Editorial Dungeon Siege III: Kicking it Old School

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Tags: Dungeon Siege III; Obsidian Entertainment

<p>IGN explains to you <a href="http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/115/1150364p1.html" target="_blank"><em>the pros and cons of having one foot in the past and one in the present. </em></a></p>
<p>Here's a bit on the oldschool viewpoint:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Viewing your party from on-high is well-established in the world of video games. So well established, in fact, that it has slipped from 'established' to 'extinct' in most genres. There just aren't that many action games that still use it. After all, ditching that perspective and going for an over the shoulder viewpoint allows players to see what's ahead of them and more often than not that's helpful. Sure, it should give you a decent tactical awareness of where your enemies are, and looking down at the world has some charm, but it feels pretty restrictive unless you're in a dungeon.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>You mean, unless you're in a dungeon like you will be in a game as Dungeon Siege most of the time?</p>
<blockquote>
<p>There's no real technical reason to stick with this viewpoint any more &ndash; today's games are more than capable of rendering epic landscapes. Is it just tradition, then, that has prompted Obsidion to stick with what has come before? Quite possibly, but I can't help but feel that gamers who are less familiar with this genre will get annoyed by the decision. We're used to being able to scope out our surroundings, so being unable to lower the perspective will be an inevitable frustration for some. And yes, I am aware that there's more than one viewpoint to choose from; but even the one that's closest to the character and looks ahead the most still left me wanting to see further.<br /><br />All that said, the traditional viewpoint does give the game a good sense of verticality &ndash; tall trees almost brush the camera is it follows the player, while the chasms which often drop off to one side of the path give the environment a greater sense of scale. All told though, using this style of viewpoint may not be the best way to win over new players to the series.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Spotted at: <a href="http://www.rpgwatch.com/#16801">RPGWatch</a></p>

 

[Anonandon]

Worst newsposter ever.

 

[Konjad]

DS III will be old school. Like Dungeon Siege.

 

[bonescraper]

Worst newsposter ever.

GTFO newfag.

There's no real technical reason to stick with this viewpoint any more – today's games are more than capable of rendering epic landscapes. Is it just tradition, then, that has prompted Obsidion to stick with what has come before? Quite possibly, but I can't help but feel that gamers who are less familiar with this genre will get annoyed by the decision. We're used to being able to scope out our surroundings, so being unable to lower the perspective will be an inevitable frustration for some. And yes, I am aware that there's more than one viewpoint to choose from; but even the one that's closest to the character and looks ahead the most still left me wanting to see further.

All that said, the traditional viewpoint does give the game a good sense of verticality – tall trees almost brush the camera is it follows the player, while the chasms which often drop off to one side of the path give the environment a greater sense of scale. All told though, using this style of viewpoint may not be the best way to win over new players to the series.

Wow, just... wow. I bet he'll forget to raise this important "issue" when Diablo III comes out. I just wonder why they didn't make it in first person view anyway, it's so immersive and next-gen.

Let's look into the future...

Dungeon Siege III 6/10 Obsidian Entertainment
- Dated graphics
- Archaic and confusing camera viewpoint
- Killing mosnters gets boring after a while

Diablo III 10/10 GOTY Blizzard Entertainment
- Gorgeous highly stylized graphics
- Oldschool gaming at it's best!
- Fun and addictive with infinite replayability values

But whatever, im sticking with Grim Dawn anyway.

 

[Chaud]

Let's look into the future...

Dungeon Siege III 6/10 Obsidian Entertainment
- Dated graphics
- Archaic and confusing camera viewpoint
- Killing mosnters gets boring after a while

Diablo III 10/10 GOTY Blizzard Entertainment
- Gorgeous highly stylized graphics
- Oldschool gaming at it's best!
- Fun and addictive with infinite replayability values

The sad thing is that you probably nailed it. It will be exactly like this.

 

[made]

I am reminded of a recent Witcher thread on this here our beloved Codex, where a poster argued that modern action RPGs should not even offer the option of a topdown/iso camera because "it is not needed", and devs should rather focus on including more important features - like jumping.

 

[Phelot]

"epic landscapes"

Since when did the overhead camera become the worst design ever? Didn't DA:O use it? I remember they had this horrible hybrid thing were it seemed like it wanted to keep your view close so you can see all the awesome blood on your armor even though that meant not being able to see enemies attacking you or being able to click on other companions.

Never had a problem in the first 2 DS.

 

[treave]

In Dragon Age the raised camera was a tactical viewpoint designed to allow hardcore gamers to fully command and control their squad in a manner befitting some of the best tactical strategy games.

Here it's just an archaic perspective which adds nothing to the immersion or playability of the game. There just aren't that many action games that still use it.

 

[Phelot]

In Dragon Age the raised camera was a tactical viewpoint designed to allow hardcore gamers to fully command and control their squad in a manner befitting some of the best tactical strategy games.

Here it's just an archaic perspective which adds nothing to the immersion or playability of the game. There just aren't that many action games that still use it.

