Source
r/DotA2•
Chronomasc-R

Does Dota 2 have a mouselook function like Bloodline Champions does?

If not, I'd certainly like to see it. It feels so useful and intuitive after getting used to it. I can't understand people using hero camera lock, but to each their own. Certainly, border scrolling feels like an outdated and clunky concept which has more use in less action-oriented games. I'm thinking a dual mode where checking the map is normal, and refocusing your hero returns to mouselook.

Considering it further though, UI elements could get in the way, and your mouselook vision might not be truly representative of your true vision. Maybe with UI modding so that there's no clickable elements other than your map, or something to that effect. It would be nice to have around regardless.

Posted Oct 31, 2011, 6:33 PM UTC · edited

029
OkkucObese nerd?•

What is mouselook?

2
ntdars•

It basically centers the camera on your hero, and which ever direction you move your mouse the camera shifts that way just a little bit, but keeps your hero on screen.

Here's some game play from Bloodline Champions if I didn't really explain it well enough.

3
OkkucObese nerd?•

No harm if it's optional, but you need to quickly be able to break it if you need to see across the screen. I'd like a button that centered back on my hero instantly, if I get lost. Warcraft has F1, but you have to double tap to select then centre - I'd prefer just once for both.

2
Rusorkah.. those nosy birds in my ear finally departed !•

I use space for centering on my hero. (HoN)

1
ReaverXai•

Hmm, never considered that. It'd be weird at first, but might be cool. Maybe someone can mod it.

2
Player13•

Is there a 'movement command distance' with which it decides whether or not to move the camera? Bc it might be dizzying with all the back-and-fro harrass movement that happens in the laning phase.

Sounds neat. Not sure the level of application.

2
Chronomasc-ROP•

It's actually pretty intuitive in BLC. Your reflexes will stop you from jerking the camera around if you anticipate that it would dizzy you. I think it actually helps me control my mouse movements since I tend to jitter a lot in FPSes.

And it would be useful since it serves a dual purpose. You're not likely to click something that you're moving your camera away from, and if you're targeting something you know is currently offscreen it eliminates scrolling or manually refocusing the camera with the map.

1
landshark9•

Not sure, but that would be pretty useless imo. It works well for BLC, but theres too much to be looking at in dota, and you dont use the wsad keys to move.

2
jujukid•

I agree. you can already move around the whole map. what would be the point?

You also need to click around the entire map. if it was locked down how could you watch your team or check for an incoming gank?

1
[deleted]•

There's actually a bug where this happens, but no option.

1
[deleted]•

http://www.reddit.com/r/DotA2/comments/lvg09/does_dota_2_have_a_mouselook_function_like/c2vwts2

This is actually already in the game.

You press the button that centers your camera on your hero twice. Once centered, you hold the button that centers your camera on the hero, then as long as your mouse is not in the precise middle of your screen on top of your hero, the screen will edge out in this 'mouse look' fashion that you are describing whenever you move it around your hero.

1
Pyros•

It's not entirely the same since you have to hold the button, and the lack of "Cast immediate" as it's named in dota2(or smartcast for hon/lol) makes it kinda clunky compared to BLC. With that said, BLC is also quite a different game so not a big issue imo, and once they add that Cast immediate thingie it'll probably be close enough.

1
nCrazed•

The key point is that camera is following your mouse as long as your hero is still on screen.

1
Hemoxyte•

He means mouse lock i think.

1
Chronomasc-ROP•

I'm not big on official terms because I don't usually remember them.

The words 'mouse' and 'look' mixed together implied looking around with the mouse. That's enough for me. :V

1
[deleted]•

looks cool. one thing i hate about dota 2 / dota / hon is how zoomed in the camera is. when im playing against a sniper as a 600 range hero, cant even keep both our heroes on the screen at the same time while laning. there's a hack for HoN to zoom out further, and it makes the game so much more enjoyable. i understand there are balance concerns but it makes the game so miserable

0
Adm_Chookington•

I know that it's an inconvenience, and it's an inconvenience that you think sucks to have, but when everyone has it it's not so bad. I can't imagine how shitty trying to play a hero like pudge or mirana would be with a super zoomed out camera.

2
[deleted]•

it's poor design

-1
[deleted]•

I don't like it. What if it gets popular? Did you know that on LoL, left-bottom team had about 60% win percentage because people with locked cameras viewed less of the enemy territory during laning? I don't want people getting used to it, then realize it's bad, but not want to change because they're used to it.

If anything, I would accept it as a mod or hidden command, for people that really want to try it out like you.

0
nCrazed•

Even without locked camera, it is uncomfortable to play on top team (at least in LoL).

Initially Riot were going to make a fully symmetric (geometry) map, players could change the view. i.e. if you wanted you could always play on on the bottom-left team. Not sure what happened to that idea, I was really looking forward to it :(

1
thebrassthief•

No. And restraining your vision like that is a design choice in BLC that shapes the game, just like the free style RTS camera in Dota 2. How would you be able to blink into fights? Use long range spells like Kunkka's ultie? You wouldn't.

-1
Chronomasc-ROP•

You seemed to miss the part where I mentioned that it wasn't mandatory, and that you could focus the camera a la regular RTSes.

I wouldn't completely abandon standard border scrolling, but a mouselook function would appear to serve better in most situations.

And lately, as an aside, I've been on a real kick against the ARTS community and their insistence against changing things or trying anything new. It feels like I'm being stonewalled quick only on the grounds of having an idea, regardless of any efforts to test it. It's like I'm playing CCGs all over again...

2
thebrassthief•

I'm not against suggestions, but I don't think it would work well in the context of Dota 2.

1
Chronomasc-ROP•

It may not. I have no idea. I'd like to find out.

Hell, it might just work out for me and me alone. That might just be all.

0
dornsback•

i think it's very unlikely that they'll implement it, and if they do, it certainly wouldn't be as a option, too much balance involved in the game to make such a big change optional. a regard of changing things, people like the game, there's tons of games comming out every year, there's alot of options out there, i think it's normal that if you like a game you don't want to put things that may or may not be good, but one thing is sure, we will see different things from dota1, the engine limits from wc3 are too harsh, just give a little more time, plus discussing it on reddit is kinda of waste of time, it's not really feedback for valve or anything

0
Chronomasc-ROP•

Oh why did I remove the 'inb4manabarsargument' from my post.

After your edit: Just speculation. Not much else I can do right now. It's certainly worth it to consider cross-pollination though. For being around for so long, only recently we're seeing derivative material of the genre?

If I could directly suggest it, I might.

0
tehoreoz•

no it doesnt have it

you mean your hero aims with where your mouse is pointed? This game has autoattacks, and there's a lot more underlying stuff going on besides aim-based combat.

the only hero it would be useful for naturally is shadowfiend, but oh god the mechanical conflicts..

-5
Chronomasc-ROP•

I mean the camera moves from where the hero is based on where the mouse is moved. If your hero and mouse are in the center of the view, moving your mouse one direction moves the camera so that your hero will effectively appear opposite of the cursor, and moving it back toward the center will return the camera to center over your hero.

0
tehoreoz•

so a scrollable camera? the game is based on rts, you can check the entire map if you feel like it.

-4