Author Topic: Icons (Read 504 times)

Paxil · « **on:** June 07, 2004, 11:26:12 PM »

Is it me... or do the new icons in AH2 kinda hurt people who fly in hi-res (1600,1200) (The way they don't change range as much) I can't tell which way planes are moving. And for those who say there should be no icons at all... I say bah... I can see which way planes are flying 2 1/2 3 miles away in RL, but in AHII in hi-rez (without hitting zoom) I just can't tell. Coming or going... no clue half of the time. Seems like a lot more low alt fur balls where everyone flies in circles at low speed because no one can tell enough to get behind someone else. Boom and zoom is almost futile for me. Maybe I will get used to it. Maybe I will just change my res or map zoom to my joystick. I do like the way dogfights seem to unfold at a different pace, there is something in AHII that makes that so and I like it, but dang, for people flying at half the res the planes are twice as big right?. I would guess it is a bit easier to tell where they are going then.

bozon · « **Reply #1 on:** June 08, 2004, 03:03:49 AM »

half the res is twice the size for each pixel - but half the res of the image

you get the same size of picture (less pixels, but bigger ones) but more blurred. try lowering your setting to 800x600 and see. then you REALLY can't tell the orientation of a plane.

the only advantage of low res is that it's easier to detect a plane's single dot at a distance.

Bozon

Rolex · « **Reply #2 on:** June 08, 2004, 05:45:36 AM »

I'm also have real trouble discerning the vector and vector changes of aircraft. It is probably just my imagination, but aircraft see smaller and washed out to me. I wonder if it's the harshness of the lighting?

Jackal1 · « **Reply #3 on:** June 08, 2004, 05:22:02 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Rolex
I'm also have real trouble discerning the vector and vector changes of aircraft. It is probably just my imagination, but aircraft see smaller and washed out to me. I wonder if it's the harshness of the lighting?

Same here. I thought it was just my rejection of change messin wid me head.

bustr · « **Reply #4 on:** June 08, 2004, 07:02:57 PM »

AHII - as the planes move away from you their pixle(s) dot changes from a solid black dot to gray, then to a small lighter gray distant blurry blotch almost like a stain on your monitor. Then dissapear in the distance.

In real life thats what it looks like. This is why you pay attention and keep looking around. Black dots are just about in icon range. If they are moving to you they increase just perceptibly in size.

In this environment we have about 5 miles clear visibility that the dot can be seen in. In real life 5 miles is just a dot you see and are aware something is there. You have to watch it a while, and it can be just as confusing as the new flight modeling in AHII.

Ever go outside and look at planes about 5 miles out and try to tell what they are? Excluding Jumbo Jets.

Rolex · « **Reply #5 on:** June 08, 2004, 07:30:45 PM »

I'm having trouble at 800 yards., not 5 miles...

I can't even discern the outline of the aircraft against ground textures to give me the visual clues of nose direction. I have to watch the distance icon to determine direction, but can only see opponents nose direction at about 400 is we're converging. And that is too late!

Paxil · « **Reply #6 on:** June 08, 2004, 08:42:55 PM »

Same here Rolex. Bustr, I do like the black to gray thing... but I still think when planes are within icon range, it is very difficult for me to tell which way they are moving. Like Rolex, I've HO people I thought were flying away!

Rolex · « **Reply #7 on:** June 08, 2004, 09:45:50 PM »

It seems to me that there is not enough reflected light and too much of a single-point source from the sun and the resulting image has little graduation of grays in shadowing. Increasing contrast is probably the wrong way to go because there is too much contrast: it seems too dark or too light.

Increasing the diffusion of the sunlight with more reflective light sources may be the way to go.

Paxil · « **Reply #8 on:** June 08, 2004, 10:29:12 PM »

After flying some tonight.. I didn't have as much problem with telling which way planes where headed... but is does take a very keen eye.

B17Skull12 · « **Reply #9 on:** June 09, 2004, 03:44:19 PM »

just decrease your screen size.

bustr · « **Reply #10 on:** June 09, 2004, 04:13:30 PM »

Interesting,

I'm running ATI 9700 Pro 128, monitor at 1024x768 100hz. I see the vauge gray blurrs out at 5 miles and through medium/dark gray to black dots then the 5k icon and so forth. I'm getting 100fp in the game.

DELL 8250
Intel P4 3.06Ghz
512 RAMBUS
ATI 9700 Pro 128 - latest Omega drivers.
XP Home - sp\patches upto date.

AWCHKRS · « **Reply #11 on:** June 10, 2004, 06:47:46 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Rolex
I'm also have real trouble discerning the vector and vector changes of aircraft. It is probably just my imagination, but aircraft see smaller and washed out to me. I wonder if it's the harshness of the lighting?

DITTO !

CHECKERS

fluffy · « **Reply #12 on:** June 10, 2004, 03:42:17 PM »

Seeing planes headon or tail on was difficult for the real world pilots and they say so in their memoirs. Spotting a white glider a mile or two away is hard enough in real life - imagine if it was camoflaged. If we didn't have icons people would adjust. It would be as hard for the NME to see you as it is for you to see them. I think the real reason we still have icons is so that people can find each other easily and have at it, and also because anyone can fly any type of plane, so you can't tell NMEs by their plane type. Without icons most of us would be floundering around chasing radar contacts and flying right past each other at different altitudes. Experience in no icon or close range icon arena in the past was like that. It makes for a very paranoid experience - much more real, where everybody is constantly twitchy and checking six, but maybe not so much fun for the majority of players I suppose. I think everybody should experience it once they get there arena skills up.