Turning off the external camera - a thrill unto itself

Ducimus · 02-18-07, 04:24 AM

Making a wild guess here, im guessing most people have the external camera on. I mean, lets face it, we all love eye candy. External camera gives the game a cinematic feel. Seeing your own uboat (complete with that real cool tower emblem, and rust that makes it look like an old salt and war veteran) is very appealing and gratifying. What's more seeing the damage you've wrought onto your target with debris (or bodies) flying with massive explosions is REALLY gratifying.

However....
with all that goodness comes some negative's, at least in my opinion. But to summerize the negative, the external camera takes away an element of uncertaintly, suspense, and beleivablity.

For example, you have one or more sound contacts. You have no idea what they are. One quick push of the , or . keys and you instantly know. Or you could cycle views on every ship in an entire convoy and see what you have in there. The reality is, you'd never know what these sound contacts are until you pop the scope. (same goes for RWR or radar contacts too). The short of it is, the external camera gives you far far FAR more info then a real submarine captain would have had. A sub has two primary sensors really. The good ole fashined eyeball fixed on a periscope or pair of bonoculars or sound.. your hydrophones. In a situation where your submerged, the hydrophones become your eyes.

Another example is all the building and landscape. Its beleive able when viewed from the bridge, but looking at it up close, things tend to look a bit on the lame side.

other exampbles would be seeing exacly how your torpedo's hit, or the status of a target that was hit when submerged beyond periscope depth.. something you'd never be able to do in real life.

But the biggest example is that element of suspense and claustphobia. Not present to any large degree when your boat is 250 meters deep, and yet your looking at your pursuer on the surface as if bobbing around in a life boat. Imagine yourself under a depth charge attack, without the ablity to hit F12 or any other camera hotkeys. Sound plays a much bigger role, and like the captain in dasboot, you have to wonder, "What's going on up there, running away? ".

With your view confined to essentually the control room. All you have to rely on is your brains, wits, your sonar, and your gut instincts. Personnally i find myself alot more attentive - closing my eyes, trying to visualize whats going on up there. Other times i even find myself on the edge of my seat because the antcipation of what might about to happen is just killing me! The desire to hit F12 to releive that is immense, but when you don't do it, and succeed, its pretty satisfying.

Point of all this is..... Try turning off that external camera for at least one patrol and see how your experience changes - particuarlly if your being depth charged. I know the eye candy is hard to give up, but personnaly i think its worth it.

Venatore · 02-18-07, 04:32 AM

I would be so happy if I could just look at my U-boat and nothing else :hmm: stop the cycling of other ships :hmm: I agree totally, I love the unknown of what surface ship you have encountered, but like always I can't help myself

Letum · 02-18-07, 04:52 AM

Turning off externals is the biggest addition you can make to game-play, realism and atmosphere.
Even Bigger than GWX.

Turning externals off is also the biggest drop in graphics.

What is more important to you?

JScones · 02-18-07, 05:10 AM

I've never played with external (or event) camera on. Wouldn't have it any other way.

alexoscar · 02-18-07, 06:20 AM

On my opinion, the best would be a mod that let us use the external camera when there isnt any ship or plane near us, but with the impossibility to use these views in combat or hunting.

What we need is getting the cinematic scenes in peace and rest moments (sailing to area or returning to harbour), and disable (by default) this option in "action". The tentation is too strong for the most of us.

I suposse that this is impossible because I imagine this kind of things are hardcoded in the program. It's a pity

Regards.

Jimbuna · 02-18-07, 07:30 AM

Well....I admit I'm an eye candy addict

stabiz · 02-18-07, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbuna

Well....I admit I'm an eye candy addict

I will never remove the external cam, I like roaming about when I leave port, look at new subskins, make movies (never know when its good to start one), and taking screenshots.

All of those would have to go, so no.

Good that you guys find stuff that enhanses the game for you, though.

Gezoes · 02-18-07, 07:54 AM

Been thinking about turning it off for a few days now...

Maybe next patrol... I find myself trying to NOT use it when being DC'ed... but well, you know...

