Request to improve NVGs

[b0bl00i]

Currently some lights make the NVGs usable, like the presence of the moon but lights on the ground does not illumnate the ground enough to make the goggles usable. In some areas, the ground is pitch black, even though there's a massive city close by that should illuminate the clouds and the ground around it, at least it should be visible in the NVGs. It seems a bit unrealistic that googgles can't be used when there's an overcast?

 

What you guys think?

[Lace]

How much time do you have on NODs?  They are more limited IRL than you might imagine, especially without active illumination.

[Mars Exulte]

5 hours ago, b0bl00i said:

What you guys think?

  NVGs are ambient light amplifiers. As a result they are extremely senstive to bright lights like the moon (or cockpit lights, etc). Conversely, a complete absence of light is also likely to negatively affect them as there is not (enough) light to amplify. They also generally have poor overall visibility, low contrast, and shite resolution, and that's if they're GOOD ones.

 

  NVGs as portrayed in movies and games is pretty much universally wrong. They're not magic predator-vision, they're just better than not being able to see at all. All that said, the DCS lighting engine is still somewhat simplistic (although improving), so I would say safely you'll see anomalies under certain conditions.

Edited August 18, 2021 by Mars Exulte

[b0bl00i]

17 hours ago, Mars Exulte said:

  NVGs are ambient light amplifiers. As a result they are extremely senstive to bright lights like the moon (or cockpit lights, etc). Conversely, a complete absence of light is also likely to negatively affect them as there is not (enough) light to amplify. They also generally have poor overall visibility, low contrast, and shite resolution, and that's if they're GOOD ones.

 

  NVGs as portrayed in movies and games is pretty much universally wrong. They're not magic predator-vision, they're just better than not being able to see at all. All that said, the DCS lighting engine is still somewhat simplistic (although improving), so I would say safely you'll see anomalies under certain conditions.

 

I'm not sure what type of equipment you have tested (based on your statement I hope you have real world experience..) but I have used nvgs in the military, some 20 years ago and they despite being old was excellent in terms of light amplification. 

 

We had a overcast, cold as hell exercise in Sweden mid January or February, middle of the night, pitch black outside and the NVGs made it easy walking in the bushes and pointing out distant objects.. What you hear all the time that they are limited, sure they are but they require more or less a fraction of light to reveal the dark world around you. 

 

DCS does this rather poor, some areas have massive amounts of light. None of that light is radiated out in the desert. None of it shine on the clouds above.. That reflected light would be more than enough to make the ground visible in close proximity.. In dcs, it's pitch black. 

 

There is definitely room for improvement. 

Edited August 19, 2021 by b0bl00i

[b0bl00i]

1 hour ago, b0bl00i said:

I'm not sure what type of equipment you have tested (based on your statement I hope you have real world experience..) but I have used nvgs in the military, some 20 years ago and they despite being old was excellent in terms of light amplification. 

 

We had a overcast, cold as hell exercise in Sweden mid January or February, middle of the night, pitch black outside and the NVGs made it easy walking in the bushes and pointing out distant objects.. What you hear all the time that they are limited, sure they are but they require more or less a fraction of light to reveal the dark world around you. 

In another example a truck was coming to a stop behind a hill, it was some moist in the air. We just saw the truck climb the hill and dissappear. All of a sudden the sky behind the hill was lit up from the brake lights of the truck.. That's how good they are at amplifying light. 

1 hour ago, b0bl00i said:

 

DCS does this rather poor, some areas have massive amounts of light. None of that light is radiated out in the desert. None of it shine on the clouds above.. That reflected light would be more than enough to make the ground visible in close proximity.. In dcs, it's pitch black. 

 

There is definitely room for improvement. 

 

 

[Harker]

The only things that actually emit light properly in DCS are the sun and the moon.

Next, you have aircraft exterior and gear lights airfield light trucks and some vehicle headlights, that illuminate the outside world and objects but not the cockpit interiors and they also don't cast shadows - very simple implementation.

Every other light, namely street lamp lights, airport apron lights, apartment lights etc are not lights at all, just bright textures. Their effect on the ground is also just a texture, baked on the map. They don't illuminate anything and they emit no light at all.

The latter is the reason why cities etc don't give off any ambient light in DCS. Thus, there is nothing to illuminate the clouds above or the surrounding terrain.

[b0bl00i]

On 8/19/2021 at 5:50 PM, Harker said:

The only things that actually emit light properly in DCS are the sun and the moon.

Next, you have aircraft exterior and gear lights airfield light trucks and some vehicle headlights, that illuminate the outside world and objects but not the cockpit interiors and they also don't cast shadows - very simple implementation.

Every other light, namely street lamp lights, airport apron lights, apartment lights etc are not lights at all, just bright textures. Their effect on the ground is also just a texture, baked on the map. They don't illuminate anything and they emit no light at all.

The latter is the reason why cities etc don't give off any ambient light in DCS. Thus, there is nothing to illuminate the clouds above or the surrounding terrain.

 

That would be something to add, would make a fantastic addition! (coupled with new NVGs that support it)

[splash]

+1. I'm currently flying Raven One campaign and it is virtually imposible to see any target at night.