New effects

Thanks! :D

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against PBR or other awesome visuals, but that's NOT the purpose of this thread. This is about gameplay.

Effects for metal planes reflecting the sun are worth almost nothing if they don't enhance spotting distance (AI and players) for example.

In real life something directly reflecting the sun can be spotted for three times as far as something with a camouflage paintjob.

My questions are not about whether something looks cool, but about whether it matters for gameplay. Being pretty is just a bonus.

EDIT Thanks Sith! EDIT Oh dammit... sorry.

Thanks! :D

 

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against PBR or other awesome visuals, but that's NOT the purpose of this thread. This is about gameplay.

Effects for metal planes reflecting the sun are worth almost nothing if they don't enhance spotting distance (AI and players) for example.

 

In real life something directly reflecting the sun can be spotted for three times as far as something with a camouflage paintjob.

 

My questions are not about whether something looks cool, but about whether it matters for gameplay. Being pretty is just a bonus.

 

EDIT Thanks Sith!

PBR is the best way to get things looking realistic. When things look realistic it enhances gameplay.

Life time achievement reached, being mistaken for Sithspawn :)

OH NOES! Sorry Bignewy. I just saw a Vader helmet and my brain said Vader=Sith. I like both of you! :)

@112th Rossi: Perhaps we have different definitions of gameplay, but I strongly disagree with your second statement.

PBR is great though.

OH NOES! Sorry Bignewy. I just saw a Vader helmet and my brain said Vader=Sith. I like both of you! :)

 

@112th Rossi: Perhaps we have different definitions of gameplay, but I strongly disagree with your second statement.

PBR is great though.

As you said, it enhances gameplay if the PBR reflections make the view distances more realistic.

And yes, the distances are more about LOD issues and the engines rendering distance... but if applied to all LOD:s, it should affect the visibility of different objects. Some may show up better, while others may disappear into ground clutter for example.

OH NOES! Sorry Bignewy. I just saw a Vader helmet and my brain said Vader=Sith. I like both of you! :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh men, Aginor, bro ...... LoL.....

:megalol:

 

 

 

 

 

 

@112th Rossi: Perhaps we have different definitions of gameplay, but I strongly disagree with your second statement.

PBR is great though.

Yeah, I saw this Thread discussion pop and didn't bother to check it out a while back here............ https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=175319

WoW ha more here CODINGLABS - PBR Link:- http://www.codinglabs.net/default.aspx

I think its good going down this path adding more modern gaming technologies for a sim.

It certainly will bring life in effects and other benefits, perfect for carrier deck ops :thumbup:

As you said, it enhances gameplay if the PBR reflections make the view distances more realistic.

 

And yes, the distances are more about LOD issues and the engines rendering distance... but if applied to all LOD:s, it should affect the visibility of different objects. Some may show up better, while others may disappear into ground clutter for example.

Ok I can agree with that. Still not one of the bigger contributing factors I think, but it could help.

Ok I can agree with that. Still not one of the bigger contributing factors I think, but it could help.

Small streams make up a large river in the end.

And this is a simulation, no? Therefore a move toward certain level of pictorial realism is in order. That might also have unexpected gameplay effects.

I for one believe this might have a certain effect in dogfights with WWII aircraft, since objects that are very bright tend to look larger/closer by than dark objects. That, in theory, might misplace a shot in just the right circumstances.

Yes, yes, it is a stretch. But, again, it's the small things...

Ok I can agree with that. Still not one of the bigger contributing factors I think, but it could help.

http://www.mudspike.com/preview-of-dcs-normandy-1944-and-wwii-assets-pack/

https://forums.mudspike.com/t/f86f-skins-in-dcs-2-x/4107

PBR + Deferred Shading.

Deferred Shading and PBR are amazing...

http://www.mudspike.com/preview-of-dcs-normandy-1944-and-wwii-assets-pack/

 

https://forums.mudspike.com/t/f86f-skins-in-dcs-2-x/4107

 

 

PBR + Deferred Shading.

Yeah I know. I am a regular Mudspiker.

But does it affect gameplay? Will it affect LOD2 for example? And AI spotting?

That's the topic of this thread.

Yeah I know. I am a regular Mudspiker.

But does it affect gameplay? Will it affect LOD2 for example? And AI spotting?

That's the topic of this thread.

As it affects the contrast/reflection on plane hulls, it should obviously affect the ability to spot a plane over ground... That is what it seems to do when I look at the videos.

It is a subtle change, but noticeable.

And as said before, if it makes the look of objects and their respective reflections more realistic it will impact gameplay. On the other hand, that does mean a drab olive painted plane will be harder to spot against the ground, than a shiny metal one and it should help spot targets higher over the ground as the light reflection angle is different from the reflection angle on the ground, even if colors match perfectly.

What I Love about PBR is, it isn't another CPU/GPU intense computation on top of what is done already, it is just a different computation from better information that uses the same amount of performance to achieve a better result. I love that! :)

To me the most important are sparks from hits, smoke, vapour, tracers, fire all connected to a new DM.

Thats an important point. IMO much more important than PBR. But hey if it doesn't hurt performance and doesn't use programmer time go for it of course. :)

One of my biggest hopes right now is that contrails and clouds become more realistic, (again, not necessarily graphically, mainly the rest) which will also greatly improve the whole spotting thing.

I just read this thread and thought: Yeah, why not.

Canopy damage and its consequences. I would probably not make it the highest priority, but I can imagine some gameplay aspects there that could really be interesting, especially when flying jets, fast and/or at high altitude.

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=189316

EDIT: And yes, this is still a list of questions for Wags and/or ED developers. I really want to know what of this is planned or maybe even implemented already.

Come on Wags, you said you'd like to talk about a few of those questions almost a year ago. :)

Hey y'all!

With 2.5. Just around the corner I'd like to kindly ask if you would like to answer one or two of the questions maybe?

It would make waiting much easier...

Yup..

I'm interested in knowing when the over wing vapor is going to be released, maybe with the Hornet or 2.5 release?

Wags told us we can expect more news regarding 2.5 in the coming weeks and itself so perhaps we also hear about all the new visual effects.

I hope that this is not too off topic, maybe we get info about spotting in 2.5 ? When they get news out.

I will go crazy (in good way) if VR spottings gets better.

Hell, im already making new pit just because 2.5 ( and finally talked wife over it, lots of money spend but now i can build )

Yeah some of the visuals can have a big impact on gameplay under certain conditions (over wing vapor for example can be very useful to tell hat your opponent is starting to pull some Gs) which is why I don't say "meh only visuals" when talking about them.

@Haukka: Spotting is a huge topic indeed. Things like reflections from the sun (or being blinded by it) or contrails on different altitudes will make that a lot more interesting (and in some cases easier I guess, especially for the low resolution guys like VR users).

I agree with all posters reading effects, they add so much immersion, can't be overlooked!

Visual effects are also part of the simulation, let's not forget the fact that DCS is an entertainment version of TBS ;)

Visual effects are also part of the simulation

Indeed. Visual effects seem to be ignored or downplayed by some with the premise of "it is about the combat and the systems, not the looks", but they fail to realize that the effects play a role in the combat and system usage. Some effects aid, some hinder - like canopy scratches, the HUD unreadable due to the sun or bright lights, displays being illegible due to high-g buffeting etc. There are a lot more factors in the thing we try to simulate here than some admit.

Aircraft abd air combat are not sterile environments at all when it comes to effects and what they cause.

Regards,

MikeMikeJuliet

hi guys, this is a quick demo of the new explosion effects.