bases are hard to see for us old farts

[guncrasher]

can we go back to ah2 when bases could be seen from a distance, maybe it's just me, but I have a hard time seeing the base and runways till 2k away.  hard to bomb and even harder to land on them.


semp

[bustr]

And here I worked so hard to blend the terrain tiles around feilds for some authenticity to increase the realism effect. Bombers in WW2 had navigators while the pilot using visual reference experienced the same issues you do. Some of it is how Hitech set the haze effect. They would have killed for the kind of map you have on your clip board.

Here, no clouds, just above 12,000ft and normal haze. In WW2 bomber pilots had to contend with the same problem and relied on a navigator and a bombardier. Your auto up date zoom in map is the navigator and you are the bombardier. The town is just resolving to view out of the haze 10 miles to IP. I know, you just want to see the square from 12miles out clean on zoom so you can line up and already know what your salvo and toggle points will be to clean out a target. I wonder if Hitech adjusts the haze for time of year since this haze is like what I've seen over Peshawar during the summer or Texas during the summer from 10,000ft. A small observation, as you turn up your gamma, you make the haze worse.

[CptTrips]

can we go back to ah2 when bases could be seen from a distance, maybe it's just me, but I have a hard time seeing the base and runways till 2k away.  hard to bomb and even harder to land on them.


semp

I can tell you in VR, certain airfields are extremely hard to see the runway on approach.  At approach distances and angles, they can completely blend out.  You can't discern the runway until it's too late.  I generally have to memorize where the buildings are in relation to the runway to make sure I come in close enough for final correction.

I think medium fields are the ones I had most trouble with.  Large and extra large seemed to have more contrast on the runway edges.

I think the small fields are fine if the moire pattern doesn't give you an epileptic fit.

$0.02.

[guncrasher]

Bustr at high altitude I can't see the town but I can see the Lake, so I aim for it. I can't line up on base so I hardly hit bases. Not a problem.

It's when coming in for landing it's hard to see the runways unless by accident your line up on them at 2 or  3k alt. Otherwise I can't see runways till I'm almost in top of them.


Semp

[The Fugitive]

Bustr at high altitude I can't see the town but I can see the Lake, so I aim for it. I can't line up on base so I hardly hit bases. Not a problem.

It's when coming in for landing it's hard to see the runways unless by accident your line up on them at 2 or  3k alt. Otherwise I can't see runways till I'm almost in top of them.


Semp

Semp, what kind of in game setting are you using? By changing the graphics you might be able to get a better view.

[FLS]

Bustr at high altitude I can't see the town but I can see the Lake, so I aim for it. I can't line up on base so I hardly hit bases. Not a problem.

It's when coming in for landing it's hard to see the runways unless by accident your line up on them at 2 or  3k alt. Otherwise I can't see runways till I'm almost in top of them.


Semp

Sounds like you're doing a straight approach. You could fly a pattern to land or fly over the runway for a combat landing.

[Mister Fork]

In VR I  have no issues with seeing airbases - or in 2D mode.  What are your distance settings in your video card?  I have the distance and graphical settings all maxed out. Is that the issue?

[guncrasher]

In VR I  have no issues with seeing airbases - or in 2D mode.  What are your distance settings in your video card?  I have the distance and graphical settings all maxed out. Is that the issue?

All maxed out too. In fighters it's not too  bad. In bombers I usually fly parallel to the base till I see the tower, then I climb zoom in in gunner position till I can see the runway.

Semp

[Mister Fork]

Semp - What u using for headset?

[guncrasher]

Not sure it's about 10 years old connected to the video card, held together by Duck tape. Have trackir.

I can see airplanes at 6k.  Dots probably around 7. It's just bases they aren't visible till I'm in to if them.

Cvs I can see them from way out. Direction, type, etc.


Semp

[Mister Fork]

(cough) I had to move my monitor a lot closer to see stuff about 5 years ago. I mean, a LOT closer (14" or less).

[bustr]

What the older eyes and take us back to AH2 are complaining about is the Fog and it's elevation setting.

From AH1-AH2 everyone cried for realism and Hitech slapped you with it finally in AH3. The haze is realistic as I've stated from personal experiencing flying. And finding a runway at long range can be a chore until you are on top of it. Thats why we have the clip board map. As for not being able to see the runway at close range, if you have your gamma way up you will have problems. I tried to do screenshots of a small airfield from 5,000ft at gamma 1.0, 1.3, 1.7 and 2.0 to illustrate the wash out of the runways and taxi ways. Unfortunately screen captures don't capture that part of the visual effect.

But, I do have screen captures from 5,000ft 5 miles out adjusting the range of the haze(Fog) and finally it's elevation. The default you see in the MA is 18 miles and 6,000ft. It appears to me unless the real wish is AH2 and no unnecessary visuals, a Fog density setting is in order. Still, I've listened to many older players now becasue of my terrain building, wish Hitech would return to the AH2 visual settings for everything and make the game 12:00, 24x7.


Here is the MA default, 18miles, 6000ft.

 


28miles, 6000ft.




38miles, 6000ft.




38miles, 500ft. And now we have gone backwards to 2009 and AH2 to when everyone screamed for realism.




 

[guncrasher]

Bustr this isn't about haze. I'm talking about having problems seeing bases from 2 3k out. I can see fires on a base from way out. Cv on fire from 6 minutes away it so in a b26 6k up but still can't see building from 1/2 the radar circle away.


Semp

[guncrasher]

Looking at my settings I have all slides  set to full except em to none.

I have disabled shadows, clutter ground and in flight, post lighting and reflections.

I have enable other planes skins, bump mapping and details.

I have a 2500k cpu with a 970 video card was top of the line  4k mg.

It plays at full fps with a 2560x1440 29in screen. I get no stutter. And fps only drops to about 30 around 2 bases on 2 different maps.

I have no problems following cons on the ground over heavy trees.

Semp

[bustr]

I set my FOV for the first screen capture to the default of 90 and the second back up to 106 which I prefer. For both I left the haze at 18miles and lowered it to 500ft. I'm betting another thing killing old eyes is a FOV wider than 90. I'm using a 24in flat panel and a GTX760 video card. FOV will make things hard to see at distance the wider you set it along with the haze effect getting worse. Hitech never promised bomber pilots lazer guided inbound target line up like in AH2 everyone complained about year after year. The haze does seem to mess with the eye ball lazer guidance we had in AH2. My last two terrains even I have trouble seeing airfields until I'm on top of them due to my efforts to make the painting of the terrain look realistic. That was a real world problem in WW2.


Haze 18miles, 500ft, FOV 90, and I'm at half the radar circle out sitting 5,000ft AGL.




Haze 18miles, 500ft, FOV 106.