I have a pretty good direct control mechanic implemented into the title. If you want to experience it then click in Master List in my signature and d/l the first thing on the list. I can't recall what it's defaulted to, but that is one of several schemes. You'll have to adjust some VARs to use the rest. Of course, I'm not using a behind the player camera.
Anyway, I've managed to half-ass implement a point and click solution based off of Intense Pathfinding. It's working but not a full implementation quite yet. This leads me to what will be most likely be the method used in the final product.
It's basically a 3rd person version of the Myst style method. In those games it's 1st person, but you click on hotspots and a video clip plays that transitions you to the next node (in old school Myst it actually faded out and faded in to the next "room").
Well, I'm not doing that, I'm keeping it real time. You will not be able to directly control the character. You aren't going to be able to directly move him to an arbitrary spot. I don't see the point in doing this given it's not an action game. I'm more concerned with storytelling and presentation.
The player will be presented with a number of hotspots including places to go (exits) and interactive objects. If you click on an object, you will either be presented with a description (if it's the Look option) or the player will walk to it and interact with it in some way. If you click on an "exit" he will walk that way and go to the next room or another part of the existing one (the camera will follow or there will be a quick cut depending on the specifics of that camera).
This is nothing new in 3rd person adventures, but it isn't necessary common in modern 3D and 2.5D games (more prevalent in old school 2D). I thought of this scheme a long time ago, but I recently replayed The Adventures of Willy Beamish (now that old school) and it uses this setup. I like it, and it eliminates a lot of potential problems. My target tolerates direct control but mostly prefers P&C. Intense Pathfinding is great, however it has a few quirks, and I don't have the knowledge to fix it up. This is a compromise and eliminates a few problems that could come up with collision detection and the like, and I'm fine with it. I know there will be some bitching about this, but this is how it's going to be.
BTW, I posted a couple new characers hots in the other thread....
Dan is working on the first female character...my femme fatale more or less. Andvari is slaving away on animations. There are going to be a lot of animations, and I'm bound and determined to make him hate me and that character (just kidding) by the time I'm through.
My User Contributions master list - my initial post links are down but scroll down page to find list to active links
