10 Secret Ways Video Games Make You Feel Like A Badass
7. The Secrets Of "Collision Meshes"
Okay, so this one is a very, very specific (and singular) circumstance, here, but a very novel and interesting one nonetheless.
"Collision meshes" are what determine what can collide with what, and they’re usually a much simpler shape/size when compared to the art/visible model you see on-screen. So, when a character punches another character, two completely invisible collision meshes have registered a collision "inside" the model you see, totally independent of the actual punching action seen on-screen.
An old colleague once told me how, when working on a famous franchise involving a lot of aerial dogfights, that when locked on to the enemy craft, the enemy’s collision mesh would gradually increase in size with time (effectively making it easier to hit). This meant that, the longer you were chasing/firing at a foe, the higher chance you had of hitting it.
The same thing was true of the player ship, but in reverse - the more enemies that were chasing you, the smaller your collision mesh/hitbox would gradually become, to make you seem like an evasive, nippy flying ace.
Incidentally, the longer you stay in my presence, the bigger and more punchable my face becomes, too.