Actioncamera-mode anyone?

Anyone using the action-cam mode in pvp and why?I mostly use it but never seen anyone in videos or streams using it...

Aint no way.

@MasterChriss.8574 said:Anyone using the action-cam mode in pvp and why?I mostly use it but never seen anyone in videos or streams using it...

It can be a nice little feature for new players, but in my opinion there are no benefits in using the action camera, especially if you're playing professions that have to aim ground-targeted skills like grenade kit engineer, shortbow thief, staff necromancer etc. In general the action camera limits not only your aiming, but also your awareness.

only sometimes in wvw zerging for 1111 classes.

Not good enough yet - I'm still sticking with (heavily stripped down version of) the old autohotkey combat mode.

IMO action camera needs:

• to not move the camera position at all when toggling on/off the crosshair (this will allow rapid toggle on off for ground targeting things with the cursor at range or at awkward angles that aren't pbaoe directly on your feet)
• recenter the cursor every time toggling on the crosshair

Oh and I haven't tested in a while so someone please confirm if it already allows the following:

• about face while crosshair is on
• hold key to freelook while crosshair active (ie holding shift to pan around the character while crosshair is still on - release shift for the character to move in the new direction as crosshair is still active)
• allows normal use of nearest/next target and inverse use of lock target while aiming over empty space to deselect target?

Ideally that would allow using the crosshair as a right click camera toggle with guaranteed cursor position, and rudimentary aiming of certain skills while still playing at max zoomed out with max fov and standard targeting mechanics.

Of course for professions with excessive ground targeting skills this still isn't an option as you'd need very fluid keybinds for toggle on/off crosshair and each ground target skill to use with the normal cursor (I can do this easily with blink etc from years of having done it this way, but for this reason I'd never play a staff necro or something because it's too awkward to toggle on/off the crosshair that often for all the ground targeting).

@"Curunen.8729" said:

IMO action camera needs:

• to not move the camera position at all when toggling on/off the crosshair (this will allow rapid toggle on off for ground targeting things with the cursor at range or at awkward angles that aren't pbaoe directly on your feet)
• recenter the cursor every time toggling on the crosshair

Oh and I haven't tested in a while so someone please confirm if it already allows the following:

• about face while crosshair is on
• hold key to freelook while crosshair active (ie holding shift to pan around the character while crosshair is still on - release shift for the character to move in the new direction as crosshair is still active)
• allows normal use of nearest/next target and inverse use of lock target while aiming over empty space to deselect target?

"Disable action camera" in options already does most of this. It changes it to a "Hold key" mode and does not move your camera, allowing for specific skills to be used while holding it. Very underused and underrated key IMO since most people wouldn't think to try "Disabling" a mode they already don't use. I use it all the time and have it bound to shift for specific skills. Like Staff 5 on Revenant with action camera is very good, or when I want sword 4 to follow a specific area to hit multiple people ( Default it tries to turn and center on your target, AC you can "edge" it to hit two people further apart ).

The biggest problem is inconsistency. Many skills function differently with action camera for no real reason, sometimes for the better but most times for the worse and I think that's why most people don't use it in addition to the fact that it's hidden in the UI. Also why I don't use it by default and have it on toggle.

@Master Ketsu.4569 said:

@"Curunen.8729" said:

IMO action camera needs:

• to not move the camera position at all when toggling on/off the crosshair (this will allow rapid toggle on off for ground targeting things with the cursor at range or at awkward angles that aren't pbaoe directly on your feet)
• recenter the cursor every time toggling on the crosshair

Oh and I haven't tested in a while so someone please confirm if it already allows the following:

• about face while crosshair is on
• hold key to freelook while crosshair active (ie holding shift to pan around the character while crosshair is still on - release shift for the character to move in the new direction as crosshair is still active)
• allows normal use of nearest/next target and inverse use of lock target while aiming over empty space to deselect target?

Now that's very interesting, thanks I had no idea that function existed.

So in essence it is mimicking a similar function as holding right click (rather than toggling), but instead with a selectable keybind (ie can be bound to left shift or something) that provides similar function with the added crosshair?

I think for me I would probably have this inverted - because with the (stripped down) autohotkey combat mode I tend to prefer the crosshair on most of the time, only toggling it off for ground targeted skills and occasionally to select a target with the cursor.

The other thing with action camera I need to ask - is it possible to bind right click to weapon skill 2? Been a while since I tested it so can't remember, and that's what I currently use with autohotkey (left click auto attack, right click skill 2).

