Paper doll view question.

[Omenov]

I have noticed that in the inventory paper doll it seems to be a consistent lighting. I was wondering if there is any thought on having the actual lighting the player is in used for the paper doll. I could see if you were in a really dark area you would have to fumble around to get items out of your pack or find a area better lite to change things. If you killed someone in a dark area you might have to light a torch to search the corpse or just grab things off them only to find out later they had a oozing ogre ear necklace that is now staining your fur overcoat. One shot show the female character In a house with the glow of the fire the only light and the paper doll seems the same as outside. I'm just curious if this is a design decision so the player can see their inventory or maybe we can see something like that someday.
Anyone have any comments on whether they would like the light to effect the inventory or not?
I for one think it would add one more aspect of realism to the game.
Ok Fawz throw me some quotes! I did search a little I swear! 8)

 

[NewsMuffin]

Oh, that's something I hadn't thought of before! It'd be really cool if it just ripped your model from the game world to show as your 'paper doll' as well (ie, it would show in your paper doll if your in-game character were standing differently because of terrain, or wounds), instead of just making a perfectly lighted and posed copy.

 

[Fawz]

I don't think the subject of how lighting is handled for the Character model in the inventory window has been previously brought up.

However as you noticed it is always lit as opposed to using the world's lighting. I suspect that it's for gameplay reasons, as the way equipping and removing gear works is that you have to be quite precise with the mouse and grab the piece of equipment directly. That's actually one of the main reasons why the Devs aren't comfortable promising controller support. As opposed to other games there are no predefined inventory slots so this means moving around small pieces of gear like Jewelry or Belts can be quite troublesome as you have very few pixels that you can grab.

It could be an interesting gameplay aspect to have you fumble in the dark literally if you're trying to equip things without proper lighting. This type of feature could probably be a viable gameplay approach now that equipable torches have been introduced. However it still poses the potential problem of you never quite being able to light your character's backside when in a dark location. Or if you're in a situation where there's 1 fixed point of lighting (like the hearth in the home as seen in the videos) you would have physically move your character every time you want to look at your back as opposed to quickly spinning the character model in the inventory window.

I'm not sure what the Dev's opinion on the matter is, but I suspect they would feel this type of feature would fall more on the side of realism than it does on the side of fun. It would cause for quite a few moments of frustration that I suspect most people would deal with by either:

- Not bothering to equip the item until they're back in a well lit area. This would make the rewarding situation of finding loot you can use become delayed which would most probably reduce the sense of enjoyment you get from acquiring new gear.

- Keep fumbling in the dark until they manage to switch gear, which leads to a waste of time and frustration. They don't get to appreciate the detailed characters and item models while they're left more frustrated than they started.

- Turn up their brightness/gamma setting to get the job done and revert back afterwards. This would make them feel like they had to exploit to perform a basic task in the game because they were unecesarily hampered by a design feature.

 

[Omenov]

As always Fawz you make some really good points.

Just to continue on my thought ... Maybe your pointer could have a small light source around it when your hovering over your inventory so it would feel more like fumbling in the dark with a flashlight. So you could still have a sense of realism in dark areas but you would still be able to find and click on things like small jewelry and such. Maybe having the cursor change to a light sores might be more trouble then it's worth. Could make it feel a little more real and add to the fear factor in the underworld. Maybe have the light source scale with difficulty or even a skill or item. Maybe just an option to be turned on/ off for those who are scared of the dark 8)

 

[Fawz]

As always Fawz you make some really good points.

Just to continue on my thought ... Maybe your pointer could have a small light source around it when your hovering over your inventory so it would feel more like fumbling in the dark with a flashlight. So you could still have a sense of realism in dark areas but you would still be able to find and click on things like small jewelry and such. Maybe having the cursor change to a light sores might be more trouble then it's worth. Could make it feel a little more real and add to the fear factor in the underworld. Maybe have the light source scale with difficulty or even a skill or item. Maybe just an option to be turned on/ off for those who are scared of the dark 8)

If it's not too hard to implement I can see that type of mechanic being very interesting for a Hardcore playthrough. I don't think I would like to have it in my normal playthrough, but if there was an option to have that along in a Hardcore mode (things are tougher, nights are darker, resources are more scarce, ect...) or a Permadeath mode (constant sense of tension) I can see it having positive effects of constantly keeping you on the edge.

 

[lvk]

I think it's better if the inventory system is kept as is. Both you (the player) and your character would have knowledge of the location of your items in the inventory, making it believable the character doesn't have to fumble in darkness to locate an item he or she is carrying. It's also harder to translate the real life equivalent (reaching into a bag until you feel something small and metallic like a key or necklace) into a game mechanic.

There's still plenty of room for working with light and darkness in ways most RPGs haven't, such as true darkness in the underworld as has been suggested. Actually requiring a light source and having your vision limited by darkness is a lot more engaging than turning the brightness/gamma on your monitor up, as Fawz mentioned earlier. It would also turn the real-time fully dynamic lighting from something impressive to something that's also a great gameplay feature.

(edit) It's also worth mentioning dynamic lighting works way better in the perspective Sui Generis is using rather than a first-person perspective. The latter usually ends up being an aim-and-illuminate flashlight mechanic, which is more frustrating than it is adding to the game experience. It also makes it hard to appreciate detail and set dressing when you can't see a thing anyway, and since developers know that, dimly lit caves tend to be really bland as well.

 

[Omenov]

It's ok to admit you are scared of the dark... No I'm just kidding 8). I have had backpacks and suitcases full of stuff and still didn't have full knowledge where everything was at and in the dark I would surly need a flashlight to find stuff rather then feel for it. I'm not saying I want to make inventory hard to deal with or make people turn up there gamma. I was just thinking of a little tweak to the inventory instead of the typical here is everything at your fingertips kind like most games. They have already gone with the slot less system so maybe that is enough of a difference form the norm. Hopefully they can make some options for things as long as it's not a major game changer. Not being an MMO helps with options since we are not really competing on a level where one option give others advantages.

I think the dynamic lighting they are using is great and definitely makes the game better then any flashlight mechanic could. I can't wIt to see a glowing sword in a dark cavern. Torches are really neat to mess with too I wonder if you have to not use a shield while carrying one or can u drop it durning a battle and have it light the immediate area.

 

[SergeDavid]

I'd say have a muted lighting effect on the character while playing with the inventory can help keep the atmosphere of the outside world would be fantastic. Lets say it is a bright sunny day, the light can be a bit stronger, if you're standing in front of a beach or lava then a blue / orange under-glow could be added. Finally at night the light could have a more pale appearance as if being cast from the moon. Without removing visuals of the character the background panel and extra lights can be applied to continue with the feelings.