Comments on: Depth of Field http://www.aelon.net/2006/08/depth-of-field/ Random babblings from a few digitally inclined people Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:08:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: sheps http://www.aelon.net/2006/08/depth-of-field/#comment-2097 Mon, 28 Aug 2006 10:10:50 +0000 http://www.aelon.net/2006/08/depth-of-field/#comment-2097 Depth of Field in and of itself is a cool effect, but I feel that in a lot of cases games would use it to their detriment. as you've stated above, RTSs would suck with it, although there would be some interesting applications from a storytelling point of view. Ultimately our wallets will decide the usefulness of this feature, as with just about everything else. Depth of Field in and of itself is a cool effect, but I feel that in a lot of cases games would use it to their detriment. as you’ve stated above, RTSs would suck with it, although there would be some interesting applications from a storytelling point of view. Ultimately our wallets will decide the usefulness of this feature, as with just about everything else.

]]> by: Brutal http://www.aelon.net/2006/08/depth-of-field/#comment-2094 Thu, 24 Aug 2006 12:14:08 +0000 http://www.aelon.net/2006/08/depth-of-field/#comment-2094 Depth of field, although a cool effect, should be restricted to cutscenes. In this screenshot, the DOF makes the town look like a minature model - much like <a href="http://www.boingboing.net/2006/01/27/photographer_takes_p.html" rel="nofollow">Tilt-shift photography</a>. Depth of field, although a cool effect, should be restricted to cutscenes. In this screenshot, the DOF makes the town look like a minature model - much like Tilt-shift photography.

]]> by: Head881 http://www.aelon.net/2006/08/depth-of-field/#comment-2093 Thu, 24 Aug 2006 02:07:00 +0000 http://www.aelon.net/2006/08/depth-of-field/#comment-2093 The screen shot you've provided really bothers my eyes. Instead of looking at the picture as a whole, my eyes are constantly being drawn to the blurred edges in order to bring them into focus. I knew an art student who would probably call this a "hole" in the picture, that being a particular spot where your eyes are drawn to automatically, as opposed to a well composed picture which your eye is supposed to travel around. I agree with you that this effect would be an interesting and realistic option to include in a FPS game, as the center of the screen generally counts as your P.O.V. and the mouse moves the camera/head like you would if you were looking around. It makes absolutely no sense to use an effect like this in any kind of strategy game where the player is given a "God's Eye View" of the action. The player in these games is supposed to be essentially omniscient of the area of the game viewable on his/her display. Or in the case of games that use the "fog-of-war" the player has knowledge of the collective views of all their units and buildings. As to finding this feature in games like Command &#38; Conquer or Supreme Commander, it simply wouldn't make sense. Both games take place at some point in the future, the former much closer to our own time than the latter. Considering the real-world's army is even now at near 100% operational awareness of the combat zone it is ludicrous to think future armies would be hampered in such a way. The feature might make sense in a medieval/fantasy setting, but even then its a stretch. The screen shot you’ve provided really bothers my eyes. Instead of looking at the picture as a whole, my eyes are constantly being drawn to the blurred edges in order to bring them into focus. I knew an art student who would probably call this a “hole” in the picture, that being a particular spot where your eyes are drawn to automatically, as opposed to a well composed picture which your eye is supposed to travel around.

I agree with you that this effect would be an interesting and realistic option to include in a FPS game, as the center of the screen generally counts as your P.O.V. and the mouse moves the camera/head like you would if you were looking around.

It makes absolutely no sense to use an effect like this in any kind of strategy game where the player is given a “God’s Eye View” of the action. The player in these games is supposed to be essentially omniscient of the area of the game viewable on his/her display. Or in the case of games that use the “fog-of-war” the player has knowledge of the collective views of all their units and buildings.

As to finding this feature in games like Command & Conquer or Supreme Commander, it simply wouldn’t make sense. Both games take place at some point in the future, the former much closer to our own time than the latter. Considering the real-world’s army is even now at near 100% operational awareness of the combat zone it is ludicrous to think future armies would be hampered in such a way.

The feature might make sense in a medieval/fantasy setting, but even then its a stretch.

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