: ???
: You want us to limit the FOV like Marathon does?
: You're asking us if we'd do such a thing???
: What, you want us to decontruct the engine so it's back
: to a 2.5 engine or something? The idea of bringing
: this to the UT engine was to take advantage of a real
: 3D engine...
: I know you asked a question, but it seems kind of silly
: to me to ask if we're going to try and make an
: advanced engine not as advanced.
With the UT engine, the areas where you once couldn't shoot enemies from a ledge (under your line of fire/FOV) will become areas of instant death for your enemies. In multiplayer, all this would do is force the issue of combat innovation, but this could change the very basics of play in single player- case in point: Arrival.
In the hanger bay, after the labyrinth of ducts, you come across a 'valley' filled with pfhor and a door to proceed. Normally, the Pfhor would come right up against the wall you were standing on, forcing you to make a jump into the melee, but with the UT engine, you get the chance to shoot from your protected roost. This instance of enemy defilade, as well as many others like it in solo (there were tons), will most certainly change the way the game is played.
Advanced engine or no, being able to look over the side of a wall into an area previously defended from your fire will change the way the game is played, making it easier, as well as changing the dynamics of a grenade hop, since you can aim directly at your feet now.
Of course, I'm not saying that seeing in full 360x360 is a bad thing, but on the other hand, it does change many things about the game- remember all those pitfalls where you couldn't see the bottom, but had to make a choice about where you fell anyway? Now you can see the bottom AND any walls which may contain terminals nearby, unless you plan to fog the player's sight.
One could argue that this ability is a fair tradeoff for having no automap at all. (though i do like the 'camera view/ immobile bot' idea with a complete map of each level as a texture.)
I suppose that, in the end, I am asking: how does the group feel about the idea that the new field of view will substantially alter the way the game is played?
-JIS
