Walk around

[jason210]

Hi

Can we walk around & go up ladders etc - as in true first person camera...

J

[JordanC]

I doubt it. The last thing I want is a complicated First-Person shooter style interior. While I hope they model most of the sub this time, and maybe some of the deck as something we could "walk on".

[CCIP]

I do demand a restricted 'free view' like we have with Shift+F2 in SHIII for the sub's deck, however. I love playing at 100%, but I wish I could at least have different viewpoints from my boat outside the hull every once in a while...

[Dantenoc]

Well, the way I see it, it's either have a full fledged FPS style walk around interior and deck, or do away with 3D interiors altogether, because *really*: nothing makes a game look more like a half done job than features that don't really do anything of value, like SHIII's present 3D interiors which at first look great, but when you get more experience with the game, you find yourself never using them at all.

Just to give you one example: It's great that we have working dials on the command room, until you really try paying attention to them only to discover that you can't really use them because you're own crew keep getting in the way and not letting you see them!... So, it's either do away with them (and make the game leaner, quicker and more efficient) or have it so you can walk around inside the room to get a better (and now useful)look of dials.

[The Noob]

Well Jordan, this is the same than the "Jump to next action" disscussion. It would not harm as an Optional feature. Press the "Free Walk" Button and you can walk around and still use all the systems, while if not activated, we can use the SH3 Style stuff.

I would like a FPS style movement. Very realistic, but IMHO would only make sense with Full 3D subs, wich will not be included...Ubi, i hate you for this! :x

[DaMaGe007]

Its a feature that if done right could keep both party's happy.
allow the movement keys and fps style movement, and pressing a function key or clicking a station icon would pop you to that position and view point.
as long as you dont push a movement keys it will be the same as we have now.

Both should be happy, Ubi would undoubtably mess it up though and have a static screen for the map like in SH3.

[Safe-Keeper]

Well, the way I see it, it's either have a full fledged FPS style walk around interior and deck, or do away with 3D interiors altogether, because *really*: nothing makes a game look more like a half done job than features that don't really do anything of value, like SHIII's present 3D interiors which at first look great, but when you get more experience with the game, you find yourself never using them at all.But with all due respect, how much would it add to the game to be able to walk around? It'd be something else you'd wind up not using, except from in a few cases where you feel up for immersion.

Just to give you one example: It's great that we have working dials on the command room, until you really try paying attention to them only to discover that you can't really use them because you're own crew keep getting in the way and not letting you see them!... So, it's either do away with them (and make the game leaner, quicker and more efficient) or have it so you can walk around inside the room to get a better (and now useful)look of dials.There is the Shift+F2 view, and clicking on officers. You don't need to be able to walk around.

I want the 3D interior to stay in, as it adds immersion, but I will probably end up not using it, walking or not.

I would, however, not mind if optional walking about - not only in your sub, but around in your HQ (between the night-club, sub, quarters, and so on) was included in the game. It seemed very unneccessary to me at first, but the more I thought of it, the better I liked it.

There was this sci-fi flight simulator that had you run around in your mothership between missions to talk to engineers, your squadron-mates, etc., Final Fantasy-style. While I'd rather it'd be optional (as running about might get tedious eventually), it actually did add immersion to the game and I did like it.

So would I like to have the office, night-club, sub pens, and so on modelled in 3D and able to walk around in them in first-person mode? Nope. I would probably not use it too much after extended play, and it is a low-priority objective, but I would like to see it in. I picture strolling a harbour with great graphics, watching people walk about, your sub being repaired, exotic birds in the air, dive-bombing Dinsdale... All in great graphics.

It'd be awesome. I even have this far-fetched idea of being able to read letters from command, loved ones, shipmates at other harbours, etc. A bit like reading radio messages. It sounded weird at first, too, but I think it might be a good feature if implemented well.

Very realistic, but IMHO would only make sense with Full 3D subs, wich will not be included...Ubi, i hate you for this!:xWell, it makes sense as COs did not frequent engine rooms, but did frequent night-clubs, sub pens (they needed to get to their subs, after all), and offices.

And be nice to the developers. They're doing a good job.

[Dantenoc]

I tried the free-cam style view on the inside of the sub, but I can only get it to work with the external free-cam option enabled, which causes a considerable hit to the realism setting :-? ... also, because it isn't really implemented properly, you can get a lot of weird behaviour out of it, so I just avoid using it.

A comment on FPS: you should never underestimate it. the FPS experience is so inmersive that it is single handedly the cause of the success of numerous games despite their obvious flaws in other areas.

[CCIP]

I think 99% of people will agree that the 3D interiors are one of the features in the SH series now that is as 'must-have' as the dynamic campaign or the ability to sail to and from a 3D harbor. It's not something that we'll lose so long as there's new SH releases I believe.

The question is how to develop it.

Personally, I'm just fine with SHIII's system, actually. It's not by any means essential to reinvent the wheel and hugely revamp it, I'd rather the effort be spent on tuning the game. I would be happy to see it improved though; but my first improvement would be 'more compartments' than a full-fledged walkaround feature...

