bukary on 21/6/2013 at 19:02
Quote Posted by bukary
If not... welcome back, loading zones!
Fortunately, (
http://forums.eidosgames.com/showpost.php?p=1930177&postcount=342) Adam Badke claims that there are no TDS-like loading zones in Northcrest Manor level:
Quote:
I can weigh in here and say that no, there are no loading screens. Loading is handled behind the scenes, the next portion of the level streams in as you approach it. When the demo kicks off there is a very brief loading screen but that was it.
sNeaksieGarrett on 21/6/2013 at 19:15
That sounds like a contradiction compared to what Sneaky Bastard said.:erg:
Vae on 21/6/2013 at 20:28
Quote Posted by bukary
welcome back, loading zones!
Hurray!...Welcome back, LoadingZones...and I see you've brought your new friend, AttachmentPoints.
SneakyJack on 22/6/2013 at 03:10
It's been mentioned by more than one person that actually played the demo that although the 'loading zones' are there you don't notice them unless you're looking for them because there are other things happening while you're loading the next scene like prying open a window and things of that sort. You don't walk into purple mist and hit a loading screen.
It just goes to show that people were burned so badly by Thief 3 that they just flip out at the mere mention of loading zones with all caps fury without even reading the explanation of how they work.
Renault on 22/6/2013 at 03:46
The key point here is that the game is constantly loading as you move around the world, but the game never pauses to load (ala TDS), basically killing any type of immersion. When you see popular games like Skyrim and New Vegas doing this, you wonder a bit why any game would have an actual loading zone within a level where the game is forced to stop. I can understand why people would freak out if the term "loading zone" was actually used, because that terminology is usually reserved for the way things worked in TDS.
SneakyJack on 22/6/2013 at 04:53
Quote Posted by Brethren
The key point here is that the game is constantly loading as you move around the world, but the game never pauses to load (ala TDS), basically killing any type of immersion. When you see popular games like Skyrim and New Vegas doing this, you wonder a bit why any game would have an actual loading zone within a level where the game is forced to stop. I can understand why people would freak out if the term "loading zone" was actually used, because that terminology is usually reserved for the way things worked in TDS.
And my point was that the term loading zones doesn't really apply here because it's completely different. And that people should calm down and actually read things that are posted before seeing LOADING ZONES in giant letters posted by another over-reactor and then doing the same thing until it's multiple pages of people missing what was actually said.
Like you mentioned there are tons of games that are constantly loading new areas and they mask it in different ways - it seems like whoever is comparing them to the game stopping loading zones of the past are misinformed or just ignoring what was actually said. And some of it is the people giving their impressions after playing it using those terms knowing that it will set the Thief hardcore fanbase off just seeing the words in print. Out of all the things people can complain about - the game trying to add loading portions into the actual gameplay so that we don't get taken out of it for a separate screen should not be one of them.
Would it be better if the entire mission was loaded without having to stream any more data before the end of the mission? Yes, of course it would. But I'd take this over actual loading screens and misty doorways any day.
Inge on 22/6/2013 at 05:21
Quote Posted by sNeaksieGarrett
That Sneaky Bastard article was disappointing. The excuses Stephane Roy are giving just show that he's trying to cater to the casual audience. He even says "impossible to please everyone." Of course, but I'd rather you please the hardcore fans than please the gamers that will just slurp up ridiculous shit like highlight points and scripted sequences like the burning bridge part.
Problem is, the casual player market is do much larger than the hardcore market....
But you can cater to both, by adding those visual clues and an option to turn them off.... And they usually use a console to demonstrate a game, which means they'll keep all that stuff on, because the casual player is often a console player...
sNeaksieGarrett on 22/6/2013 at 05:38
Quote Posted by SneakyJack
Would it be better if the entire mission was loaded without having to stream any more data before the end of the mission? Yes, of course it would. But I'd take this over actual loading screens and misty doorways any day.
Well yeah, of course. That's how I feel about it too, but any visual pause is annoying and immersion breaking. At least though a small pause or one that is masked is less of a problem than flat out mist shit and a loading screen.
Queue on 22/6/2013 at 05:42
Quote Posted by Vae
...and I see you've brought your new friend, AttachmentPoints.
I'm still trying to wrap my head around the whole Attachment Points thing, and I can't quite understand. If an object in the game is made of wood, shouldn't one be able to shoot a rope arrow into it, and the rope comes a dangling out like so many limp willies regardless of "where" the arrow hits? Or is that something only out-dated technology from the late 1990's can do?
Vae on 22/6/2013 at 06:08
According to Stephane Roy, it's a production choice...
Quote Posted by Stephane Roy
“It's a question of production choice,” Roy explains. “If I give you the possibility to shoot the rope arrow everywhere, I will have to cut something. I will have to reduce our intention for the narrative. If it's everywhere, the cost of it is to block your view, because it's still a console. It's still tech. By having a smart level design, by making sure that feels natural that here you can go - not scripted, but you check and if you feel that you should be able to do that and it's there, the job is done. If it's not frustrating, the job is done.”
“If I give you the possibility to shoot the rope arrow everywhere.... I will have to reduce our intention for the narrative”
...and so we are given the freedom-robbing NuRope...which will give us the free-roaming capability of a mounted ladder.
After a taste of NuRope, I'm sure there will be taffers everywhere searching desperately for some Climbing Gloves.
