Boarding and Exiting animations in Planetside 2

[Zekeen]

Originally Posted by Shotokanguy

It's not even a "mechanic". They just make animations for entering the vehicle and force those to play before you gain control of it.

No, it's a bit of a mechanic. From a game design standpoint, they gotta make vehicles have various animations for each seat, each one with an animation for the player entering as well. This means the door opens. If you watch the videos of the Alpha, they do have trouble with bouncing turrets. A door would act the same way if it was animated. There is also adding in a system to ensure you are entering from the right area. Really, it's not that hard, but the big issue is that it's hard with the system. Forgelight is pretty dang powerful, and they need to work out some kinks before it become so easy. Animating the play is probably easy, but they gotta animate the vehicle too, have the player in the vehicle and attached to the vehicle without jolting around, and even create inside areas for passengers (because they would not do anything half way for PS2). In the end, it's enough work to be called a mechanic, and a big one at that.

Shake the hand of the next dev you pass, they deserve it.

[cellinaire]

I think it won't be that difficult to implement like 'graphis engine revamp' or 'whole new character model'. So, if soooo many people want them to keep this feature, why not do it?

=)

[Malachi]

Acknowledging that I would go way overboard with this whole thing... but my preference would be for actual gameplay-pertinent mounting and dismount of all vehicles/turrets/etc. You've got to stand in the right spot, and when you commit to the action there's a period of time where your character is going through the motions and is perfectly vulnerable to damage during that time. Same for dismounting.

The "low art" version would be that you're basically frozen and vulnerable for a moment when mounting or dismounting.

There could be cert(s) for rapid mounting/dismounting.


I'm really not a fan of using hardware to manipulate fights (as others have said). It should be a clear, temporary vulnerability for the user to enter or exit hardware.

[Kran De Loy]

B/E animations are completely and utterly awesome and I want them back almost as much as I want PS2 itself.

HOWEVER

Having said that I believe that B/E animation is just science fiction porn. The actual game mechanic of it is the vulnerability of having to find the right spot in the vehicle to board from and the time it takes to get in or out the that spot.

Now I certainly want to have a delay for anyone entering or leave a vehicle and that delay should be equal across the board for all positions on a vehicle, here's why..

Being able to switch seats when already inside a vehicle makes complete sense in almost all cases so as to relieve the tension of having some spots more logically inaccessible then others and making people memorize which is which they should just make it so all seats are equally able to switch between each other when the player is already inside the vehicle. There should be a delay, but one shorter than the entering or exiting delay.

This is even more true regarding solo MBT drivers. It would allow solo drivers to still viably use the secondary turret as well as still encourage teamplay.

And another thing, also very important, being able to CANCEL the boarding after you've triggered if you want to for whatever reason and animating a cancel for an animation would be awkward indeed. Only on this point am I really lost for which to choose. I want a delay for B/E, however do I get great animations that would increase the level of immersion for the game a hundredfold or would I want to be able to cancel my boarding just before I get in because I see those two NC MAX units just top the ridge with AV and AA weaponry? Also keep in mind the faster TTK rate for everything in PS2. >.> Uuuggggghhh...

Guess I'll bring this up again after beta and we can get a feel for the actual TTK of a vehicle.

Originally Posted by Dairian

They were great and should be implemented in as soon as all the major work is done. I will go as far as to say i would donate extra cash for it.

Me, too! SO MUCH!

[GTGD]

Yeah, I still want this desperately.

[Dagron]

I'd like it, but not top priority. Getting the things to work well comes first, then this.

[Logri]

Am I correct in assuming that, leaving out enter/exit and weapon holstering give it a more generic shooter feel while adding enter/exit and holstering would give it a more simulation feel?

And also, they have years of content planned, so they could eventually add these if the community wants them badly enough?

[cellinaire]

Originally Posted by Logri

Am I correct in assuming that, leaving out enter/exit and weapon holstering give it a more generic shooter feel while adding enter/exit and holstering would give it a more simulation feel?

And also, they have years of content planned, so they could eventually add these if the community wants them badly enough?

Exactly.

But this time, they aren't leaving out only one thing. No B/E animations, no custom inventory, no whole sanctuary concept, and no weapon holstering, reduced number of continents, if these are taken synthetically, can make quite a hole in the ceiling IMO.

But, Kudos to the dev team anyway =)

[Mechzz]

Originally Posted by cellinaire

Exactly.

But this time, they aren't leaving out only one thing. No B/E animations, no custom inventory, no whole sanctuary concept, and no weapon holstering, reduced number of continents, if these are taken synthetically, can make quite a hole in the ceiling IMO.

But, Kudos to the dev team anyway =)

Kudos indeed. In their hearts they probably have some sympathy with those asking for these things, but the commercial imperative will always win the day. I'm siding with the people who think that if these are not in at launch then they won't make into the game.

They also probably feel they've given us enough so many new goodies that they've made up for the hurt caused.

[Kran De Loy]

Originally Posted by Mechzz

Kudos indeed. In their hearts they probably have some sympathy with those asking for these things, but the commercial imperative will always win the day. I'm siding with the people who think that if these are not in at launch then they won't make into the game.

They also probably feel they've given us enough so many new goodies that they've made up for the hurt caused.

Entirely possible, tho the mechanics behind B/E animations should still be in at launch regardless of if they end up implementing them later on or not.

Mechanics as in having to stand in front of the door to the vehicle you were entering and waiting x amount of time. Or in other words not being able to enter teleporting in through the exhaust pipe. A shorter time delay should extend towards changing seats within the vehicle and possibly exiting the vehicle as well.

[The Kush]

The community has spoken.

This isnt a release issue for me, I will settle for post release.

And on a side note (im sure it has been discussed) please enforce entry into a vehicle only from a certain position. There is nothing more annoying then someone ghosting through the vehicle from the back into the cockpit. LOL

[MacXXcaM]

I wouldn't insist on animations but a delay is highly expected... The game would get too arcadey for me if you can enter and exit every vehicle as fast as in BF3.

Mounting and dismounting should be meaningful as well as dying.

If I could choose I'd love to have a first person animation rather than 3rd person like in PS1.

[MrBloodworth]

IF they do not go in at Releace, we will likely never see them. Its part of the over all paceing of the game.

That said, i feel they are highly important in order to get that War game feel, and bring a solidness to the game play.

Poping in and out of things only serves to remind you its a game, and gives no sense of ownership to the vehicle.

[The Kush]

Originally Posted by MrBloodworth

IF they do not go in at Releace, we will likely never see them. Its part of the over all paceing of the game.

That said, i feel they are highly important in order to get that War game feel, and bring a solidness to the game play.

Poping in and out of things only serves to remind you its a game, and gives no sense of ownership to the vehicle.

until the animations are finished they could easily enable a "delay" to be put in place while the animations are finishing. Just think of it as a start-up delay.

[Alduron]

I definitely want to see animations return, but I can see them coming in at a later date.

They've said it would add months to the development time, and I would rather see beta without animations than wait 6 months for them to add animations.