Camera Rotation

Grim Dawn Development Updates
101

I for one am a big fan of camera rotation in 3d action rpgs and was pleased as punch to hear that you are implementing in this game. The family and I enjoyed TQ very much and when I saw the post on RPGWatch that you were at it again there was a collective huzzah from our household. The beauty of your world alone begs for rotateable camera to enjoy and immerse yourself in it. The other thing, and this is something I experienced long ago playing Darkstone (the first arpg I played that had roateable camera), was the first time I stood in a doorway with a ranged character and rotated the camera so that I was facing myself and looking from behind the skeletons that were attacking and watching the arrows as they were incoming and sticking in the skeles… it was exciting and extremely pleasureable.

So, I, for one, am a big user of rotateable camera, to both explore and fight, and find it much more helpful than a nuisance. And with developing any other “physical” skill when playing a computer game a quick rotate to either the left or the right or behind takes nanosecond to complete and doesn’t detract from the gaming experience… in my opinion. So thanks for implementing it, really looking forward to playing your game.

102

I’m not sure if someone mentioned this already but: I would like an option to use WASD for movement please.

103

Camera rotation is great, there were some times where in TQ I would’ve LOVED to have camera rotation, and it was not there… and I think I complained too, when I saw the videos and latter on someone said it wouldn’t be there.

On the other hand, I would add some quick buttons for fixed rotations…

Example #1, Take the numeric pad… if you hit 8, it will fix you looking from south to north, if you hit 6 from west to est, 3 from north west to south east and so on.

Example #2, Or you can do it on another way… if you hit 6… it will rotate camera, 90° right, if you hit 4 it will rotate 90° left… according to your current position. (8 would only fix elevation on your current position, in case you moved it up or down)

Or you can have both, if you leave shift pressed you would do one, and if you don’t press it, it would to the other.

This should be an implementation that would not take much dev time, and it would be a great addition to the game. Why?? you say… you don’t see the point or it??? its quite simple as I see it… You want to focus on playing the game, not finding a good place for your camera ( unless you are looking for that perfect screen shot ) I would just be a hit of a button away from having a good view of what lies ahead of me without having to move the mouse around, and besides, on a battle I might want to move the camera around, but I’m too busy hacking monsters… so a quick hit of a button and I’m flipped over, and I never miss a second of hacking the baddies.

Also with this, I would add a compass, just to know where I’m currently facing, a visual representation of where am I looking at helps me know which button to press to change my view as quickly as possible.

Before any Devs answer this, (and give me a kick in the groin for posting this time consuming, and totally useless idea, thinking of a possible answer), give it a quick try on the game, and let me know how did it feel… I will assure you, that if you moved the camera too little before, you would definitely love to move it now. :wink:

104

why not just have it as an options setting? You can have a fixed camera or be allowed to rotate it just by checking a little box to lock out the rotation controls or allow free movment.

I don’t much like free moving cameras without someway to lock them on account fo the fact that if they move too much or I have ot keep moving them to see I get dizzy.

105

I also like the possibility for camera rotation, but I mostly would like to have an option for free camera rotation and for hard positioned camera with only zooming feature. That way both parts of the gamers would be pleased.

I also would like to have the option for WASD character movement, that is great feature for some situations.

106

The only thing I wish for, is to have an option to make the mini-map non-rotating.

Rotating mini-maps get me confused.

107

+1 for OPTIONAL camera rotation.

Aity likes no brainers…

108

That sounds like a +1 to me. :smiley:

109

In as of today. Thanks for the suggestion.

110

Very nice.

Rotating view couldn’t disorient me, but if maps (mini or big) don’t show north up top, I’ll be lost within mere seconds :wink:

111

Very good to hear

112

I have a little question about the camera, though not about the rotation: will the zoom be like in TQ or more important, mainly the “zoom out”? I have been using the camera mod in TQ, which zoom out is way more important, and kinda got used to it.

113

We should have a way to center the view of the camera behind the character so you can snap the camera around to the direction your character is facing. That would make the camera very useful and not just some optional feature you can mess with if you feel like it.

Possible even having a way to keep the camera following your character even to take things a step further. But snapping the camera to the direction of the character alone would make a world of difference.

114

Don’t know if Corpsecrank’s message was an answer to my question: I wasn’t talking about the rotation of the camera, nor of its functions to follow the character or not.
I was talking about the “zoom in/zoom out” you can do with the camera: how far from your character will you be able to set the camera? Will it be farer than in TQ? I have been playing TQ with a camera hack that allows you to zoom out way more than on the original game, allowing you to see way more of your surroundings. Evertime I play TQ without that mod I end up feeling very tight because the zoom out is not as important…And so far I am having the same feeling when looking and the screenshots of Grim Dawn.

115

I’d like to have full control over my camera, sometimes camera angles can be annoying, i know they said they designed the game so the camera rotation wouldnt be necessary (correct me if i’m wrong) but still…

Camera style like HoMM V, where it is pinned on a center point and you can rotate around it as you will.

Collector edition should have camera stuck on head, so it follows head bobbing !! :rolleyes:

116

I’d like to make one little suggestion.

It’s is related to the camera, but not with the camera rotation.

The small icon, showing the character’s face, in TQ isn’t always in-sync with the face of the character’s model. If it’s possible, I think it would be nice that face-camera to render the real character’s model’s face.

117

Great to hear. I love TQ but did find that with ranged characters i had to pretty much zoom farther out then i wanted which kinda did away with the detail so lovingly put into it

118

Something I loved about a camera mod I used for TQ was the possibilty to zomm in an almost horizon-like ground view ^^ It made some walks are the more amazing ; something alike in GD would be neat =)

119

I like the idea of a rotating camera.In some games though i didnt like how it collided with the walls of a dungeon and would cause the camera to zoom in or get stuck on the walls.Even still i would rather have the camera be able to be rotated.Since you guys are making GD playable with or without using camera rotation this will just be all more the better.I would like to see however,if your not already planning on creating one,is a button that would return the camera to default position as if you never moved it. :slight_smile: A greater zoom range then TQ would be awesome,mostly zoom out as others have stated.

120

Sounds like you are doing it right from what I can see.

I like the fact it isn’t mandatory, but it sounds easy enough to do should I wish to. I have yet to see a really good auto camera rotation implementation, and a lot of game have a tendency to put the camera behind things that obscure the view.