Restrict camera view

[Niomedes]

One thing I found to be somewhat immersion breaking and possibly taking away from the strategic aspects of the game is the free camera movement. I personally would prefer it if the camera was locked to one's own units, since that would make manual warship Identification less easy, which at the moment is a major advantage the player has over the AI for no reason, the game more engaging and a little harder.

[VarangianGarde]

I'd be fine with it as a realism option. Personally I like the gods eye view of the battlefield that the unrestricted camera affords.

 

Admittedly, it can be used to the player advantage, but I enjoy watching the profiles of my own ships come over the horizon from the enemy's eyes as well.

[Shaun]

I personally disagree. The game mechanics already put visibility, time of day and weather into account, all affecting accuracy of fire. This simulates range-finding from aboard the ship very well. That's immersive enough for me. Besides, you can switch between ships to lock on to by double clicking on them or using the icons, so you can play without the free camera if one chooses. Personally I like the free camera and allows for some incredible screenshots. Removing this feature could possible take away the awe of the game, and be less attractive to new players. I understand your reasoning though, it's just not everyone wants ultimate immersion.

[Niomedes]

I mean, this should definetly be a thing if competetive multiplayer ever becomes a thing.

[Swiftsure]

It should be an option to have limited camera visibility if people want it, or change the outlines to just a hazy smudge until the ship identification is higher. But I do like and appreciate the gods eye view especially in the final naval tutorial section being able to zip around the map and watch all your shells come flying in from 30k away. Glorious. 

I would really like an option later on as well to be able to get almost a captains eye view from your flagship. Looking over the rail on the bridge or conning tower. Zoom in with a pair of binoculars and see the smudges of smoke on the horizon to find the enemy fleet. But again an option I know not everyone would like to have to do this at the beginning of every engagement. But a nice idea. 

[Wakelessrex]

I like the free camera as it is now, though the option to zoom in a little more on ships and a bit further out would be nice, I don't think it gives too much advantage.

That said it would be a good game option for sure.

[Schwieger]

I agree with @Niomedes here. We do need realism options for the view camera. Actual commanders during the era had a very poor overall view of the battlefield compared to what we have in-game, and this lack of intelligence was an extremely critical limiting factor in what they could and could not do during battle.

[Tousansons]

The "admiral" mode of Rule the waves without the ability to see what is going on somewhere else on the map? While this "could" be manageable and somewhat fun in smaller engagement, I fail to see the point of even an option like that in a larger and longer battle.

Realisticaly speaking, admiral and captains were not just looking at the vastness of the ocean before ordering a turn or firing their main battery. They had maps, radio, binoculars, friendlies using flags or morse, later they used radar and now satellite. More importantly they had experience and training in all of this. The game is abstracting all of it with a bird eye view of the situation and RTS controls, it's easy to understand and the end result is fonctional. Locking the camera to one single element will  just force the player to painfully "guess" (while fighting the camera angles and why not his flagship smoke, for added realism) some basic things like the course of his own ships.

But "what if" they add a map and "what if" you can use said map to give orders (or just have a basic understanding of what is going on) Well this will just change where the player will see basic informations about the battle and render the locked camera option pointless in the long run. 

In my opinion you are asking for a different game. There is so much basic QoL needed to make an option like that work, without just being tedious.  You can't just disable some critical RTS element and call it a feature for "realism" (which is not, trust me). You're just taking this critical gameplay element away from the player without adding something to play with in a video-game. Even as "just" an option this will need significant changes to the core gameplay to be usable and enjoyable.

For the sake of argument, this "could" work with some basic wasd control for the flasgship. Detailed/incomplete report of your fleet behavior when you (the player) ask for it when targeting the lead of other squadrons, using radio/signals. A map where you (the player) move some tokens representing your ships or the enemy, with why not some radar screen when they are developped later.. These are just exemple of what the game could be if it was not designed as an RTS. I would love playing that, but for UA:D I'm fine with a classic RTS control scheme and all of these features abstracted.

[Niomedes]

2 hours ago, Tousansons said:

The "admiral" mode of Rule the waves without the ability to see what is going on somewhere else on the map? While this "could" be manageable and somewhat fun in smaller engagement, I fail to see the point of even an option like that in a larger and longer battle.

