Practical Game Design

Manual camera

Not attached to any actor, with players being in control of the camera work in varying degrees, including:

1. Two or three-dimensional movement panning the camera as well as zooming in and out
2. Pivot (horizontal rotation)
3. Pitch (angle to the ground or the subject, vertical rotation)

Manual cameras can be found in many strategy games. Some, such as Black & White, allow the player to pivot and pitch the camera freely with little limitations. Others, such as StarCraft 2, restrict the controls to simple two-dimensional movement (west, east, north, south), zooming in and out.

Restricting the camera pitch and pivot controls can be done to prevent players from getting lost and disoriented by selecting angles that limit playability. Without ...