Taking great shots for any game is difficult. Read through these tips before setting out!
Each shot needs to tell a story: Before you set out to take a shot, have a goal for it. What are you trying to show? Then pick the setting, avatars, and action that will tell the story.
Variety: Take 20 or more shots of the same scene to get the one best capture. Try different angles for the camera, position the characters in different areas, experiment with the lighting.
Turn the UI off if possible: Most of the time, you’ll want a shot clear of UI distractions. Turn it off, or take some shots with it on and some with it off to get diversity.
Don’t get stuck in the in-game camera: Some atmospheric shots can be taken while you’re in the editor. Don’t feel like you have to take shots while playing the game live.
Shots should be in context: A stand-alone shot has to do a lot of work, it needs to show multiplayer, an amazing world, and some awesome action. When you have multiple shots to share, you’ll want to make sure each is as unique as possible. New environment, game type, avatars, etc.
Show multiple avatars in action: Remember, Core is a multiplayer experience. Ideally we should show two or three characters in a shot. Each should be in a different pose and different avatar. Try to show diversity in skin tone and gender.
No idle butts: Usually you want to avoid taking shots of avatars and characters from behind. If you do, try to put them into an action mode, not just a random idle.
Keep action close: When action happens at a distance, it’s often hard to read on a screenshot. Our characters and art look great, so we should show them off.
Postage stamp test: Many, if not most, screenshots will never be seen in a full screen. Test out your shot by shrinking it so it’s the size of an index card and a postage stamp. Does it hold up?
