Why can't I zoom out more?

[Alptraum]

I don't understand why something such tiny option hasn't been added into the game.

[Captain Pentium]

I personally think being able to zoom out a tad bit more would be nice, I always thought the camera was a bit too close even maxxed out.

[Drake]

Originally posted by Alptraum:

I don't understand why something such tiny option hasn't been added into the game.

Becasue it's not a tiny option, they based a big part of the optimization around that area of visibility, there was an interview where they said that even if they unlocked the zoom it wouldn't change anythign because you wouldn't actually be able to see mobs and other placeables, and you wouldn't see effects. So the zoom isn't actually the issue, the issue is that they can't display more that they are already displaying.

[Edward Elric]

Originally posted by Sajah:

Originally posted by Alptraum:

I don't understand why something such tiny option hasn't been added into the game.

Becasue it's not a tiny option, they based a big part of the optimization around that area of visibility, there was an interview where they said that even if they unlocked the zoom it wouldn't change anythign because you wouldn't actually be able to see mobs and other placeables, and you wouldn't see effects. So the zoom isn't actually the issue, the issue is that they can't display more that they are already displaying.

Sounds like some piss poor programmers, or a cheap company you choose.

[Drake]

Rule number 1 : never trust observations. They're limiting the display area so they're incompetent. Then by definition, every programmer is incompetent because every game has a display limit, there are actually entire middlewares used by game companies that the sole purpose is to manage the limitation.

That limitation they have chosen is the result of several factors, first there is the config, the game can run on XP 32bit. That's a real fact, so you have to account for it. Then there is the number of effects. There is no effect nor actor culling in the display zone, they chose to render everything in that area so that you can see exactly what's going on. That's not the case of a lot of games that actually cut those effects when there is too much stuff on the screen (it's always one way or the other, you either lock the display zone, or you limit the number of effects, you can't have both, computers don't deliver a infinite power processing).
Then you have on top of that to account for the fact that there are a lot of calculations (done server side) in every battle, they didn't simplify the formulas like you see in most modern games, they have a lot of variables going, like hit miss, a lot of different skill properties etc. mre than like in diablo 3 for example and then you get the lag factor, because it's not like grim dawn for example when calculations are local, everythign is server side on poe (because mainly it removes a lot of cheating methods).
And last : it's an indie company, they have undreds of times less resources than AAA games, considering what they have achieved when you look at some bigger games, I would ask, who is cheap and who is not.

When you have to account for all that, you have to make a choice, if you want to keep a nervous pure online gameplay, you have to compromise somewhere, the screen limitation is actually not a bad idea. Unless you prefer to have 1s cooldown on every skill, invisible skill effects and a limit to 10 mobs on screen...

[StreamWhenGuy]

^ it's always good to see someone who actually isn't dumb

[Lagwin1980]

Originally posted by Edward Elric:

Sounds like some piss poor programmers, or a cheap company you choose.

Sure...whatever, there is also the ballance aspect of it, because ♥♥♥♥ ranged

[Nacz]

Just wanted to say you're wrong.
I don't know why they dont have an option for it, but it is already possible.
Playing in window mode, gives a bit more viewing area to the sides.
Dragging the window to the edge of an ultra wide monitor or 2 monitors in extended desktop, lets you see about double the normal view.
Yes, it is rather horrible this is possible and yet no other option to zoom out.

[Uberipoo]

Yeah, its way to zoomed in! just a little bit more would be nice!

[Godling]

I can't but help wonder if this was a choice made to artificially inflate the size of the world? Zooming this far in effectively makes the game world that much larger. /shrug

Either way I hate it when compared to the likes of Grim Dawn and it's zoom levels. The zoomed in camera in POE makes me feel like my face is smooshed up against the screen.

Also, playing as a ranged class (my goto thing) isn't as fun as in a typical arpg were you literally engage mobs from a distance.... but in this game you're zoomed in so close even ranged classes get constantly physically mobbed as part of the regular game play. Playing ranged in POE is not at all like playing ranged in other arpgs... imo.

[Lagwin1980]

Originally posted by Cerberus:

I can't but help wonder if this was a choice made to artificially inflate the size of the world?

No, nothing to do with that...it is a performance and balance thing.

1. Quite a few people are unable to get their PC up to standard and play at normal frame rates even with good hardware (the amount of crying about shadows, rain and the removal of dx9 shows that) zooming out more is a massive hit to the performance of the game when ♥♥♥♥ is going on.

2. Ranged classes are stupidly powerful, why give them far more power by allowing them to zoom out and hit things at a much longer range....it's a cheat and one they ban for if you try to use a tool to do that for you.

The reasons have not changed since the early closed beta, they are not likely to change in the future as such if you don't like the zoom level you can either go ultra wide monitor or go play something else.