The Magpie on 26/5/2008 at 00:34
While suffering from a severe attack of pretending I have nothing better to do, I 've now read the Thief: Deadly Shadows manuals for Xbox and PC simultaneously for comparison, and I've discovered a few minor differences in phrasing. Nothing very interesting, probably just space-saving edits.
But get this from page 10, where the two directly conflict:
Quote:
PC version:For new players, first-person view (the default) is usually the easiest.
and
Quote:
Xbox version:For new players, third-person view (the default) is usually the easiest.
I know it could well be true for the TDS players on each of the respective platforms. I just found it funny.
--
Larris
Shadak on 26/5/2008 at 05:13
Ah ha! Too funny. I've played through the whole game in first person twice and in third person once, and both of them have issues.
One of the biggest things is that in some places the game really is a bit difficult to manage in third person, such as in tight spots with not much room to maneuver the "camera" around.
Also, many items you pick up (loot, keys, etc) can be very small and hard to see if you are in third person (and I think this is why they made the highlight be that "atomic" blue)
Third person is sorta cool and fun, and I really gave it an honest chance, but I have to say that first person view is the easiest to handle and just works best for the game overall.
Gambit on 26/5/2008 at 11:26
3rd person is usefull to look at corners without exposing yourself. And gives you a broader peripherical vision.
1st person is good to have a better notion of distances between objects/AI and the player (easier to blackjack/backstab), it´s also good to spot tiny objects.
You can swicth them any time you want for your convenience.
I personally like to play all the game in 1st person since it´s more immersive.
Burgundy on 26/5/2008 at 12:23
I started off in 3rd person after getting horribly confused by 1st person.
However, after I finished DS and moved on to TDP and TMA and returned to DS after completing those two, I did it in 1st person which felt a bit better to me.
Zillameth on 26/5/2008 at 18:00
Quote Posted by The Magpie
But get this from page 10, where the two directly conflict:
This is due to controls. The main control device for console is gamepad, which performs poorly in FPP, because it doesn't allow for fast turns. In TPP this is alleviated by the fact that your camera is located behind the avatar, thus showing their immediate surroundings in most directions.
Given the assumption that any control device is available, neither point of view is easier or better, because they follow different philosophies. They are best suited for different things, for instance FPP is the best option for ranged combat, but TPP is better with melee.
Whether you feel better with FPP or TPP depends on your perception. For instance, I've always had trouble with convertions between "the left", "my left" and "my character's left". Hence, I tend to prefer FPP, because in FPP these are usually identical.
Goldmoon Dawn on 26/5/2008 at 23:09
Quote Posted by The Magpie
I've discovered a few minor differences in phrasing.
Magpie, friend?
You are a genius!!!! Usually only jtr would like something like this. :cheeky: You know, it really doesn't surprise me after all of Warrens lies, but man did you just hit the nail on the head. Good find. :ebil:
Shadak on 26/5/2008 at 23:21
Quote Posted by Zillameth
Given the assumption that any control device is available, neither point of view is easier or better, because they follow different philosophies.
...maybe theortically, overall for all games in general. But for this specific game, have you played the whole game in first person and then in third person? One definitely works better than the other
Zillameth on 27/5/2008 at 00:09
You stopped reading right after the sentence you quoted, didn't you?
There is no room for theory in this industry. Because, you know, theoretically speaking, mouse & keyboard interface is superior to gamepad in most situations. And yet, consoles don't even consider m&kb as an option, because in practice being able to play from your couch is more important than being able to play more challenging and more involved games.
Chade on 27/5/2008 at 00:31
Quote Posted by Shadak
...maybe theortically, overall for all games in general. But for this specific game, have you played the whole game in first person and then in third person? One definitely works better than the other
I have played both, and from an ease of use perspective, they both have different advantages. At the end of the day, however, I find both perspectives are easy to play with, and therefore wouldn't make my choice based on ease of use. I tend to make my choice based on what aesthetics I am after.
Just because you find 3rd person difficult doesn't mean every other player agrees with you. And this is from someone who plays on the same platform as you. It could be totally different on console.
Aja on 27/5/2008 at 03:20
Quote Posted by Zillameth
theoretically speaking, mouse & keyboard interface is superior to gamepad in most situations.
Except in cases where you need to control your movement speed. Like in a
stealth game or something.
For the record, 3rd person works much more smoothly than 1st person in TDS, but this is simply because in 1st person the player's head and legs operate independently, and the player only gets to control the head.