I shouldn't even mention DA:O since I barely even remember it other then that I didn't like the camera.

I'm just not seeing how you have over the shoulder perspective with a party? I assume DS3 will have companions, so how would the camera work otherwise?

 

[Castanova]

Is this guy a game journalist or a marketing consultant? Since when is a feature's inability to coddle retar-- I mean, newcomers to the genre a valid point to be criticized by a game reviewer?

 

[Xor]

There's no real technical reason to stick with this viewpoint any more – today's games are more than capable of rendering epic landscapes. Is it just tradition, then, that has prompted Obsidion to stick with what has come before? Quite possibly, but I can't help but feel that gamers who are less familiar with this genre will get annoyed by the decision. We're used to being able to scope out our surroundings, so being unable to lower the perspective will be an inevitable frustration for some. And yes, I am aware that there's more than one viewpoint to choose from; but even the one that's closest to the character and looks ahead the most still left me wanting to see further.

Off the top of my head, several reasons why a top-down camera is superior to first- or third-person in a game like Dungeon Siege:
-It allows much, much easier control of companions. Controlling companions with a 3rd person view gets confusing quickly as you constantly have to be pausing the game to look around and figure out where they are.
-Making the game look better on consoles. A zoomed out view means the textures don't have to be as high-res to look good so more memory can be budgeted to models and effects.
-It's much easier to get a picture of the entire battlefield.
-It allows more enemies to be on the screen.
-No need to render ceilings. Another plus for consoles and their limited memory space.

The topdown view goes back as far as I can remember, and it is still the superior viewpoint in any game where you can control multiple units. I don't know of a single RTS or 4X game where you don't play with a topdown view (fakeedit: actually I can think of one but I can't remember its name).

 

[mindx2]

At least there's some hope, 99% of the comments seem to slam the author and defend the top down perspective. For IGN that's surprising.

 

[pocahaunted]

Dungeon Siege III 6/10 Obsidian Entertainment
- Dated graphics
- Archaic and confusing camera viewpoint
- Killing mosnters gets boring after a while

Diablo III 10/10 GOTY Blizzard Entertainment
- Gorgeous highly stylized graphics
- Oldschool gaming at it's best!
- Fun and addictive with infinite replayability values

But whatever, im sticking with Grim Dawn anyway.

So true. I'm usually a Blizzard fanboy but it's pretty obvious that these "review" outlets are just full of shit and some, like Blizzard, keep getting favored with semi-perfect scores despite the obvious flaws in their games.

 

[Excidium]

Is this guy a game journalist or a marketing consultant

Well, aren't those terms synonymous nowadays?

 

[Scroo]

I am used to stupid gaming journalists these days, but this article makes me wanna break someone's nose.

God, what a fucking asshole!

 

[praetor]

The topdown view goes back as far as I can remember, and it is still the superior viewpoint in any game where you can control multiple units. I don't know of a single RTS or 4X game where you don't play with a topdown view (fakeedit: actually I can think of one but I can't remember its name).

battlezone?

 

[Xor]

That sounds right. I haven't played it in years, though.

 

[commie]

Was thinking of Sacrifice myself.

 

[torpid]

Is this guy a game journalist or a marketing consultant? Since when is a feature's inability to coddle retar-- I mean, newcomers to the genre a valid point to be criticized by a game reviewer?

It's been going on for a while, but it definitely wasn't always like that -- I remember being shocked when I realized that accessibility had become a key area in which games were being judged by reviewers. And when I say "accessibility" I don't mean the UI being easy to use or legitimate concerns like that, but whether "newcomers to the genre," "a more casual audience" or "a less hardcore crowd" would be able to simply exit the game's tutorial without incurring brain damage.

 

[sgc_meltdown]

Ah yes. Military commanders, squad leaders and strategists all around the world have long campaigned the technique of looking forward in front of them as the new way forward in area reconnaissance.

Top down views like satellite imagery or aerial views are so established that they are soon to be extinct in most defense strategies. There just aren't many countries that still use it. Sure, it should give you a decent tactical awareness of where your enemies are, and looking down at the world has some charm, but it feels pretty restrictive unless you're in jail.

 

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Ah yes. Military commanders, squad leaders and strategists all around the world have long campaigned the technique of looking forward in front of them as the new way forward in area reconnaissance.

Top down views like satellite imagery or aerial views are so established that they are soon to be extinct in most defense strategies. There just aren't many countries that still use it. Sure, it should give you a decent tactical awareness of where your enemies are, and looking down at the world has some charm, but it feels pretty restrictive unless you're in jail.

Sometimes it's good when an oldfag lurker decides to start posting. But it's also a bit uncanny.

 

[sgc_meltdown]

Sometimes it's good when an oldfag lurker decides to start posting. But it's also a bit uncanny.

I like you too baby.

And might I add that timeframe of my recent posting happening to coincide with the utter disappearances of prestigious adult entertainment social backup sites PureTNA and Empornium is just that: a coincidence.