Increasing draw distance of searchlights

[Flashy]

Does anyone know if there is a graphics setting which controls how far searchlights are visible for? One of the main ways pilots would spot the Zeppelins at night would be seeing the searchlights off in the distance. The only problem is this doesnt really work in the game because the searchlights arent visible from very far away (you cant even see one 5-10kms away).. Can this draw distance be increased somehow so we can actually find the zeppelins at night? 

Edited November 16 by Flashy

[Aapje]

There is a draw distance setting, as well as a distant landscape detail setting. Perhaps changing those does the trick.

[ArgonV]

Do you have a mission where I can try experimenting with this?

[AEthelraedUnraed]

I'm currently running into the same issue with the Nachtjagd campaign I'm writing. I don't think there's any built-in way to achieve this, but I'm open to modding if someone knows a solution. 

[AEthelraedUnraed]

@LukeFF could this be moved back to the Mission Editing forum where it was posted originally, or perhaps the Modding forum?

Although Flashy gives an example from RoF, the question itself is not related to FC at all as the WW2 content suffers from the same issue. Either some game setting or, more likely, a mod will be the solution. In one of those sections, this thread is more likely to be read by someone who might know an answer.

[Flashy]

1 hour ago, AEthelraedUnraed said:

@LukeFF could this be moved back to the Mission Editing forum where it was posted originally, or perhaps the Modding forum?

Although Flashy gives an example from RoF, the question itself is not related to FC at all as the WW2 content suffers from the same issue. Either some game setting or, more likely, a mod will be the solution. In one of those sections, this thread is more likely to be read by someone who might know an answer.

It would be better IMO if this is changed as part of a patch so we are not dependent on a mod to make this work better. The draw distance graphics setting should control the searchlight draw distance as well, but I'm pretty sure it currently doesnt. 

[AEthelraedUnraed]

9 hours ago, Flashy said:

It would be better IMO if this is changed as part of a patch so we are not dependent on a mod to make this work better.

Yes it would, but at this moment in time they aren't gonna change anything in the current engine anymore. Whether you like it or not, I fear a mod is the only way to get a larger draw distance.

[Flashy]

7 hours ago, AEthelraedUnraed said:

Yes it would, but at this moment in time they aren't gonna change anything in the current engine anymore. Whether you like it or not, I fear a mod is the only way to get a larger draw distance.

Well I hope they can still modify small things like this..It would probably take one of the devs at 1C like 10 minutes to find this code and increase the distance where the game culls the searchlight beam, and make it a higher value. Obviously if its much more complicated then I guess I understand if they cant do it, but surely this cant be a difficult thing to change...

[BraveSirRobin]

8 hours ago, Flashy said:

Well I hope they can still modify small things like this..It would probably take one of the devs at 1C like 10 minutes to find this code and increase the distance where the game culls the searchlight beam, and make it a higher value. Obviously if its much more complicated then I guess I understand if they cant do it, but surely this cant be a difficult thing to change...

Game engine limitations set the current distance all the way back in RoF.  If it was easy to increase I’m pretty sure they would have done it by now.

[Flashy]

19 hours ago, BraveSirRobin said:

Game engine limitations set the current distance all the way back in RoF.  If it was easy to increase I’m pretty sure they would have done it by now.

Could be.. or it could be that its never really been much of an issue or considered necessary before, so its currently sitting at the bottom of the "nice to have" list for the devs.. Like I said.. if it really is some massive amount of work to change, then I understand if they dont do it. But if it can be done pretty easily, I would like them to consider changing it for the reasons mentioned above. 

[BraveSirRobin]

6 hours ago, Flashy said:

Could be.. or it could be that its never really been much of an issue or considered necessary before, so its currently sitting at the bottom of the "nice to have" list for the devs.. Like I said.. if it really is some massive amount of work to change, then I understand if they dont do it. But if it can be done pretty easily, I would like them to consider changing it for the reasons mentioned above. 

It’s not “could be”, it’s “definitely is”. There was lots of complaining about the view distance when it was introduced.  Jason explained the limitations.  
 

Like I’ve said many times, as a general rule, if something that could obviously be better is not changed after many years, then fixing it is not easy.