Based on discussion on "community update topic", I am starting this, because i think it deserves deeper discussion which is OT on community update thread.
See the begining in here:
@sodoma said in MudRunner - Community Update 27/02/19:
@kingnightshadow said in MudRunner - Community Update 27/02/19:
@8up-local said in MudRunner - Community Update 27/02/19:
@sodoma said in MudRunner - Community Update 27/02/19:
@8up-local said in MudRunner - Community Update 27/02/19:
@unster said in MudRunner - Community Update 27/02/19:
That've been said, lets look at the thing...
Mudrunner have quite disadvantage compare to the other games, because it is so unique. Common driving title doesn't face to many issues the MR have to. Here is the picture from some random racing game I've stolen from steam.
Area that is blocked by the car is quite tiny (because of the size of the car) but more importantly, that area is unimportant. Because you are going fast in there, anything that close to you is already not concerning. Area that you are actually looking at is further, marked in green (and maybe even that is quite rich). That is the area you want to see, because you have to "read" it, that is what your decissions are based on. Point is, faster you go, narrower your field of view is and further you need to see. Obviously, if it goes uphill, you need a bit "look-up"
MR is (surprisingly) not a racing title. Therefore things you want to see while driving are much closer, actually very often exactly at the area blocked by (rather big) vehicle. Therefore I am not sure, if 3rd person view is the best solution all the time, at least not at current state.
The area that you are interested in (for driving reasons)
Obviusly, question is, how far that arc should go, but thing is, that it starts very close to your vehicle. Very. My most common solution, when I need to go through difficult passage is that I turn camera around and look back at the vehicle, like when you are navigating somebody. That is not that bad, but because of zoom OUT restriction, I have very limited knowledge of where I am going to. Actually, that is exactly question of "how far that arc...".
That brings me back to my idea of the best solution from ST: camera on the roof.
Because in this game "I am the truck", I don't need to see a bit of steering wheel and some dash dials and so on, especially when my field of view is so narrow, that I can't see properly, what is happening outside. Roof camera gives me quite wide view, bit of the truck for better orientation and if I can turn camera around and look from the point of the side mirror by pressing a single button, I think that could be awesome. If a decent looking around can be implemented, in the best case, with some automatic turning by where your front wheels are aimed at or what slope you are going to, I think that could be very popular solution. Because field of view is a bit limited by a principle, I don't believe in cockpit cam too much in this (type of) game.
But that is just my opinion for a driving itself.
Another thing is, that it is still a GAME, so it suppose to be fun in a first place and not necessary real. Seeing your truck from outside wrestling with a mud is quite epic, isn't it?
In this case, current camera solution is not that bad actually (except of already mentioned flaws), and a bit of rework on restrictions might provide a good results.
For example, current mix of zooming and raising/lowering of camera caused by up/down (on D-pad) I consider as confusing.
Any opinions, guys?