First person, third person or both

[kin]

*Moderator Updates* (March 2013)

From the FAQs thread:

Thief is a first-person adventure featuring intelligent design that allows players to take full control, with freedom to choose their path through the game’s levels and how they approach and overcome each challenge.

From the City Watch thread

Originally Posted by DarknessFalls

Do you think the gameplay in the background at the :12 mark is 3rd person gameplay of the new Thief? And some at 2:28, where we see lightning effects? 2:46 also a little.

Originally Posted by b1skit

Nope, definitely not. It's just someone playing a game on their break The work day went on like normal for those who weren't being interview.

Originally Posted by b1skit

As we've said before - http://community.eidosmontreal.com/b...ght-Camera-Hey - 3rd person cameras are extremely limited, reserved sparingly for situations like complex vertical navigation scenes. The same 1st person climbing (ledges etc) you saw in previous Thief titles STILL remains.

This is added functionality for the sort of complex vertical navigation you've never been able to do before in a Thief game.

And also, the wording in the article you've quoted there is actually a little misleading. I can assure you there is no "3rd person platforming" ala mario 64, if that's what you're imagining.

Thief is a first person game, guys. Relax

Originally Posted by b1skit

IWhere are you guys getting the impression that there will be "constant" switching between 1st and 3rd person?
As I mentioned above, read this blog. We're not making this stuff up, I promise you http://community.eidosmontreal.com/b...ght-Camera-Hey

3rd person cameras are kept to a minimum at all times. We hate jarring camera changes as much as you do. The places 3rd person cameras are used specifically when they'll improve the gameplay - for everybody. Thief is a 1st person game, the way it should be

Originally Posted by b1skit

As we've specifically stated before, 3rd person cameras are used very sparingly, and specifically restricted to situations where they increase visibility - ie. Certain vertical navigation scenarios and focus mode take downs (which, as we've also stated before, are completely optional). Don't let your imagination run wild on this one - Thief is a 1st person game.

It's got nothing to do with showcasing animations or costume design (LOL!), and everything to do with increasing situation awareness and visibility in very specific gameplay scenarios. These types of design choices are HEAVILY, and repeatedly play tested at our in-house, state of the art play test labs - the team puts every game mechanic through dozens of tests and design iterations to ensure that they're creating the best Thief game they can. Rest assured that in the specific situations that you'll see a 3rd person camera, it's been used because it was needed to ensure the best gameplay experience in that situation.

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Thief must be in first person only. First person is immersive and does not allow to see Garrett keeping the mystery in the character. First person simulates a persons view third person simulates a view that it is not possible in reality plus uncovers all the mystery that a player should only imagine.

If someone could make this a poll i would be thankfull, I tried but didn't manage to do it.

[column5]

I'll only play 1st person, regardless of what view modes are included.

[Thievingtaffer]

I'd play only First-Person. Adding 3rd person to TDS added exactly nothing.

[Nate]

First Person ONLY....third person was a neat looking gimmick designed to attract more players, but ended up being used more as a cheat to look around corners.

[Bukary]

Focus on first person. Period.

[acridrose]

Also, due to the third person, the movement in the game is awkward in first person- when you turn around and press w, you walk off in the opposite direction until your body turns... it was very painful.

first person FTW!

[Necros]

Both. But of course only if it doesn't hurt the development, 3rd person view is only an extra. And if both will be included, FPV must be the default, obviously.

Originally Posted by acridrose

Also, due to the third person, the movement in the game is awkward in first person- when you turn around and press w, you walk off in the opposite direction until your body turns... it was very painful.

They could fix that in this game.

[Bloodwolf806]

Both. There's no reason to have fewer options.

[Queue2]

First-person only. I never bother with the third-person POV even when it's available--just seems awkward and pointless.

[Goliath The Thief]

1st person
It's directly linked to immersiveness. 3rd person == loss of immersion.
I'd like to see by my own eyes, not as some kind of all-seeing-entity-behind-Garrett

[Nate]

Hehe, that whole Thief DS 'looking in one direction while walking in another' really got annoying at times.

That said, I DID like how Garrett's arms and legs could be seen in first person view...it added to the game immersion IMO. I especially like seeing Garrett's limbs/weapons/equipment after I had installed the High Texture pack.

[Grimmy]

Both - leave the choice to the players. Then again I prefer 1st, you never know what may be around that corner - famous Garrett words: "I hate blind corners - you never know what you're going to run into" :P

[Subjective Effect]

A 3rd person option is nice in theory but really it messes all sorts up. Stick to 1st person. Just because its likely to be a cross platform game doesn't mean it needs 3rd person. Look at Mirrors Edge or Killzone 2.

The gameplay mechanic is VERY important in Thief. It was perfect in T1 and 2 and broken, badly, in T3. 3rd person definitely contributed to that.

[Silmuen]

1st person...

AND good body awareness would do the trick

[Nate]

Agreed!

[Noceur]

1st person is a must, but it won't bother me none if there's a 3rd person option in there as well as long as none suffer.
I also agree with Silmuen, good body awareness would be awesome.

[Vladimyre]

First person definitely it's much better immersion factor.

[HellKittyDan]

Originally Posted by NewHorizon

The whole concept behind thief is that you are Garrett...not that you are controlling a character named Garrett.

I can't agree with that. How can I be Garrett when Garrett has such a well defined personality? It's not me making those comments during the mission, it's Garrett, the character I'm controlling.

Personally I'd prefer they stick to first person. Character movement in DS was wonky, The Chronicles of Ridd ick did the body awareness thing much better, though to be honest I'd be happy if Garrett is just a pair of floating arms.

[Nate]

Errr, HellKittyDan....you don't agree to 1rst person ONLY with some body awareness???

[Danie1]

The problem with third person is that level devlopement must take into account that some players might use it. The product is very many wide open spaces, which can be very immersion breaking since the cellar coal chute you're using to break into some mansion could fit an elephant. Not very sneaky or rewarding when you discover that way to break in.

I don't like body awareness either. I don't think I've ever seen it done well.

[HellKittyDan]

I'd like first person only. I could care less about body awareness.

Originally Posted by Danie1

The problem with third person is that level devlopement must take into account that some players might use it. The product is very many wide open spaces, which can be very immersion breaking since the cellar coal chute you're using to break into some mansion could fit an elephant. Not very sneaky or rewarding when you discover that way to break in.

I don't think that's at all true. The Splinter Cell series has often featured fairly cramped environments, and both this series and the MGS series would shift the view to first person when crawling through tight spaces like vents.

[Nate]

VERY GOOD POINT Danie1.

They would try to make more open maps in order to fit the panning 3rd person viewpoint = maps that suck!

Let's not bother with all the hassles that 3rd point view would bring.

[Noceur]

Originally Posted by Danie1

The problem with third person ... (SNIP) ...

I don't like body awareness either. I don't think I've ever seen it done well.

It was rather well done in Far Cry 2, actually.

EDIT: Actually, the more I think about it, the more I have to agree that focusing on j

[_OskaR]

1st person - definitely.

[TheJoe]

I like being able to switch - in id games with a console (Quake 4, Doom 3...) I always bind v to "toggle cg_ThirdPersonDeath" because I liked the effect, although it's buggy - the camera is always on no clip so it can go through walls, mess up the sound and cause lag :<

So I'm happy with that little v key switching to third.