Hi Mike,
I'm actually somewhat surprised to hear this coming from a designer. I debated for a while on whether to respond to this thread, because in doing so (and to provide context) I feel like I would also have to "out" myself. My experience has been that designers strive for parity and equity within their player base, in order to appeal to as broad a number of users as possible. This not an accusation in ANY way that your viewpoint is in opposition to this, but it does give the folks with the hardware (Oculus / TrackIR) a distinct advantage in combat. To some degree, this is unavoidable: someone using only keyboard / mouse will be at a disadvantage to someone with a Saitek x52 or similar HOTAS. But levelling the playing field and providing as much parity as possible has always been one of my goals as a designer.
You see, A long time ago in a galaxy far far away, I was a game system designer and content designer for X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter and X-Wing Alliance (and several other flight combat games since). And while I have moved on to other areas of game design, I have a lot of experience with flight combat and multiplayer considerations, and wide disparity in user hardware. I say this not to "toot my own horn" so to speak, but more to provide context that I truly understand the challenges, tough decisions and considerations that you, as a designer, have to make every day.
There are a myriad of design solutions that in my experience have been "low hanging fruit / low risk" that can potentially level the playing field on this topic. As mentioned above, resetting the default forward view on the target going behind the cockpit, activating silent running, and other situations would be relatively easy, and yet still give the hardware folks a bit of an unavoidable edge. Still, there's not a lot of need to reinvent the wheel here, so it really comes down to design philosophy. I'm curious what that philosophy is that is at the heart of your distaste for such a feature. I'd love to hear why you feel so strongly against a padlock view.
Please understand it's not my intention in the slightest to put you on the defensive or "demand" you to justify your design decisions. I'm genuinely interested in your viewpoint on why a padlock view (with a few conditions and exceptions) is undesirable from one designer to another. I actually fall somewhat outside this argument because quite frankly, as soon as the commercial Oculus Rift is available, you can bet your shiny new Imperial Courier that I'll be picking one up. But also, speaking as a father of a very active (and rambunctious) 3 year old, I can't always strap a piece of hardware on my head, lest the boy start climbing the china cabinet or de-whiskering the cat. (Yes, sadly, these attempts have been made). A padlock view in a flight combat game is, for me at least, extremely immersive. So why exclude it?
I'd love to hear your response and your design view, if you're willing to share it.
Kindest Regards,
Another Space Combat Designer. (High-five!)
PS - I am so excited for this game- I'm really seriously fanboying out over it on a daily basis, and you guys are doing a phenomenal job. I love the direction the game is going (and am enjoying the Alpha tremendously), and look forward to seeing the solutions you find to the challenges ahead. My very best to the entire team!
PPS - I don't suppose you're looking for contract designers who can work off site?