Make it a different map like the Tunisia or the Med other than the current rebuilt small Europe from the WAR two years ago.
Spit, Hurri, P40, C202, and bombers stand out looking down into the ocean, the ground, or up into the clouds as black silhouettes then dots out to 4-5kd. The 109F-G2 dissapere from view in the same situations starting at about 1kd or after passing into a cloud layer. The only time they are visable as dots or black silhouettes is when they are back dropped against clear sky or inside of 1kd. All other aircraft on that map resolve from a dot, black silhouette then as whatever aricraft and paint scheme they are wearing.
Last night I watched this when POTW were flying from the english side of the map and I was flying aginst them from the german side. When I flew 109's against my squad they lost track of me if I didn't stay close in the furballs while in a 109. When I flew the C202 they could keep track of me inside of 5kd and followed me through all of my manuvers sea level past 15k. When I switched to the english side I could see the 109's on the map DAR but, most of the time couldn't visually resolve them untill they were inside of 1kd or closer. If they were over the water, most of the time thier pixels blended into the blue grey of the waters pixels with no outline motion differentiation or contrast from the background pixels. A bit like cloaked Klingon battel cruisers.
SYKO, Changeup, USVI, MODO, Waystin, Tempest, Lawndart along with myself were practicing in there last night. This phenominon was a common issue. Even in low furballs on the water the 109's would dissapere into the water at times if they had 200-400d separation below us against the ocean. Setup the challenge on a different map that both sides can see each other equaly within the constraints of no-Icon mode.
To the AvA Staff,
Have you guys performed any in depth visual testing of all these maps to know exaclty how the default skin or silhouette of every type of aircraft will show up in no-Icon mode?
I doubt every fighter will be rendered the same. Some fighters are not being rendered with visual contrast from the back ground they are seen against untill they are inside of 1k yards. But then, some fighters show up as a black dot, black cross then as an aircraft from 5k yards tracking into your aircraft against most back grounds. A good example is the C202, Hurri and spit5 vs. the 109F-G2 on the current map.
The lack of motion contrast against background pixels vs. distance seems a technical issue related to the game and our video cards. If the 7 members of my squad and myself noted this phenominon, thats 8 different computers. This phenominon being a general factor, it would only be fair if you gents performed testing against different colored oceans and water. Terrains and cloud covers. Then place a note in the MOTD for each map to the results. Players who want to fight each other will make sure they see each other and fight. Some players, once they notice a curious difference in the game like this will leverage that over the arenas spirit of game play. I suspect HTC had a very good reason for the big red Icon since he built this game's Matrix.
NO-Icon is still a good idea. But, I doubt you gents have bothered to test and understand all of the idiosyncrasies of your monster.....
