Fog And Level Of Detail, How To Extend

[Kyle_K_ski 17]

Another question for the newbie? He must like all the work we've done around here!

Well, I hope that's how you're responding whenever you're seeing another post made by me!

I've downloaded a mod that promises to get rid of all the fog that appears in DS and IT, but before I install it I have some aesthetic concerns...

I don't want the fog to be lifted if the mission is supposed to be genuinely foggy.

I see this as a completely separate issue from "fog" that's applied due to engine limitations that are probably no longer a limitation due to players having much better graphics cards.

So, I guess what I'm asking for is this: Is there a way to get rid of engine-limitation "fog" while keeping real fog for missions that are supposed to be foggy because it's due to weather effects?

Oh, and if engine-limiting "fogs" are lifted, does that mean that the AI will "see" further? If that's not the case, then I don't see much point in getting rid of the engine-limiting "fog" as that will give me a huge advantage over them.

I do ask some tricky ones, don't I?

Thanks in advance.

Yours,

Kyle

[Buehgler_AS 0]

I believe (I do not have Igor in front of me at the moment) that the fog and AI view distance are set in three different places. First are default values provided in the .env (environment) file. Next is in the mission file itself -- via the environment box in Igor. Finally these settings can be further overridden by a mission or gtf script.

The fog settings are in fact independent of the AI spotting distance. Getting the two properly balanced for a mission requires a bit of trial and error in my experience. But the fact that both can be changed by the mission script makes it possible to have some interesting weather changes during a mission (see for example "A Cold Welcome" from the 2006 Community Coop Tourny).

To my knowledge, the GR engine does not have any built in fog-ish limitations, so you can happily crank things up to silly levels. Just remember that the AI are limited not by what you (the player) see, but by their spotting distance and the type of weapon they are carrying (they see further/better when they have better"optics" on their weapon).

My guess is that the mod you downloaded (not knowing exactly what it is) will replace/override the stock .env files and lift the fog that you see by default. Very few missions override this either in the mission or the mission script,so I suspect the general effect will be that you see things very well, but the AI willnot have had their spotting distance changed.

Good luck.

[Edit: Ok I fired up Igor.. I forgot that there is a maximum clipping distance (the equivalent of an engine max-render distance) that is included in the .env file. If you really want to see everything you would want to crank that up as well.]

Edited July 2, 2008 by Buehgler_AS

[Kyle_K_ski 17]

Buehgler_AS,

Thanks for your detailed reply on this. I don't know if I'll have the time to fire up a game editor and make the adjustments, especially one that I've had zero exposure to. Operation Flashpoint was highly regarded for its robust and easy to use editor, and the handful of missions that I made for it, never released (and for good reason too!), were an absolute chore to create, and required an agonizing number of hours to make. I have a ton of respect for those individuals who not only earnestly try to use an editor to useful ends, but are also able to create something that's truly "worth playing."

Plus I have another child due to born by the end of the month, so...

Now's the time to play, while I still can.

Yours,

Kyle