Better ocean and general water representaion

[Ala12Rv-watermanpc]

I find right now (I know its a WIP) that all water sources and specially the ocean look a bit "simple" and lifeless...for some reason, reflections are worse than 1.2 (even there are not clouds reflection at all) and the waves and/or texture is almost non existant at very little heights...

 

So...what do you think guys???...I would like to make the water to have those little foam waves all over the sea, this would make the ocean to look much more realistic and would help a lot with the feeling of height when spoting all those little white stripes in the distance :music_whistling:

 

Also, a more defined surf pattern for the specular would look great, something like this:

 

 

 

 

 

[Frogisis]

The oceans could definitely use a little attention to look more naturalistic. We've had tremendous improvements in environmental graphics lately, and there are angles and altitudes where everything just looks fantastic, but it still seems like the art team is holding back and playing it really cautious with how they approach working from life to create realistic visuals. Maybe it's a way of future-proofing things so they can add more detail and levels to a technological baseline as hardware improves, instead of getting stuck with a once-convincing shortcut or fudge and having to start over, but that's just an idle guess.

[NineLine]

So...what do you think guys???

 

I think you should play the game more, and stay away from the wishlist section for a while :P

[mytai01]

I want 40 foot waves and a surf competition in progress while I'm bombing the beach! Kowabunga!!!!!

[Ala12Rv-watermanpc]

The oceans could definitely use a little attention to look more naturalistic. We've had tremendous improvements in environmental graphics lately, and there are angles and altitudes where everything just looks fantastic, but it still seems like the art team is holding back and playing it really cautious with how they approach working from life to create realistic visuals. Maybe it's a way of future-proofing things so they can add more detail and levels to a technological baseline as hardware improves, instead of getting stuck with a once-convincing shortcut or fudge and having to start over, but that's just an idle guess.

 

thanks for the reply mate!! hope you are right, would be nice to get something more for the ocean and water graphics :thumbup:

 

I think you should play the game more, and stay away from the wishlist section for a while :P

 

Yes, you may be right...I spend a lot of my time here because I care this game and would love it to be as good as possible...If I dont care it, I would not come here. Sorry for this.

[Necroscope]

Team,

only care current water is required is to simulate not-only-zero-height water.

If you look closely - current water of lakes and sea is placed on 0m height under whole world and ground is hovering over it on own height. So basically current lakes and sea is just a hole to show you the water placed way down. You can see this while flying over the shores.

Sorry, once you catch this yourself you will condemn me for ruin your game.

No offense please. :)

[NeilWillis]

I think surfing is definitely needed in order that we can replay the Apocalypse Now beach scene. Is the UH-1H going to get a PA system at some point for the Ride of the Valkyries theme music too? I presume the Playboy logo will require some royalties agreement though?

 

So yeah, water definitely needs to be more than a storm in a teacup.

 

+1

[Bix]

"Charlie don't surf!!!"

[Ala12Rv-watermanpc]

ok, I see...I have wasted my time. Never again.

[MegOhm_SD]

Actually I see features similar to the pics with everything maxed. Have you flown low enough and under the right conditions to see it?

 

Well except for the one with the heavy chop of course.

 

I buy into the fact that there is always room for improvement.

Patience....

Edited February 3, 2016 by MegOhm_SD

[Northstar98]

Yes, I believe this is a good idea, probably not for the number 1 priorities - but once ED does more work on the naval side of things (well IF they add more to the naval environment).

 

The water needs work anyway - the open sea is not so bad, however all of the rivers IMO need a huge amount of work - it would be great to have embankments and so forth and not have the terrain appearing as some giant floating texture placed 5 metres above the water's surface. I mean if you find the large river between Kutaisi and Senaki-Kolkhi you will find you can see under the terrain from the water and it looks incredibly horrific and makes low river flying impossible as you can see the water over the horizon, which adds more to the impression that it's significantly under the terrain with large rivers. (Incredibly far under the terrain in the vicinity of Kutaisi - see screenshots below)

 

As for the sea, it would be great to see different colours in different areas etc (litorral/coastal and open sea for example) and as you propose surf effects etc It would also be nice if there was improved water effects on ships, not just improved wake (the wake we have is good, but it's basically stationary and doesn't extend out behind the ship to any great distance - it essentially looks like a texture following the ship. If we could have the same effects as say what FSWC does for FSX that would be great). But also how waves effect ship motion etc - right now it just doesn't look very natural or realistic. The bow wave effect could also be improved IMO.

 

The smaller rivers are represented slightly better than some of the bigger (wider ones) as their surface seems to coincide roughly with the terrain (still no embankments though, so sometimes it looks as if about to flood). However it would be good if there was a different path form - the river is just as wide at where it starts and where it ends - for the start it's not an accurate representation at all.

 

Drifting slightly off topic but it would also be nice if we had proper amphibious support for the appropriate vehicles and the allowance of the smallest of vessels to traverse up and down rivers (patrol boats etc).

 

Finally for me would be the real king of water improvements - limited underwater simulation - allowing for submarines and a whole new aspect of warfare. It doesn't need to be fantastic (a level of terrain detail in terms of mesh of the Caucuses Map we have would easily suffice).

 

I can understand why people may feel that this is less than a priority but I still think it should at least be considered for the future.

 

Blimey what a true monster of a reply - I hope the moderators don't mind :thumbup:

Edited February 3, 2016 by Northstar98

[NeilWillis]

I am sure that at least the sea will get some love soon - no point having hi quality carriers floating on a millpond.

 

Like all things though it is a question of which way to point the limited resources. I'm sure ED are just as unhappy with it as the rest of us.

[Northstar98]

I am sure that at least the sea will get some love soon - no point having hi quality carriers floating on a millpond.

 

Like all things though it is a question of which way to point the limited resources. I'm sure ED are just as unhappy with it as the rest of us.

 

I agree, and well said NeilWillis :thumbup: