Target visibility

[6S.Manu]

Ok, I've spent some time to explain my idea.

First of all it's only an idea and I would like to discuss it with you all: I know that I can be wrong (but still I know that the earth is not flat).

This is not about having a 100% truthful visual spotting algorytm: probably it's a 70% realistic method, but still better than the original IL2's one. Here I'm not claiming that 1c, Luthier and his men suck! This is an idea about something that NOBODY did in years of combat sims and could be the one that only IL2 has and nobody else.

It's not a easy thing to develop.

Let's start from the beginning: speaking about both world wars air warfare one of the most used statement is "Beware The Hun In The Sun".
Before the radar appearance the sun was a very important variable. In IL2 we usually try to have energy advantage and a partial positional advantage (being on enemy's rear sector for example), but do we really fly to gain a useful position to not be spotted by the enemies (and so ambush them)?
Do we really care to have the sun behind us?
Do we follow the correct guidelines for our camouflaged plane? Time of day, altitude and surface tipology?
Why was the "Finger-four" a great idea but we use it only because it's "cool"?

For years many of us have been great lone wolfs because of the IL2's easied SA. We are still searching for black dots since they appear at all events.
A white plane over a cloud? -> A black dot.
A plane in front of the sun? -> A black dot.
A light brown plane on the desert surface? -> A black dot.

The only useful thing about this contact representation was for lower planes: a black dot between a myriad of moving pixels could not be easily seen (remember: watching a picture on the monitor our eyes' functions are limited).

And more the visual recognition of the dots is actually instantaneous: Do we really have to patiently scan every point of the sky searching for the enemies? We move our head and quickly we see the threats; all we need is to remember of looking behind us every X seconds... So of course being ambushed is really difficult: how could real pilots still been unawares of enemies when they were flying in multiple plane flights when we, alone, can do better?

So these issues made me think about a correct algorytm about visual contact. Please read again the studies in the first pages of this thread about the target visibility variables and think about what we currently have ingame.

I know that some of you claim IL2 the most realistic WW2 flight sim, but how much realistic is it? Above all about the visual search that was the first and most important task of the fighter pilot? Add to this the sound radar too... I would easily favour average graphic but a great realistic combat sim than the opposite: I know... it's always the same problem: CoD3 or Arma2? But I agree with most of the software developers when they head themself for the greatest market... I'm part of a little market's corner and I know that a developer can't live with so few customers.

Part 1:
The real fighter pilots have a method of scanning the sky... they don't act like us: a plane can be seen if they know where to search even at long distances and, of course, if the conditions are not a malus for them (fog, sun ect). The planes don't appear istantly at their eyes but it have to be on the sky's area they are focusing on.

So scanning the sky needs time (look at visual searching sectors on pg 10 of the PDF, and more after): ingame after 5 seconds we have scanned all around us and have actually seen a contact when in reality you need, as baseline, 5 seconds to scan only a sector of 90° x 45° (Hor x Ver).

I have divided the pilot's sight in focus areas. These are dinamic based on the target distance. Look at the PDF: visual acuity decrease with the distance.



So the accuracy starts from those values who can be increased or decreased by range plus the variables exposed in the thread ( http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/showpos...3&postcount=44 ).

The application run the algorytm every X msec: it computes the value needed to spot a contact and compare it with a random number (0 to 100): if the random number is lower then the plane can be seen (about the needed value: x<0 plane is always invisible, x>100 plane is always visible).. it's difficult to spot a plane? Keep your sight for 10 seconds and maybe you can see it (if you're lucky).
What I think here is to not let the "dot" appears (call it "dot" so for now) if there is not the visual capability to see it. A plane at 3km can be seen, but normally not by peripheral visual acuity (as, instead, we have now). You can't scan the sky around a mountain's peak at your 12oc and spot a distant plane at your 2oc. Human FOV is larger than the game's one, but the game does not distinguish between visual acuity.
So you don't only need to look at the right way, but you need also the time to actually spot something. If you can concentrate to one spot because they told you something is there, then you can see it like it is in real life. Probably you'll need time to do it, but you can spot a plane at 20km (look the data in the PDF) as missing another at 1km.

