Improve The Freelook/Camera Centering Mechanic
Submitted
Currently, the freelook system is functional, but not great. You hold the alt key, and while it's held you can look around the cockpit freely. Release it, and your view stays where you put it. However, if you want to recenter the camera to the default view, the only way to do so is to double-tap v, which switches the camera view, and is rather jarring and harmful to immersion. My suggestions for improving this system are twofold:
- If the player simply taps the alt key, instead of holding it, the view should transition back to the default. Preferably a quick but smooth camera pan, not simply a jump, so as to feel less janky. This allows for recentering the camera more smoothly and without harming immersion and is also more intuitive for new players.
- Add a second freelook mode, which can be switched to in settings (or even with a key-bind maybe). In this mode, you can look around while holding alt, and the view will recenter (again, preferably smoothly) as soon as the alt key is released, similar to the behavior of freelook in games such as War Thunder. This allows for players who use this mode to quickly check things such as cockpit displays and then immediately return to focusing on the view in front of them.
With either one of these two additions (especially the first one), the freelook in Space Engineers would be dramatically improved.
Several years ago, recentering after alt was released was an option. I have absolutely no idea why this was removed.
Several years ago, recentering after alt was released was an option. I have absolutely no idea why this was removed.
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