Ability to pick faction during start pos. selection time

[Hobo Joe]

You can do it while co-oped, but not normally, why not? Often times I pick factions based on where I think I'll be playing in team games, or try to adjust my goals based on pre-start team discussion, which often makes switching factions a good idea. Either that or just simple forgetfulness in the lobby. Is there any particular reason we can't change during this?

If so, I'm interesting in hearing it, and if not, can it be added?

[Niobium]

It is something that is very easy to code, mostly due to initial-unit spawning being controlled entirely by the mod (which wasn't the case when coop was implemented). However coding an elegant method for it would require rewriting/removing the current coop gadget (which is an absolute mess), which isn't difficult but would require coop mode to be retested etc.

The only thing in the way is TFC, either coding it himself or mentioning that he would include it if someone else coded it for him. I for one would love to see it implemented, and would be fine coding it up if it wasn't for TFC being such an enigma.

[Johannes]

No, I want to know the opponents faction.

[Niobium]

No, I want to know the opponents faction.

Perhaps it could be a modoption then, given that your concern is mainly applicable to smaller games where modoptions are easier to change.

[luckywaldo7]

Faction picks could be echo'd to the console also, right?

Or wait, doesn't adv player list show factions anyway?

[Hobo Joe]

No, I want to know the opponents faction.

If I remember correctly, adv.playerlist updates to reflect coop players chosen factions once the game starts, so that shouldn't be a problem.

I'm not positive though so I'll have to double check.

[Johannes]

Im under the impression that adv playerlist (which i use, too) just takes the faction from lobby, but could be wrong. When exactly should you know it, too? At the moment when I ready, my faction goes public? Or on game start? Or a display at any time of which faction I have selected also before readying?
Difference between lobby and ingame interface here is that in lobby you can unready, and change faction when readied.

How would/should the UI work with fixed start positions?

[Hobo Joe]

How would/should the UI work with fixed start positions?

Well naturally I think it shouldn't be changeable after you ready up(ingame), and in a perfect world the player list would update instantly, as soon as someone switched, even if they weren't readied. Barring that, at least updating it as soon as they ready.

Of course it would be a crappy feature if it didn't display factions or wrongly displayed factions.