Does the plane emit smoke? Greatly increase the value. Does the plane fly in the right camo circustances? Greatly decrease it. What about sun and clouds? What about relative motion? Compare and increase/decrease at every loop (starting with distance and acuity to save cycles of cpu).
In the case of windshield reflections (random event if the plane position and sun are ok) increase drammatically the number also OUT of the ingame camera to simulate the peripherical acuity using a temporary disappearing arrow (PDF pg 9).
So the sum of the variables and the comparative method can reproduce a semirealistic visibility. Think about having to scan the rear sector for many seconds instead of the 200 msec we use now (above all with the ugly wide view: and then they tell my about "immersion".. yes, like a fish in the water!).
Think about it having to watch instruments too because of the CEM (maybe a better one I hope).



The tweaking work behind this algorytm can be hard and time comsuming: I never stated it was easy but even if it's not accurate I think it could the greatest news in the world of the combat sims. To me this is like passing from the easy bombing mode of the old IL2 to the newer detailed one: both are not 100% accurate but who can state that the first was more realistic?

Part 2:
This part is about the limit caused by our monitor resolution and the FOV of the game. Many hate the word "LABEL" but IMO they don't understand that the black dots are labels too (BTW look at the ingame ships). We can discuss all you want about them as "immersion killers" and I agree. So what about using labels in a selective way?
Pay attention; this is not about the magic labels of IL2, the ones that appear instantly at distance, the ones who are detailed on model, distance and appear like arrow on your screen!

Simply combine the labels and what explained in part 1 of this post.

You have to scan the sky for enemies or friendly contacts; but because of the resolution issue with FOV you still can's see them if not as a dot. So you push a KEY BUTTON and start to fly in search mode (I would like to add that visual acuity should be linked to a tiredness value to simulate the actual visual skill of a pilot: think about the 4° mission of the day...).
In this MODE labels appear on the screen IF you have spotted a plane, only in that event.
How can be these labels?
IMO something like this:



Big and visible (customizable?).

Remember: they appear only if you are in search mode and they DISAPPEAR if you lost sight of the contact. So you have to scan again if you lost them, like in RL. Of course if you have to lose direct visual sight for only 2 seconds it's probable that you still know its position and you will search in the same spot... but if in those seconds the guy has changed its position then you lose him.

My idea is that it's not possible to fight at 2 km from a contact and all you see is a dot... in no way! Look again at the real contact size with the one at FOV 70. Talking about IL2 how many times I had to wait for a shooting plane since it was the only thing I could see... "Oh look! somebody is shooting at someone else (maybe, probably, boh)... can't see them DIRECTLY at 2km but I'm sure there is somebody there"
You see the gunfire and you scan that exactly that place and still you don't see anything.

Use this label method: it's not a cheat since you HAVE TO SEARCH for the enemy, but still it renders more realistic the fight because it take away the resolution issues (and nobody have to fly at lesser resolution anymore!).

But there is more. I've already told the issue about FOV: in many games (starting from OFP IIRC, or maybe it was ArmA?) we have the zoom function... we all know that its not like having a robotic eye but it needs to see the true size of a 3D model. All it does is to decrease the FOV (IL2 zoom is at FOV 30).
This work on an infantry sim, where speed is really low compared to planes: A10 and Falcon4 have this feature but it's easier since you have a radar and you actually know where to search in zoomed mode. Instead in IL2 you don't know it... you can search a tank column in zoomed mode, but it's no possible inflight.

How can we use the zoom function? Simply when you are in search mode and you see the dots you can move the visual over one of these so that the green central dot it over it (or near: inside the invisible circle): you press a key button and the game LOCK and ZOOM on that dot giving the real 3D model's size (maybe with labels on the details: model and number)
You release the key button and the visual return to the normal one. The dot get smaller if the planes 3D model is very visible (but not invisible): the more bigger is the lod, me more smaller is the dot.



As I said before this is an idea: I would like to discuss with you about the usefulness of this.

Knowing that very probably 1C will not put resources in something similar.

EDIT: I ask the mods if kindly can change the thread's title adding "UPDATE at post #97". Thanks.