Which was exactly my point, did you even read my first post :S
V
I'd like to point out that while things do usually make realistic sense, there's also a motif of incompetence in the tf2 theme.
Top secret rooms, with giant windows that let you stare right in, important intelligence sitting on a desk, this job has worked 0 days, etc.
I'd argue that a watch tower sitting in a pit like that, and not being able to see anything works fine with tf2's theme, and doesn't really break immersion either.
I was under the impression you were saying the opposite right here.
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To expand on the discussions current path, Shmitz is quite right. There are multiple methods of justifying odd scenario's. By improving the consistancy of the narrative through designing your maps content in relation to the narrative, better conforming with the narrative's rules and grounding in reality, and/or lampshading.
Such odd scenario's will need visual support in the map (such as binoculors and 'mission notes') to have them justified, rather than having the player assume that something otherwise out of the ordenary, like a watchtower that sees nothing, or like the presence of a dinosaur model in your map, must have some logical explination for existing in a TF2 map. But that it is simply out of our comprehension. It is our job to make these connections in order to tell the story our map presents to players.
The story telling process comes through in the designing of your map, like it does through the adjectives on a page of text, each part of your map tells a story that allows us to relate to it and immerse ourselves. As an alternative we can have amusing unrealistic scenario's justified through this lampshading device. Spytech forms a tool for this device with its abstract-ness.
By including visual cue's that further justify the environment presented, we have followed a design process that allows us to keep our players immersed in an otherwise questionable environment. Unfortunately arena_watchtower does not utilise these cue's, the narrative conflicts and our immersion remains broken.
I actually wanted to touch on this concept but didn't really see an opening that article pretty much explains that for us though. I'll add it into the OP somewhere.
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