Most environments will have to be expanded by necessity. The full 3D action game-play demands expansions for most things - camera movement, character movement, in-field enemies and combat.
Having cramped environments in 3D action-based games is a nightmare for game-play.
We really don't want a game where you have to maneuver Cloud across a church roof-beam that's like, what? 40cms wide?
Or a game where you have to fight the guy on the giant swinging scythe in the cramped piano room of Shinra mansion.
Worst case scenario -
"
OH! Would you look at that, the camera is fetched, I'm stuck in a chair, and the thing I'm fighting is wailing on me like no tomorrow and nobody is healing me because they're all out in the hallway! Thanks Nomura!"
And like Octo pointed out - the original had messed up geometry for the most part. Most buildings in FFVII had really weird and deformed looks to fit the short blocky characters.
Okay this argument is about the UI to an unfinished game. And yes, the fact that it is unfinished does make all the difference, because we know the UI could still change if the testers say it doesn't work.
Everyone chill
Not to harp on about this, but again, that is not thr argument. We're not discussing whether the U.I might change or in what way. We're discussing the U.I in terms of what it means
as it is right now. Yes, for all we know, the U.I might radically change, especially based on focus-testing feedback. Indeed the very controller set-up might change going forward. Again though, the way it's designed
right now, would be a clear sign of the L and R button relating to interacting with the command menu, such as scrolling commands, or command menu pages, not the characters.
Looking at that U.I thinking its for character change, makes about as much sense as looking at the target indicators on the floor, and the missiles in the air, and reaching the conclusion that the target indicators is for the guard scorpion's tail laser attack, not the missiles.
That too might change for all we know. Maybe the missile attack will get dumped. Maybe the target reticules will disappear or get redesigned. It's all besides the point though - the person who did that design, granted what's going on in the picture, will have made that design to best convey the systems as they are right now, and that will be true for U.I elements early in development as well as late in development.
It's not a random process, where you can simply say - "we can't tell what anything is for in this picture, because after all it's just a temp!"
A temp U.I is not the same as a random U.I or a misleading U.I.
Granted, it could just be horribly designed. I'm just saying, as an argument - The amount of U.I designers in AAA game development who'd screw up that badly is very, very, very low.
I second the "Everyone chill."
For whatever it's worth, I personally trust and value hian's insight based on past developments (and hope that temporary self-exile is very short-lived indeed). Likewise, I recognize that for some folks, "part of the fun exchanging ideas" will include hanging onto hopes (about gameplay, story, etc.) for as long as possible.
Don't worry. Just a few more months. I too respect and understand people's desires to hold on to specific ideas or opinion, or to just express them and not have people like me pounce on them.
I do think the onus for controlling communication at this level on a forum is the person being responded to, not the person responding though. Don't want to argue, don't argue.
I think there's a problem thinking you should be free to post an opinion, and then dictate the terms of replies, or whether or not people ought even reply, whilst replying with cart blanch in return.
I've shouldered my share of criticism on this forum as well, have also changed my opinions on topics, and accepted criticism as well - so I hope I've at least proven in the eyes of the regulars who're familiar with my posts that I'm not some impregnable wall of demon text, who just feeds off of scalpelling my way through other people's posts.