Maybe next patrol...

One thing I really like is that popping up the scope or being able to surface feels much more special too!

azn_132 · 02-18-07, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stabiz

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbuna

Well....I admit I'm an eye candy addict

I will never remove the external cam, I like roaming about when I leave port, look at new subskins, make movies (never know when its good to start one), and taking screenshots.

All of those would have to go, so no.

Good that you guys find stuff that enhanses the game for you, though.

Also make more vids too u know.

Jimbuna · 02-18-07, 08:54 AM

The external camera is always handy for keeping an 'eye' on things

Syxx_Killer · 02-18-07, 09:06 AM

I have played with the external camera off before. It is a whole new experience. It gave me an added sense of accomplishment when attacking or evading. However, as bored as I am with SH3, I still like to watch ships sink if I find myself playing the game. A while back I turned off the < and > commands to cycle views. This left me with only the F12 view. Setting it up this way, I won't know what contact is at the other end of the line. For those interested you can disable the < and > commands. It is pretty easy. Go to your commands_en.cfg file. Look for commands 50 and 51. Place a ; in front of the line that assigns the button.

Brag · 02-18-07, 10:03 AM

I like to take screenies. Viewing these when off game gives me added pleasure. Using the external camera as a cheat detracts from the experience and lowers SHIII to an arcade level game.

azn_132 · 02-18-07, 10:08 AM

I only use external cam for screens and short event vids.

danurve · 02-18-07, 10:34 AM

I don't use event camera, but the external camera stays.

Lightning61 · 02-18-07, 10:40 AM

I'm relatively new to SH3, but I realized after my first death that I couldn't be bothered with the external cam amongst everything else going on while I was dying.

BTW... I'm now up to 79%, and ready to go as far as my little pea sized brain will allow!

02-18-07, 04:24 AM	#1
Ducimus Rear Admiral Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 12,987 Downloads: 67 Uploads: 2	Turning off the external camera - a thrill unto itself Making a wild guess here, im guessing most people have the external camera on. I mean, lets face it, we all love eye candy. External camera gives the game a cinematic feel. Seeing your own uboat (complete with that real cool tower emblem, and rust that makes it look like an old salt and war veteran) is very appealing and gratifying. What's more seeing the damage you've wrought onto your target with debris (or bodies) flying with massive explosions is REALLY gratifying. However.... with all that goodness comes some negative's, at least in my opinion. But to summerize the negative, the external camera takes away an element of uncertaintly, suspense, and beleivablity. For example, you have one or more sound contacts. You have no idea what they are. One quick push of the , or . keys and you instantly know. Or you could cycle views on every ship in an entire convoy and see what you have in there. The reality is, you'd never know what these sound contacts are until you pop the scope. (same goes for RWR or radar contacts too). The short of it is, the external camera gives you far far FAR more info then a real submarine captain would have had. A sub has two primary sensors really. The good ole fashined eyeball fixed on a periscope or pair of bonoculars or sound.. your hydrophones. In a situation where your submerged, the hydrophones become your eyes. Another example is all the building and landscape. Its beleive able when viewed from the bridge, but looking at it up close, things tend to look a bit on the lame side. other exampbles would be seeing exacly how your torpedo's hit, or the status of a target that was hit when submerged beyond periscope depth.. something you'd never be able to do in real life. But the biggest example is that element of suspense and claustphobia. Not present to any large degree when your boat is 250 meters deep, and yet your looking at your pursuer on the surface as if bobbing around in a life boat. Imagine yourself under a depth charge attack, without the ablity to hit F12 or any other camera hotkeys. Sound plays a much bigger role, and like the captain in dasboot, you have to wonder, "What's going on up there, running away? ". With your view confined to essentually the control room. All you have to rely on is your brains, wits, your sonar, and your gut instincts. Personnally i find myself alot more attentive - closing my eyes, trying to visualize whats going on up there. Other times i even find myself on the edge of my seat because the antcipation of what might about to happen is just killing me! The desire to hit F12 to releive that is immense, but when you don't do it, and succeed, its pretty satisfying. Point of all this is..... Try turning off that external camera for at least one patrol and see how your experience changes - particuarlly if your being depth charged. I know the eye candy is hard to give up, but personnaly i think its worth it.