I like it but I wish it was more polished. I use it but keep the option to disable it fast. The main problem with it right now, is that it's sometimes too clunky while trying to target a single enemy with other really close to it. This is especially frustrating against mesmer in pvp while they hide behind clones and you've to quickly select them from distance, but action camera selection becomes weird and pick wrong target even if you are correctly clicking on the right enemy. It doesn't happen a lot but it happens. For the rest I use it because I simply like the action cam playstyle. Also with bows, rifle, staff etc all weapons that hit at distance with projectiles you can rightly attack in specific place even without the enemy targetted and a lot of times is usefull when enemy is hiding behind objects to precast an attack in a specific place while waiting for him to move away from the object thous attacking him without line of sight in the moment of the cast time.

I like using action cam for movement skills. I also like autotargeting because i'm a scrub, so action cam really saves my hide when i want to disengage.

I use it a lot in races, and some JPs. It's a better way of moving the camera and rotating the character than having to hold a button all the time.I also find it better for aiming the rock at the gong in that mini-dungeon in Caledon with the Hylek (forgot the name).For combat i rarely use it. I used to play around with it in engineer back when you could see the kit weapons in first person mode, but now i rarely use it for combat.

Not all classes can fonction with action camera. It would take a full rehall in some classes.

The action camera is a direct downgrade to PvP effectiveness given how so many of the most powerful (low-effort/unfair/instant) skills in the game are entirely target-dependent, and therefore it's much more effective to be able to swivel one's FoV around the avatar in order to target things or place AoE hazards behind you while facing the other direction. Wildstar is the only MMORPG that has ever properly utilized an "action-camera" well because all of its attacks are direction-based and only a very few number of abilities require a selected target in order to function (most of which typically aren't even taken due to how clunky it is to use them). GW2 would need to completely overhaul its gameplay and skills in order to for the action camera to be anything other than some novelty.

Nothing but a handicap.

@ReaverKane.7598 said:I use it a lot in races, and some JPs. It's a better way of moving the camera and rotating the character than having to hold a button all the time.I also find it better for aiming the rock at the gong in that mini-dungeon in Caledon with the Hylek (forgot the name).For combat i rarely use it. I used to play around with it in engineer back when you could see the kit weapons in first person mode, but now i rarely use it for combat.

How is any of that relevant to the PvP forum?

yup, use it ... on my rev/ele in wvw. however i disable it via a hotkey in various situations (e.g. placing aoes... kiting with longrange stuff like grenades, bows and such).

however, it is extremely usefull in situations in which hammer 1 of the revenant or staff 1 of the elementalist wouldn't hit a target on walls for example.so if i do not tab target something (important, i must not have a target tabbed) and aim the action cameras crosshair towards the upper end of the hitbox of whatever i want to hit (siege, players, npcs) and press 1 as long as something of the hitbox is visible, BAM!... tabbing the target without actioncam would result in an "obstructed", using the action cam does not.this method is "exploitable" in various situations. using an omega golem on a gate/wall that is constantly being bubbled? reflects on them? most players will shoot into the bubble/reflect, because tabbing the target will result in the projectile flying towards the middle of the hitbox. me, using the action cam here... well, i dont care, i aim towards the free space, where no bubble/reflect is, and enjoy my dmg numbers.

there are more situations in which using the actioncam is a lot easier for me while using certain skills:elixir gun 4 on engineer, rev riposting shadows, elementalist fire staff 4 - to name a few -i have big time issues using the "turn camera + left mouse click" key to do a forward dodge with riposting shadows. with the action camera i can do it, still not as smooth as it could work with the turn camera command, but good enough to escape/stunbreak out of stuff and gain distance.but that is when a hotkey to enable/disable the action cam is important, because teleports such as rev sword 5 or rev phase traversal do not function on targets that are not in range to use the skill, while the action cam is activated. hence chasing a target/running away with phase traversal is only possible, when action cam is disabled.

Well... sometimes.

I use this and a combination of REWASD and an xbox one controller to play. Its pretty good, there's a few quirks about it that are annoying and ground targetting can be a little less accurate but for the most part you get used to it. The controller makes handling the action cam feel very natural. I can't play without it anymore.

i have a key to toggle it on/off so i can hit with projectiles to other parts of the hitbox then the center, this lets you hit targets that would otherwise give you an 'obstructed' message. and with deadeyes deaths jugement it will still hide the laser if you detarget and aim with actioncam, wich can be used to shoot at rather still standing opponents from out their FoV but malicious backstab is usually better in that case now.mostly i have action cam turned off to use the build in 'aimbot' of gw2 and for targeted skills when trying to single a specific opponent out of a group (e.g. for steal) action cam makes this pretty difficult. and looking around while moving is also better without action cam.

