaving the bullet time'd player with normal responsive controls in real-time? or is that how the specialists works?

[51|RandoM]

Bullet time comes from within, grasshopper, and is just an alteration of your perception.

Trying to put it in the code of the game is just an unconvincing environment hack, at least for me, and is just a crutch for those who can't achieve the real thing. :-)

[Draft]

what about slowing both games down and just leaving the bullet time'd player with normal responsive controls in real-time? or is that how the specialists works?In TS, Bullet Time slowed everyone down, but the user of the ability less so.

[Demize99]

All other things equal, the player that controls when the bullet time starts has such an advantage in a "slow everone down" kind of bullet time. He's ready and prepared for it, he doesn't have to adjust to it, and his enemy is likely to over shoot or have to adjust giving the bullet time man an advantage.

Using the already existing time discrepancies is unreliable. Ping times seem to keep dropping, and at the current moment a good cable connection is 30-60ms. Is that really enough of an advantage? What if its on a LAN, with that system is 5ms an advantage?

[BigJonno]

I will make my stand now. The Specialists is the greatest ever Half-Life mod. Counterstrike and it's numerous clones can kiss my lardy arse.

Even if "slowing everyone but the bullet time user down" method isn't the best, it's sure better than no bullet time at all.

[<JEDI>~ASH]

Its not that bad.
Each game comes with a slightly modified Flux Capacitor that hooks up to your computer by USB this will slow everyone else while the one in bullet time will stay normal. Its the game that keeps you young the longer you play it. :)

Now does anyone have plutonium?