The Loading Screens - Kept or Removed?

[south carmain]

Only when necessary otherwise I would rather not have to wait just for the sake of seeing some info about the game location.

[Zoltor]

Even though it may not need loading screens(although it using the crappy Blu-ray format, I'm sure it will), I hope there's these transitions screens in Shenmue 3. Make them last for atleast 5 seconds.

The Shenmue games have a nack of turning the most mundane, and widely perceived to be negative things, into big benefits, which these loading screens are a prime example of such.

Well anyway, like I hinted at, I don't think taking them out will be crossing anyone's mind, since this is for the PS4, and we all know, anything on that thing, needs atleast 30-45 seconds to load.

[FlagshipFighter]

Agreed 100%, I like that feeling of presence. I still remember from shenmue 1 just before Nozomi gets kidnapped it shows the loading screen of 2am or something and I was like whaaaa? Love the genuine feeling of suprise both games had like this when they disrupt the usual/daily routine/cycle.

It certainly added a feeling of surprise and anticipation.

The "loading screens" in the latest interview got me thinking a bit more. They are not crucial for gameplay but do make you pay attention to the area name, date and time. This makes you more aware of the world as a whole. Showing information in a corner like in GTA5 is ok but less effective for that purpose. So I would keep them but show them a shorter time. And give the player the option to skip them if wanted.

[FlagshipFighter]

Agreed 100%, I like that feeling of presence. I still remember from shenmue 1 just before Nozomi gets kidnapped it shows the loading screen of 2am or something and I was like whaaaa? Love the genuine feeling of suprise both games had like this when they disrupt the usual/daily routine/cycle.

It certainly added a feeling of surprise and anticipation.

The "loading screens" in the latest interview got me thinking a bit more. They are not crucial for gameplay but do make you pay attention to the area name, date and time. This makes you more aware of the world as a whole. Showing information in a corner like in GTA5 is ok but less effective for that purpose. So I would keep them but show them a shorter time. And give the player the option to skip them if wanted.

Does gta still do that? If so I played over a hundred hours of gta5 without noticing it so I guess it's not a very effective system lol

[FlagshipFighter]

Agreed 100%, I like that feeling of presence. I still remember from shenmue 1 just before Nozomi gets kidnapped it shows the loading screen of 2am or something and I was like whaaaa? Love the genuine feeling of suprise both games had like this when they disrupt the usual/daily routine/cycle.

It certainly added a feeling of surprise and anticipation.

The "loading screens" in the latest interview got me thinking a bit more. They are not crucial for gameplay but do make you pay attention to the area name, date and time. This makes you more aware of the world as a whole. Showing information in a corner like in GTA5 is ok but less effective for that purpose. So I would keep them but show them a shorter time. And give the player the option to skip them if wanted.

Does gta still do that? If so I played over a hundred hours of gta5 without noticing it so I guess it's not a very effective system lol

Not sure about the GTA games but I think the implementation of time for other games I've played like Red Dead and MGSV works really well for that type of gameplay where it affects several things but not shown on screen. I especially like the wolf-whisle at midnight which is a general reminder to subconsciously keep track of time. Probably wouldn't work for shenmue 3 though, if that game demands the same level of immersion and variable factors of the prior two games.

It's kinda ironic seeing how most people hate persistent UI in games these days. The watchface is real important, but I'm more interested in how the face buttons from Shenmue 2 will be handled, can they be removed? I think the context they provide is too valuable given all the things you do in that game. It would be a little strange (but cool) seeing them w/o no colour for the PS4 versions if they do bring it back.

Also worthy note: I'm not a zelda fan or anything, but I think the latest game at e3 this year had really nice and minimal UI. Would kinda like to see a similar thing for shenmue 3 but the original games were good too with character, we wouldn't want anything too bland...

Tl;dr I am crazy and that's okay 'cause shenmue 3 will Rock our socks off!

[mrandyk]

Agreed 100%, I like that feeling of presence. I still remember from shenmue 1 just before Nozomi gets kidnapped it shows the loading screen of 2am or something and I was like whaaaa? Love the genuine feeling of suprise both games had like this when they disrupt the usual/daily routine/cycle.

It certainly added a feeling of surprise and anticipation.

The "loading screens" in the latest interview got me thinking a bit more. They are not crucial for gameplay but do make you pay attention to the area name, date and time. This makes you more aware of the world as a whole. Showing information in a corner like in GTA5 is ok but less effective for that purpose. So I would keep them but show them a shorter time. And give the player the option to skip them if wanted.

Does gta still do that? If so I played over a hundred hours of gta5 without noticing it so I guess it's not a very effective system lol

Playing GTA 5 again now, they definitely do prompt you with different regions as you enter them in either the bottom left or right corner of the screen. Usually you're driving and your focus is anywhere but this corner of the screen. If it was important to know that you had just entered Vespucci Beach or Vinewood or whatever other neighborhoods they would make it more noticeable, but it's really unimportant for the player to know in that game.

[Toua77]

I liked for the time, but there's not hardware limitations anymore.

They can be clever now and still keep the spirit of it. Add some kind of smooth transition of him going into a strangers home/business or new area. I imagine things being dim or blurry when Ryo enters someone's home or business to simulate Ryo getting his bearings and the uneasiness of entering a place he's never been. Cut the music slowly in. Exaggerate the act of him going into a sacred space(Home, business). Opening the door more tentatively or gently moving back a tarp curtain to cover for the loading time. Once he's been in the place, obviously a different story and he wouldn't be as nervous going in the next time(Depending on if they're a friendly person or not or if they have high status in the village ). I'm sure there's more than 1 way to do it besides a black loading screen.

