NeutralDrow said:
Treblaine said:
It's not a matter of physics, it's a matter of innate human logic physics, even if conservation of momentum is defied.
But sometimes human logic physics is wrong. Actual oversized weapons throughout history (the ones that were actually intended for combat) could give the impression of being heavy and powerful, but <url=http://thearma.org/essays/2HGS.html>really weren't the former. And even a heavier example of a sword could be swung with ease if well-made; unlike bowling balls, swords are
designed to be swung around.
Same with the shotgun; it's much easier to accept that a shotgun could blast an unbraced target back several feet, while the experienced and prepared gunwielder can be hit with similar recoil (slightly less momentum, since the shotgun weighs more than the fired ammo) but compensate for it.
I don't disagree that realistic basis is a good guideline, but reality itself is wonky enough to make the line spectacularly blurry. Unless I totally misunderstood, of course.
The examples you give of historical weapons are quite reasonable in size and weight especially for a larger man in peak physical condition to wield with certain conservative tactics. But I'm not talking about a depiction like that in games.
I'm talking about things like Cloud's Buster Sword which is an absolutely massive hunk of metal, probably a type of steel alloy or similar.
The bowling ball was ana analogy of how momentum can screw you, a normal person swinging such a massive weapon around. Presumably Cloud uses magic in order to lift it, or he is somehow supernaturally strong, but the problem is to spite it having the surface appearances of solid steel the way it moves leaves the impression it is a painted steel effect over styrofoam! At least in this pose he seems to take some effort to support the mass, but other poses he twirls it like a rapier! In Advent Children the animators did a much better job of making the Buster Sword seem like a powerful and heavy weapon.
"But sometimes human logic physics is wrong."
Exactly. Real world physics are a guide, while in a video game the designer is god of that world, they can tweak physics and physiology to suit their vision, like how an animator might use "Roadrunner Logic" for dramatic effect. Now Momentum gets pretty complicated when you have the lead-shot impacting against their deformable flesh in their centre of gravity, might that propel them further back than the same force applied to the breech-face of a heavy shotgun (that may have a recoil absorbing assembly) from someone who is holding the weapon firmly and has prepared to "absorb" the recoil such as leaning into it with feet braced (ergo, momentum transferred to earth's rotation).
So I suppose there is a real-physics basis for the "fly back from shotgun blast" effect, that is so vital to give the weapon a sense of power against the cannon-fodder enemies. But I'm mindful that Mythbusters have done some tests, like shooting at precariously perched crash test dummies (same size/density as a person/zombie) and a full shotgun blast just tipped them over as if caught by a brisk breeze. But they may have missed something...
I believe that considering all that, the artist needs to ask what is more important in their game: to be an accurate physics simulator, or to make a good game.
Thing is, physics can be FUN, especially when you get to exploit power-square and power-cube effects you can have the enjoyment of doing a lot with a little. There are times to break the rules and there are times to de things that defy "common sense".
"Common sense" says a 2000lbs plane cannot fly, but a combination of hard to perceive and subtle phenomena exploited by the large surface area of wings allows such craft to lift into the air as if by magic. There are other physical phenomena one can introduce into games to help the artist walk the fine line between amazement and maintaining sense of disbelief as with the right presentation it's "all physically possible".
Like Portal. Once you suspend you disbelief over the space bending portals you then can have great fun exploiting conservation of momentum flinging yourself through portals.
Another Valve game here, in a Half Life 2 episode Gordon can propel himself a massive distance by throwing a grenade under a metal sheet, then standing on the metal sheet the pressure of the explosion acts over a huge area and throws the sheet up and Gordon with it, catapulting him to an inaccessible area.
