But I do feel strongly about making too many items 'optional', I think it waters down the game you are designing when you try to cater for everyone's tastes and ideas. Sometimes it is better to be true to your vision to ensure consistency.
Been busy so apologies for the late reply on a dying topic.
I disagree with you - look at the popularity of games that can be modded, or at the very least tailored to the player's own desires. A games designer is not a perfect being and is someone who also has their own preferences which will, naturally, affect their work. I have the same argument with a colleague at work every now and again as she always designs and writes her application with the same fonts and same colours - ones that she likes. I always write mine in such a way that the user can alter as much as possible. If they're going to sit in front of this thing all day I want THEM to choose what fonts and colours they want, even if I find it a hideous mess!
I agree that where options affect competitiveness more care needs to be taken. For example there is a valid argument that third person view affects a player's competitiveness so that really has to be designer decision, and I accept Frontier's choice here. Having said that, we have solo play and, as we've seen from the videos Frontier have released, they already have the code to make external views so would it really be of any significance to anyone else in the world if someone chose to play the entire game in third person, single player mode? I can't imagine how anyone could give a damn about that. Far from "watering down" the game it simply enhances the individual's experience of the designer's imperfect, personal vision. How many people play Skyrim without a bunch of mods?
It looks as though Frontier will provide a linear radar seeing as there has been quite a big call for it. Both linear and logarithmic have pros and cons; I'd suggest neither was the "path of least resistance" best option so no harm, even though it's obvious that Braben personally prefers logarithmic. So who cares who picks what? Personally I'd place the cockpit wobble, view leading, cockpit/HUD colours and on-screen avatar firmly into the same category, with the addition that 2 of those are clearly making people feel ill - obviously the designers aren't feeling this or they'd change it for themselves. But the fact that people are, even at this stage with a limited number of players, should point out it's an issue. Not to you, the designers, or me, but to some others. Does it really affect your game that someone is seeing a different thing to you where there is no discernible advantage, even it varies from what you or the designers see as a cohesive vision?
On the subject of competitiveness I don't even personally care about that - I'd quite happily have third person and HUD only views as options and wouldn't care what other players were using (although I accept Frontier's decisions on these). I also find it quite humorous when I read claims of some trivial advantage from people sitting there with £100+ HOTAS setups, multi-monitors, TrackIR/Oculus Rift, etc. It seems it's fine to buy an advantage but not to have an option to stop you feeling sick! That, I cannot understand.
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