Viewpoint

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Altaïr on a View Point in Jerusalem.

View Points were structures high enough for an observer positioned on its highest point to view surrounding terrain. They ranged from church towers and city mansion roof beams, to watchtowers and guard posts.

High Middle Ages

File:Altair leap jerus.jpg

Altaïr performing a Leap of Faith from a viewpoint.

View Points could be found in all the cities; Damascus, Jerusalem, and Acre, and in the Kingdom, but not in Masyaf. Each city contained 10 to 12 view points located on the highest buildings, such as a cross on top of a Catholic Cathedral, the top of a lighthouse in the port-city of Acre, or a palace guard tower in the city of Damascus. View Points could be located by watching the skies for the eagles that nest there. Climbing atop one of these structures allowed Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad to synchronize the View Point.

View Points allowed Altaïr to observe the layout of the terrain around him and watch the movement of its people. After the first View Point in a map was "activated," it revealed the location of the remaining View Points and missions within a certain radius.

Some View Points had archers defending the position, or guards set around and below it. They could either fire arrows or throw rocks to prevent a climber from reaching the top. All the View Points had carts or piles of hay on the ground at the very bottom, providing safe locations for the performance of a Leap of Faith.

Renaissance

15th Century

A View Point in Venice.

During the 15th century, View Points functioned much the same as during the Third Crusade, and some were located on famous landmarks of Italy. Ezio Auditore da Firenze would not only be able to dive into carts and stacks of hay, but also into carts of flower petals, leaves, and bodies of water. There were 73 View Points (66 excluding downloadable content) divided among the cities.

16th Century

A View Point in Rome.

During the 16th century, View Points functioned in the same way as in the 15th century, and there were 24 of them scattered around Rome. Half of these View Points were Borgia towers, and some of them were located on famous monuments, such as the Colosseum and Pantheon.

Constantinople

A View Point in Constantinople

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The View Point in Cappadocia

View Points served the same function in Constantinople and Cappadocia during Ezio's travels there. There were 22 of them scattered around Constantinople, plus one in Cappadocia. Seven of these View Points were Assassin Dens. Once again, some of them were located on famous monuments, such as the Hagia Sophia and Topkapı Palace.

Trivia

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Fearless Achievement Icon

• In Assassin's Creed, the "Fearless" achievement refers to View Points as "Reach High Points". In other areas of the game they are also referred to as "Eagle Points".
• In Assassin's Creed, you may activate Eagle Vision once you have Synchronized the View Point. However, in Assassin's Creed II and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, attempting to hold "Y" or triangle will simply have the player "Interact" with the View Point, showing the camera spin cutscene. But it is possible to move off the View Point, activate Eagle Vision, and then move back onto the beam.
• In each game the highest point is either inaccessible or not a View Point: in Assassin's Creed it's the fortress of Masyaf; in Assassin's Creed II it is the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore; in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood it is the Castel Sant'Angelo and in Assassin's Creed Revelations it's the Galata Tower or one of the Hagia Sophia's smaller towers.
• Throughout the Assassin's Creed series, you can be on the View Point the same time the eagle is, causing the eagle to "noclip" through the main protagonist.

I Like The View Achievement Icon

• You can obtain an achievement "I Like the View" by synchronizing with ten View Points in Assassin's Creed II.

High Dive Achievement Icon

• • You can also get the achievement "High Dive" for Assassin's Creed II when you perform a Leap of Faith on top of Giotto's Campanile in Florence.

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Tower Offense Achievemnt Icon

• Burning all Borgia Towers gave you the achievement titled "Tower Offense" in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood.
• In Assassin's Creed, archers can't shoot you when you synchronize with a viewpoint.