Nicolas on 23/9/2001 at 21:29
There's just one thing that, IMO, Deus Ex didn't get quite right, and that's the stealth-and-sniping mode of play. It was good, but it wasn't perfect. Here's what I'd like to see in the sequel.
1) Accurately modelled level of illumination for the player. In DX you seem to pass from absolute shadow to bright light with nothing in between, and it doesn't seem to have much influence on whether the enemy AI spots you or not. I'd like to be able to tell by looking at the level of light reflecting off my weapon weather I'm in the light or in shadow, and I'd like to have the AIs unable to detect you in darkness, with the chances increasing smoothly as the light gets brighter. (System Shock 2 does this rather well).
2) The one thing that annoyed me more than anything else in DX is the way that, as soon as you shoot somebody, everyone in the area knows exactly where you are. It doesn't matter if you're shooting a silenced weapon (e.g. crossbow - which, incidentally, has no muzzle flash either) and you're shooting from total darkness, as soon as someone is hit they all know your exact location. I'd like the initial reaction by AI to be blissful lack of awareness, then doubt - "Jim? Jim, you okay?" then the discovery of body - "Jesus, it's Jim! He's down!" - to blind panic - "where in the hell did that come from?" Then they finally they could start to figure which direction the shot might have come from ("the bolt must ha' come from above somewhere - check the air vents!") and look in corners for you. Obviously you'd have to make sure no one was looking in the direction of your victim when you dropped him, or they'd be onto you sooner, and of course there's the issue of seeing a muzzle flash in the shadow, and so on. But the fact that someone has been shot shouldn't in itself be enough to give your position away.
mad_oscar on 28/9/2001 at 20:00
Would you mind being the one to write all the AI script that makes that sort of complex reaction possible? :confused:
Homoludens on 29/9/2001 at 15:44
Actually, No One Lives Forever did more or less a splendid job in the A.I. department. Shoot a guard and his partner investigates ("Are you all right?") the crumpled body, allowing you a couple of seconds to snipe him as well. Otherwise he'll run and sound the alarm. Also, if they can't spot you, they'll lurk around looking for you.
