"Highlighting" objects in the world

[LKD]

I've played BG2 twice, and both times had to use a walkthrough to get past the skinned people quest.

 

Because I found the right house all right, but didn't find the stairs down when in the house.

 

The first time I didn't know there'd be stairs and just didn't see them despite walking past many times.

The second time I vaguely remembered I was looking for a way down, but still mistook the stairs for a pile of crates or something.

 

PE will have a bit sharper graphics, but sometimes a little hand holding is still a good thing.

Because I wouldn't think that's the intended kind of challenge. (Buahahaa, bet the adventurers will mistake the stairs for a piano).

 

 

I love highlighting for obvious things, and for realizing that you found a secret door or trap or what have you. I truly despise pixle hunting as, for me, it takes away from the story and immersion to focus on the myopic. Mass Effect 2 had this problem with the planet probes. You were taken away from the game and experience to scan every inch of a planet's surface to find mining materials. Not fun at all.

 

You brought up a point that I was thinking on, highlighting allows the developers to not worry about making the object bltantly obvious. Giving artists the freedom to make a scene beautiful without worrying so much about whether it stands out enough...

[J.E. Sawyer]

I read Josh Sawyer's response as being: 'The highlight shortcut remains, but it won't show the hidden chests/doors/traps we'll be putting in'

 

Which sounds great. I'm happy with that.

 

 

Correct.  Once you've detected a hidden object, the highlighting shortcut will reveal it like other objects.

 

On a related note, finding hidden objects can happen due to sheer proximity (very close), but will trigger at much greater range if you enter scouting mode, which is our combined stealth/search state.

 

BTW, another reason why we would like to retain a highlighting key in PE is because with an isometric perspective and occluded geometry, it's very easy for bodies/items to fall "behind" something relative to the camera.

[mstark]

In BG2, hidden objects that require detection were highlighted (and played a sound effect) without the player having to press the highlight hotkey to see it.

 

If, in PE, a detected object isn't revealed until the highlight hotkey is pressed, could you make the highlight of a 'detected' object appear in a different colour than that of "regular" interactive objects? The audible clue that something new has been revealed is quite nice, too!

[J.E. Sawyer]

Initially spotting a hidden object highlights it automatically for several seconds.  The highlight key is only required to highlight it after that initial duration.

[Osvir]

I agree completely about highlighting objects...

Though, some pixel hunting would be fun, community-wise something hidden and obscured and mysterious, something you don't just "find" by getting it highlighted for you. It doesn't have to be a magical super artifact of in-game power, but merely being something of "sentimental" value or whatnot. Something that is difficult. There are, as far as I can recall, some other hidden gems like this in older games (Metroid and Super Mario has some sort of secret that I think took near 10 years to discover).

But then again, with a toolset that gets difficult to implement perhaps.

[LKD]

Though, some pixel hunting would be fun, community-wise something hidden and obscured and mysterious, something you don't just "find" by getting it highlighted for you. It doesn't have to be a magical super artifact of in-game power, but merely being something of "sentimental" value or whatnot. Something that is difficult. There are, as far as I can recall, some other hidden gems like this in older games (Metroid and Super Mario has some sort of secret that I think took near 10 years to discover).

 

I'm sure that the game will have it's fair share of easter eggs for those who want to find eveything there is to find.