Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Wishlist => Topic started by: Kazaa on October 11, 2016, 01:19:16 PM

Title: Improvements To The Water In AH3?
Post by: Kazaa on October 11, 2016, 01:19:16 PM
I flew a few sorties over the new ocean and immediately noticed a few areas that I feel could use some improvement. This is just my opinion, so take it for what it is.

The amount of sun reflection from the water is very overpowering. This maybe realistic. From a user perspective, I find it to be very distracting, disorientating, nauseating.

In AH2, I believe there were static cloud reflections built into the ocean shader. This gave a great sense of depth perception when over the sea/ocean. The removal of this feature I find to be dearly missed as it allowed the user to get an eye ball calculation of the current altitude.

There’s a very noticeable colour banding issue (see image attached) when looking at the ocean from higher altitudes. Hopefully something can be done to improve, mask or fix this? This gets worse when post is enabled.

(https://s22.postimg.org/bru77b2wx/banding.jpg)
Title: Re: Improvements To The Water In AH3?
Post by: Ramesis on October 12, 2016, 03:34:22 PM
I was a crew member (not a pilot) at GTMO in the early '70s towing targets
in the S2c stoof for our squadrons Crusaders, ships etc.
I was responsible for deploying the targets and releasing them.
Typically we flew at 5k to 10k max and from what I recall,
unless there was excessive chop on the water, WE COULD NOT
see any features on the water other than the wake of ships  :salute
Ram
Title: Re: Improvements To The Water In AH3?
Post by: Ack-Ack on October 12, 2016, 04:47:19 PM
Problem is with the water in AH3, you can't tell any features from 10ft above the water.  For me, unless I have the IAS/Altitude read out on, I can't tell when the sky ends and the water begins.
Title: Re: Improvements To The Water In AH3?
Post by: Vraciu on October 12, 2016, 04:58:09 PM
I was a crew member (not a pilot) at GTMO in the early '70s towing targets
in the S2c stoof for our squadrons Crusaders, ships etc.
I was responsible for deploying the targets and releasing them.
Typically we flew at 5k to 10k max and from what I recall,
unless there was excessive chop on the water, WE COULD NOT
see any features on the water other than the wake of ships  :salute
Ram

You CAN see features in water unless it is dead calm.  Depth perception cannot be duplicated here so substitution is needed. 

The water here is effectively glass smooth unless you're at 500 feet.  I've flown over water plenty and it doesn't look like this.  Maybe I have better eyes than the average bear or something....but I can tell from six thousand feet....and three thousand feet....and on short final....differences. 

Title: Re: Improvements To The Water In AH3?
Post by: Kazaa on October 13, 2016, 09:17:52 AM
Problem is with the water in AH3, you can't tell any features from 10ft above the water.  For me, unless I have the IAS/Altitude read out on, I can't tell when the sky ends and the water begins.

This is the same problem I tried to express in the OP. It's almost impossible to get an eye-ball calculation of the altitude over the ocean. Something which wasn't an issue with Aces High 2.
Title: Re: Improvements To The Water In AH3?
Post by: Kazaa on October 13, 2016, 09:27:01 AM
You CAN see features in water unless it is dead calm.  Depth perception cannot be duplicated here so substitution is needed. 

The water here is effectively glass smooth unless you're at 500 feet.  I've flown over water plenty and it doesn't look like this.  Maybe I have better eyes than the average bear or something....but I can tell from six thousand feet....and three thousand feet....and on short final....differences.

HTC do a great job of giving the user as much feedback as possible, something which is key to making any game, fun. I remember when AH2 had it's first(?) graphical engine overhaul. We had the same problem with the ocean being too dark with no feedback of altitude depth. AH2's second(?) graphic overhaul fixed this perfectly by adding fake cloud reflections, more chop and making the water a lighter hue.
Title: Re: Improvements To The Water In AH3?
Post by: DmonSlyr on October 13, 2016, 09:43:30 AM
This water needs to be top priority or I feel like it's going to detour a lot of people from the game. Flying during night time is like flying in an all black room over water. It's throwing off energy state perception. It's just not good. I feel like it's going to have a very negative impact if this doesn't get fixed soon.
Title: Re: Improvements To The Water In AH3?
Post by: EskimoJoe on October 13, 2016, 09:54:18 AM
I like this photograph.

