I would like to ask the game designers on this forum wether a First Person View for a slasher type RPG is literraly 'acceptable' to the average gamer.

What are your thoughts on a First Person slasher view?

p.s. Sorry if this is a little vauge, I would like oppinions on this from a game design perspective, is it just to outdated or out of fashion?

Here is a current mock up of my game with this design for an idea of what I am talking about:




Sorry if this is visual arts, I really want a game design perspective on this.

Well personally I don't like 3rd person perspective unless it's a Strategy game or something similar.

For role-playing I find the FPS view to be much more immersive.

While there are many gamers that like to play games in 3rd person view, I personally also do think that "FPS" view is much more immersive.
But to answer your question a little better -- I think that there is nothing not 'acceptable' on such a game for an average RPG gamer, The Elder Scrolls series are a good example of that, while Skyrim is currently one of the most anticipated games. Of course these games are huge and very well designed in many aspects, but I like them a little more than, let's say, Nevewinter Nights also because of the "FPS" experience.

Are you trying to make something like Mount&Blade (using your weapons like in FPS games with a bonus or penalty based on your stats)? In that case, I would think about if it is going to place a strong emphasis on immersion (for example a horror game like Penumbra).
– If it is, first person camera should be the only choice.
– If it is not, the player could have the option choose between the cameras.

If you are going to make the combat turn-based (like in World of Warcraft or KotOR), however, the third person camera should be the only choice

Are you trying to make something like Mount&Blade (using your weapons like in FPS games with a bonus or penalty based on your stats)? In that case, I would think about if it is going to place a strong emphasis on immersion (for example a horror game like Penumbra).
– If it is, first person camera should be the only choice.
– If it is not, the player could have the option choose between the cameras.

If you are going to make the combat turn-based (like in World of Warcraft or KotOR), however, the third person camera should be the only choice

Thankyou for your reply.

The way my combat system will work is as follows:

-Player mouse clicks target
-Damadge is done on that target ( Taking into account the player 'stats' and wepons/buffs ect. )
-Player cannot click again for .75,1.5... seconds dependant on wepon type.
-The player can move around in real time to attempt to avoid attacks (so can enemies).

So, would you suggest just a first person to get the immersion?

I prefer third-person for melee in general, since first-person makes it impossible to see your character and makes judging distances harder. When shooting things it works fine, but when the difference depends on the length your sword can reach I often find myself missing or getting closer than I have to and putting my guy in danger.

That said, of course it is acceptable. You just have to be careful it doesn't artificially increase the difficulty of winning combat.

The best action game ever in my opinion is Dark Messiah, It is a first person slasher game. I also note that it is superior than mount and blade, the reason i state this is because of how Dark Messiah utilizes physics within the combat system, the direction of your swings can be controlled, and your enemy if hit will react by moving in the direction of the swing, i could go on and on, but you have to play the game to understand the implications of this.
If you do play the game please take your time, and use different difficulty levels because at face value you do not notice the level of design which has gone into the combat systems due to how effortlessly the system works as whole.

Outside of this one game, for a game that is RPG in nature and thus game play is focused mostly on combat I would suggest you DO NOT use first person for melee. 3rd person is so much easier to do right, and considering your current combat design, it is insufficient to create any usable first person melee system. If you use first person you will lose much more than you would gain from the immersion gained.

I also think first person can add more immersion. I had been looking for an RPG with a first person view a while ago, but I couldn't find one...I thought it would be interesting because it wouldn't be like every other F2P: click on your enemy and watch them die, or hit 1/2/3 to speed up the progress.
The combat would have to be designed with this aspect in mind, however. What I mean is you can't make a game like Warcraft III into a first person view because it adds immersion. In that game, you need your 3rd person view to command your army. So long as you think first person won't get in the way, I think it would add more interesting combat that involves the player more.

Echoing what others have said here, I think the perspective's foremost priority is providing the player with as much accessiblity to the game as possible. Oftentimes FP adds a layer of immersion, but that does not mean it's always the best choice. For instance, I don't think I would've liked a first person perspective in KotOR just you don't really have 1:1 control over your characters' actions, and in certain situations I would probably find it frustrating being stuck with a first-person perspective without a greater degree of 1:1 control. Just keep in mind, you shouldn't haev to force a mechanic on any game, it should fit in naturally.