Thoughts On CamVator...

DirkBogan on 14/2/2019 at 04:40

I believe CamVator was an LGS invention; there's one on the Engineering Deck in System Shock 2, when The Many shows you a vision of the central brain and offers you an ultimatum. Here, the sequence actually made narrative sense: it was intended to make the player feel small and helpless as an individual against an ineffable and transcendent hivemind. It also serves as a beautifully satisfying reprise at the end of the game.

Sadly, I don't think I've played an FM that made use of them in an equally appropriate way. They rarely serve a purpose that a stylised briefing video couldn't have filled, but with extra downsides: as john9818a said, some of them spoil large chunks of the level right before you're supposed to explore it (Memento Mori 1 comes to mind). ZylonBane's analogy is perfect -- it feels like a balloon ride that isn't clear about where you're supposed to look.

Zoro on 14/2/2019 at 10:07

Personally, I wouldn't really mind CamVators, if there was a function to skip them. While watching for the first time is fine, especially if it's constructed/directed well, but on replay you already know all the details of that or that CV cutscene in particular and you'd like to skip it... But you can't, unlike a video cutscene.

john9818a on 16/2/2019 at 09:47

Snobs 2 came to mind even though it was an interesting fm to play. What I was thinking is that if players can be given a choice in the beginning like in A Guard Called Benny, they can choose to have a camvator or not. Designing a mission that would allow the player to cancel a camvator would be very technical, and if it doesn't work then the player would be stuck to the camvator forever. The only way off then would be to restart the mission or reload a saved game.

The player can look all around because the player is atrached to the camvator. If a method to use a camera like in CCTV setups is used, the camera would be facing the same direction throughout the whole path relative to the camvator. The place to look is where the action is taking place. If there is no action then the player should be able to look anywhere without consequence.

Bosh on 16/2/2019 at 11:14

I don't mind a camvator scene, as long as it conveys the point/sets the scene without being drawn out. I like being able to have a look about at the scenery. The only negative for me is not being able to skip it if I have to replay that section.

Xorak on 17/2/2019 at 07:09

I personally don't like them. I'm always annoyed when I load up an FM and find I have to sit through one. Sadly, most of the information presented in them is usually completely unneccesary as well and can be conveyed much better in other ways. Even worse that they can't be skipped at all.