Orb of oculus/Hidden locations

The Orb of oculus presents a wide variety of new capabilities and challenges to all players, in the creation of screenshots, videos, and even using it on its own for the terrific and new perspectives it provides, including the first-person perspective, which actually has a precedent in early versions of RuneScape. Feel free to contribute your experiences and tips!

Safe-spotting
The Orb is held in two hands, using both the weapon and shield equipment slots, and so is essentially a two-handed weapon. It is notable as having an across-the-board -20 Defence modifier, and any attack upon the player will immediately end the "gaze-into" view, returning the player to the Avatar view. This presents some difficult challenges to using the Orb in a dangerous environment. Much like the use of Mage or Range, the Orb may require the use of the "safe-spotting" technique.

Viewing range
Not only is the Orb of oculus used for making videos, but it is also widely used for taking a closer look at areas which players either cannot access, could access but can no longer do so, or ones which are unrelated to the area the player is currently standing in and is only visited via completely different methods. The Orb can pass through "solid" game objects, walls, characters, players, and even substantial underground "matter". This presents unique opportunities to view areas which may otherwise be inaccessible to the player's avatar at their present location.



When first gazing into the Orb, the view provided is always to the south of the player, approximately 8 squares away, and 9 "squares" above the ground. This is actually 1 square closer in the horizontal than provided by the "avatar view". The Orb can rise as far as 39 "squares" above the level on which the player is standing, and can roam horizontally 30 squares north, south, east, or west, allowing a total "roam" of 60 squares, both in the north-south and east-west axes.



Hiding off-camera and behind objects
As the Orb, as noted, has a great viewing range, it is possible for a player to stand well off-camera, behind a wall or other large object, and gaze into the Orb in such a way as to see far from their location.



Video settings
The video settings, accessed in-game, can be used to great effect to enhance the view obtained with the Orb. Brightness, lighting detail levels, and screen-size settings can all make a great difference in the view and detail obtained.



Above, two screenshots illustrate the vast differences in image quality, based on the settings used. The shot on the left was made in safety mode, with the smallest screen available, and with character shadows turned on, leaving the image very flat, and with shadows underneath the subject, making it difficult to do transparency work on a properly cropped image. In the second, on the right, the full screen setting, in HD, and with character shadows turned off, gives a far more vibrant image, and the lack of shadows may result in a far better finished product. With greater experimentation, perhaps the ground clutter still remaining could be removed.

Below are two images taken at Varrock Palace, the first with the "Selectively" remove roofs option, and the second set to "Always". This difference creates what seems to be two entirely different pictures, and yet they are taken from the exact same position.



Hidden locations

 * The Wilderness Castle can be viewed with the Orb.




 * When using the orb free players can look into members parts of the game and may see some interesting things, however there's no desert in Non-Member worlds.
 * It is possible to look into the Tutorial Island bank from south of the Wizard's Tower and see no bankers. This is because the Tutorial Island that appears on the world map is actually a doppelganger, meaning no players are actually on it, and have never been on it. NPCs used to be on there, but were removed with the new Tutorial.
 * There appears to be the building from the Ratcatchers quest that your character sneaks into just outside the Varrock Rat Pits.
 * When using it, you can see under the floor.
 * The orb cannot see into structures that you cannot see on the minimap. For example, the orb cannot see into the tower on the roof of the Al Kharid palace.
 * The Mogre Camp from Recipe for Disaster can be seen by going to the north end of the Asgarnian Ice Dungeon and looking north. The blue hue from the water cannot be seen.
 * When standing in the north-east part of the Blast Furnace and using the Orb of oculus to look further North, you can see the Candlelight Chapel, which is an old, retired Random event. Strangely, what appears to be the Gravedigger Random Event seems to be located to the west of it.




 * Players cannot use the Orb in Fist of Guthix, doing so will yield the message: "You cannot use the orb in battle".
 * The Air altar can be seen by going to the far north-west of the Rune essence mine and looking west. The altar can be spotted but the game will push the camera down. A strange ice area can be seen by going to the far south end of the mine and looking south, not resembling any known ice-coated landscapes.
 * The Mind altar can be seen if you go northwest of the Air Altar. There also seems to be a strip of land to the south of the altar, with nothing on it.
 * When standing in the southern edge of the lowest part of the Saradomin Encampment, you can see an underwater area to the south using the Orb. This was confirmed by a Jagex Moderator to be a planned extension to the God Wars, but was eventually scrapped.
 * When at the Cosmic altar, and using the orb to see the furthest possible east, you can see the Death altar.
 * If a player logs out and logs back in at the very edge of a dungeon area, (such as the Runecrafting altars) the player can then use the Orb to view into other areas (such as the ones stated above).
 * When in the Stronghold of Security on the first floor, in the nearest edge to the south, using the orb you can see the final area of Dream Mentor.
 * When on the fourth floor of the Stronghold of Security, you can see the area from TokTz-Ket-Dill quest and the Fight Pits.
 * Northwest of the first floor of the Stronghold of Security, the orb that activates the Dragon forge is visible.
 * When standing north in the Summer Garden while playing the minigame Sorceress's Garden you can see the edge of clan wars.
 * When standing on the west side of the basement of Summer's Farm, you can see into the Spirit Realm portion of the Forgotten Cemetery and part of a pyramid.
 * When standing in the south-eastern part of the Polar Eagle Lair, the Brine Rat Cavern is very close to it (you can see it), close enough to be showed on the minimap. Of course, it doesn't.
 * When standing on the north side of the Spirit Realm version of the Western Ruins, you can see the Abandoned Mine.
 * When standing at the far north-east, and north-west corner of the Bandos throne room and traveling north with this orb, you can see a cave, you can see the un-collapsed version in the north-western corner and a collapsed version in the north-east corner.
 * Using the Orb of Oculus on the west wall of the Bandos Throne Room, it is possible to see into this other room. It is an exact copy of the Bandos Throne Room, except that the Bandos Guards block the path to the portal out. It is probably used in The Chosen Commander quest during the portion where you play as Zanik.
 * Northwest of the first room of Pyramid Plunder is the Dragonkin Castle.
 * The chest containing the map piece used in the Dragon Slayer quest can be seen southwest of Evil Dave's basement.
 * The Dwarven Mines can be seen by looking northwest in the basement of Draynor Manor.
 * To the east of the underground portion of the Shilo Village mining site, a portion of the Ah Za Roon Temple dungeon, from the Shilo Village quest, can be seen.




 * The basement of the Witch's House can be seen from the Fountain of Heroes.