BigBANGtheory wrote:Sure but there is a huge something in between a Witcher3 character model and some RPG game from the 90's. Like it or not, reasonable or not PC gamers expect highly detailed character models in first person because the market has conditioned us that way and there is no getting around the fact of the matter. Is it a tough ask for ES to hit those expectations bordering on the impossible? Sure, it is what it is.... if you can't reach a minimum viable level then maybe you shouldn't go there.
I disagree with your overall stance, everything has to be considered in the context of the environment.
In large scale FP sims it is impractical to achieve the level of character detail some seem to be expecting AND achieve the required level of sim fidelity overall. In that particular context, the customers in question may not be 100% happy about it but they do accept there are limits to the technology.
X (even in a VRE) is not (or should not be considered) primarily an FP sim, and the modelling focus should remain on the ships and not the in-game avatars.
Gamers (and especially the gaming press) need to start doing the same.
BigBANGtheory wrote:The first person experience in XR to me comes across as a project still in development not final release. It will be interesting to see what changes in the VR experience where this becomes even more important.
I am not so sure about that, I think the most important factors will be how well the VR headset is capitalised on and control system support will also be a major factor. If ES do not up their game with respect to HOTAS support or focus too heavily on game pads then I think their VR solution will be a mega-fail for this genre.
As it currently stands, only keyboard and mouse works particularly well IMO for X-Rebirth and the game controller support is extremely lack lustre given the current flight mechanics.
Current Modelling concerns are at best a back of the bus factor, and perhaps not even a factor at all. The only time it may come an issue is if any modelling/rendering "cheats" make any particular feature look too flat without good reason.
I have tried to use my nVidia 3D monitor with X-Rebirth (Essentially VR without head-tracking) and found the overall effect unworkable because of the way ES handle cockpit overlays and other factors. ES will need to address the overall 3D rendering effect as a PRIMARY developmental concern. These issues should not be insurmountable as other games have managed it, but ES in most of their games to date have been more miss than hit on that score IMO.
I disagree with your perspective about FP mode feeling like it is still in development but overall, I generally agree that it will be interesting to see what ES do change for the VR Edition. I personally hope they do not put too much undue focus on the wrong things.