11 replies to this topic

[Dutchmaan]

First off, I want to say the game itself is beautiful, quite stunning environments, so kudos to the designers. I do however have a small critique. It seems that the ground objects are supposed to give the mechs a sense of scale, that they are enormous machines. Having a few streetlights and vehicles scattered throughout doesn't really give me the sense of scale. Large objects are bounced around more like beach balls than heavy structures and equipment, and the environments while stunning don't really give me the sense that I'm in a giant machine. 

 

I guess the only thing I'm saying is that the devil is in the details. Maybe adding actual lighting to the streetlights (right now they seem like just random sticks in the ground)  and more "crunchy" details throughout would add to the immersion. Make the details tiny and you make the mechs FEEL larger and heavier. and instead of having trucks and ground structures kind of bounce around they should be smashed and maybe explode on occasion (a bit more randomness to the destruction would add to it)

 

Just my 2�

[BIsmuthZornisse]

i'd also prefer, if the environmental objects and destroyed mechs had an actual weight to them.

also, i think there is quite a discrepancy in size (relative to the mechs) between the environments (especially the vehicles) and the humans in the garage.

[Blaz0re]

I also think the sense of scale is attempted but doesn't really feel like it should. I also agree that the trucks and other things on the ground also should feel more weight, i think that really would help. But on the other hand I think the mechs themselves are part of the problem. If you crawl around in a brawler you really feel heavy and big, but if you are jumping around in a scout, it just doesn't fit it's size. The brain can't connect this quick movements to a huge mech, because we just aren't used to big things going fast. But that's a problem that can't be solved that easily.

[Pastorius]

The trucks and vehicles are actually too small in the game compared with the scale that is found in all the lore, the concept art and even the old live action trailer. The cockpits and upper bodies of the mechs are, for all intense and purposes, supposed to be a pretty close fit for one pilot. If you compare the size of the engineers to the mechs in the garage and then go check out the vehicles in the maps it looks like there must be a hundreds of tiny little logistics companies with tiny little drivers working all over Illal.  This has bugged me a little from the start as I love the lore and part of what makes HAWKEN cool is we are not piloting massive 75ft tall MWO atrocities but small, one man, helicopter gunship style mechs. 

 

 

On a side note ADH were exploring all kinds of distructable maps at one point...

 

Edited by (KDR) Pastorius, 09 May 2015 - 01:01 PM.

[JackVandal]

The Destruction is amazing, but i feel that it would cripple most computers as well as that nothing would be left of maps but empty fields at the end of some matches.

[Lioot]

I agree, was looking at a balcony and thought, that's a small balcony.

 

And also, what about the zoom function on the SS and Reaper? I don't think zooming in is supposed to bring your whole cockpit closer to the enemy, and your weapons as well

[CrimsonKaim]

First off, I want to say the game itself is beautiful, quite stunning environments, so kudos to the designers. I do however have a small critique. It seems that the ground objects are supposed to give the mechs a sense of scale, that they are enormous machines. Having a few streetlights and vehicles scattered throughout doesn't really give me the sense of scale. Large objects are bounced around more like beach balls than heavy structures and equipment, and the environments while stunning don't really give me the sense that I'm in a giant machine. 

 

I guess the only thing I'm saying is that the devil is in the details. Maybe adding actual lighting to the streetlights (right now they seem like just random sticks in the ground)  and more "crunchy" details throughout would add to the immersion. Make the details tiny and you make the mechs FEEL larger and heavier. and instead of having trucks and ground structures kind of bounce around they should be smashed and maybe explode on occasion (a bit more randomness to the destruction would add to it)

 

Just my 2�

 

Yes you are right, and actually this is something that is easy to do. Some lights here, actual mass for objects there and stuff like that. But at this point, I would also adress certain things like:

 

1. Get rid of the sticky health/fuel bar. It takes a huge amount of cockpit-feeling away comapred to the old displays tha twere actually built-in inside the cockpit.

2. Sounds. Do not underestimate the power of sounds. Take a look on the Hawken live-action series trailer. The sounds (and btw the dispalys) matched the environment. The current Sci-Fi HUD (which was built to make Hawken playable for low-end computers) does not. Additionally, sounds in Hawken just feel like you are standing outside your cockpit, not inside. There has to be a difference in sounds between your weapons and the other's since these weapons are directly connected.

Also, the sound of being hit by projectiles/rockets etc. sounds like being hit by a pillow, but this pillow actually has some SERIOUS power.

3. Cockpit movement. Actually not the cockpit, but the pilot moves. For example if you hit the ground after a long fall, the cockpit should move in some way, but it remains constant. The pilot is pretty much fixed in his/her seat no matter the kinetic energy acting on the mech.

4. Match the cockpit's display to its chasis. We all know that, the A-Class cockpit looks like the Infiltrator chasis. It doesn't bother me much but how about individual cockptis for each chasis? You can change the cockpits by buying new chasis parts!

 

 

 

 

 

And here we can see 1. the old cockpit (which was pretty awesome) and 2. the destructable environment plus 3. the series trailer with the feeling of being inside a mech cockpit rather than wearing a helmet with this cockpit dispalyed on your HUD ...

 

 

But again, we won't expect anything in the near future. Josh hurry up! QQ

[n3onfx]

 

3. Cockpit movement. Actually not the cockpit, but the pilot moves. For example if you hit the ground after a long fall, the cockpit should move in some way, but it remains constant. The pilot is pretty much fixed in his/her seat no matter the kinetic energy acting on the mech.

 

There's two options (I think? Or maybe just one) in the settings that allow for this sway, but most people turn it off or to the minimum.

[Odinous]

Well to be honest,the scale was ok but then,and we lost it later on,i would love it also if they change somethings to make us feel more that we are in a huge mech..

[CrimsonKaim]

 

There's two options (I think? Or maybe just one) in the settings that allow for this sway, but most people turn it off or to the minimum.

Ofcoruse they do, including me. It just annoys me when I want to aim in fast paced fights. Additionally, cockpit wing doesn't really make you feel like being in a cockpit. It is poorly implemented and doesn't feel realistic at all.

[TriumphantJelly]

Personally I would prefer to feel as though I was in a small but incredibly heavy (after all, they're made of dense metal and huge guns) military-grade but mass produced war machine; we're not that big in-game, but we're (in my opinion) far too floaty.

[MechFighter5e3bf9]

they had details in the first place, they spent all this time shaving them down so we can stop complaining bout the network issues