Burn baby burn

[HagarTheHorrible]

Managed to get a quick play, for the first time in ages.  If there was one negative thing (amonst tonnes of good), or just difference that I would suggest, it is that the palls of smoke from Stalingrad should be seen, obviously given the right weather, possibly from the entire map (regardless of settings).  I can't remember, and haven't time to go back and check but the smoke vanished very quickly with distance.  Now it might very well have been that I was on the 50 km object limit, but even if I was, it is such a significant navigational marker that it should always be present even if some magic hokus pokus were performed to ensure, that from a certain range, it didn't effect performance.  It can be quite disorientating flying in a circle expecting to see the colums of smoke as a reference point for direction and distance to Stalingrad only to not have it show up at all (even from close by), it totally throws my navigation for several seconds and makes trying to navigate by reference point even more dificult than it should, especially given the shocking state of the rivers.

[Emgy]

Yes, draw range seems a bit short. When you're maybe 1km south of the grain elevator, you see the smoke column from the trainyard and two smoke columns from the riverside, but you don't see the columns at the, is it the tractor factory? When you're near the trainyard, the factory columns pop into view.

[FuriousMeow]

Volumetric smoke has a draw distance limit in all games. I think you'll have to petition the hardware manufacturers to further the distance.

[AndyHill]

Well the compromises in how the smoke looks like from close up and far away as well as the maximum draw distance for any of the smoke LoDs is pretty much up to the artists and programmers at 777 (although they are of course restricted by hardware limitations). This is of course alpha stuff and possibly obvious and redundant info to the developers, but the disappearing smoke is a bit of a crack in the otherwise pretty darn solid atmosphere of the new map.

[Fifi]

There is not only smoke draw distance limitation, but from medium and close to, it tend to desappear/reappear for some strange reason.

Hope devs will be able to tweak it.

 

I'd like to see some black/dark dust smoke floating upon Stalingrad, just like above ROF no man's land. But not brownish as ROF, more greyish.

It could add some life feeling to the actual quite desertic ruined city IMO.

[HagarTheHorrible]

Smoke pall visibility range appears to be about 6 km (might have had options set to imperial) although there seems to be some variability (5 1/2 - 7) and this might be a factor when using it as a reference marker, you see it one minute and the next, when you expect to see it having done some manoeuvres it's gone even though you haven't moved very far.  It's large, extending up to about 900 metres,at what range on a clear day that should be visible I don't know, it would be interesting if anyone had some contemporary accounts that mentioned the range and how long it lasted. 

 

I would have thought that a replacement 2D graphic, in much the same way trees are done (I think) from certain distances would be beneficial.  I love the volumetric smoke and it doesn't seem to affect my system much, if at all, even on ultra, but from a few Kilometres away it doesn't need to be more than a navigational reference point.

[LLv34_Flanker]

S!

 

 The smoke pillars seem to vanish and re-appear when you fly around Stalingrad. I flew above the grain silo and looked away from the smokes. After turning back the pillars re-appeared again, like they were taken out when not in view. And as said above, the smokes serve as a good quick reference while navigating as they could be seen far away.

[BeastyBaiter]

Yeah I noticed them randomly vanishing and then reappearing too. I'm sure it's just a bug though. This is at close range (less than 5km). The maximum distance they appear at is also a little strange. These smoke columns should be visible so long as you have line of sight on them. Instead they are most definitely not rendered beyond 10km, and my guess would be closer to 7-8km. I think the 2d option for long range would be a good choice. It's something that should be visible from 50km+ away provided weather conditions are good.

 

I suspect these effects are only a very early incarnation however, so I wouldn't be too concerned atm. The popup thing is bound to bother Jason just as much as the rest of us so I'm sure it will get sorted one way or another.