15 replies to this topic

[Michael Fury]

Are we going to see the 360 Degree Vision strip in game?

For those who don't know what this is. It's a strip across the top of your monitor that shows a very small view outside of your mech. the 360Degrees of view are compressed down into about 120 Degrees of view.

It's not good for details, but allows you to see motion around you.

[Lori Carlyle]

Would be nice

[ArgentumLupus]

Without a third person camera mode, That might just be what I need to react in time to an opponent on passive sensors getting behind my Enforcer. Puny rear armor, those Enforcers have.

[Razor Kotovsky]

Derp.

[ArgentumLupus]

@Razor: If only. With how little visual width 'Mechs have, you would need mirrors sticking out 2 or 3 meters from a 'Mechs head to see behind it. Think of 'Mechs like tanks, instead of aircraft.

[Lorebot]

Personally I'd like to see, instead of a 360 vision strip, a small monitor on my HUD or dashboard that is linked to a HAT switch on my joystick that will let me check visuals in different directions without taking my eyes off what's going on in front of me through the cockpit. Previous versions of Mechwarrior allowed HAT switch viewing left, right, back, up and down, but it would take up your whole screen and force you to take your eyes of what's going on in front of you and that was awful.

I think a 360 vision strip would be over kill because we're obviously going to have some sort of radar or sensor map on our HUD to help keep us oriented.

[Karyudo ds]

@Aegis I never liked the 360 twisting idea. In the board game they only turned 60-90ish max each way. This isn't the board game, but that avoids the circle of death tactic which these guys seem interested in avoiding.
l
So I like the idea of a 360 video feed, only way a machine like that logically could survive urban combat, otherwise you'd get mysterious SRMs in the **** left and right. Though radar rules make sense to if this is ony mech vs mech and simplified. Though I would like to turn up the sim part of this. Most MW titles did little for me in ever making the mechs feel really there...so on that note a cockpit with actual instruments in it would be nice instead of the bs generic texture they always used.

[RotS Targe]

I would honestly be disappointed if this is not in the game, it is always one of those things they explain in the books for those new to the universe, and I think of it as integral to the sim/1st person feel they are creating.

[Ritter]

I like the idea of a monitor somewhere in your cockpit that gives you a LIMITED backwards view. I wanna check behind me, I have to physically in the game look down/over/up at the monitor to check it. Hat Switch ftw

[torgian]

The books do include a 360 degree view around the mech on a separate monitor.

Also, some mechs actually do have 360 degree torso twisting ability, although i cannot remember which ones. i vaguely remember the Mad Dog (a clan mech) having that ability.

[Lorebot]

I haven't read enough of the books myself to know whether a 360 view is canon or not, but I'll take your word for it that it is and that's cool.

Most mechs torso twist from 45-90 degrees off center front, meaning a full 90-180 degrees rotation. A few can do 120 degrees off center front, meaning 240 degrees full rotation. I can't think of a single mech that does a full 360 degree turn, though admittedly I haven't gotten a source book for Battletech for a few years now.

[That Guy]

having such a system would be a great way to show the mechs sensor systems.

such a system was implemented into the game ArmA 1
here is a couple screens from the gunner seat of an AH-64D. look at the top center screen for the large white box (indicating current view) and smaller red and white box indicating hostile and unknown targets (green for friendly, not pictured) relative to the compass at the top of the screen (the thing with the small dashes and numbers). the shade and size of the icon indicates its relative distance (the lighter the shade, the further away).

gun cam


in an M1A2 tank, commander position


This is a quick and efficient way to render a good 360 of the mechs surroundings

edit. added some clarification

Edited by that guy, 06 November 2011 - 06:42 PM.

[Bryan Ekman]

Second viewports are always a challenge and generally very costly. We try to avoid them at all costs. It basically equates to rendering the game twice every frame which equals slower framerates, or lower quality graphics. Switching to different camera views is easier and more desirable from a tech POV. As a game designer, I'd love to have several perma viewports on the HUD, but the trade off in visual quality is usually not worth it.

[DFDelta]

Hmm good point with the impact on framerates.

If cockpits are animated and have working screens, would it be possible to make it something you can manually put "on sreen".
Basically to have 3 monitors in your cockpit (under or over your mainscreen) that usually show combat viable info, weapon status, mech/target status, such thing, but can be turned to 360° view with a button?

That way you could "travel" with the 360° view for added situational awareness, and switch to combat data once engaged.



If you don't mind me linking an screenshot from Earthsiege:



Imagine the bottom monitors to be rearranged a little, so that you can just click a button and get a 360° view.
When combat start you click it again and have your short range radar and weapon data back.


This has also the added bonus of it being optional.
If your computer can't handle it, just don't do it. Would not work with a permanent vision strip (or mirrors, lol)

It blocking important data while active would ease the impact it would have, and the disadvantage for non-users.

Edited by DFDelta, 06 November 2011 - 06:52 PM.

[torgian]

Bryan Ekman, on 06 November 2011 - 06:37 PM, said:

Second viewports are always a challenge and generally very costly. We try to avoid them at all costs. It basically equates to rendering the game twice every frame which equals slower framerates, or lower quality graphics. Switching to different camera views is easier and more desirable from a tech POV. As a game designer, I'd love to have several perma viewports on the HUD, but the trade off in visual quality is usually not worth it.

This makes sense. For the sake of simplicity, different camera views (right, left, down, back, etc) would probably have to suffice.

[Silent]

Different camera views sounds ideal if that is the best way to do it performance-wise. I forgot that most sims I've played that simulate cockpit mirrors usually take a big framerate hit when rendering. That's too bad.