567 replies to this topic

[vettie]

MightyMeatShield, on 07 March 2013 - 08:38 PM, said:

Question: What does "Also we will be masking out the Mechs cockpit from the effects" mean in laymans terms?

Unless I am wrong, the masking means that if you have lets say the Lanterns or Christmas lights installed in your cockpit, they currently have a bit of a glow in Thermal (for sure) and in Night Vis mode. Masking means that they will block out that extra bit of glow. You will probably still be able to see your item, just without the distracting glow as it is now.

I am glad to see these changes being introduced. Looking forward to seeing them implemented.

Very much so for the xtended zoom module!

Good work guys, keep it up and keep the good stuff coming!!

[Jimskiavic]

Levi Porphyrogenitus, on 07 March 2013 - 08:09 PM, said:

However, I would really like to see some screens on Frozen City during a blizzard before I will really say that these will work. As things stand now, you pretty much have to run heat mode whenever the snow starts falling. How that will interact with the new gray scale vision will determine whether or not that map will become pretty much unplayable.

Agreed. Though I don't mind that weather (e.g. blizzards, sandstorms, fog) should dramatically reduce visibility (in fact, I like it), I'd still like to be able to roughly navigate my way around a building that's right in front of my face (which at the moment you tend to need thermal vision for).

Jim Dean, on 07 March 2013 - 08:24 PM, said:

...but I'm still hoping for spotlight/headlight function.

Yep, me too. It might help with the above problem (of weather), enabling you to have decent visibility at a very short range (same at night time). And you've got to weigh up the pros and cons of using them at any given time.
Pros: significantly improved visibility within the range and spread of the beam; Can interfere with other people's Night Vision (a 'con' if they're your teammates I guess!).
Cons: Easier for other people to spot you (although it wouldn't actually illuminate your own Mech, so it wouldn't give them much detail, just show up where you are); ruins your Mark I Night Vision (i.e. your eyes, when looking at things that aren't in your beam).

Kraven Kor, on 07 March 2013 - 08:30 PM, said:

I wish you could do the intended effect of greyscale without going to, well, greyscale; keep it blues and greens somehow.

Agreed it would be nice, and hopefully can be achieved again in the future. But I also agree that it's a worthwhile sacrifice to get better balance and gameplay.

All up, it looks very promising.

[Zerstorer]

Now give us HID headlamps for those who wish to stick to normal vision and momentarily blind those using nightvision.

[Ethidium]

Good changes, looking forward to trying these out in the game. Hopefully the 4x zoom module, depth of field and film grain can be reexamined too!

[zenlike]

This looks like a good change for the game in both aesthetics and game play/tactics.

[Xenon Codex]

I approve! Looking forward to these new modes and improvements in the Advanced Zoom module, which I might actually buy!

Just a side note, the thermal imagers of today have a pretty impressive range and sensitivity. They "auto-scale" to the environment, so that there really shouldn't be much visual difference between a hot map and cold map once it's been calibrated to the ambient conditions of a particular environment. I know this falls under "accuracy", last on the list of priorities, but something to consider. Every map should look about the same in thermal vision.

[Girth Fillmore]

I am very satisfied with the preview screenshots and am looking forward to the upcoming changes. Good work, and thanks!

[Sturmwind]

Considering at the current state I'm mostly running heat-vision out of the pure necessity that it provides the best way to spot your enemies, I like these changes. I'm curious how they probably change play-style.

[Solis Obscuri]

That actaully looks really excellent - like the new Night Vision, Thermal Looks better... but would it be possible to invert the greyscale? I think would also be helpful...

I'm also wondering why you think 'mechs would be less visible against a cold background like the snowy slopes of alpine. I'd expect them to stand out with more contrast, given the massive amounts of heat a 'mech is continually dissipating.

[Mitnek]

As a colorblind person, these new vision modes are horrible and would render night maps unplayable...

For the screenshots in the other thread:

Thermal has no detail on any buildings or trucks.

Night vision is all the same color so you can't see any mechs.

[Elizander]

It's looking better now. I'll have to wait to try it out to see which ones are useful. I mostly play in normal vision anyway unless it is River City night and I just blind myself with green and hope I hit something. I don't like the existing Thermal.

[Jacmac]

Don't make thermal mode work like the screenshots. Thermal mode is usable now. The screenshot looks like an infrared camera that was invented circa 2000, instead of 3050. Why go backwards? Work on adding things that are actually missing from the game and quit wasting time fixing things that aren't broken.

If thermal mode works like that screen shot, then I'll probably alt-f4 any night map or the blizzard in frozen city.

[Monsoon]

Very nice! Booth look great, though I'll miss all my thermal sniping!

Now what about MagScan and Ultraviolet? I wants me more vision options! (I do remember MagScan being mentioned as a Module.)

[Stonehouse]

If heat vision is going grey scale, could there be two different modes as per todays equipment - ie white hot, black hot that could be switched between to help break out targets from the background?

[The Cheese]

Very interested in trying these out. At first glance, they look a lot more balanced than what we're all used to.

[Volume]

Thanks for turning down the bloom! It was really hurting my eyes to the point where I just wouldn't use night vision mode because everything was too darn bright.

I really like the changes to it, and thermal being more reasonable makes more sense. I like how normal vision will probably be the go-to mode in most conditions now, as it should be. And it feels good to see night vision actually get some utility, thermal remaining powerful but not the be-all-end-all that it has been.

Any chance of getting some Mechwarrior 2-style "enhanced imaging" with wireframes and damage representation? I think it'd be cool

Edited by Volume, 07 March 2013 - 09:38 PM.

[ice trey]

Absolutely for the updates to Thermal and Night-vision modes.

Personally, though, I'd like to see the night vision done so that rather than greyscale, it is presented as a colored monochrome that matches with the HUD. Alternately, like with FLIR cameras, have the ability to invert the greyscale - for example, if hot objects appear as white, inverting would make hot objects appear as black, instead. Sometimes this can give added visibility.

[Theran Kerensky]

Wow... I didn't even want this, and now i can't wait for it! As one of the few people i know that run around in Night Vision, I can only say thank you! Also the Thermal is also i think going to be more helpful than the world of blue blobs. Great addition and I can't wait for it!

[Harabeck]

Looks great to me, the current thermal is ugly yet by far the most useful view.

[StandingCow]

Love the changes... would like to see a screen shot of frozen city w/thermals though...