The issue with elevators is not making them in the engine, it’s making the NPCs use them/integrate them in their routine.
Same type of reason for a prison level.
For the prison level, NPC don’t have a faction system nor a way to check restricted areas for other NPCs (that’s why you can coin them everywhere and why they are not limited/blocked when they panic and need to flee). When the team implemented one allied NPC (Diana) it was apparently a behemoth of a task (and a bit jury rigged).
It could potentially be made, but that’s more of a sequel/long term prototype and implementation improvement than a post launch one. (it also looks like the kind of system with a lot of potential for conflicts)
As for the elevator I don’t remember exactly where they talked about them, but from the way they talked I would be surprised if they didn’t at least prototype them.
I think the issue was on pathing.
Maybe it just broke, maybe it can works fine when close by but breaks once the NPC are out of sight/far away and goes into their simplified ai mode.
Maybe it demands too much ressource for too little (this remarks is for both development ressource and the engine ressource).
I’m preparing a post for hitman general with transcripts of the IOI live, monthly and extras akin to what I did for the IOI extra in september. It could be useful to have all those informations in one place.
I’m a bit better, but still in isolation so I will try to double my efforts on it, but don’t expect it before two/three weeks.
Now I know it might be too late, but for a question : can we have a bunch of useless but fun statistics about the game ?
- what is the most failed ET
- who is the most killed NPC (it’s going to be the one on the skybridge in Chongqing, isn’t ?)
- who is the NPC whose clothes were the most stolen ?
- what are the least used items used in the loadout ? (could be a great way to challenge us)
- …