Feature: 1st person spy

[monterto]

Anyone who knows me, knows that immersion is often what will sell me on a game. With that being said, I feel that a 1st person option for the spy would make the game more exciting and fun to play.

I am aware that this would make playing as a spy much more difficult but if it were an individual option, and not a game mode setting, this wouldn't be a problem.

Would anyone else want this or use it? Thoughts?

[VaNilla]

I'd most likely try it out once or twice and then never use it again.

[Cronky]

An optional, non-default 1st person view? Why not. Make it a hidden joke option where the Spy is in 1st person and the Merc is in 3rd. Might be funny.

Spies being more immersive just because you're in 1st person view though? ...I don't think that is how immersion works. Not only because perspective isn't the only factor that goes into it, but also because Project Stealth has about as much depth "Story-wise/World-wise" as Tetris. Story and the World being what I think is the main part of whether a game is immersive or not.

Sure, "looking through the eyes of your character" brings something to the table, but it wouldn't be adding to the gameplay (in a good way) or giving you the immersion you're looking for while playing. The tension you get isn't going to be amplified because you feel like you're more "in" your character... you're just going to get pissed off that the game wasn't built to be played that way (read: Die a lot).

What I think the response to this will be: "Yeah, but it's obviously not supposed to be played in 1st person, and it's an option. No one is forcing you to play it that way."

Answer: Then why put it in the game at all? If it's a joke... Okay, put it in. If you think there is a benefit? Then you're going to be sorely mistaken.

I felt the need to rant a little/talk out my ass ;)

[monterto]

Spies being more immersive just because you're in 1st person view though? ...I don't think that is how immersion works. Not only because perspective isn't the only factor that goes into it, but also because Project Stealth has about as much depth "Story-wise/World-wise" as Tetris. Story and the World being what I think is the main part of whether a game is immersive or not.

I agree 100%, however if you want an immersive experience why would you seperate yourself from the character with a 3rd person camera? It's a very simple change and I feel like it can add alot to a game.

If I wanted a completely immersive experience I'd play thief or minecraft or make a request for a katana for my spy model...

back on topic...

[Cronky]

I'm at work; hear me rant:

The separation usually happens because of at least 1 of two things: Story and/or Gameplay.

1st person games "usually" have a character you're just supposed to project yourself onto. Take games like... Fallout, Doom, Half Life, Thief, etc etc. Even if you're playing an established character, you usually don't get enough info to know exactly what that person would do in any situation. Is Garret a cold blooded murderer? or is he a Merciful thief that only knocks people out? Immersion happens because of choice, not because the developer made you do something.

Thief's perspective also only really works because it's against AI. The AI is meant not to see you if you're in the dark 15 feet away... poking your head out around a corner. Real people would actually see that. Thus, not as fun. 3rd person is used in other stealth games because the gameplay needs you to be able to be more aware of your surroundings. 1st person games being a more "tunnel vision" type of experience.

3rd person games usually are more centric to having an established character that they are going to give a ton of background on. Take Splinter Cell... you know Sam Fisher. You know his family, how he acts, how he moves. The immersion comes from seeing what is going to come next. Like watching a movie.

There are of course exceptions to the rule. Dragon Age: Origins comes to mind for a 3rd person blank slate. Bulletstorm for a established character 1st person.

On topic piece:

All in all, the change does sound simple, but it doesn't sound "Better". The "add a lot to the game" you speak of would probably boil down to a gimmicky 1st person camera for a game that was meant to be played in 3rd person.

[Farley4Fan]

Well I think I speak for everyone when I say that 1st person is useless unless you can see your legs though.

[Spark Mandriller]

1st person games "usually" have a character you're just supposed to project yourself onto. Take games like... Fallout

Looks third person to me bro.
(yes i realise that's fallout 2 no i don't care)



Stone's basically right when he says nobody would ever use this feature though tbh.

[Cronky]

Yeah, I actually had to think of whether I wanted to put fallout in that list o' games. Was hoping people would gloss over the first two as they applied to the "exception to the rule" bit I said later.

Good work finding that thing I was hoping was not brought up :P

[monterto]

Yeah, stone is probably right...

I should also clarify my intentions here. I realise that I said "let's add 1st person spies for immersion sake", but immersion might heve been the wrong word. I just think it would be really exciting. I made this little wish after trying the crysis multi-player demo, I found sneaking around to be really exciting and wondered how awesome it would be to play splintercell in the same style.

Exciting....

I don't disagree at all with what you guys are saying. You're right, maybe if I made a small donation of like $10 the devs could add it for me. It could be a very efficient donation and shouldn't be too much of a problem to add to my spies account.

[DreadStunLock]

Or they could allow us make a small application that they approve, like for instance Halo 1 has an .exe which allows you to change FOV in many different ways.

[VaNilla]

I made this little wish after trying the crysis multi-player demo, I found sneaking around to be really exciting and wondered how awesome it would be to play splintercell in the same style.

It's a lot of fun, when I got the first Crysis I ghosted through most of the game haha :P

[knooger]

Why just not make a button for example F3 for First Person View?
In game looking on some things can be nice with it but depending from situation .  ;)

[DreadStunLock]

I would love to have an option to have a mercenary 3rd person view from shoulder and have an additional button to change shoulders, that would be interesting for the whole community to test in alpha/beta test.

[knooger]

No, it will allow merc look trought the corners and you will not see it as spy >.<

[DreadStunLock]

Meh, can always be modified in a doable way :P