I deny nothing, though I wish to say that these polls are themselves only representing a small portion of the whole community. Usually when individuals rush to forum boards it is to voice a concern they have. Less often do you see people who are content explain their perspective, since they have no real reason to, unless they, like myself, wish to encourage discussion or give an alternative view.
Unfortunately, I do not play frigates very often and so cannot, in good conscience, make claims about the effects of the new camera on these ships. I will instead talk about my experience with fighters and interceptors.
To start, I actually didn’t notice a huge change with the camera on these two classes. I recognize this may be due to the fact that I’ve always had my camera zoomed in closer than maximum. As such, this is how I would respond to your points (please keep in mind all comments from here are about fighters and interceptors only):
• Regarding squad interaction and team awareness, there is an interesting dynamic that comes from not being able to see everything. For someone who takes point in formation, I rely on my wingmen to watch where I cannot watch. The inherent vulnerabilities of my limited sight lead me to depend on my teammates to guard me. I’m quite fond of this because it encourages squad play. I maintain that the camera view right now is more than adequate for individual pilots.
• I argue that depth of engagement is increased, not decreased, due to the fact that targets are harder to follow. It is a tactic to fly into the blind spot of your opponent. The red arrow added to the HUD is a good indicator so pilots aren’t completely lost in a dogfight, but is just enough information to not limit the tactical option of escaping enemy sights.
• Ship handling is the same as it was before the camera changes. Could you please elaborate on how the camera affects this?
• And with immersion, I return to my point of camera view producing intended vulnerabilities. I am always impressed by those who enter a dogfight with me while I am in an interceptor and manage to evade my attempts at tracking them. A side note, there is an option in the game to unlock your camera so that you may swing your cursor behind your ship.
To conclude, I disagree with your points about the camera not because I believe them to be wrong, but because I view them in a different light.
Regards,
ZEIK
At this point it will prove difficult to convince one another of the different viewpoints but i will attempt to point out where I personally and as objectively as possible, see fault in your reasoning :
I deny nothing, though I wish to say that these polls are themselves only representing a small portion of the whole community. Usually when individuals rush to forum boards it is to voice a concern they have. Less often do you see people who are content explain their perspective, since they have no real reason to, unless they, like myself, wish to encourage discussion or give an alternative view.
Maybe, who truly knows ? However, if you transition into a mindset that feedback is irrelevant because it might not represent all the players, you would need to forego all polls and forums discussions for that matter. I believe that is not the kind of attitude a developer should aim for these days.
The fact is, the forum feedback is the best you are going to ever get in forms of customer feedback, I have not seen an in- game poll on camera changes.
• Regarding squad interaction and team awareness, there is an interesting dynamic that comes from not being able to see everything. For someone who takes point in formation, I rely on my wingmen to watch where I cannot watch. The inherent vulnerabilities of my limited sight lead me to depend on my teammates to guard me. I’m quite fond of this because it encourages squad play. I maintain that the camera view right now is more than adequate for individual pilots.
Subsequently group manoeuvres and keeping an eye on your support frigates or wingmen, have become nigh impossible, I take it you usually fly with voice coms and I believe they are now an actual requirement in order to fly in a squad, that is not good design. How are other pilots going to watch over you when they can not see your ship ? It seems illogical to state that the narrow view is fine because others will expand it for you, when they suffer identical issues.
The core issue at hand is that teamplay is hard to find in online games, especially such arcade titles. By it’s nature, the narrow camera removes natural awareness of one’s team and thereby awareness of their existence, locations, combat situations, roles etc.
It is harder to coordinate with this change not easier and most players will feel discouraged to jump through additional hoops in order to cooperate.
Engineers required guarding before these changes as it was, for the rest of ship classes these changes little in this respect, as nobody guards fighters or interceptors anyway, it is nonsensical. Therefore the hampered view for these two classes is not enhancing at all.
Furthermore would i like to remind you kindly that good Teamplay currently already trumps unorganized groups and or poor teamplay. There was no need to create further incentive for players to squad up, all this did was to make such teamplay twice as difficult to execute and enjoy.
• I argue that depth of engagement is increased, not decreased, due to the fact that targets are harder to follow. It is a tactic to fly into the blind spot of your opponent. The red arrow added to the HUD is a good indicator so pilots aren’t completely lost in a dogfight, but is just enough information to not limit the tactical option of escaping enemy sights.
I can see where you are coming from here, it has certainly become harder to dogfight. Difficulty does however, not automatically equal depth.
See, the issue I currently see is that a pilot tied in a dogfight, is now not actually reacting directly to his opponents manoeuvres but instead a red moving arrow on his HUD. Often dogfights will at some point consist of a pursuer and a fleeing target, escaping from the pursuer has become a little bit too easy at this point, often breaking up dogfights prematurely, turning the game into a " fight wounded targets and last hit quickly" .
• Ship handling is the same as it was before the camera changes. Could you please elaborate on how the camera affects this?
How can ship handling be the same when the camera is now locked at a 80% closer zoom in ?
Logically, avoiding obstacles and circling targets has been hampered.
• And with immersion, I return to my point of camera view producing intended vulnerabilities. I am always impressed by those who enter a dogfight with me while I am in an interceptor and manage to evade my attempts at tracking them. A side note, there is an option in the game to unlock your camera so that you may swing your cursor behind your ship.
And I am fine with that as a concept, blind spots are part of a flight simulator. However, blind spots existed before the camera change, I agree that the previous zoom- out- level was truly too high. However, the current levels are just too restricting and extreme in nature, a middle ground between the two would be appropriate in order to satisfy all goals and requirements.