NextGen World Progression

[charlesr]

If someone could think up a more suitable thread title (that would also be easier to search for), please go ahead.

So this is for discussion of the ways in which added power has enhanced games beyond simple resolution and framerate.

Looking to Battlefield 4 as an example, here we have entire buildings that can collapse on a scale that I've not seen before (albeit scripted), pillars that can have chunks blown off them and swirling desert storms that take my breath away every time. But also there is the sheer variety of "stuff" going on. So many different vehicles, land, sea and air all at the same time. Rockets that you can control round corners. And waves that become part of the gameplay, changing the approach points to bases.

What does everyone think of the approach they've taken whereby you pretty much know what you can interact with and what you can't? If everything was destructible, it might make for a more interesting game in some respects but maybe gameplay would lose focus? I'd like to be able to fire a rocket at a ceiling and have huge chunks of it block a doorway e.g. in Metro, so someone else would need to come along and clear it with C4 or another rocket.

With Titanfall and NFS Rivals, I'm struggling to see anything that has the same nextGen wow factor.

[nakamura]

When the trailers launched last year, BF4 was the game that nearly convinced me to buy in. Those destructable environments were amazing and exactly what I was waiting for since it first being seen in Red Faction back in 2001.

However, the terrible online issues and lack of other games killed that fast...

Anyway, I hoping we can see more interactive environments for next gen.

Last of Us is a beautiful game but almost all of it is worthless eye candy. Why can't we move tables to search of items? Surely in a world based on scavenging this is a pretty vital thing?
I also want to be able to take risks when under fire. Enemies coming up the stairs? Then I want to jump out of the window. Risk and reward could be a button press upon landing to allow a good impact. If you miss it, serious injury.

[capcom_suicide]

Second Son: Draw distance. For the first time I can truly navigate a game by pilotage.

The first openworld game I wish I could turn off the HUD. It was a real "WOW" moment when I could climb and clearly see miles in the distance and which way to travel.

[nakamura]

That's cool.

[wakka]

Last of Us is a beautiful game but almost all of it is worthless eye candy. Why can't we move tables to search of items? Surely in a world based on scavenging this is a pretty vital thing?

GTA V similarly suffers from having a world that lacks interactivity in many ways. It's pretty unsatisfying to take the Buzzard attack chopper out and hammer buildings with missiles only for precisely nothing to happen. Or fly a jumbo jet into the Maze Bank skyscraper and parachute out just before. 0 stars.

Of course if they allowed you to blow up all the buildings in the game and turn it permanently into some sort of post-apocalyptic wasteland then that would change the game quite significantly. GTA is not designed to be a game where consequences really matter. Nonetheless they need to do something about the static feeling of much of the gameworld.

I'm going to be interested to see how developers tackle these issues with the power of the new generation.

[randombs]

Another Katamari, please.

[capcom_suicide]

Second Son: High resolution assets.

Part of being sumberged in a world, is the details that you see. Now that the artists can use high resolution assets we get to see their humor and detail in the world, even up close.

From the distance you see an interesting detail, even from a good few hundred meters.



Up close you get to see the "Joke" and smile as you move along, having of course a new mini mission to try and find the place. (Which I did, and can confirm no mammoths.)



I love these extra details that are possible now. Games become almost as focused on just exploring, as compared to the story. GTA6 will be incredible!

I would also mention "Lighting" as Second son is a game that truly changes the mood, based on the lighting. I am not sure how it does this, but it feels very different to other games. Same for reflections, but these are not perfect.

[wakka]

Another thing I'd like to see in new open world games is a larger amount of NPCs. Streets packed with people in GTA would be great, and much more convincing in central areas of a city.

[nakamura]

High res assets is still visual based. Would be cool to see.gameplay ideas.

[MisterBubbles]

If everything was destructible in BF4 then im sure the framerate would take a huge hammering, as seen on Titanfall when loads of Titans join the fray, and framerate problems and screen tearing don't make for an enjoyable experience no mattrr the game COD, BF4, Titanfall and want that magic at least 60FPS.

[randombs]

It's like the frame rate and resolution arguments, and I wonder how soon this thread will descend into that chaos. No matter what cool immersive thingummy me want, it'll take power that could've been used for something else.

And maybe that's the point?

If a dev really wants to create a more immersive experience(physically or superficially) they can - and should - cut corners elsewhere.

I think these sorts of things will come from the indie/download scene, where they can't always compete with the big companies in terms of production value.

I hope we see a return to playfulness and exploration.

[originalbadboy]

Second Son: Draw distance. For the first time I can truly navigate a game by pilotage.

The first openworld game I wish I could turn off the HUD. It was a real "WOW" moment when I could climb and clearly see miles in the distance and which way to travel.

To be fair Just Cause 2 was doing that sort of draw distance 4 years ago .. For me that isn't anything particularly impressive, however saying that the above shot does look rather nice.

For me draw distance has to be coupled with a serious amount of detail to be truly next gen.

[capcom_suicide]

Fair enough, I agree that the draw distance on JC2 was impressive. I don't remember being able to see the details so far away like I can with second son.

Back On topic:

Open world interaction should include the ability to go into ALL buildings, and interact with ALL objects. It should be banned to put old arcade games in open world's that can't be played too.

I would like an open world game that is smaller in geographic size, if it allows me to go inside buildings. This could be something the cloud could help with? The interior design and persistency could be on the back end server, with assets streamed locally?

[Neon Ignition]

Interaction is going to be key this gen I feel, GTAV showed that worlds are already expansive enough and the gameplay mostly evolved enough to realise a vision generally speaking. However there's still a real lack of involvement.

Infamous looks stunning but its city has no real interaction, I'd love to be able to use my, say, flame powers to blow up a target holed up in a building by igniting the gas mains without it being prescripted. Just to have a world with a working infratructure and then be able to mess with it.

[capcom_suicide]

Interaction is going to be key this gen I feel, GTAV showed that worlds are already expansive enough and the gameplay mostly evolved enough to realise a vision generally speaking. However there's still a real lack of involvement.

Infamous looks stunning but its city has no real interaction, I'd love to be able to use my, say, flame powers to blow up a target holed up in a building by igniting the gas mains without it being prescripted. Just to have a world with a working infratructure and then be able to mess with it.

Working infrastructure.... I like that idea! Gas, Water and Power lines that if disrupted could have effects on the city. Cool.

I agree though, at the moment we have the "MegaTexture" like RAGE, but now we crave the interaction!