[Dantenoc]

Personally, I'm just fine with SHIII's system, actually. It's not by any means essential to reinvent the wheel and hugely revamp it, I'd rather the effort be spent on tuning the game. I would be happy to see it improved though

Yes, we agree, no major overhaul is needed, but rather a few minor program adjustments that would make and incredibly huge difference. For example, one very minor detail that would make an incredible diference is to simply document SHIII's present free walk mode in the manual (people only know of such features because of forums like this one), and also, make it so that you can move within the compartments, but NOT through the walls... very little effort to make that posible, incredibly huge return in game inmersion.

[tycho102]

If the "free camera" takes away from more critical aspects of the game, like modeling radar cross-section while your deck is awash or fixing the bug in the external camera where the thing just keeps bouncing up and down, then I say chuck the free cam.

Low priority item, for me.

[Dantenoc]

If the "free camera" takes away from more critical aspects of the game...

It's very hard to imagine why it would; the way I see it, the hard work has already been taken care of (building the 3D world itself), having a proper implementation of the user's interface with said world doesn't really put any type of strain on the computer's resources... it just takes the use of skills that go a bit beyond computer programming per se, and a bit more into the design and implementation of a decent human/computer interface.

[DanCanovas]

i cant think of anything worse that a free walk about...ALARM!!! oh Sh*t which button is it to jump to the control room, oh damn ill have to run lol.

[jason210]

Interesting responses. I see that several people aren't really bothered about a 1st person camera access to a 3D interior.

A free cam wouldn't work - you'd pass throught the walls and float or sink through the roof or floor which would be silly. Gravity an collision would need to be added. This is dead easy to implement - the Titanic uses this on Ship Sim 2006. You can walk around the decks. I developed that model myself ;)

Perhaps the only difficulty would be in working the controls, but again, this could easily be solved by reatining the stations, as in SHIII, but having a walkabout mode also. This is dead easy to implement - the Titanic uses if on Ship Sim 2006. You can walk around the decks. I developed that model myself ;)

For me, SHIII is not just a game, but a simulator where immersion plays an important role. I'm all for VR experience, the expereince of being being in an interactive movie. FPS movement around a sub, up ladders and through hatches etc would be perfect for me.


I like the SHIII stations, as eye candy, and switch from various stations just "play" around and imagine I'm there. The interior is superb

[Drebbel]

Interesting responses. I see that several people aren't really bothered about a 1st person camera access to a 3D interior.

Same here, would be nice to look at at first but soon I would be using shortcut keys to go from place to place and probably never roam around the boat again.

[DanCanovas]

i think thats true, and indeed you would soon get bored with walking about and resort to the station keys. I mean how many people reguarly use the station at the back of the control room? its sometimes nice for the odd screenshot but I dont spend any length of time there. I think the devs have already said they won't be modelling the whole boat, so you would only be able to walk next door, i think they need to work on making us feel a part of something big. I think the GW team went a long way to making us feel like that.

[JU_88]

Agreed, free movment in the sub would be a nice touch on paper, but In practice I thin most off us spend most of our in game time on the Navmap screen in TC - or on up on the bridge, so as the others are saying its not really nessecary. Maybe something for silent hunter 5 :hmm:
I know its different for everyone, but im more concerned about the world outside the sub and inside it. However some more crew animations would be nice, they very 'maquin like' in SH3. While im on the subject, i think we could do with some more crew hazards like fires onboard and leaking battery gas (I assume U.S subs were prone to this like Uboats were.)

[DanCanovas]

aye there deifnately needs to be some tweaks inside the boat and extra features to make it feel like a new game and not an add on for SH3. obviously the boat will look different inside too. i dont want TIEFENMESSER in the control room :up:

[Drebbel]

obviously the boat will look different inside too. i dont want TIEFENMESSER in the control room

With insults like these I am sure the dev-team will try very hard to prevent you from getting your hands on a copy of SH4 :arrgh!:

[DaMaGe007]

If first person were implemented, you wouldnt have to remember station keys or run to the location...there would be a hud, which would allow access to important Quick orders...dive/surface/depth...ect...just like there is now.

[The General]

Gentlemen, let's vote on it.
Somebody do one of those poll thingy's and I'll look forward to putting my two-cents worth in. I guess the choices should be something like this:

1) Total first-person freedom of movement. With menu options to restrict this to 'interior only', for increased realism.

2) Same as SHIII.

3) Other.

[jason210]

If first person were implemented, you wouldnt have to remember station keys or run to the location...there would be a hud, which would allow access to important Quick orders...dive/surface/depth...ect...just like there is now.

For me sims like this are more than just a game - it's virtual reality, and an accurate interior that you walk around can also work like a virtual tour of a U-boat. That's what I tried to do with the Titanic model in Ship Sim 2006. I made it as accurate as possible, using builders plans and took help from experts on the vessel. The research alone took one year.

A 1st person camera in agame like SH4 could just be a novelty - it costs nothing in resources. If you don't want it then you wouldn't have to use it, just like you don't have to use the free cam in SH3. I can't understand people bothering to be negative about it. I like the free cam in SH3 - it gives you a chance to stand back and observe the U-boat in cinematic context.

[JordanC]

I vote the same as SHIII, except with all of the compartments and maybe the deck modeled.

[(SH3)JOHN LAMARRE]

I do demand a restricted 'free view' like we have with Shift+F2 in SHIII for the sub's deck, however. I love playing at 100%, but I wish I could at least have different viewpoints from my boat outside the hull every once in a while...


that was only for the control room