Photography Tools

  • Capn Cayde
    Master
    Insider

    My friend and I love to do in-game photography! From ships to islands to commemorative victory photos, capturing the perfect moments and telling stories in a single frame is something we both thoroughly love. Rare clearly embraces such and Sea of Thieves is one of our favorite games for this and could implement interesting tools for photographers like ourselves.

    I appreciate that we can turn the HUD off, but a dedicated photo mode would be spectacular. Alas, I know this is not possible due to being a dedicated online game, BUT workarounds are possible!

    1. The ability to crouch was tested early on and removed, but crouching would add some minor ways to capture new angles! (The rowboat will be adding some great new angles and shot potential!)
    2. A camera as a tool would have the potential for a different level of zoom or framing. Or maybe wide angle shots!
    3. Okay, stick with me through this one: a balloon chair. Yes, this sounds ridiculous and could be used for other hilarious player interactions, but a way to hover above a ship or island for those amazing panoramics would be fantastic! Plus, I feel it would still fit in with the "style" of the world. In photo modes, moving the camera into impossible positions is quick and easy, but we pirate photographers must have greater ingenuity! Picture a pieced-together platform and a big balloon. Soaring to new heights, literally and figuratively!

    I have been thinking more and more about this as I work on making a calendar using my in-game shots. I know footage can be captured in video format and single frames can be extracted, but firing yourself out of a cannon hoping for that shot can be used is a tough life! We pirates may be sea dogs but we certainly aren't seagulls!

    Is there anyone else that would love to see this type of utility come to fruition?

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  • Galactic Geek
    Seafarer
    Founder

    Interesting idea, but IMO, the balloon chairs are a little bit of a stretch for a pirate game.

    It's not exact and even a bit tricky, but for the low shots, you can just emote and rotate the camera.

    I'm grateful that the developers had the foresight to keep crouching out of their game - it blissfully prevents teabagging, and with the amount of PvP, you know people would use it given the chance.

    As for those high angled shots, again, it's not perfect or easy, but you can just simply get your ship into position and use the mast or sail rigging. If it's more of an interior island shot, find a high, mountainous spot or something.

  • Capn Cayde
    Master
    Insider

    @galactic-geek These are great suggestions and things that I already do! Good tricks for those clever picture taking pirates.

    While the chair is a stretch (although not too much within the framework of curses and people fired from cannons) it was my way of adding SOMETHING to get other people thinking of possible suggestions and solutions, such as you did.

    Thank you for the feedback!

  • Galactic Geek
    Seafarer
    Founder

    @longlivecayde6 Of course! For the record, I'm not against the photography idea; I just don't think an in-world mechanic is necessary - just give us a photo mode option in the menu or something that automatically removes the HUD, freezes your game momentarily (being in real time, this would only be a visual thing on your end while the rest of the world goes on), and gives you full camera rotation within the immediate area that includes panning, rotating, free cam (out to a limited range, say spyglass distance), crew and boat view selection, zoom in and out, etc.

    The concern with my idea is that while it can leave you vulnerable, you could potentially use it to "eye the spy" in your midst (like the one hiding on the back of your boat, on the top mast, or in a nearby bush).

  • UrihamRayne
    Legend
    Insider
    Founder

    maybe a spectate mode you can acess from the ferry, instad of respawning you become a ghost or something and you can free roam. Not the best idea i got but its not nothing.

  • Capn Cayde
    Master
    Insider

    @galactic-geek I also considered suggesting this but seems even less likely. I would be completely open to a sort of "offline" mode to take photos. No gold earning but sight seeing.

  • Galactic Geek
    Seafarer
    Founder

    @urihamrayne Again, this opens up potential abuse if you're part of a crew, because you can spy for your crew across the sea and communicate specific info with them, such as washed up treasure or rival crew locations.

  • Galactic Geek
    Seafarer
    Founder

    @longlivecayde6 An offline mode would be interesting, but you would lose the ability to photograph various things, like other crews, for example.

  • KiethBlackLion
    Master
    Insider

    Maybe implement an in-game recording system the way that GTA Online does. Halo had this feature on the 360 as well. The system records your game as you play then you can go into a movie editor/theater mode and re-watch the footage, change the camera angles and take snapshots without having to be in the game at the time. This way, everyone can enjoy re-watching their games, get awesome photo moments that you may have missed while playing and no need to worry about in-game actions to disrupt the game's mechanics.

  • Capn Cayde
    Master
    Insider

    @urihamrayne Like passive mode in GTA Online.

  • Capn Cayde
    Master
    Insider

    @galactic-geek I meant as a separate instance from the goings-on in the rest of the game. Somewhere for photos and nothing else. The downside is crew related photos unless you could matchmake like the standard game.

    This game is all about stories, but capturing the grandeur of it all is sometimes inhibited. I mean, I just love to create wallpapers and such! haha

  • Capn Cayde
    Master
    Insider

    @kiethblacklion This is a fantastic idea! I forgot GTA Online added this.

  • Galactic Geek
    Seafarer
    Founder

    @kiethblacklion So far, I think I like this idea the best, but I imagine implementing a freeform replay mode (especially for hours upon hours of play) might be quite difficult for the devs to do. Furthermore, such modes aren't always perfect, and can mistranslate what actually happened and/or desync, particularly where lag is concerned.

  • Capn Cayde
    Master
    Insider

    @galactic-geek I believe GTA Online has a capture limit of somewhere between 5-15 minutes. Since my main desire is photography (although some good video feed allows for more cinematic episodes for streamers) a limit would not feel hampering.

    And yes, translation can go haywire. If you have ever played Paladins and watched a play of the game, you know how severe this can be.

    I appreciate the time you are taking to be a part of this dialogue! It is important for every angle of ideas to be dissected.

  • Dekeita
    Legend
    Insider
    Founder

    In game recording mode is definitely what we need. And I kinda wonder if Rare might already have something for there own uses, no doubt it'd take work to make user friendly though.

  • Spectrazy666
    Insider

    @longlivecayde6 love the idea but my gf told me im wrong lol she probably doesnt catch what im talking about and u did well

  • Capn Cayde
    Master
    Insider

    @spectrazy666 Thanks! In a long session yesterday, I was always searching for those little shots and a friend I was playing with said, "I wish there was a camera tool or something for a different view." I laughed and told him I agreed.

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