What? Are you trying to say that the PS3 limits the ability to have footprints? I certainly hope not because FFXI was on the PS2 and guess what? There where footprints.
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Footprints can easily be achieved with a simple texture addition. It's actually similar to the dust/snow/etc effect currently in-place, but requires no accompanying animation. A similar effect can be seen from video games throughout history, such as when you shoot a gun at a wall and a bullet hole texture is left behind. It's NOT a limitation thing.
Please support :)
Do footprint physics even exist? I meant basic footprints. The lack of footprints can make it hard to tell when you are walking on a rock vs sand. There are currently not even basic footprinting when you run on applicable grounds which is a huge step away from realism/immersion. Which is odd as its a very basic thing in pretty much every game these days and even older games. If SE wanted to go so far as the type of foot-printing you are speaking of that would be interesting but that itself would probably be to much depth and a strain on the game and not a noticeable thing at all. Footprints missing behind a character in a snowfield however, is extremely noticeable.
I'd like foot print too :)
Gosh nobody said this yet?
Well anyway, just to be a bit more definite about it.. a dev' post a while back confirmed footprints will be a feature of the DirectX 11 client.
The reason they didn't start with a DX11 client when they made v2.0 was that a lot of computers still can't run that high a version of DirectX - including the PS3. As such it was just easier to code for the earlier version than exclude a load of potential customers.. and there just plain weren't time or resources enough to make both at once.
As for when? No official estimates. But the popular belief is it's about a year away, seeing as they'll be focusing on testing, launching, and perfecting the PS4 client first. The DirectX 11 update will apparently be a separate client all together, and the features they've talked about it supporting were advanced decals (IE: Footprints), a higher resolution texture pack.. and I think more advanced lighting and aesthetic physics.
As for why footprints aren't a feature of the current client version? No idea. Can't even remember if the rep' response to the last footprints thread explained, either.