The Camera

[nicethugbert]

Please, will someone in the game industry be the first to get the camera right? Please, OEI, let it be you.

 

The problem with cameras in games is not the endless debate about zoom and person. Although, that too needs a solution. But, it's trivial: let the player choose instead of imposing it on them.

 

The one thing no one has come close to solving, to my knowledge, is camera pitch. No one goes up a slope with their face in it unless they are climbing, even then, they get to look up and around. But that's what happens in games. Every hill no matter how small is right in the players face as the PC walks up it. It's like someone takiing his mommy to seriously when she said watch where you are going. Or, was it one to many purple worm ambushes?.

 

The camera angle is all wrong in all these games when going up a slope. Somebody plz fix this for once by letting the camera follow the terrain. Thx.

 

Well, there is another problem all too common in computer game cameras, it drags the mouse around. Try clicking on the ground some where for your PC to move there and right clicking on your opponent. Even if he stays in one spot, the camera will drag the mouse pointer away making it difficult to point for no reason. The best solution I have seen so far, as it's not good enough. Is near cam in NWN2. The idea is right. But it's hard coded too near. The camera does not need to drag the mouse until the PC is at the edge of the screen.

 

To add, I like the DA camera, all things considered. My only problem with it, besides the two above, is that it needs a few intermediate angles in it's zoom range. The change from high to low angles is a bit too abrupt. Some more zoom would be good too in some areas where the FOV is blocked by tall stuff.

Edited July 5, 2010 by nicethugbert