The crosshair solution

[Paperclip]

When playing FPSes that permit you to "aim down the sight" I usually try to turn off the crosshair so firing from the hip is better simulated and to make you (I) actually use the weapon sight, i.e. the "aiming down the sight" feature.

But this introduces a problem that with the crosshair gone, I now have difficulty interacting with the world/environment, e.g. pushing a knob or picking items. Here are some solutions that I can think of:
1. Make it that when you press a button (can be a toggle or not), the screen freezes and a pointer appears which you can freely move with your mouse (I think Arx Fatalis have this). This makes the interaction process slower but finer works can be done (orienting an object, operating an adjustable lever for example).
2. Make it that when you press a button, a fixed pointer at the center of the screen appears and anything it touches is "interacted". Interaction is faster this way but it's perhaps somewhat "clumsy".

What are your thoughts?

 

[baronjohn]

You.... you can't tell where the center of your screen is? To me it's completely automatic, I just know where the cursor is even if it's not displayed.

Maybe you could take a sharpie and mark the center until you get used to it?

 

[SoupNazi]

Or maybe go to a doctor? Nobody has a problem with this.

 

[aron searle]

How about this.

You are not holding the gun, you can't feel it, if you were holding a real gun, your centre of vision does not automatically centre on where you are pointing your gun.

So stop deluding yourself that turning off the cross-hair makes it in any way realistic.

 

[Paperclip]

For those who don't have any problem, then this of course wouldn't be a "problem".

So stop deluding yourself that turning off the cross-hair makes it in any way realistic.

Like I said, turning off the crosshair makes the "aiming down the gun" feature have more reasons to be used because it's certainly more difficult to hit something at a distance without the crosshair.

BTW when I said that it was difficult for me to interact without a pointer, actually it's not that difficult, just not as convenient. I do appreciate having a pointer when I need to interact with something quickly.

 

[Gord]

Well, it's obviously not difficult to interact with something big, like a door, but small objects that are only a few pixels wide can probably be a problem, esp. on a big monitor.

However, both solutions seem somewhat inconvenient. Why not add a hotkey to toggle the cross-hairs?

Also I understand that once you add some bullet spray your incentive for using the iron sights is significantly improved accuracy?

 

[FatCat]

Aiming down the sight in games usually provides more accuracy and decreases recoil.Shooting from the hip and from the shoulder are very different things.

 

[DraQ]

What are your thoughts?

Play STALKER.

It has the hassle-free crosshair-less interaction pretty much nailed down, the only situation where problems still occur is when activating particularly obnoxious stashes (those that have two pixels protruding and within your reach even when you contort yourself in nearly impossible manner), but on such occasions you can just use your iron sights as a crutch.

 

[Gord]

the only situation where problems still occur is when activating particularly obnoxious stashes (those that have two pixels protruding and within your reach even when you contort yourself in nearly impossible manner)

Especially while trying to get the stash from under one of those highly radioactive car-wrecks and dying of radiation poisoning.

I'm contemplating a new playthrough with CoP Complete, supposedly it has fixed the worst stashes.

 

[Leonard DeVir]

Why not aim at the object, then activating it? That way you will center on it.

 

[MetalCraze]

In OFP/ArmA not only the crosshair is turned off permanently but the weapon isn't stuck to the dead center of the screen and you can move it around with your hands without turning the whole body (this is useful because when the whole body rotates you are more easily spotted) - and I have no problems with that


OP is a Casualfag.

 

[Mangoose]

That's when firing from the hip, too?

 

[MetalCraze]

There's no firing from the hip in the series. You are always firing from the shoulder. The difference is whether you watch down ironsights or not (with the camera moving lower and to the right when you aim down the ironsights)


I wish more games had a "free" aiming.
While aiming down the sights you can move them a bit to the left so while firing you have right half of the screen completely unobscured in case someone may come from there.

Infiltration mod for UT also does same thing and it's pretty sweet.