Cl_Flushentityhero

I believe there was a screenshot in which one of the dialogue options was "draw gun," so they've fortunately dealt with any ambiguity surrounding that particular option.

Perhaps so, but they just hit alpha, which means they are *now* content complete, rather than at the time of the interview. Edit: I'm not trying to start something over it, but what little info we have on AP tends to be old and/or vague.

Well, in all fairness, they did say *mostly* American Kenpo.

It's possible the skill list in incomplete, since they haven't posted anything on the official AP website about skills.

I think maybe you're reading too much into the long-term consequences of the marine situation. There are a bunch of marines guarding the embassy. If you shoot at them, they'll shoot at you.

I remember reading something about how raising your skill for a weapon type reduces recoil, so my guess is yes on that.

Since this has kind of turned into free-for-all recommendation thread, "Spy Game" is another great movie (IMO) that treads the middle ground between glamorized spies and the real deal.

I do think there is some variety though.

The art is American Kenpo and the moves are motion-captured. I don't think the moves are specific gun disarms etc. (check out the screenshots), so expect it to be a little in the fantasy realm.

I feel that's an unfair generalization about third person games. First, the facial animation is Mass Effect is great. Second, the MGS series, arguably one of the most cinematic franchises in history (HL2 pales in comparison), employed third person. It also features some of the most lifelike character animation and modeling to date (well, MGS4 does). Third, Gears of War is known as one of the best looking games on the market, also third person. I could go on, but the point is that some of if not the most visually stunning and lifelike-animated games available today use third person views. The AP trailer looks like a prerendered cutscene to me. As such, it does not showcase the actual gameplay assets and, hence, no relevance to the distinction between first and third person. Watch the Left 4 Dead intro movie, you'll see pretty much the same thing (though Valve has a much higher budget for their CG trailers). Honestly, I don't know why people still use CG when most of it looks worse than in-game stuff these days. Franchises like God of War and Devil May Cry use a variety of third person camera angles. As far as today's interfaces go, however, you simply *cannot* use a wandering camera in a shooter. You *can* have the fixed third person camera smoothly transition into a cutscene, though (again, you really need to play Metal Gear Solid 4). Also, I'm not sure pointing out they share some of the same problems is a compelling argument that first person is better. I think perhaps the root of your skepticism in third person games is that you aren't immersed in the console market. That's where a lot of ground is broken with third person, and it's also a market to which AP is selling.

Ooh, getting fancy with the moral philosophy & cognitive psych. Consider yourself warned, I have a psych degree What the two railroad examples show is that it's pretty hard to get the average person to embrace Kantian ethics (where the means matter) in making their decision. It is possible in extreme cases (such as having to kill somebody with your bare hands), but eh. The applied problem worth considering in video games is that the "disconnect" is built into the medium. The player isn't killing, per se, he's pushing a button. But, this isn't a scientific experiment, it's a game. I'll be interested to see how that section turns out

Could you define "cinematic technique"? Usually in my mind that term refers to the camera, and the first person camera is by definition stuck wherever the person is.

Complete or no, KOTOR2 still trounces most of the CRPGs on the market IMO. So, I could go either way; whatever keeps Obs doing good business.

The problem I have with this is that most games' ideas of the greater good come off as naive and immature. Put simply, they reinforce the dehumanization and moralization practices that got us into this mess in the first place. I'm generally more interested in a game that lays no claim to the greater good and simply presents a complicated and multifaceted problem to the player. The core gameplay does not reinforce a particular ideology, but rather it's a journey of discovery and seeing the issue from all angles. Such a game exists primarily in my imagination, though there are nods in the right direction. Certainly film doesn't shy away from this sort of approach. That said, people certainly are willing to buy up "the greater good" like hotcakes, so perhaps a wise business move. Then again, the RPG market might be a more sophisticated audience than Joe the plumber.

See, there you go with that "immersive" argument, you're just disguising it under different terminology

How many movies which have the protagonist always in front of the camera and make the audience keep seeing his/her back? It is obviously unnatural. So would a movie in first person, particular when the camera is unnaturally stable and the protagonists body doesn't exist.

I'm lost. How is the transition from first person gameplay perspective to a third person cutscene inherently more fluid than transitioning from a third person gameplay perspective to third person cutscene? Or, how would use of first-person scripted cutscenes be "cinematic" when movies seldom employ first person?

Well, I suppose I could expand the scope of the thread to include movies etc. ) Eisenhower fan I take it? Syriana was pretty pimp. Just sat down and watched "Why we fight," very well-done. If that list is indicative of the overall tone of AP, we may have a winner.

Fallout 3 has third person, even if it is a somewhat shoddy attempt at it. One could also play Load times- I mean Bloodlines entirely in third person. You're free to dislike third person games, though if you're unfamiliar with them, why not play a few good ones (Bethesda and Troika games are really *not* good examples of third person gameplay) and base your opinions on that? I've known a few people who thought first person was the ultimate method of playing games because you're more immersed, etc. I would answer "yes, in theory." In practice, most first person games have the player incorporeally floating through the world on some sort of high-tech mobile weapons platform. The player character has no visible body, the camera floats in an unrealistic yet seemingly ubiquitous fashion, and player movement is limited to (at most) leaning, crouching, and prone. One game that IMO took a step in the right direction was Far Cry 2. The first person cutscenes, seamless movement through the world, and use of weapon sights was a step in the right direction. It also took several steps backwards by having sprinting, crouching, and sliding as the only movement options. Until FP gets to the point where actual immersion is the norm, I'll largely prefer third person games because they tend to come with more movement options. Even when a first person game "stoops" to adding a cover system, it often zips into third person. So, that's another "perspective," so to speak.

Gears of War? Duh. What I mean is, will we actually use it? No one used the cover system in Mass Effect. What do you mean? I use the cover system in Mass Effect plenty.

On a recommendation from somebody, I recently picked up a book called the "Manual of the Mercenary Soldier" by Paul Balor. I've found it an extremely interesting read, and despite being written in 1987 the ideas are all-too-relevant to the current political climate and the United States' out-of-control military-industrial complex. It's not just a book about cleaning guns or sneaking through the jungle. It's a book about government, ethics, terrorism, travel, international relations, and yes, spies. Definitely good material to get you thinking during the wait for AP.

IMO, the Mass Effect cover system worked fine. It's not gears, but what is?

What the . . . ? 60 hours to get through the game? Even the most grind-centric open-world titles and JRPGs seldom clock in at that length.

I felt like Jade Empire was more cheesy kung fu flick than anime. Certainly there was no cell shading or such. Also, by anime I assume we're primarily talking about Japanese anime. I don't think I've ever even heard of Chinese anime. I realize Jade Empire wasn't technically China . . . but who are they kidding?

Record of Lodoss War has great potential. Its% It's also a pretty normal medieval fantasy setting. My vote would be either steampunk or Noir, possibly steampunk noir.