A small detail which will save me a lot of time in the long run. The decision I have made is that windows will have a blurry/milky effect over them so they are not completely clear like real life. I have made this decision for two reasons, firstly, I believe the effect achieved with this looks more like what you could see in a old 1990s PC game but with a modern twist to it. In the 1990s it was vital to keep details low so it could run smoothly on the limit hardware of the time, with todays technology we are extremely fortunate to be able to have so much breathing room when it comes to performance and developers can really push the limit of photorealism to the max, I believe the achieved effect works very well with the rest of the artistic 1990s style which I wish to achieve. The limit of photorealism in 1990 were very limited in comparison to todays standard however developers of that time would have considered it a marvel. My second reason for this decision is due to the time I will save, with the effect achieved by these windows, I can keep the detail of levels which the player comes into close proximety high whilst keeping the design of objects that the player cannot reach to a certain level. The blurred effect will allow me to make areas such as the city that the main office level takes place look real and lively but at the same time not extremely detailed and low resolution without the player noticing too much.

In the above screenshots, you can see the examples which the glass material allows me to accomplish with level design, they also provide a great insight into the improvement that the outside looks with and without the glass material inbetween the player and the view.