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[gunswordfist]

By realistic I mean no slow giant red bullets. Also, I want the game to not have cover so that's out of the question. So far, all I've got is the enemies will gesture that they are about to shoot...and then they shoot. I know, that's not much.

[rek]

In reality people deal with it by staying out of the line of fire. That means cover and barriers, but it also means running, and generally avoiding the business end being pointed at you. Raising/pointing the gun is the only tell we have in reality. And red sniper dots.

[Terragot]

When I read the title of this topic I instantly thought of the metal slug series. While the gunfire isn't realistic, the lethality of the projectiles are.

Metal slug balanced these insta-kill projectiles by having them move at unrealistically slow speeds and pea-cocked them from the environment with animated flashing deadly colours (black and red if I remember?).

Not sure if that helps but I guess with any game where there is an insta-kill moment you really need to let the player know 'YOU WILL DIE IF YOU TOUCH THIS! LOOK HOW HORRIBLE AND DANGEROUS IT LOOKS DON'T TOUCH IT YOU FOOL!!!'. I guess you could try all sorts of things keeping in mind to avoid anything that feels like a sucker punch to the player.

Unless your making war satire or something...

[gunswordfist]

When I read the title of this topic I instantly thought of the metal slug series. While the gunfire isn't realistic, the lethality of the projectiles are.

Metal slug balanced these insta-kill projectiles by having them move at unrealistically slow speeds and pea-cocked them from the environment with animated flashing deadly colours (black and red if I remember?).

Not sure if that helps but I guess with any game where there is an insta-kill moment you really need to let the player know 'YOU WILL DIE IF YOU TOUCH THIS! LOOK HOW HORRIBLE AND DANGEROUS IT LOOKS DON'T TOUCH IT YOU FOOL!!!'. I guess you could try all sorts of things keeping in mind to avoid anything that feels like a sucker punch to the player.

Unless your making war satire or something...

Funny enough, the main character will be able to take a decent amount of bullets, if not a lot. The guns will fire rapidly and the impact will seem real enough. I'm thinking if I'm going to have the bullets knock him down and if so, how that'll be handled.

[tristendo]

Give the game play some puzzle elements like metal gear vr missions or even like klonoa. also maybe the player should have a shield that has hit points. The game play would be cloak and dagger style hit, run, hide and get blasted on. it would be a bitch to logically balance though. worth the challenge i think.

[AMT]

Cover IS how to realistically deal with gunfire. People in gunfights don't tend to just run up to each other firing.

[gunswordfist]

Give the game play some puzzle elements like metal gear vr missions or even like klonoa. also maybe the player should have a shield that has hit points. The game play would be cloak and dagger style hit, run, hide and get blasted on. it would be a bitch to logically balance though. worth the challenge i think.

The "shield" will likely be a bulletproof vest. Also, I'm trying to make it straight up run n gun.

Cover IS how to realistically deal with gunfire. People in gunfights don't tend to just run up to each other firing.

I'm just referring to the gunfire be realistic, not necessarily how the player will deal with it.

[Daid]

The speed of a typical rifle bullet is somewhere around 1000m/s. Which means you get 16 meter per frame, realistically.
So, that's quite fast, no slow moving bullets. Most likely you'll just implement hitscan instead of real bullets.

Anyhow, how to deal with it? Well, a red line "sniper warning" works in a lot of games. Inaccuracies in firing also works (get closer and you get more damage on average). But in almost any game with hitscan weapons you want cover or you'll get lead poison.

[rek]

I'm just referring to the gunfire be realistic, not necessarily how the player will deal with it.

Your subject line says "deal with... realistic gunfire".

[Core Xii]

Give the illusion of realistic gunfire that doesn't exist mechanically - have enemies shoot, but miss. This way, enemies can "realistically" start shooting fast, lethal bullets at you without actually killing you. It will naturally give the impression they can't aim very well, though. Make it work on a timer; an enemy is required to shoot at you for X seconds before they score a hit. You can even have hit points and have every bullet chip away at them, without showing this information and presenting the bullets as missing visually. So "hit points" is more like "luck"; stand long enough in gunfire, your luck runs out and you die, while giving the impression that only the last bullet hit, and with lethal force.

[vinheim3]

If you want the gunfire to be realistic, then you shouldn't be able to see the bullets. Have gunshot sounds and dust flying off obstacles/edge of screen where the bullet hits, unless it hits you. Maybe make the path of the bullet slightly visible like a thin, fading, white line.

[Chromanoid]

have enemies shoot, but miss.

this and auto-cover-animations that show why the enemy is missing. Maybe you can introduce shouts and stuff to warn the player. Muzzleflash-symbols at the edge of the display area with an auto-cover reaction for sniper shots might help too. For machine gun fire you can visualize tracer ammunition.

[Fallsburg]

By 2D do you mean top down or do you mean side view?  Not that it really makes a difference.

I'd follow the Metal Gear Solids and have enemies aim (giving you time to get out of the way), possibly with laser guides, and then the shots are instantaneous raycasts.

[gunswordfist]

The speed of a typical rifle bullet is somewhere around 1000m/s. Which means you get 16 meter per frame, realistically.
So, that's quite fast, no slow moving bullets. Most likely you'll just implement hitscan instead of real bullets.

Anyhow, how to deal with it? Well, a red line "sniper warning" works in a lot of games. Inaccuracies in firing also works (get closer and you get more damage on average). But in almost any game with hitscan weapons you want cover or you'll get lead poison.

I just might do that.

Give the illusion of realistic gunfire that doesn't exist mechanically - have enemies shoot, but miss. This way, enemies can "realistically" start shooting fast, lethal bullets at you without actually killing you. It will naturally give the impression they can't aim very well, though. Make it work on a timer; an enemy is required to shoot at you for X seconds before they score a hit. You can even have hit points and have every bullet chip away at them, without showing this information and presenting the bullets as missing visually. So "hit points" is more like "luck"; stand long enough in gunfire, your luck runs out and you die, while giving the impression that only the last bullet hit, and with lethal force.

I get what you're saying. Sounds like a good idea.

If you want the gunfire to be realistic, then you shouldn't be able to see the bullets. Have gunshot sounds and dust flying off obstacles/edge of screen where the bullet hits, unless it hits you. Maybe make the path of the bullet slightly visible like a thin, fading, white line.

Me likey.

have enemies shoot, but miss.

this and auto-cover-animations that show why the enemy is missing. Maybe you can introduce shouts and stuff to warn the player. Muzzleflash-symbols at the edge of the display area with an auto-cover reaction for sniper shots might help too. For machine gun fire you can visualize tracer ammunition.

What's auto cover. And I could use all the "warning: incoming bullets from offscreen" suggestions I can get. Thanks.

By 2D do you mean top down or do you mean side view?  Not that it really makes a difference.

I'd follow the Metal Gear Solids and have enemies aim (giving you time to get out of the way), possibly with laser guides, and then the shots are instantaneous raycasts.

Side view. Laser sights now seem very likely.

[Headless Man]

Have them pause and yell out 'halt' before they start firing.
Play Flashback for an example of a game that does what you're trying to do.  Another World too.
I like CoreXii's solution best.