Camera - why did Larian decide to stop you looking up?

[Skyperson375]

Hi all,

I've tried BG3 with the native camera tweaks mod, that allows you to tilt the camera further up so you can look at the sky, ceilings, etc. In many ways this offers a lot more freedom and the game clearly has assets at this angle that can be very beautiful to look at.

However I like to play games the way devs intended and so have not really used this mod much, only installed it from time to time for curiosity's sake.

It got me thinking - why has Larian restricted the camera by default?

With the native camera tweaks mod, there are some graphical glitches you can find. For instance light shafts in caves just are attached to rocks rather than actual light sources. Or ladders that go up into a room above are just attached to a solid ceiling, rather than a hole. Or the sky as you change areas flickers and strobes and looks very odd.

Also, the other thing a free camera shows is how close everything in the world is. eg. the goblin camp is very obviously like 30 seconds away from the druid grove. Seeing it so clearly kind of is a bit immersion breaking.

Anyway, anyone else have thoughts? Or feel similarly to me - avoids using the native camera tweaks mod to play the game as it was intended?

[Angel]

why would I want to look up? there's nothing important going on there anyway, whatever the game wants to me look at certainly won't be up there either

[dulany67]

I'm guessing an engine limitation.

[Skyperson375]

Originally posted by Angel:

why would I want to look up? there's nothing important going on there anyway, whatever the game wants to me look at certainly won't be up there either

It's worth trying the mod if you can. Some very beautiful things to see. For instance, in the grass/riverside campsite at night, there's a beautiful full moon in the sky that you can only see if you're able to look up at the sky a bit (or catch a companion dialogue at the right angle). They've clearly modelled assets at this angle, to an extent at least.

[dulany67]

Originally posted by Skyperson375:

Originally posted by Angel:

why would I want to look up? there's nothing important going on there anyway, whatever the game wants to me look at certainly won't be up there either

It's worth trying the mod if you can. Some very beautiful things to see. For instance, in the grass/riverside campsite at night, there's a beautiful full moon in the sky that you can only see if you're able to look up at the sky a bit (or catch a companion dialogue at the right angle). They've clearly modelled assets at this angle, to an extent at least.

Well, I guess not an engine limitation then.

[Angel]

Originally posted by Skyperson375:

Originally posted by Angel:

why would I want to look up? there's nothing important going on there anyway, whatever the game wants to me look at certainly won't be up there either

It's worth trying the mod if you can. Some very beautiful things to see. For instance, in the grass/riverside campsite at night, there's a beautiful full moon in the sky that you can only see if you're able to look up at the sky a bit (or catch a companion dialogue at the right angle). They've clearly modelled assets at this angle, to an extent at least.

not sure I want to go through the trouble of modding the game just to see that but you do bring up an interesting point, why bother modelling it at all if nobody is going to see it?

[Skyperson375]

Also you're able to see the roofs of structures and so on. Generally the game looks fully complete with the greater viewing angles the mod gives. However there are one or two graphical glitches - but they're minor so would be pretty easy to fix I imagine, if Larian wanted.

I'm assuming there must be some other reason they've restricted the camera, as the glitches really are minor. As I say, I wondered if it was because it broke the immersion of the world, showing how close the various points of interest were. i.e. the way the gameworld is constructed, the distance between assets, is not designed for that third person camera view.

[Hellsteeth30]

They put a drunk dude(ette?) in charge of the camera design in this game.

[Ryzilynt]

They don't want you to see it's just a set.

[LordOfTheBread]

Someone needs to explain to OP how isometric views work.

[dulany67]

Originally posted by LordOfTheBread:

Someone needs to explain to OP how isometric views work.

BG3 is not isometric, it's 3d.

[Mosey]

Originally posted by dulany67:

Originally posted by LordOfTheBread:

Someone needs to explain to OP how isometric views work.

BG3 is not isometric, it's 3d.

A bit pedantic, but also true. It's a 3/4th's perspective game which at this point is largely synonymous with isometric view even though it isn't technically correct.

The simple reason why Larian didn't make the game free camera is because it simplified design significantly thus letting them focus their efforts on the parts of the game you can see.

Note that in most games, there is never anything noteworthy on the ceiling even in games that are entirely free camera. Why let the character look up when there is never anything there?

[Maraxus]

Except barnacles... half life... still gives me the creeps to this day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syjR971rlBA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nTaoykX7-Q

[Brian_the_Brute]

Not having a tilting camera limits the scope of the game and underdark experience in particular. There should have been creepy crawlies up on the ceiling and objects hanging down.

There definitely are things you will never see throughout the game that you can with being able to freely tilt the camera with the mod. The random islands above in the astral plane and the moon at night are a couple that come to mind. It also gives you a "photo mode" where you can zoom in or get at better photo angle for screen shots.

notes: the native camera tweaks mod needs to be reinstalled after patches sometimes to start working again. It also is configurable with a text file and gives the player control over what range of angles to display in and out of combat.