Camera control

[XyZspineZyX]

As far as I have seen, nobody mentioned this before, but what really caught my eye in these videos is that the camera movement does not match the polished feel of the rest of the game.

I am referring to the digital movement pattern. The camera moves, or it does not. In my eyes it would look much better if the camera had a tendency to move more smoothly, for example when looking around inside the cocpit the camera can point quickly to the point you want to look at, but then gradually ease out the movement instead of just stopping instantly like the pilots helmet is hitting a brick, potentially giving him a headache... /i/smilies/16x16_smiley-happy.gif

The same goes for camera movement outside the plane, or just in general.. I think a small feature like a more smooth moving camera would really help make the game look better.

[XyZspineZyX]

As far as I have seen, nobody mentioned this before, but what really caught my eye in these videos is that the camera movement does not match the polished feel of the rest of the game.

I am referring to the digital movement pattern. The camera moves, or it does not. In my eyes it would look much better if the camera had a tendency to move more smoothly, for example when looking around inside the cocpit the camera can point quickly to the point you want to look at, but then gradually ease out the movement instead of just stopping instantly like the pilots helmet is hitting a brick, potentially giving him a headache... /i/smilies/16x16_smiley-happy.gif

The same goes for camera movement outside the plane, or just in general.. I think a small feature like a more smooth moving camera would really help make the game look better.

[XyZspineZyX]

I don't think it would.

What I understand you are asking for is that when you release the pan button the view will not stop immediately but gradually decellerate and therefore keep moving a little.

That means that if I pan the view towards an object and stop panning when the view is pointed at the object it will move a bit past the object.
This is annoying because the view isn't doing what I want.

To make the view do as I want I should anticipate the view's braking distance and release the button a bit before the object I want to look at.

That complicates things too much and complexity isn't always good.

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A wise man gives careful thought about between whose ivory guillotines he puts his head.

[XyZspineZyX]

One thing that's worth noting is that you can move the camera around and edit the videos AFTER they're made. I'm guessing the game saves all the location data, movement... etc. instead of recording video. Then in playback you can jump to any plane, see things from any view you want. Was this in the FAQ?... i think so, just too lazy to look it up again.

This being the case, the camer movement is jerky because it's being done after the initial play. In game camera movement is no doubt great.

[XyZspineZyX]

- I don't think it would.
-
- What I understand you are asking for is that when
- you release the pan button the view will not stop
- immediately but gradually decellerate and therefore
- keep moving a little.
-
-
- That means that if I pan the view towards an object
- and stop panning when the view is pointed at the
- object it will move a bit past the object.
- This is annoying because the view isn't doing what I
- want.
-
- To make the view do as I want I should anticipate
- the view's braking distance and release the button a
- bit before the object I want to look at.
-
- That complicates things too much and complexity
- isn't always good.
-
Most games does this acceleration/deacceleration to emulate an analog input device when moving using digital keyboard input. Even in the game Doom the camera does this when you are rotating left and right using the keyboard, and that game requires the highest precision movement possible not to misfire at the monsters, I bet you did not even notice it does this.

The acceleration is minimal, just enough to be pleasing on the eyes.

I want to see a similar smooth camera movement in Lock-On as well, maybe only a bit more noticeable than in Doom, it would increase the smoothness and polished feeling a lot, with virtually no impact at all on precision. I have seen the effect in countless games, and it works so well that not seeing it in Lock-On makes it look a bit outdated to me.

And for complexity, the effect is very easy to implement. I have in fact used it many times as I am a professional game programmer myself, and has been for the past 8 years, building several 3D engines and 3D games. So, do not doubt it works, I can even produce the formulas for it, but I am sure the heads at Eagle Dynamics are more than well equipped to figure out how to make it look and feel good in their game... http://ubbxforums.ubi.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif