Celfea Dur
The Flying Tigers
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Posted - 2011.04.29 19:16:00 -
[1]
OK, I'm sorry, but I skipped the last 4 pages of comments so I could get to my post!
First off -- Awesome Idea, I love the Time Dilation approach.
I think this needs to be addressed specifically since it was not mentioned and could weigh heavily on everyone's vision and understanding of what the TD game play experience might end up being. Specifically, how is my game client going to allow me to experience TD during game play?
In my mind, I envision my ship appearing on grid in the most extreme Time Dilation scenario, a major fleet battle the likes of which would make George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson and all the dark forces of Mordor sob pitifully.
As the ship is appearing through the cyno jump, everything around me is slowed down to a crawl, I am able to see my ship materialize within the slowly pulsating jump effect. Ships are materializing on my screen, my overview is being populated one ship at a time in succession...rapier, hurricane, revelation, avatar, a cheetah...etc. Somebody named NotYoMomma in a legion is filling my screen as he flies by my point of view. As my FC reissues his orders that the fleet focus fire on "WicketySnicket in the damnation", I am watching my overview intently waiting for the designated target to appear... as soon as he does, I confirm his range and click to lock him in my overview. The ship responds with the familiar locking signal and my targeting reticle begins to hone in on my target. I activate all guns and lastly click my repper to go active...all systems go, I am in the fight!
Now,as the next few seconds have been dilated to last over the course of a minute or two, can I rotate my screen around so I can view the battlefield in all its amazing, fire-filled glory as ships slowly materialize and disintegrate all around me? Can I focus my camera view on the little rifter that is straking a nearby Maelstrom with autocannon fire in slow motion.... blap blap blap...blap blap blap!! And can I then right-click on my fleet's flagship and check the pilot's name just as my locking reticle hardlocks my target and my capital lasers erupt out across the battlefield to seek out the damnation that is rolling hard right to align to a nearby safe point?
If that's how CCP envisions TD, then not just Yes, but Hell YES! Ohhh hell yes! Sign me up, bring it on, make it so!
BUT...
If on the other hand, certain elements of my client are also locked to the same speed as the TD factor in-system, thus making the overall game non-interactive, then I'm essentially sitting there watching a slow-mo cut scene of an event that I can't interact with and I might as well go into the kitchen and put on some popcorn because it will be 3-minutes-30-seconds before I can cycle my guns again. Although my efforts in the game are playing their part, my entire fleet is just sitting there watching the next few seconds unfold until the FC calls the next target. Whereas in the first scenario, the FC is rotating the battlefield around, precisely looking at where he needs to position his forces and discussing battle tactics with individual pilots to intercept individual targets simultaneously as the big guns are lashing out with surgical precision against one target at a time.
I think anyone can agree, that Time Dilation has the possibility of adding so much more depth and immersion to the game that it's almost a given that CCP has to go down this path. If we're talking about the ability to turn a lag-infested, black screen of nothingness into a cinematographer's dream of the epic space battle on the scale of the deepest regions of the Eve universe itself -- then I implore you, CCP, please get it right!
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