ASR LowGrass

[Robalo 465]

ASR LowGrass v1.0

This addon scales the clutter down to 85% on Chernarus and to 90% on Utes.

It was done to alleviate frustration caused by the AI's super ability to see through the clutter

while a prone player in the grass couldn't see at all. This is an alternative to turning the grass off

completely which is a big immersion killer.

This is a client side addon, be careful about using it online though as it might be unfair to other

players that do not have it. Server admins can control it's use by using signature check and chosing

whether to install or not this addon's key.

Download

[AnimalMother92 10]

Thanks! Any plans for versions for Takistan/Zargabad/custom islands?

[Robalo 465]

Custom islands: yes.

Zargabad, Takistan: there's not much grass there, didn't see an issue with it, plus scaling the grass there does not look too good.

[Guest]

Release frontpaged on the Armaholic homepage.

ASR LowGrass v1.0

[metalcraze 290]

It was done to alleviate frustration caused by the AI's super ability to see through the clutter

while a prone player in the grass couldn't see at all.

AI doesn't see through the clutter

[Robalo 465]

AI doesn't see through the clutter

That's an interesting affirmation. What happens when you scale the clutter down ? Does the AI see you better ? How about when you turn the grass off completely ? In my opinion the grass makes no difference for the AI. Place yourself face to face with an AI in tall grass at 100m distance then go prone and try to win the fight. In battle, you're lost in the grass but the AI has no problems finding you. Same issue with shooting from just behind the top of a grassy hill.

Edited September 15, 2010 by Robalo_AS

[metalcraze 290]

I actually tested this quite a few times, including in coop games with other people.

One example will be me and other guy crawling through the grass after one engagement to the target building then engaging it. As we started shooting I've heard that AI was engaging us from behind - turns out we didn't clear everyone of them. When I turned around I've noticed that AI soldier was standing about 70m away and yet he engaged the position where we were 10 seconds ago - there was some pressed grass there. Note that we were still lying in the grass. I took him down easily.

Another observations are with AI patrols. Sometimes during stealth coop games we were lying in the grass in the open field with patrols making their way past us just some 20m away at day (and one time even 10m away, although at night) and didn't see us. It also worked in the editor when I tested (but I think it heavily depends on how you took cover, f.e. if you are lying on the hill slope you will be obviously more visible to everyone.

As I take it your grass settings don't affect AI, I think BIS just has separate view blockers for them - probably in the same way as "drowning" other soldiers into the ground at a distance for you so as to simulate grass cover while not rendering it.

Those moments where you can't see AI through grass but you think he sees you are probably because you forget that while the grass covers your eyes it doesn't cover your whole body (especially if you carry rocket launchers) and there is lots of pressed grass around you. Also when playing around in the editor I've also noticed that when my AI guys lay in the grass and enemies run just some 20-50m away (not even crawl) from them they don't engage them sometimes (and vice versa). AI stupidity? I think not.

[Robalo 465]

Thanks metalcraze, I might need to test this more. Glad I made a special bikey for this ;)

You can still use this to compensate for not being able to raise your head above the grass while prone. I should probably say also that I never use third person view in this game.

[dmarkwick 261]

I actually tested this quite a few times, including in coop games with other people.

One example will be me and other guy crawling through the grass after one engagement to the target building then engaging it. As we started shooting I've heard that AI was engaging us from behind - turns out we didn't clear everyone of them. When I turned around I've noticed that AI soldier was standing about 70m away and yet he engaged the position where we were 10 seconds ago - there was some pressed grass there. Note that we were still lying in the grass. I took him down easily.

Another observations are with AI patrols. Sometimes during stealth coop games we were lying in the grass in the open field with patrols making their way past us just some 20m away at day (and one time even 10m away, although at night) and didn't see us. It also worked in the editor when I tested (but I think it heavily depends on how you took cover, f.e. if you are lying on the hill slope you will be obviously more visible to everyone.

As I take it your grass settings don't affect AI, I think BIS just has separate view blockers for them - probably in the same way as "drowning" other soldiers into the ground at a distance for you so as to simulate grass cover while not rendering it.

Those moments where you can't see AI through grass but you think he sees you are probably because you forget that while the grass covers your eyes it doesn't cover your whole body (especially if you carry rocket launchers) and there is lots of pressed grass around you. Also when playing around in the editor I've also noticed that when my AI guys lay in the grass and enemies run just some 20-50m away (not even crawl) from them they don't engage them sometimes (and vice versa). AI stupidity? I think not.

Actually, I believe that AI do not see clutter, clutter is a purely eye-candy player only effect. I find that as far as AI effectiveness goes, I get exactly the same activity from them when I disable clutter completely. I believe that the surface you are currently on, which spawns the relevant clutter, is the important deciding factor. So a surface that spawns high clutter interferes with AI's spotting ability, whether there is actually any clutter rendering or not.

Knowing this, I disabled clutter on my own machine to more effectively play against AI, as has been mentioned the player often cannot see at all. However, I will use this mod and see the improvement :)

[Gnome_AS 10]

I believe Robalo and DMarkwick are correct. The actual "rendered clutter" has zero effect on the AI. While the defined surfaces for the map can/do have effect.

I personally like the grass for the pure aethstetics of it. And this mod has allowed us to retain the visuals but also level the playing field a little with the AI. A very nice coop feature for us. Especially nice feature on some of the custom maps we run within TASM. :)

Regards,

Gnome