Practical Game Design

Tracking camera

Tracking cameras allow your players to enjoy big playable spaces without the burden of having to manually adjust the framing. Depending on gameplay and portrayed actors, the camera will either follow a single character, a point between multiple characters, or simply focus on the action itself and drag the players along:

1. Following the actor: This is the default option for presenting character driven gameplay, from platform games to third person shooters and racing games. Moving the avatar moves the camera—simple, elegant, and effective.
2. Following the action: An entirely autonomous first-person camera was often used in old arcade shooters such as Virtua Cop and House of the Dead. A camera that's on-rails sets the pacing and ...