(http://chamorrobible.org/images/photos/gpw-200905-UnitedStatesAirForce-090512-F-2482B-025-B-2-Spirit-stealth-bomber-Western-Pacific-Ocean-20090512-medium.jpg)
Title: Re: Improvements To The Water In AH3?
Post by: popeye on October 13, 2016, 09:56:47 AM
+1 to more texture.

Also, has anyone been able to ditch on water?  I die every time.
Title: Re: Improvements To The Water In AH3?
Post by: 100Coogn on October 13, 2016, 10:06:27 AM
+1 to more texture.

Also, has anyone been able to ditch on water?  I die every time.

I've landed on the water, but sounds like landing on concrete.   

Coogan
Title: Re: Improvements To The Water In AH3?
Post by: mbailey on October 13, 2016, 10:20:42 AM
Problem is with the water in AH3, you can't tell any features from 10ft above the water.  For me, unless I have the IAS/Altitude read out on, I can't tell when the sky ends and the water begins.

Same....ive become a submarine commander more than once due to not being able to tell where it begins and ends.
Title: Re: Improvements To The Water In AH3?
Post by: Kazaa on October 13, 2016, 10:30:53 AM
This water needs to be top priority or I feel like it's going to detour a lot of people from the game. Flying during night time is like flying in an all black room over water. It's throwing off energy state perception. It's just not good. I feel like it's going to have a very negative impact if this doesn't get fixed soon.

Absolutely. I now refuse to do any sorties over or near the ocean. When I did, I found many people  complaining over vox about the same issues expressed in this thread.
Title: Re: Improvements To The Water In AH3?
Post by: Ramesis on October 13, 2016, 01:31:23 PM
You CAN see features in water unless it is dead calm.  Depth perception cannot be duplicated here so substitution is needed. 

The water here is effectively glass smooth unless you're at 500 feet.  I've flown over water plenty and it doesn't look like this.  Maybe I have better eyes than the average bear or something....but I can tell from six thousand feet....and three thousand feet....and on short final....differences.
I respect what ur saying V BUT, I have probably flown over water more than the average person and believe me... looking down through
a hatch for 2 or 3 hrs on each flight, I'm guessing I have a pretty good memory of what the water looks like at 5k -12k.
Ram
Title: Re: Improvements To The Water In AH3?
Post by: Vraciu on October 13, 2016, 06:32:59 PM
I respect what ur saying V BUT, I have probably flown over water more than the average person and believe me... looking down through
a hatch for 2 or 3 hrs on each flight, I'm guessing I have a pretty good memory of what the water looks like at 5k -12k.
Ram


I hear ya.   Still, as rendered it is not accurate. 
Title: Re: Improvements To The Water In AH3?
Post by: lerxst on October 13, 2016, 07:22:51 PM
any way to get white caps moving on the water beside the shore line like in the ocean to possible help with orientation,maybe seagulls flying about,schools of fish being eaten by birds and whales!!
Title: Re: Improvements To The Water In AH3?
Post by: Bruv119 on October 14, 2016, 01:22:29 AM
any way to get white caps moving on the water beside the shore line like in the ocean to possible help with orientation,maybe seagulls flying about,schools of fish being eaten by birds and whales!!

+1   

with submarines, sea planes, sharks with laser beams and octopopsicle!     

I agree with kazaa it needs a little tweak.
Title: Re: Improvements To The Water In AH3?
Post by: bozon on October 14, 2016, 04:31:35 AM
sheep swimming in the sheeping lanes!