I just don't believe loading screens to that extent work 18 or however many years later. I want them to at least try to advance the spirit of game considering they have better hardware and one of the most creative minds ever in the industry.

[Zoltor]

I liked for the time, but there's not hardware limitations anymore.

They can be clever now and still keep the spirit of it. Add some kind of smooth transition of him going into a strangers home/business or new area. I imagine things being dim or blurry when Ryo enters someone's home or business to simulate Ryo getting his bearings and the uneasiness of entering a place he's never been. Cut the music slowly in. Exaggerate the act of him going into a sacred space(Home, business). Opening the door more tentatively or gently moving back a tarp curtain to cover for the loading time. Once he's been in the place, obviously a different story and he wouldn't be as nervous going in the next time(Depending on if they're a friendly person or not or if they have high status in the village ). I'm sure there's more than 1 way to do it besides a black loading screen.

I just don't believe loading screens to that extent work 18 or however many years later. I want them to at least try to advance the spirit of game considering they have better hardware and one of the most creative minds ever in the industry.

Blu-ray is a bigger hardware limitation then the DC or any non-Blu-ray based system had. It's so bad.

[Let's Get Sweaty]

Blu-ray is a bigger hardware limitation then the DC or any non-Blu-ray based system had. It's so bad.

I wonder if it's too late to switch development onto the N64.

[BlueMue]

Blu-ray is a bigger hardware limitation then the DC or any non-Blu-ray based system had. It's so bad.

That's why they started to include mandatory installs on the PS3 and we now have full installations for everything.
Hard drives make the loading quick enough, even though their speed didn't quite keep up with the speed and amount of RAM that the systems have nowadays.

By the way, Zoltor, you don't need to do a full quote of the post right above you every time, especially if there is nothing in you post that picks up anything from the quote.

[Zoltor]

Reading it off a HD, Isn't all that much faster, It's only about 20% faster(talking about the stock HDs, not SSDs, which are faster). Frankly optical media shouldn't even have been used last gen, but this gen, It's so bad, can't wait until all that dies, because needing to install games on a HD for consoles, is complete BS, and what for, to make it load slightly faster, yet still be slow.

[fittersau]

No loading screens, completely unnecessary with level streaming that UE4 has. As I play through Shenmue 1 again, these screens kinda annoy me.

[Ad.earns]

The loading screens were fine at the time, but can you imagine having them as frequently now? If anything they take away from the experience, every few minutes you have time to look at something else instead of the game. The thing with seeing the time there i don't think is a valid point because even if you don't look at the clock in the corner now, if you had to keep your eye on it then I'm sure everyone would.

[BlueMue]

It's not about the time. It's the fact that the loading screens tell you the name of the area that you're about to enter.

There is some balance that the game will have to achieve. On one hand it's nice if the entire playing field is just one giant interconnected area where you can go in and out of buildings and shops without any break of flow. I'd like to see that in a Shenmue game. It would be awesome to have the entire Wan Chai as one area.

The loading screens are a part of Shenmue however. They characterize the game and the developers also used them to enrich parts of the experience. Since every area has to be loaded every area has it's own unique music in Shenmue II. I have a fear, that with just one large area without loading there will be less music and the different parts of the area will be less differentiated and lose some of their unique feeling. This is especially true for all the little shops and I think we can all agree that the load times for these are handled quite well in Shenmue II. The load time is short and if you get out of the shop there isn't even a load screen at all, just a very quick transition. I wouldn't mind if they keep that up for shops and other buildings in Shenmue III.

Now of course they can nail the feeling of the old games with todays technology if they just put the effort into it.
If they just take care to differentiate the sub areas enough and have their music fade in and out into each other.
I know this works, Mafia does this for it's city where each district has it's own music and I know Yu and his team can pull it of right.

We just have to see what Yu Suzuki is going for and what kind of tone he wants to set.

[SMDzero]

It's not about the time. It's the fact that the loading screens tell you the name of the area that you're about to enter.

There is some balance that the game will have to achieve. On one hand it's nice if the entire playing field is just one giant interconnected area where you can go in and out of buildings and shops without any break of flow. I'd like to see that in a Shenmue game. It would be awesome to have the entire Wan Chai as one area.

The loading screens are a part of Shenmue however. They characterize the game and the developers also used them to enrich parts of the experience. Since every area has to be loaded every area has it's own unique music in Shenmue II. I have a fear, that with just one large area without loading there will be less music and the different parts of the area will be less differentiated and lose some of their unique feeling. This is especially true for all the little shops and I think we can all agree that the load times for these are handled quite well in Shenmue II. The load time is short and if you get out of the shop there isn't even a load screen at all, just a very quick transition. I wouldn't mind if they keep that up for shops and other buildings in Shenmue III.

Now of course they can nail the feeling of the old games with todays technology if they just put the effort into it.
If they just take care to differentiate the sub areas enough and have their music fade in and out into each other.
I know this works, Mafia does this for it's city where each district has it's own music and I know Yu and his team can pull it of right.

We just have to see what Yu Suzuki is going for and what kind of tone he wants to set.

Well in Diddy Kong racing the music changed when you went into different areas of the hub world. I think it worked reasonably well.