Disclaimer: This article represents the opinion of the author. The Team Dignitas Rocket League players all use the Octane car.

There has been a lot of conversation recently surrounding the topic of car bodies in Rocket League. Questions arising from this include "Does the Dominus’ longer hitbox make it better?" and "Is the Octane overrated?" Videos from Rocket League Youtubers such as FLuuMP have addressed some of these points and below is a video from this individual which is great for easy understanding.

This article, though, should give you a heads up on some of the information you may need to know if you are finding yourself torn between these two frequently used car bodies.

Understanding Hitboxes.

Hitboxes that are used in different car bodies are quite important to consider. Different hitbox shapes can determine how your gameplay is affected and a certain hitbox could be more useful to perform a specific trick. Below is a table giving you a bit more information behind the hitboxes that each car possesses, to give you an idea of the length, width and height of each. Remember all three of these factors are important in their own ways.

The Octane hitbox resembles a more square shape than many other car bodies in the game. As shown in the table, the difference between the height and the width is considerably shorter than other presets in the game. This makes it a fantastic car to use for general use and does not have many specialist tricks up its sleeve.

The Dominus, however, has a greater difference between length and width, and is also shorter than the octane. This means that this hitbox is much more rectangular, which allows the Dominus to perform certain tricks better than the Octane might. These tricks will be discussed later on.

Some other car bodies tend to share hitboxes. For example, the Octane hitbox is the same on car bodies such as:

• Grog
• Gizmo
• Merc
• DeLorean
• Road Hog

Alternatively, other car bodies using the Dominus hitbox include:

• Hotshot
• Ripper
• Masamune
• Ice Charger
• Dominus GT

In a nutshell, this means that gameplay should not feel different when alternating between car bodies that fall under either the Octane hitbox or the Dominus hotbox.

Performing Tricks

The Dominus, or car bodies using the Dominus hitbox, is often used by Freestylers In Rocket League such as professional Joni "JHZER" Humaloja. His montage video is below. Take note of the number of vehicles he uses that fall under the Dominus preset in comparison to the number of Octane presets he uses.

If you are left astounded, but also wondering why this is his (and many other Freestyle professionals) favourite choice of hitbox preset, then look no further than surface area. Due to the length of the Dominus' hitbox, tricks such as flicks and dribbles are much more easily accomplished. The ball is more likely to be held more firmly on a car that has a larger surface area.

Not only this, but flicking the ball right after a dribble is much more simple in a Dominus as opposed to an Octane. The length of the hitbox means that the back end of the vehicle can hit the ball forwards and upwards much more easily and with a lot more momentum behind the shot. A flick, generally, consists of hitting the ball during a flip to gain height on a shot, and they are often quite unpredictable in a real match in terms of placement.

The Octane must not be frowned upon in this area, however. Professionals choose the Octane rather frequently and manage to perform jaw-dropping flicks seamlessly. The only difference between these two hitboxes when discussing flicks and dribbles, then, is that the Octane requires more skill and practice than the Dominus, and this all comes down to the hitbox lengths.

Of course, the hitboxes can determine how well other tricks are done. Some examples are:

• Aerial shots
• Ceiling shots
• Flip resets

Adjusting Your Camera to Suit the Car Body

Many players forget this step in transitioning between car types. In an Octane, the height of your camera should be higher than if you were using a Dominus. Obviously, this is due to the height of the vehicles and their hitboxes. By adjusting the height of your camera, you are closer to the action, meaning the chances of missing the ball is reduced a good amount.

Feel free to try changing around other camera settings such as your FOV and distance depending on whether you are using an Octane or Dominus. Camera settings are a very important aspect to gameplay and are often underutilised. Below are my camera settings for when I use a Dominus but try messing around with them to see which suits you the most.

Which Should I Use?

There is no ‘better’ option between these two car bodies or hitbox presets. The professionals use the Octane mostly, this is due to it suiting their playstyles. Each preset has its own advantages. For example, the Octane preset is good in general terms while also being great for tricks such as aerial shots.

On the flipside, the Dominus preset is good at other tricks including flicks, air dribbles, flip resets, and overall more fancy mechanical areas of the game. In conclusion, though, do not follow the crowd of other professional players, as you should always work around your own style because that is what is going to give you those highest ranks.

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