Not being a big 1st person shooter UI player/fan, I don't mind 3rd person...sometimes I even find 3rd person to be moodily creepy. True, not as much as first person, but it can still work. Depends, as always, on how it's done.

 

It would be nice if they'd at least allow for a 1st person viewpoint if you wanted it, tho. I mean, either viewpoint can seem overly restrictive at certain points in gameplay, and I've come to enjoy being able to flip back and forth at a touch of the mouse wheel.

 

I understand the arguments for 1st person but then only if it's a single character RPG. I mean, there is definitely something for being "Ripley" (or whoever) running in 1st person mode down some dark corridor from a single alien whose breath you can hear, but is still hidden in the shadows, and slowly gaining on you.... I seem to remember there was an AvP FPS where you could play an "Alien" slowly chasing down its prey (all while crawling on ceilings or floors with equal speed and being able to see in the dark) and that was pretty satisfying too.

 

The problem is it sounds like it's going to be a squad-based game, which makes it more like the 2nd movie. Again, I really liked the scene where the aliens first ambush the space marines. They managed to wipe out like half of the team, mostly by the element of surprise, and actually having several of them take each OTHER out with friendly fire (like the guy who hit the one with the grenades with his flamethrower).

 

The second film used a different kind of "terror" even though unlike the 1st movie, it was now several people vs. many aliens instead of one person vs. one alien. I think the key for an Aliens CRPG that's squad-based might be to capture that kind of "ambience".

I understand the arguments for 1st person but then only if it's a single character RPG

 

If your squad still has little picture icons in the UI you can click to give action commands to .... especially if they can run into your line of sight as they battle and you turn your viewpoint around in circles, so they're not always invisibly "behind" you ... I don't see the major difference (for party or non-party based) of being in 1st person vs. 3rd beyond mood-style/immerson and size of your field-of-view. And 1st person is generally a better mode for creepiness.

 

The old Might & Magic rpg series was 1st person viewpoint 3-d party-based. They used these (really) ugly portraits at the bottom of the screen to represent you and your party - and the "always invisible" aspect - but it was 1st person, 3d, and party-based, and gameplay-wise I found it just as immersive as anything else. Worked quite well, imo, actually.

 

Edit: I do agree that a 3rd peson is likely going to be more action-oriented vs. ultimate suspense, but who knows ...

Edited January 31, 200818 yr by LadyCrimson

I think the Rainbow Six series and SWAT 3 & 4 prove 1st person is fine for action-oriented squad combat.

 

I don't get the idea that 3rd person would be more action-oriented than suspenseful compared to first person. I'd think the fps and survival horror genres suggest the reverse is true if anything. Did switching to 3rd person while in the Shalebridge Cradle in Thief 3 take the scariness away for people?

I hate the new Rainbow 6 vegas.

 

The game ends when a party member dies, unlimited ammo for pistols, need I say more.

^ If you were better at it you wouldn't get your teammates killed or ever need to resort to the pistol. Ha!

I think the Rainbow Six series and SWAT 3 & 4 prove 1st person is fine for action-oriented squad combat.

I liked R6V, but I honestly felt like the squad mechanics suffered because of my lack of awareness of where my proverbial "peeps" were at. In contrast, GRAW2 pulled out the camera but the squad members were typically so spread out (not to mention useless) that the situation didn't get much better. If R6V had more consistently used a tight third person camera with indicators for the directions in which squad members were, I think it would have made the game better.

^ If you were better at it you wouldn't get your teammates killed or ever need to resort to the pistol. Ha!

It\s the principle of the thing. I mean, does the necessity to stop the proverbial nuke from exploding end because squadmember 3 steps on a grenade...

 

Unlimited pistol ammo is only good for one thing, aggrevating people who liked the realism of the previous games by stabbing them in the eye. I never ran out of ammo once.

Edited February 1, 200818 yr by Gorgon

Unlimited pistol ammo is only good for one thing, aggrevating people who liked the realism of the previous games by stabbing them in the eye. I never ran out of ammo once.

