| Subject: Sunsword discusses UO 3D & hints at the future.. |
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Darkstone News
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Date Posted: Sun, Jun 22 2003, 05:00am
In reply to:
Darkstone News
's message, "UOSC #8 Lots of tidbits of info within..." on Sun, Jun 22 2003, 04:01am
From a Stratics forum disussion thread...
Title : Stop the talk about a "3D UO", it is impossible...
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Well, I don't think it's impossible. But I would ask, "Why would you want to?"
People have all kinds of assumptions when they discuss making UO or other games "3D" that I don't think are necessarily valid. First of all, "3D" doesn't mean a first person point of view.
I think UO's top-down point of view is critical to the experience, and not something I would ever seriously consider changing. Sure, in the past we've seen many people convert the map to 3D (heck it's been done here before). Usually that's followed by showing what the game would look like from first person. I think that's a waste of time...you'll probably never see the horizon in UO (literally and figuratively).
Why? Well first of all, it would change the experience of the game drastically. Fundamentally in UO you have strong sense of awareness of what's around you. In first person, you can only see what's in front of you, and objects tend to block your line of sight. So if you are in a town or a forest, it's much easier to get lost, or lose track of something you are following (compass or no compass...).
Second, you'd have to change the interface substantially. We currently have a consistent interface for interaction with the world and for movement. We'd have to go back and re-address all of that. Again, not something I think we feel compelled to do.
Third, A LOT of people get motion sickness in first person games. We've seen a ton of people that say they don't play first person games because of that fact. So right now, our vantage point gives us a strong alternative for people who can't play other games.
Finally, some people just prefer that point of view! It's one of those debates that people may not even be rational about, such as the whole "Star Destroyer vs. Enterprise" discussion.
So anyway, I feel that "top down" is fundamental to UO, regardless of the merits of 3D.
If we're just going to have an academic discussion about whether a top-down game can be made in 3D, I think there are a few examples that say "yes." Warcraft III and Dungeon Seige come to mind. I think DS is 3D, someone correct me if I'm wrong. I think Warcraft III uses 3D characters and models, and has a tile-based terrain to boot!
So theoretically it is possible. The question remains, "why do it?"
Anthony Castoro
"SunSword"
Producer, Ultima Online
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Actually, I was referring to 3D, not the point of view.
But to your point, more options aren't necessarily a good thing. I don't think it makes sense to try to be everything to everyone. For example, being able to play from a low-angle 3rd person POV means that you can see much further into the distance. It's even worse in first person. In addition to the drawbacks I mentioned before, the obvious thing you'd want from such a view angle would be to see objects and creatures in that further distance. Extending the update-range of the server touches everything from network traffic to processor load. Is it worth the challenge/risk? I don't think UO wants to be more like EQ or Camelot. I think it wants to be more like UO...(if that makes any sense)
Finally, just because I ask a question, doesn't mean I don't think I know what the answer is. I'm more interested in what YOU guys think the answer is.
Anthony Castoro
"SunSword"
Producer, Ultima Online
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SunSword, why you have merely described the disadvantages of a first-person view, not of a proper 3D client? Most people know that the two are not intrinsically linked together, and it's fully customisable which view-point is used.
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Well, I'm aware that's what I described. My point was that the original poster couldn't disconnect the point of view from 3D. His point was that UO cannot be made fully 3D because its camera is currently isometric. My contention was that the point of view has nothing to do with going 3D.
Then I posed a question, which interestingly everyone assumed I would answer negatively. *shrug* That's fine I suppose, but I was more interested in the discussion than the answer.
Anthony Castoro
"SunSword"
Producer, Ultima Online
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