Poll: first person precision platforming (FPPP)

[nuba km]

As most of you can guess I just watched the latest zero punctuation, it, other ZP reviews and forum comments I see form time to time have left me wiht a question, how many people have problems with FPPP?

I have never found it difficult to platform in the first person prospective, and I used to think that yathzees reviews only complained about it because that's what he does, so... lets find out what people think with this one poll that will be 100% accurate about the entirety of the worlds population.

 

[SuperNova221]

I can't ever remember having any trouble with them. That said I can't think of many exmaples of them. Hm. 1st person in general is just something I have a lot of experience with, find it really easy to judge distances and stuff in it. So yeah, I'll go for the easy option.

 

[Scrustle]

It's not the easiest way to do platforming, but it's fine if done right. Practice helps too. That and being able to see your feet. It really annoys me that you can't see your feet in so many first-person games, especially ones with platforming in.

 

[Kordie]

I'd say it depends on the game and for the most part the controls. As a rule I'd say it's easier to do the jumping puzzles in third person because you can see at any time exactly where all your parts are. First-person jumping around, while not impossible, takes a lot of practise and it's harder to see why you screwed up.

 

[Smooth Operator]

I have yet to see a single game that requires precision platforming in first person, the only reason you find it easy is because they always leave huge margins for error.

It is without a doubt the worst way to do platforming.

 

[klasbo]

First person is easier than third person because you're not wrestling with the camera.
Seeing your own feet is something that has only been introduced quite recently, and it might help some people a bit. For me it doesn't, because I'm used to not having my feet visible.

There might be a PC vs console thing here too, since you (most of the time) need to take a finger off another control (usually look/aim) to jump. Maybe this transfers between systems depending on what your started with. Or it might just be something you'll have to get used to, regardless of controller(s) or first/third person.

 

[skywolfblue]

I pretty much agree with what Yahtzee said in the ZP review.

Portal works because the puzzles are designed around looking through portals, it's more about angle and velocity then precise landings.

"Precision Platforming" on the other hand should be 3rd person, because it's easier to judge exactly how far you missed by. If you're going to require the person to land on a small platform, you need to be able to see their feet to tell where they land.

 

[XMark]

Never had too much of an issue with it, and Mirror's Edge made it even easier by having your feet visible when you look down.

 

[TehCookie]

It depends on the game, it can be done well or badly just like third person platformers. I haven't played many of the newer ones but Jumping Flash, an old PS1 FPPP (wow that's a lot of p's) does it really well. Just a single normal jump makes you hop forward, a double jump will make you look down so you can see your shadow and where you will land. I loved the shit out of that game.

 

[Sixcess]

Portal works because the puzzles are designed around looking through portals, it's more about angle and velocity then precise landings.

Portal also 'cheats', in that I recall Valve saying how they smooth out a lot of the trajectories in subtle ways to avoid the player having to be pixel perfect - which I apreciate as I absolutely hate platforming in 1st person. I never did finish Half Life since I found Xen to be endlessly frustrating and inexact.

 

[Shilkanni]

I recall HL1 and HL2 having noticeable platforming sections, I don't mind it and I feel it can be good for variety. I probably prefer things 'smoothed over' a bit, so that if I do a decent execution I make it and definitely don't like it when it's too unpredictable (like if the physics engine has a box slip out from under you).

It really depends how 'in control' I feel, I remember trying speed runs of Quake and Quake 3 and found that enjoyable and satisfying.

A game should probably pick what it wants to be... if it's very precision controls then you can get away with very challenging stuff and punishing mechanics and be fun. If it doesn't control nicely then I'm going to want more tolerance or checkpoints after I do each 'step' (more like Limbo or Portal - you didn't have to string together too many 'moves' in a row).

 

[DustyDrB]

First-person platforming and first-person melee just feel wrong to me. I can do them, but I'm always thinking, "This would be waaaay better in third-person".

I voted for "I can do it most of the time". But there's my caveat.