I think one of the issues there is that it's difficult to realistically emulate why SWAT dudes/soldiers even carry pistols. On paper, they just seem crappy. Less ammo capacity, smaller caliber rounds, poor accuracy at range, slow rate of fire etc. Most games with pistols either just let them be junky or do something like what R6V did -- add on an "unrealistic" bonus that allows pistols to be valuable for one specific purpose.

But R6 actually had a use for them, shooting while roping down.

 

Anywho, in the old games you could do whatever you wanted with a pistol slot, like taking more grenades, gadgets, ammo etc. I suppose there is no real reason to bring a pistol when you already have a machine pistol, but it worked well regardless, even if it wasen\t that realistic, its still a world away from unlimited ammo.

Edited February 1, 200818 yr by Gorgon

Hmm, third-person, squad-based... Sawyer at the helm? I'd kinda written this project off as not my cuppa... not a big alien fan... but perhaps that was premature. Oh, and unlike others here, I'd be happy as a clam in mud if this game played like NWN2/MOTB with guns and space helmets. I really enjoyed NWN2 and MOTB.

Platforms: PS3, XBOX 360, PC

Project: Aliens RPG

- 3rd Person, GAME ENGINE, R&D / New Technology, RPG, Sci-Fi, Squad Based

The information is rather a confirmation than news.

 

Personally, I'd like to see the game play of squad-based shooters rather than that of Mass Effect/KotOR real time tactical combat games since the former gives me the feel of immediate control of my character while offering some rooms for tactical planning. Hope this is something to do with what J.E.Sawyer meant by "visceral" game play, opposing to simple button-mushing and/or mindless shoot'em-ups.

 

I've checked some video clips of Rainbow 6 Vegas on the net. The camera mode seems to be switchable between the first person view for concentrating on shooting and the third person views for awareness, which seems to be the main mode naturally.

A largely upgraded tactical planning similar to the Space Hulk: Vengeance of the Blood Angels would be great.

 

Though that would mean lots of pausing to issue commands which might affect the flow of an action game.

As much as the Aliens RPG "3rd Person, RPG, Sci-Fi, Squad Based" may/ or may not be, I am still looking forward to this. Thankfully it is for PC, otherwise I would just be writing this off my list.

 

I was actually hoping Obsidian might just delve into the FPS category with this title. If anyone could pull off a somewhat System Shock 2 ...RPG Obsidian could do it.

 

At some point, I'd like to see Obsidian work on a FPS RPG. I'd love to see what they could come up with.

I've checked some video clips of Rainbow 6 Vegas on the net. The camera mode seems to be switchable between the first person view for concentrating on shooting and the third person views for awareness, which seems to be the main mode naturally.

 

The main mode is FP, with 3rd being used when in cover.

The main mode is FP, with 3rd being used when in cover.

You are right...the third person view in cover and when climbing down/up, it seems. I imagined the game play was something near to Ghost Recon although my experience is limited to the demo. Thanks for the correction, anyway. Combined with the aforementioned surprise/startle factor, I still think Rainbow Six approach fits Aliens RPG better but the decision seems to be already done.

 

I checked R6V 2 game play video clip at Gamespot, which includes equipment customization/supply/advancement (not character advancement) and characterization of each team members (The role of the tactical intelligence character seems to be important, too). Seems the game is eager to adapt character development system and team play which remind me of combat system in CRPG. If these things are to be combined with role-playing factor such as some conversation skills/trees tied with story branches, I'd like to see such a game. Seeing even Ubisoft can deal with only 10-12 hours of game play, I think there must be quite a lot of trade-offs, though.

I guess this is R6 vegas 2 then, R6 vegas doesen\t have any tactical intelligence component at all other than sporadic video clips to support the storyline.

Edited February 3, 200818 yr by Gorgon

I guess this is R6 vegas 2 then, R6 vegas doesen\t have any tactical intelligence component at all other than sporadic video clips to support the storyline.

Oops. I guess my precious post was bit misleading. That doesn't seem to be different in R6V2. Her role seems to be important in offering information but I don't think she is intractable and/or "customizable". Check

and

. I simply thought the clips gave good feel of teamwork.

They probably ment story wise it will go in different directions

Our stories and gameplay are both pretty different.

 

yeah? prove it!

 

 

 

and fr that third based crap - try out Alien Swarm for UT2004 by Black Cat Games. Its pretty sweet