ELI5: What is the "Dead Zone"?

[Shane]

In the release note for 1.7 one of the items that had it's own section was the Dead Zone. Here is the text explaining the chagnes:

"Free-aim “Dead Zone” has been turned off by default. This means when a player's weapon is centered, camera look sensitivity will no longer be reduced. Free-aim is still a mechanic in the game, we’ve just turned off the Dead Zone within it. It can be switched back on and tweaked on a spectrum by the player if they want."

Can someone please ELI5 what this is? How would I, as a player, experience this? Can you step-by-step me through it? YES, I am that daft.

Thank you for OT replies.

[OctoberFoxes]

There is a small, invisible, circular area in the center of the screen where mouse sensitivity is reduced, and moving the mouse inside it does not move the camera. Instead, only your weapon will move, until you move your mouse outside of the Dead Zone, at which point your view (camera) begins to move.

With this Dead Zone turned off, your view/camera moves instantly as you move your mouse: the effect being it'll feel more other FPSs. To me it feels snappier and less clunky, though I was never annoyed or frustrated by the Dead Zone before.

[Shane]

Thank you for the info. I will try this tonight. I appreciate it!

[Delta-Frost]

i was wondering the same thing. ty

[Mr. BEAN]

Originally posted by Forus lé Foxes:

With this Dead Zone turned off, your view/camera moves instantly as you move your mouse: the effect being it'll feel more other FPSs.

This is not true. Check again and look carefully. The dead zone is modified, but not completely disabled.

[escape goat]

The best way to see it would be to equip a laser sight and slowly move your mouse around to find the edges of the box on your screen that your weapon can move. Inside of that box, when your weapon can move relative to your screen, camera view angle changes more slowly so that your gun can change angle at the same rate as when you're spinning in one direction or the other, full left/right at the edge of the screen.

With the deadzone removed, your gun will actually travel a little faster inside of that box since your camera angle is locked constant, and your gun still has to move inside of its allowed box. I consider the removal of deadzone to be a very minor nerf to hipfire/pointfire/whatever you want to call it, and a significant buff to aiming down sights. The best thing about the deadzone was that it made it difficult to consistently put your target in the exact center of your screen as you ADS; with no deadzone people will be able to do consistent counter-strike style quickscopes.

I liked the deadzone, I think it's one of the things that gave this game unique and good gunplay. I'm not surprised they removed it though. I've seen a youtube vid of Shroud playing sandstorm and he absolutely hated the deadzone, I bet Shroud's feedback was pretty important to the devs.