02-18-07, 04:52 AM	#3
Letum Navy Seal Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: York - UK Posts: 6,079 Downloads: 43 Uploads: 0	Turning off externals is the biggest addition you can make to game-play, realism and atmosphere. Even Bigger than GWX. Turning externals off is also the biggest drop in graphics. What is more important to you? __________________

02-18-07, 07:30 AM	#6
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 190,525 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	Well....I admit I'm an eye candy addict __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!

02-18-07, 07:54 AM	#8
Gezoes XO Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 435 Downloads: 22 Uploads: 0	Been thinking about turning it off for a few days now... Maybe next patrol... I find myself trying to NOT use it when being DC'ed... but well, you know... Maybe next patrol... One thing I really like is that popping up the scope or being able to surface feels much more special too! __________________ If I wasn't a little mad, I'd go mad.

02-18-07, 08:54 AM	#10
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 190,525 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	The external camera is always handy for keeping an 'eye' on things __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!

02-18-07, 04:32 AM	#2
Venatore Admiral Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Australia:- Sydney Posts: 2,049 Downloads: 68 Uploads: 0	I would be so happy if I could just look at my U-boat and nothing else :hmm: stop the cycling of other ships :hmm: I agree totally, I love the unknown of what surface ship you have encountered, but like always I can't help myself

02-18-07, 05:10 AM	#4
JScones Navy Seal Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 5,501 Downloads: 19 Uploads: 0	I've never played with external (or event) camera on. Wouldn't have it any other way.

02-18-07, 06:20 AM	#5
alexoscar Gunner Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Valencia, Spain Posts: 94 Downloads: 72 Uploads: 0	On my opinion, the best would be a mod that let us use the external camera when there isnt any ship or plane near us, but with the impossibility to use these views in combat or hunting. What we need is getting the cinematic scenes in peace and rest moments (sailing to area or returning to harbour), and disable (by default) this option in "action". The tentation is too strong for the most of us. I suposse that this is impossible because I imagine this kind of things are hardcoded in the program. It's a pity Regards.

02-18-07, 09:06 AM	#11
Syxx_Killer Admiral Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Michigan, USA Posts: 2,387 Downloads: 21 Uploads: 0	I have played with the external camera off before. It is a whole new experience. It gave me an added sense of accomplishment when attacking or evading. However, as bored as I am with SH3, I still like to watch ships sink if I find myself playing the game. A while back I turned off the < and > commands to cycle views. This left me with only the F12 view. Setting it up this way, I won't know what contact is at the other end of the line. For those interested you can disable the < and > commands. It is pretty easy. Go to your commands_en.cfg file. Look for commands 50 and 51. Place a ; in front of the line that assigns the button.

02-18-07, 10:03 AM	#12
Brag Navy Seal Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Docked on a Russian pond Posts: 7,072 Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	I like to take screenies. Viewing these when off game gives me added pleasure. Using the external camera as a cheat detracts from the experience and lowers SHIII to an arcade level game. __________________ Espionage, adventure, suspense, are just a click away Click here to look inside Brag's book: Amazon.com: Kingmaker: Alexey Braguine: Books Order Kingmaker here: http://www.subsim.com/store.html For Tactics visit:http://www.freewebs.com/kielman/

02-18-07, 10:08 AM	#13
azn_132 Grey Wolf Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 950 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I only use external cam for screens and short event vids. __________________

02-18-07, 10:34 AM	#14
danurve The Old Man Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Syracuse, NY Posts: 1,481 Downloads: 22 Uploads: 3	I don't use event camera, but the external camera stays. __________________

02-18-07, 10:40 AM	#15
Lightning61 Loader Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 82 Downloads: 19 Uploads: 0	I'm relatively new to SH3, but I realized after my first death that I couldn't be bothered with the external cam amongst everything else going on while I was dying. BTW... I'm now up to 79%, and ready to go as far as my little pea sized brain will allow!