First Person Or Third Person?
Geminosity
:3 Join Date: 2003-09-08 Member: 20667Members
:3 Join Date: 2003-09-08 Member: 20667Members
in Off-Topic
<div class="IPBDescription">moddage!</div> I'm currently working on a lil mod for UT2k4 to keep myself amused. It's supposed to be a gametype but as per usual I've gotten carried away to the point where it's quickly becoming a TC mod practically.
The problem is I'm not sure whether to go for a 3rd person or first person for this game... I'm wellllll aware of the pros and cons of both but I'm still unsure what to use.
The mod is a 'survival' game where basically you try and survive and escape from the hideous monstrosities that're after your hiney. Ideally multiplayer but you can pretty much play on your own with the bots if you want.
If you die you go on the badside and get to flay the puny humans ^^
The thing is I'm not quite sure where I'm aiming in this... on one side I want the creeping tension and dread atmosphere of Resident Evil/Silent Hill/Fatal Frame complete with a sense of character (which 3rd person is good at). But at the same time I want personal immersion! Fear!!! Paranoia!!! I want the adrenaline-spiked frenzy right out of the aliens movies if 'wraiths' manage to track you down. Ideally first person would rock for that.
I guess I'm torn between two types of game really but which would you guys think is better? One thing to note is that with the 3rd person system I have in mind typing to others would be a heck of a lot easier while with the 1st person you'd probably be able to move better (but then I'd adjust the nasties to be more mobile to compensate too XD ).
The problem is I'm not sure whether to go for a 3rd person or first person for this game... I'm wellllll aware of the pros and cons of both but I'm still unsure what to use.
The mod is a 'survival' game where basically you try and survive and escape from the hideous monstrosities that're after your hiney. Ideally multiplayer but you can pretty much play on your own with the bots if you want.
If you die you go on the badside and get to flay the puny humans ^^
The thing is I'm not quite sure where I'm aiming in this... on one side I want the creeping tension and dread atmosphere of Resident Evil/Silent Hill/Fatal Frame complete with a sense of character (which 3rd person is good at). But at the same time I want personal immersion! Fear!!! Paranoia!!! I want the adrenaline-spiked frenzy right out of the aliens movies if 'wraiths' manage to track you down. Ideally first person would rock for that.
I guess I'm torn between two types of game really but which would you guys think is better? One thing to note is that with the 3rd person system I have in mind typing to others would be a heck of a lot easier while with the 1st person you'd probably be able to move better (but then I'd adjust the nasties to be more mobile to compensate too XD ).
Comments
FPS is realy only good for when you need to use ranged weapons. Both modes can give you VERY good oportunities to scare the ponce off of your players.
Any strategy you can use to surprise/creep out players in first person could just as well be ussed in 3rd, so long as the camera is not to far away <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
The key for this though would be very good camera auto controll. So long as the camera interacts with the environment in such a way that the view is nver realy that obstructed (camera above low foliage, what if they back into a corener, etc)
oh well, good luck gemmy <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Ninja Edit:
Oh, and if the baddies use melee weapons, I say 3rd for them, if they use ranged, then first
One of the biggest attractions of 3rd person for me really is that you can totally do it without a HUD; FPS tends to be harder to get the info across without a silly bunch of text/numbers on your screen ^^;
Camera won't be too hard as I'm planning on leaving it's positioning up to the player... I haf ein cunning plan concerning 3rd person controls; one that leaves the keyboard almost totally free for just typing talky stuff without having to hit a silly 'speak' key first <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
There's the fact that a player's field of vision is more narrow with FP; the prey should probably have a wider FOV (to allow him to escape/hide more easily) and the predator a more narrow one. It's also pretty cool to have a different screen for the predator, such as blood tinted or fish-eyed vision, but it's also cool being able to see yourself render a victim in style.
In conclusion, I don't know. I suspect FP is easier to make it look cool, though (for your mod's atmosphere).
Doesen't really work.
