Josh Sawyer prefers third-person isometric perspective

[King of Creation]

<strong>[ Person -> Interview ]</strong> - More info on <a href="http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/J. E. Sawyer">Person: J. E. Sawyer</a>

<p>You can ask <em><strong>Fallout: New Vegas</strong></em> Lead Designer and Project Director <strong>Josh Sawyer</strong> anything you want (except about <em>Fallout</em> or Bethesda) via <a href="http://www.formspring.me/JESawyer">his new Formspring page</a>. One <a href="http://www.formspring.me/JESawyer/q/407060777">recent question</a> asks:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>Which perspective do you prefer, as a designer and as a gamer respectively: isometric, third- or first-person? Is there any source proving a common belief that FPP is more immersive? </em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>His answer:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>I doubt anyone's actually done a study on gaming perspectives and perceived levels of immersion. I think it's just that: a common belief.

For me, it depends on what you/the designer is trying to accomplish with the camera perspective. For a lot of games with tactical combat, an "iso" perspective makes the most sense because you want the player to be able to see and process a lot of information about the environment and combatants. The same applies to strategy games that span large areas (or don't really focus on a single character).

Close third-person cameras can work when you want the player character (often alone) to navigate the environment with climbing/platforming elements or when real-time melee combat is central to game play. I think it can also work well for some horror games (e.g. Resident Evil 4, 5, Dead Space) because it combines a limited view of the world (anxiety-inducing) with a close-up picture of the player character's vulnerability.

First person is probably the easiest to work with, but it's not useful for all types of game play. If a designer wants to effectively remove the player character as an entity and focus more heavily on the environment, first person is the way to go. Personally, I lose all sense of character in most first person games and that's usually a big negative for me.</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Interesting. <a href="http://www.formspring.me/JESawyer">Go and ask him</a> some questions of your own.</p>

[hoochimama]

First person is probably the easiest to work with, but it's not useful for all types of game play. If a designer wants to effectively remove the player character as an entity and focus more heavily on the environment, first person is the way to go. Personally, I lose all sense of character in most first person games and that's usually a big negative for me.

First time I see someone make a point of how an fp perspective can be less immersive.

Given the choice between fp and tp(jedi knights, thief 3, bloodlines, morrowind, oblivion, fo3) I'll always go for the latter, even if their implementation is often worse than the fp cameras.

[jimmypneumatic]

third-person isometric

[TwinkieGorilla]

First person is probably the easiest to work with, but it's not useful for all types of game play. If a designer wants to effectively remove the player character as an entity and focus more heavily on the environment, first person is the way to go. Personally, I lose all sense of character in most first person games and that's usually a big negative for me.

be interesting to see how he remedies this with New Vegas...seeing as how he has to, you know...cater to the crowd who thinks FPS is the true future.

[Wolfman Walt]

third-person isometric

:?

Wasn't Black and White technically a first person isometric? The distinction has to be made then!

[jimmypneumatic]

third-person isometric

Wasn't Black and White technically a first person isometric? The distinction has to be made then!

True, I've just been coddled by more recent games that refer to 'third-person' as the perspective seen from the camera fixed on the characters rear quarters as if held aloft by an invisible and immovable boom. Chalk it up to advancing technology.

[POOPERSCOOPER]

JE sawyer always prefers what the hardcore community wants but then doesn't make any games with them.

[Kashluk]

JE sawyer always prefers what the hardcore community wants but then doesn't make any games with them.

Two wrongs don't make a right, but two Wrights make a plane.

[SenisterDenister]

Dohoho.

[Frater Perdurabo]

Tee-hee

[hoochimama]

He didn't say he preferred an iso camera though, only that he didn't like fp much for rpgs.