[NO, VERY BAD IDEA] Model visibility - please add Extra large option

SharpeXB · October 6, 2015

I think it's important to keep the MV setting in the realm of "graphic settings" and not a "game aid" otherwise it will need to be regulated on servers which want to run "full real". The "full real" setting preserves the concept that it should actually be difficult to see the other aircraft and targets.

The MV sprite should be as small as possible. Otherwise it becomes like a label or icon which is a different setting.

The trouble with adding more server settings to a flight sim is that there aren't enough players online to allow those few to get split up even further.

Edited October 6, 2015 by SharpeXB

CallsignFrosty · October 6, 2015

What we really need is a system whereby the settings take resolution into account and adjust accordingly. 4K screens have 4 times the amount of pixels compared to a 1080p screen. The total pixel count of the sprite would be multiplied by a factor of 4, keeping the visibility exactly the same for both monitors. If the minimum pixel size was also adjusted by a factor of 4, the sprite would pop out of existance at the same distance from the player on both screens. The only difference would come in terms of definition of the dot. But if its a dot.... there isn't much to miss.

shagrat · October 6, 2015

;2506978']What we really need is a system whereby the settings take resolution into account and adjust accordingly. 4K screens have 4 times the amount of pixels compared to a 1080p screen. The total pixel count of the sprite would be multiplied by a factor of 4' date=' keeping the visibility exactly the same for both monitors. If the minimum pixel size was also adjusted by a factor of 4, the sprite would pop out of existance at the same distance from the player on both screens. The only difference would come in terms of definition of the dot. But if its a dot.... there isn't much to miss.[/quote']
So what should happen on a retina display iPad in comparison to a 4k 52" Wide screen TV?
The game does not know how large your screen is, only what the resolution is.
So a guy playing 1920x1080 on a 13" Notebook gets a 1px blob and the guy with 4k at 52" gets 4px???
And that is a better / more fair solution?

SharpeXB · October 6, 2015

I don't know if the game can tell what resolution the monitor is, it only knows the res you've set in the game. So it's possible to set a resolution lower than your screen and get a larger sprite.

SharpeXB · October 6, 2015

So a guy playing 1920x1080 on a 13" Notebook gets a 1px blob

I think a player with a 13" screen needs to use icons. There's a point at which going at this without labels requires a certain size screen. A system that lets someone with a tiny screen see something easily is going to be a cheat for a larger screen. And there's no way to regulate that in the game.

TomOnSteam · October 6, 2015

minSize of 15 is TBH a bit silly and is getting towards cheating, you lose all effects of closure - as you have said, the object appears to get smaller even as you get closer to it.

If the minSize is more than a 'blob' you are compromising the experience. IMHO it is better for realism to reduce alphaExp to 'solidify' the sprite.

It's not perfect, but it's a good compromise for me. I'll have a further play with the settings to see what I can come up with.

Planes aren't too bad, but now ground targets are the size of warehouses haha :)

Nick444 · October 7, 2015

Does anyone have any data or rules of thumb about how far you can spot planes in real life?

Another issue is that the minSize is the same for all planes. It should be a multiplier that scales with the size of the real plane.

Also I don't see why enlarged should have a lower alpha value. I set mine the same as normal. It seems like planes within visual distance wouldn't be affected by haze much (when the skies are clear). I looked on youtube where they spot a plane by zooming in the camera and it looked about the same as it does up close.

Schmidtfire · October 7, 2015

I also think the model visibility should be tweaked a bit. It's better, but not a "game changer".

Another issue I believe is color and contrast. Many times the models seems to blend in with the background.

Why485, don't lock the lua file down with an integrity check! There will always be cheaters, but

until this issue has been resolved I rather set a value that works with my monitor and setup.

I think the majority won't use this as a cheat with King-Kong sized models visible from across the map.

And if they do, it's their immersion that gets ruined, not mine...

Edited October 7, 2015 by Schmidtfire

EvilJoven · October 7, 2015

Give server admins the ability to lock it down to the server setting if they so choose. We can already enforce things like map icons, why not this?

Also, I think this is a vast improvement over not having smart scaling. It's pretty much impossible to adequately simulate real human binocular vision via a computer monitor when it comes to seeing objects at a distance. I can spot a pickup truck in someone's driveway from FL250 sitting in the passenger seat of a Dash 8 IRL better than I can spot a tank in a parking lot from 10 000' in DCS.

Tenkom · October 8, 2015

An extra level of Model Visibility

I still can't spot planes at all.

SharpeXB · October 8, 2015

This suggestion has already been shot down as a really bad idea. Which it is.

vicx · October 8, 2015

Welcome, Tenkom. Never mind SharpeXB, he hasn't actually tried the BETA yet.

There is another thread already open on this subject and you are welcome to join the discussion there and share your thoughts.

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=148231&page=15

DCS 1.5 BETA, "Everything is subject to change"

Why485 · October 8, 2015

An explanation would have been nice before closing of the last thread, and I do agree that this is a topic worth discussing. The new imposter system is leagues better than what we had before, but it's a very flawed system because of how simplistic it is.

Does think there is no issue? Do they think there is an issue and it's going to be addressed? Are there any changes planned for the imposter system? We just don't know.

All we got was a closed thread with an edited title.

NineLine · October 8, 2015

Its still a WIP, so tweaks may come... but opening a new thread after one has been closed is against the rules. Just wait and see what they come up with as far as tweaks.