Implementation Notes on Zones and Jump Maps

Ark_

Xposted from #suggestions, edited for clarity:

Currently, jump modes (rj/sj/conc, otherwise referred to as Explosive Jump or XJ) use the course/jump model, whereas a jump functions as a checkpoint, a place in the map you can fail to, and a split on the timer, but is not tracked like stage records, and you can't teleport to within a run using the restart command.

It was brought up that you should be able to teleport to these in a similar manner as the /s chat command, which is a very reasonable want, the issue being the exact implementation and consistency within the zone system.

Currently, the system is broken down into a tree, with the map at the top, having 1 or more tracks(main map/bonuses), having 1 or more stages, having 0 or more checkpoints.

XJ currently uses checkpoints to track each individual jump on a map, so the question becomes if teleporting to checkpoints (non timer only) is something that should be allowed in all contexts, or just within modes where it makes sense. Surf for example usually uses checkpoints for linear maps, and teleporting to a checkpoint would nearly instantly cause you to fall directly into a fail trigger and return to the start of the map outside of some very particular intentional setups. However, generally I don't think this is an issue, and preventing teleporting to checkpoints because it doesn't make sense in some gamemodes using the old model of zones is not worth doing.

Secondarily, XJ also likes to use different terminology than other modes, preferring course and jump to track and checkpoint. Personally, I don't see any reason to prevent XJ from continuing to use the word they prefer, and simply adding the option to always use the standard momentum terms (current implementation), always use the jump words, or to prefer based on gamemode context, as well as adding the aliased chat command /j to correspond with /cp and allowing both to work in all contexts. I don't feel this adds any unnessisary complexity or confusion to the system, especially if you make always use momentum terms the default.

Gocnak

Yeah this really boils down to whether the jump community is comfortable being able to teleport back to a jump's trigger. Note that this would mean the same as teleporting to the start trigger -- explosives already out would be fizzled upon teleport.

We could also make the teleporting only possible as a zone property, on by default for specific zone types and for certain modes?

Ark_

Gocnak To clarify, I mean being able to teleport to a individual jump like the /s command outside of a run and not being able to reset to a zone like using mom_restart_stage while in a run.

Realistically I don't see a simple QoL feature like this is really going to be controversial, considering you can already go noclip to any part of the map that you want to using practice mode. I could be wrong about this of course, but considering it has zero effect on doing runs in any gamemode people should be fine with the feature assuming they don't misunderstand what it actually does.

Superchuck

Ark_ Being able to teleport to individual jumps or courses outside of a run has always been a thing on Tempus, so adding that would not create any issue (and it would be quite helpful for practicing).

Being able to reset on a jump mid-run, however, would be a bit more problematic. I personally don't see the point in adding that for XJ, as I don't think it adds anything that a teleport can't do.

hex

Superchuck adding onto this being able to teleport to the start of a jump or start of a course ("stage" in mmod zoning terms) are both different to how tempus works and would be ignored / disliked by most of the tf2 community. ideally i would like to disable mom_restart_stage in rj/sj completely to be honest because it just doesn't make any sense in those two gamemodes

Ark_

hex mom_restart_stage is already disabled in linear maps, it should be very easy to extend that to all of XJ, and I agree that is really doesn't make sense to have it enabled at I'll in those modes.