There's been lots of discussion about GV icons and spotting them on the ground from the air (it's both too hard or too easy depending on how you look at it). Finding the correct balance for GV icons using a static distance setting is difficult. So, this got me wondering (and maybe it's been suggested before):
Why couldn't GV icon distance vary based on whether the vehicle is moving or stationary (or engine off, perhaps)?
For example, a stopped GV might have an icon range of 1000 yards, whereas a moving GV might have an icon of 3K.
Taking this one step further, how about also basing the icon distance on the terrain the GV is occupying (to simulate cover)?
For example, trees could reduce the icon distance by 500 yards. Being in a barn (or building) could drop it by 1000 yards (making a GV virtually invisible from the air if stopped in a structure). Perhaps sitting on concrete (in the open) could add 1000 yards to the stopped icon range. Again, these are just numbers to illustrate the idea.
I understand this would likely involve a good deal of coding to do this, but making GV icons dynamic based on the "state" of the GV, could add a good deal of realism for both those on the ground and those in the air.
<S>