UNLESS you can implement line-of-sight detection code: Make monsters invisible unless your character has line-of-sight to them (that is, could see them in first-person view). This includes monsters coming up behind you, they should be invisible too until you turn around. This is a little less intuitive than standard 3rd-person view, but makes away with the disadvantages of 3rd-person while keeping the advantages.
In case you don't get what I mean, an example: Suppose you come up to a corner and use 3rd-person to peek around it (there are really two monsters there). You see nothing. Boldly you venture forth, but as you round the corner, the monsters become visible as the line-of-sight from your playermodel hits them. SURPRISE!
If this can be done reliably without taxing system resources too much, I think this is the way to go.
And for melee combat I always say 3rd person, especialy if you want the hunters to be the quick and deadly style thing (burst out of cover and quickly take one down or something)
I'm also not adverse to them peeking round corners; the 'prey' need all the help they can get being outnumbered and whatnot.
Most of the fear will probably come from knowing you're being stalked and could die any minute (that and ammo/weapon worries) rather than "BAM YOU DEAD SUCKA!!!" XD
<b>edit:</b> It'd be like you're the cameraman in a news crew and you look through their camera to see (and you control their movement) but you also control the news reporter and that's who most of your actions are done through (like picking things up, shooting, etc)
heh... I'd almost give making that a go if I could work out how the heck you'd actually control all that with the keyboard and mouse <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Okay, I just had the best idea for a Half-Life 2 mod. The objective is to kill everyone but yourself. But here's the kicker, your view is from someone else's body, and you don't know who. Everyone starts in a small room with a powerful pistol, and everyone has to figure it out before someone goes crazy and starts shooting everyone.
Me like!
Ah and I also don't like third person in my games, kinda ruins the whole in character, looking through the persons eyes feel.
I'd say both sides should be first person, but the monsters only should be allowed to switch to a 3rd person view. Also the humans should have a wide FOV that narrows when they're running; someone standing still or walking can look all around them but when they run they look straight ahead or behind them. Also give the humans a rear-view camera that allows them to look behind themselves quickly but make turning around take a bit longer - imagine walking down a hallway when you hear something squish behind you. You don't spin around, you look behind you to see first... that could make for some scary as hell moments..
the weapons the humans get aren't exactly weak... the main problem will be ammo ^^
As for third person; when the camera isn't crud it's got more character-involvement than FPS where... lets face it has nil. FPS is more personal-involvement.
I never really felt like I was the 'master chief' or 'gordon freeman'... it was me! XD
Meanwhile in 3rd person you feel more connection with the character like in PSO or whatever you know your char, you know what they look like and you'd sure as heck notice if someone switched it.
I'm somewhat tempted to split this lil project in two; the gametype I'm working on (which isn't far from finished) and the new sorta 'survival horror action' idea I've got.
The gametype is FPS and I think I'll aim for 3rd person with the new idea =D
Either way I'm still considering the possibilities.
Anyways, it's your mod so feel free to do what you wish with it, but are you sure you want the humans to have the "personal-involvement"? I mean, in third-person games I don't get too scared because it's just some poor sod, but in first person it feels like you're there and it's a lot scarier - but that's just me.
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But in your mod, won't the players be playing "me?" Like, you're not playing a character like Gordon Freeman or Master Chief, you're playing yourself fighting monsters. Eh?
I dunno... like I said I'm considering splitting the project into two seperete ones. I can see myself trying both (it's actually stupidly easy to change camera systems in UT2k4 which makes a nice change from HL modding >< ) just to get a feel for it and see how it goes. I just enjoy getting a lil input =3
Okay, I just had the best idea for a Half-Life 2 mod. The objective is to kill everyone but yourself. But here's the kicker, your view is from someone else's body, and you don't know who. Everyone starts in a small room with a powerful pistol, and everyone has to figure it out before someone goes crazy and starts shooting everyone.
Me like! <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
YES! WOULD BE SO cool to watch everyone standing completly still(knowing that if they dont touch the keyboard/mouse and someone move, that person ISNT themself)
but then when someone try to move to discover who they are them selves BAM shot! and then the carnage starts! <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--> fun at another scale! <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Sure that's the kinda thing you want to admit in public? ^~