Clouds online - no sync (?)

[dimlee]

There is always something new to learn.

I just have discovered that clouds are not synchronised in online session. Therefore, when that nasty Bf-109 spots my lonely SB-2 and I try to hide in a cloud...it doesn't help. I'm just blinded for awhile but Bf-109's human pilot can see me.
See discussion and explanation given by Storebror here:
http://www.sas1946.com/main/index.ph...html#msg587913
Key quote:
"The thing about clouds is that hiding inside clouds only works offline.
Online "your" clouds aren't "other's" clouds, including AI.
Where you hide inside clouds there's bright blue sky for others and vice versa."

And I used to hide in the clouds online on regular basis in past in a bomber or when damaged. It seemed to be as useful as just to bury my head in the sand.

Since Storebror considers this issue to be out of reach for modding community...
http://www.sas1946.com/main/index.ph...html#msg588533
Is there something that TD team can do? Any chance of clouds sync online?

[Janosch]

I have seen human pilots succesfully use clouds to their advantage, and I've seen them give up their chase when I've hidden myself in the clouds. The only issue with online clouds I can think of is when the when the distance between clouds and the player gets too long. It might cause the clouds to flicker in and out of existence, but usually the distance is so big that you wouldn't see the enemy dot anyway.

I wouldn't put too much value on some random guy's post on a modding forum. It's the same as divining the future of mankind from a toilet.

[dimlee]

Originally Posted by Janosch

I have seen human pilots succesfully use clouds to their advantage, and I've seen them give up their chase when I've hidden myself in the clouds. The only issue with online clouds I can think of is when the when the distance between clouds and the player gets too long. It might cause the clouds to flicker in and out of existence, but usually the distance is so big that you wouldn't see the enemy dot anyway.

I wouldn't put too much value on some random guy's post on a modding forum. It's the same as divining the future of mankind from a toilet.

Agree about flickering, I have observed that effect.

As for the rest...
I'd like to make several experiments online to verify Storebror's conclusions but he is not "some random guy" in this business.

[sniperton]

I guess it would be more precise to say "Where you hide inside clouds there may be bright blue sky for others and vice versa". If the cloud pattern is generated locally and randomly by each client, a 1/10 cloud coverage is very likely to differ from client to client to the pattern of:

OOXOO
OOOOO

vs.

OOOOO
OXOOO

Your chance of being visible is 10 to 1 in this case. When the cloud cover is 5/10, you have, on the contrary, a 50% chance that both you and your enemy see a cloud at the same spot. Although you can never be sure that hiding in clouds works online, it might work with increasing chance as there are more clouds on the sky. Just a speculation.

[Tolwyn]

Couple things.

Clouds are actual objects tied to the map itself.

Server must enable Clouds in the Misc. Difficulty section (and client should as well).

And server should have typeclouds=1 in their conf.ini

TypeClouds=0 - standard clouds
TypeClouds=1 - improved quality clouds

I also believe checkruntime=1 (or maybe 2) is required.

I've noticed that I can have simple clouds on when others can have the more comprehensive clouds in the same game.

[dimlee]

Originally Posted by sniperton

I guess it would be more precise to say "Where you hide inside clouds there may be bright blue sky for others and vice versa". If the cloud pattern is generated locally and randomly by each client, a 1/10 cloud coverage is very likely to differ from client to client to the pattern of:

OOXOO
OOOOO

vs.

OOOOO
OXOOO

Your chance of being visible is 10 to 1 in this case. When the cloud cover is 5/10, you have, on the contrary, a 50% chance that both you and your enemy see a cloud at the same spot. Although you can never be sure that hiding in clouds works online, it might work with increasing chance as there are more clouds on the sky. Just a speculation.

Interesting suggestion, thanks.

[sniperton]

You should also add the possibility that You hide in a cloud where your Enemy sees blue sky, but his cloud (X) is blocking his line of sight to the pattern of

OYXEO

[dimlee]

Originally Posted by sniperton

You should also add the possibility that You hide in a cloud where your Enemy sees blue sky, but his cloud (X) is blocking his line of sight to the pattern of

OYXEO

Your explanation is elegant, indeed.
Yet until people who can see in the game code will explain, we probably can just theorise. Or to experiment online to gather practical evidence. I''m going to look through my old track records to check how adversaries reacted when I have been in the clouds.

[sniperton]

Originally Posted by dimlee

Yet until people who can see in the game code will explain, we probably can just theorise.

Sure, my explanation is pure maths. I don't even know whether clouds are static or move with the wind, and whether they are generated at once on mission start, or dynamically in run-time.

[Tolwyn]

Um.
They are static objects tied to the map. (Did no one read my post above?)

Originally Posted by sniperton

Sure, my explanation is pure maths. I don't even know whether clouds are static or move with the wind, and whether they are generated at once on mission start, or dynamically in run-time.