Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
and therefore, the player does not have to correct for differences between his own
perspective and the avatar's.
The players may find interacting with the environment easier. Many games
require the player to maneuver the avatar precisely before allowing him to climb
stairs, pick up objects, go through doorways, and so forth. The first-person perspec-
tive makes it easy for the player to position the avatar accurately with respect to
objects.
DISADVANTAGES OF THE FIRST-PERSON PERSPECTIVE
Some of the disadvantages of the first-person perspective (as compared with third-
person) include these:
Because the player cannot see the avatar, the player doesn't have the pleasure of
watching her or customizing her clothing or gear, both of which form a large part
of the entertainment in many games. Players enjoy discovering a new animation as
the avatar performs an action for the first time.
Being unable to see the avatar's body language and facial expressions (puzzle-
ment, fear, caution, aggression, and so on) reduces the player's sense of her as a
distinct character with a personality and a current mood. The avatar's personality
must be expressed in other ways, through scripted interactions with other charac-
ters, hints to the player, or talking to herself.
The first-person perspective denies the designer the opportunity to use cinematic
camera angles for dramatic effect. Camera angles create visual interest for the player,
and some games rely on them heavily:
Resident Evil
, for example, and
Grim Fandango
.
The first-person perspective makes certain types of gymnastic moves more diffi-
cult. A player trying to jump across a chasm by running up to its edge and pressing
the jump button at the last instant finds it much easier to judge the timing if the
avatar is visible on screen. In the first person, the edge of the chasm disappears off
the bottom of the screen during the approach, making it difficult to know exactly
when the player should press the button.
Rapid movements, especially turning or rhythmic rising and falling motions,
can create motion sickness in viewers. A few games tried to simulate the motion
of walking by swaying the camera as the avatar moves; this also tends to induce
motion sickness.
Third-Person Perspective
Games with avatar-based interaction models can also use the
third-person perspective
.
The most common camera model in modern 3D action and action-adventure
games with strongly characterized avatars, it has the great advantage of letting the
player see the avatar, and the disadvantage that it requires much more work to
implement. The camera normally follows the avatar at a fixed distance, remaining
