Choose an arc for a specific job
A modest height adjustment may need only a short period on one curve before you reverse again. A larger height transition may require developing a more substantial climb or descent. Judge the required change by the opening and your current heading.
“Longer” here means staying on the same curvature for more time, not drawing a circle with a bigger radius. The selected companion determines its turning radius. Tapping harder, farther away or on the other side of the canvas does not widen that circle.
Include the cost of a large excursion
A long arc can use vertical space and reduce forward progress. If the heading rotates far enough, the companion may start traveling backward while the camera continues advancing. The shape can look graceful and still lead to a camera failure.
Before committing to a large correction, check the top or bottom boundary and the left margin. Often the useful adjustment is the smallest readable change that creates a safe route, rather than a full loop intended to reset your position.
Avoid replacing long loops with frantic taps
Many tiny reversals are not automatically better. If they are too close together, they may mostly cancel each other’s effect while your existing heading carries you toward the same obstacle. Short arcs should still have an observable purpose.
Try identifying the intended outcome before each reversal: start climbing, reduce a descent, or return toward forward travel. Observe whether the new trail actually moves toward that outcome. This lets you shorten unnecessary excursions without turning the game into a fixed tapping pattern that ignores the course.