I tried it once because I have nerve damage that makes it hard for me to rotate the camera normally, thinking it might actually help. But holy crap it's just horribly bad.

Half the classes wer not designed for action camera. Like i said before..it would does classes would need an entire rebuild to fit it.

How should i put it.

I've being used it since before implementations, mostly because I used to use the addons before it was officially implemented.

Its pretty comfortable, but list of things make it lackluster in competitive environment. It works with some awkward adaptations but in the end you are somewhat handicapping itself.

What is good about current system:

• Targeting and attacking at the same time is easier, since you can select a target, attack and control the screen at the same time
• In combination with quick aoe circles and lock at max range, aiming AoEs is extremely effortless, save a certain condition listed below.
• No need to keep pressing right mouse click all the time
• No need for tab targeting or backwards vision, as the Action Camera pretty much works on a "free movement" style. And, different from other people on this topic, I find the right click to select target pretty good, better than tab targeting a random "next enemy" at least like the old addon.
• You can manually use some ranged attacks to a certain extent.
• You can keybind "1" for something more usefull than auto attack (I use for elite skill, for example).

What is bad for the current system

• Target skills are a nightmare. Read here stuff like Steal, ranged skills and Infiltrator Signet. Under normal conditions as long as you select the target and its on range, using steal, for ex, will always work as long as the target is in range and there is a valid path.With AC it doesn't, you need to select the target and put the mouse cursor over the target for it to work. So if a target is moving to fast in screen (like teleports, or simple to close to you), your skill will fail or simple miss. You need to always carefully "aim" skills that under normal conditions would not require aiming at all.Missing steal or even important ranged skills (headshoot) because of that characteristic is infuriating,
• The action cam has a forced Field of Vision for skills to work on, not only you need to aim ranged skills but if the enemy leave the FoV area (by walking to the sides or even through you) the skills will cancel or flatly miss. Spamming Unload or Rapid Fire at close range for example, doesn't work.
• Due the way the AC free camera works, you can't attack "behind you" using skills like Engi grenade kits or cluster bomb. You character will be forced to faceturn and start back-stepping.
• Without checking "snap ground target skills to target) you can't properly use Ground Target skills on targets above your ground level. You also can't aim at your feet without this option as well (since the action cam will always aim slight in front of you, wasting time for skills like ClusterBomb).
• Any sort of movement that requires Free camera and turn around, (Withdraw to the front, or Phase retreat for chasing, etc) doesn't work. You need to literraly turn around, use the skill and turn back, or temporary disable the action camera to use that "movement".

What I would change:

• Add the option for the system to honor the current target instead of the target reticle while a target is selected. The Fov issue is "somewhat fine" but missing skills on targeted enemy's clearly in front of you character is frustrating. There is absolutely NO NEED for the game to give priority on the reticle over the target, if I need to I will select another target.
• Besides "Snap Ground Targets to the Target", separate that option in two: one for allies, one for enemy's. This way I can snap the ground below myself if needed as well as having a extra safety for aiming skills like "Signet of Mercy" or "Merciful Intervention" at the same time I can properly aim offensive AoE skills predicting enemy movements without "missing then" since they snapped to the player past position.
• Make Free Camera actually works like intended on Action Camera. Doesn't matter if its strange to shoot Ground Skills behind you, people actually DO IT and I fell handicapped for not being able to do the same.
• Add and extra option to automatically disable action cam mode when an ground target skill is on effect. I would not use that, since I like the "SMITE" feeling of using the camera with locked max range, but since some people seens to have this issue, an auto disable of it without the need of pressing an extra button would be great.

I do. Can't play without it. I used to play DCUO which required me to use left click as my "auto-attack." I am far more comfortable using it in this game across all game modes.

what is action camera? is it the option you can choose to not have the camera recenter behind you? if it's that...yeah I play with my camera to be where I want it, and its not always at my back.

@Crab Fear.1624 said:what is action camera? is it the option you can choose to not have the camera recenter behind you? if it's that...yeah I play with my camera to be where I want it, and its not always at my back.

Its a keybind that activates the AC mode.On it a dot reticle appears at the cent of the screen, your mouse moves the screen (like if you were holding right click all the time), you can use right click to select targets and left mouse click to auto attack.It players very closely like SMITE or TERA. Except you still need to target players to use target skills.