Realisticaly speaking, admiral and captains were not just looking at the vastness of the ocean before ordering a turn or firing their main battery. They had maps, radio, binoculars, friendlies using flags or morse, later they used radar and now satellite. More importantly they had experience and training in all of this. The game is abstracting all of it with a bird eye view of the situation and RTS controls, it's easy to understand and the end result is fonctional. Locking the camera to one single element will  just force the player to painfully "guess" (while fighting the camera angles and why not his flagship smoke, for added realism) some basic things like the course of his own ships.

But "what if" they add a map and "what if" you can use said map to give orders (or just have a basic understanding of what is going on) Well this will just change where the player will see basic informations about the battle and render the locked camera option pointless in the long run. 

In my opinion you are asking for a different game. There is so much basic QoL needed to make an option like that work, without just being tedious.  You can't just disable some critical RTS element and call it a feature for "realism" (which is not, trust me). You're just taking this critical gameplay element away from the player without adding something to play with in a video-game. Even as "just" an option this will need significant changes to the core gameplay to be usable and enjoyable.

For the sake of argument, this "could" work with some basic wasd control for the flasgship. Detailed/incomplete report of your fleet behavior when you (the player) ask for it when targeting the lead of other squadrons, using radio/signals. A map where you (the player) move some tokens representing your ships or the enemy, with why not some radar screen when they are developped later.. These are just exemple of what the game could be if it was not designed as an RTS. I would love playing that, but for UA:D I'm fine with a classic RTS control scheme and all of these features abstracted.

With the spotting mechanic currently in game and the ability to organize ships in main line and screening fleets, all of which follow a central fleet, all that is needed is to literally just lock the camera to the players ships instead of having it able to move freely. 

Just try it out, it's actually a lot of fun to play with your camera being locked to your own ships.

[SiWi]

I would like the option since as said you kinda  pre identify everything before your fleet has.

[DeadlyWalrus]

My only real concern is that it might become a bit too difficult for those of us without the eyesight to pick out individual pixels to discern basic information like the enemy's rough course.  Though I do think the basic concept is interesting enough to at least explore as an option, perhaps with a set of binoculars so I don't have to squint with my face right next to the screen.  Alternately, a set of generic ship models corresponding to the in-game identifications would resolve the issue of being able to visually identify enemies based solely on their 3D model.

[admin]

binoculars.. good idea. will ask to to put on backlog list 

[Skeksis]

Binoculars don’t work in overhead RTS games. What does work is double clicking on an enemy ship icon sending the camera to that ship.

If there was a “bridge view” or gun sight targeting then binoculars would be applicable but Dev's have already stated “no singular turret targeting”.

Edited October 14, 2019 by Skeksis

[Wakelessrex]

4 hours ago, Skeksis said:

Binoculars don’t work in overhead RTS games. What does work is double clicking on an enemy ship icon sending the camera to that ship.

If there was a “bridge view” or gun sight targeting then binoculars would be applicable but Dev's have already stated “no singular turret targeting”.

In addition Nick made it seem we wont get a more zoomed in view of ships so no 'bridge view' to really do a good Bino system. Warthunder where in simulator mode you are stuck in the bridge view comes to mind as a good examppe that would make for good 'bino' mode.

[Pedroig]

The game already simulates ship ID, including binocs. Locking to Flagship should be an option or part of a “hard mode”, or make free camera the option and locked the default. 
 

Being able to “see” a ship and instantly ID adds nothing to gameplay challenge. And that AI crew is much better at IDing than the human controller will be, unless errors are programmed in. 
 

There are some good ONI reference cards floating around from ‘43, but at 15,000 yards WITH 10X binocs a 875’ long ship is still going to be hard to ID until it fires its mains since it will appear to be about the same size as a 1:6000 scale miniature on the water

[Capt in pyjamas]

On 10/13/2019 at 8:08 PM, Niomedes said:

I mean, this should definetly be a thing if competetive multiplayer ever becomes a thing.

Please no multiplayer, not for a long time. It will lead to so many compromises in game design. Please just focus on single player. Very few deep games allow multiplayer. 

[Illusive Tabby]

On 10/14/2019 at 10:56 AM, admin said:

binoculars.. good idea. will ask to to put on backlog list 

While I understand why it is something that *should* be on the backlog, I know myself and a couple of other people want this now. I just hope it is something fast and easy enough to use, such as in Naval Action. Ideally, for me, it wouldn't need to be soooo close I can pickout each individual gun barrel, but enough of a zoom that I can see the ship and shell impacts/misses.