feat: moved piano footstool closer to piano to prevent camera issues

[dribbleondo]

fixes #230

[Ocean-Minnow]

This is tested and functional, but for some reason something about moving a prop bothers something in my mind. I can't place why at all so I'll give it a bit for anyone else to give potential feedback then merge if I still can't figure out what's nibbling at me.

[VoodooHillbilly]

something about moving a prop bothers something in my mind.

You were fine with moving the Paris cake for a potential piece of intel though. 😝

Going by these pics of before and after the PR, maybe halfway between the 2 positions would look a little more natural. That's assuming it doesn't affect standing up from the Kronstadt chair. That way it would look like it still has room to be sat on to watch the pianist.

[Ocean-Minnow]

You were fine with moving the Paris cake for a potential piece of intel though. 😝

No I wasn't! I suggested like 30 other solutions and I have no idea why that bothered me either! 😄

[VoodooHillbilly]

Ah ok. I completely forgot about that. That one bugged me too.

To me, it seems fine to move this footstool (hassock?) enough that it doesn't conflict with the chair animations & camera. Currently the fix moves it too close to the piano.

[dribbleondo]

To me, it seems fine to move this footstool (hassock?) enough that it doesn't conflict with the chair animations & camera. Currently the fix moves it too close to the piano.

If I put it closer to the chair, then there's a squeeze with a gap between the piano and the footstool that looks possible to pass, when it isn't. Putting it closer to the Piano avoids that.

While I agree, short of moving the piano and the chair in front of the Piano also, I can't really do much about it.

[dribbleondo]

This is tested and functional, but for some reason something about moving a prop bothers something in my mind. I can't place why at all so I'll give it a bit for anyone else to give potential feedback then merge if I still can't figure out what's nibbling at me.

This isn't any different to what IO did to a part of Colorado when they moved a few props around to clear up some traversal back in 2023.

[VoodooHillbilly]

If I put it closer to the chair, then there's a squeeze with a gap between the piano and the footstool that looks possible to pass, when it isn't. Putting it closer to the Piano avoids that.

Yeah that makes sense. The collision boxes can be really bad.

This isn't any different to what IO did to a part of Colorado when they moved a few props around to clear up some traversal back in 2023.

The difference there is IOI officially chose to move them for a fix vs us unofficially moving desserts and furniture to avoid bugs they haven't addressed. Not a huge difference for some people, but it leads to subjective opinions about where things "should" go.

[dribbleondo]

The difference there is IOI officially chose to move them for a fix vs us unofficially moving desserts and furniture to avoid bugs they haven't addressed. Not a huge difference for some people, but it leads to subjective opinions about where things "should" go.

Let's rundown what this patch does:

This is moving a footstool in the safehouse to fix a squeeze issue. A place that is neither in combat, nor able to have guns be used inside the cripple box which affects 96% of the safehouse. If this change was made in Colorado, or really anywhere else in the main game, sure, I could at least understand the argument presented here. I'd probably be just as against it too. We shouldn't be making balance decisions, even if it's moving a table slightly; leave that to IO. However, the difference here is that the safehouse is a pacified, neutral zone where only a very small amount of actions are allowed, and only in specific places. Moving a footstool is not gonna change the gameplay balance of anything related to the safehouse. This is to clear up a squeeze, it's not providing extra cover in a gun battle or making it easier to get to your target.

This patch specifically should not be a controversial change.

I can understand the controversy moving Paris' frote cake as that is messing with gameplay expectations so moving a safe would be undesirable, and moving the cake would be messing with that rooms' layout, which is a big part of Freelancer. That makes total sense to run the gamut of opinions on where to place the cake. Moving a footstool a few centimetres...doesn't, for all the reasons I stated above.

[VoodooHillbilly]

A "few" dozen cm would be more accurate. The new position so close to the piano looks bad. Have you tried rotating the chair slightly?

[Ocean-Minnow]

I will also add that I was completely able to walk between the piano and the footstool without this patch, and the chair was accessible and usable from both sides, so I only view this as an issue with the camera. For that reason, I think that moving it as little as is needed to not make the camera bug would be the best course of action.

[...] the safehouse is a pacified, neutral zone where only a very small amount of actions are allowed, and only in specific places. Moving a footstool is not gonna change the gameplay balance of anything related to the safehouse. This is to clear up a squeeze, it's not providing extra cover in a gun battle or making it easier to get to your target.

This is kind of a moot point, imo - since the safehouse is only about aesthetics and visuals, only the aesthetics and visuals matter, and so we should be paying attention to how the aesthetics and visuals are affected by any changes.

[dribbleondo]

I will also add that I was completely able to walk between the piano and the footstool without this patch

That was never really the original issue.

I only view this as an issue with the camera. For that reason, I think that moving it as little as is needed to not make the camera bug would be the best course of action.

Fine, I'll readjust the collision box and the footstall to adhere to that.

only the aesthetics and visuals matter, and so we should be paying attention to how the aesthetics and visuals are affected by any changes.

Yes, that is rather my point.

[dribbleondo]

Is this satisfactory? I also rotated the collision box for the kronstadt chair as that was also causing issues. Both sides are now accessible by walking.

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/8391bef0-f243-4de9-a36a-657e7589d862

[dribbleondo]

Updated the file with the new entity changes and values.

Can we LGTM now?

[Ocean-Minnow]

I'll wait for @VoodooHillbilly 's opinion before I make any calls myself.

[VoodooHillbilly]

LGTM now.

[Ocean-Minnow]

Well in that case, I have a problem with it...

Nah, I'm just kidding :p