Terrain Improvement (dev branch)

[CaptainObvious 95]

Impressive work NordKindchen, as always, kudos to you.

I understand it's frustrating to try to tackle the midrange-problem on your own, however saying the explosions and wrecks aren't placeholders might be a bit hot-headed, as the new muzzle flashes for the MBTs, new rain system, sun rays etc. show, things are evolving constantly both graphics and gameplay-wise.

I really hope you find the energy to finish this, with or without help from the devs. :)

[NeuroFunker 11]

Have you any idea of the absolutely insane amount of repetitive image editing is on NordKindchen's table? Those are hundreds of images for Stratis, nevermind Altis. Keep your fingers crossed indeed so that he manages to find the time to do it. And be thankful that he finds it worth it to whatever he expects from A3 enjoyment in return. Calibrate your expectations to reality first, april joke later.

yes, i have pretty much of an idea, how much that work it is. Now tell me, what does it have to do with blastcore in common?

[gammadust 12]

^^ like in what's the point of dedicating so much one's free time into a feature while other required features for one's fullfilment are not in. Only NordKindchen can evaluate to what extent his effort will be rewarding to himself or not, only him is able to remove any obstacle. Hopefully Blastcore 3 can convince him.

[NeuroFunker 11]

we can speculate a lot, what are the true reasons, holding nord off from working on the mod, but if thats simply losing interest/sence, he could simply say it that way. Right now, it looks to me like: Someone asks you: What time is it? You answer: nice weather!...

[ScratcH334 10]

we can speculate a lot, what are the true reasons, holding nord off from working on the mod, but if thats simply losing interest/sence, he could simply say it that way. Right now, it looks to me like: Someone asks you: What time is it? You answer: nice weather!...

He already did say the reason why:

The thing is: I am a bit disappointed by the state of the game. I was so sure things like the explosions and the vehicle wrecks were just placeholders. But they werent.

and

Till then I cannot enjoy the game and therefore wont put more effort in it

And I can totally understand NordKindchen because I too thought that that explosions, weapon sounds and some other effects were placeholders...

[NeuroFunker 11]

He already did say the reason why:

and

And I can totally understand NordKindchen because I too thought that that explosions, weapon sounds and some other effects were placeholders...

It is now all depending on how good Blastcore 3 will be. If blast core manages to improve the effects to a state that I can enjoy I am going to work on the mod again

this is the part im talking about. Sounds like, i'm not going to work, because i don't like my boss... I'll wait untill my boss gets replaced by another one, and i will like him, then if will continue to go to work again. Really? ;)

[NordKindchen 12]

i'm sorry, but really? Nearly everyone here, were having fingers crossed, you will work on your mod, maybe even with the devs together, and now you come and say: diz game haz blad xplosions, not going to work on my project anymoar!... I could understand, if the devs messed something up with engine, which could put your work on halt, but because you don't like explosions? Is that a first april joke?

+ this.

As I stated before the game samples all my textures down to standard size after a certain amount of time. And only a restart will reload them to their old size.

Sounds like, i'm not going to work, because i don't like my boss... I'll wait untill my boss gets replaced by another one, and i will like him, then if will continue to go to work again. Really?

+Only that this is my own free time I am putting into it.

Its more like you are working in a food distribution center on a volantary basis and suddenly you experience that the center only sells bad food. So you decide to drop for the time beeing.

Its that simple: If Arma has the potential to be what I want it to be - then I am willing to put all the time in it that I can afford. But as it is now - I wont be playing the game unless there is some big improvement in the effects part.

And if I am not going to play the game than the huge amount of time that is going to be needed to finish the mod is gone to waste. Altis will take months of work to complete. Even for Stratis I was counting one month at least.

on top of that I am a student and need to work on other stuff as well - not to mention my social life;)

And to the effects: I cannot say often enough how bad they are in my eyes. (apart from muzzle flashes and sunglare - these are acutally great) For example the sabot impact effect is nothing more than the simplest of things you could have ever put into a game.

I think Ive shown enough support for the game in the last year. If the devs improve the part that are important to me/ if blastcore improves them enough then I am back on the stage.

And I just wanted to keep you guys up to date.

[-ghost-tf 12]

i'm sorry, but really? Nearly everyone here, were having fingers crossed, you will work on your mod, maybe even with the devs together, and now you come and say: diz game haz blad xplosions, not going to work on my project anymoar!...

Why would he put so much effort into a game he doesnt really enjoy atm? Why would he spend weeks/months improving the midrange textures if at the end he wont be playing the game (much) afterall?

I could understand, if the devs messed something up with engine, which could put your work on halt,

So that would be the only "understandable" reason for you? You do realize that he is doing this huge project in his freetime, without getting payed or something, he can put his work on halt for whatever reason he wants wether you like it or not.

but because you don't like explosions? Is that a first april joke?

The only first april joke here must be your post.

[xendance 3]

You guys are really complaining because a guy might not finish a mod? What kind of douches are you? :|

[vegeta897 13]

You guys are really complaining because a guy might not finish a mod? What kind of douches are you? :|

One foolish/entitled person is doing that.

[xendance 3]

One foolish/entitled person is doing that.

I stand corrected then.

[nikiforos 450]

A lot of potential but everyone should respect modders decision.

I actually had high hopes for this mod but I can understand the dissapointment of the modder.

I get the feeling that many talented people will leave Arma before it gets old.

[gliptal 25]

Fully respect your decision Nord! :D

Yay!

[NeuroFunker 11]

A lot of potential but everyone should respect modders decision.

I actually had high hopes for this mod but I can understand the dissapointment of the modder.

I get the feeling that many talented people will leave Arma before it gets old.

lets put it simple, people come, people go. Arma is such a game, there will be always talented people, doing their stuff.

[bad benson 1733]

lets put it simple, people come, people go. Arma is such a game, there will be always talented people, doing their stuff.

wow. first you are upset about him quitting and question his personal reasons and now this. nice attitude! people like you make you really want to make free addons for this game...

[NeuroFunker 11]

wow. first you are upset about him quitting and question his personal reasons and now this. nice attitude! people like you make you really want to make free addons for this game...

people complain, about BIS promised lots of stuff, and didnt release. But then they do promise stuff by themselves, and when they say, you know what, i'm not going to do that, people say thats ok.

[vegeta897 13]

But then they do promise stuff by themselves, and when they say, you know what, i'm not going to do that, people say thats ok.

Nord didn't promise anything. Nord is not payed for his work.

[NeuroFunker 11]

yes, he doesn't get payed.

[maddogx 13]

This thread is going way off the rails, and I would almost be inclined to close it if it wasn't such an important subject.

So let's just clear something up: NordKindchen does not owe anyone here anything, nor is he obliged to justify his decision to stop working on something he does in his free time.

Now, please stick to the subject.

[LondonLad 13]

Let's all just hope the DEV who said he's bring this up internally for discussion with any type of hopeful implementation (of whatever kind) gets to do that (if he hasn't done so already).

I very much doubt its not something on the 'wish/to-do' list of the BIS team (which I'm sure that list is pretty long).

Let's all try to stay positive and continue to provide the great feedback that has been produced in this thread, and to continue to show support in having a feature of this sort added into the game :)

[jumpinghubert 49]

nordkindchen gave tons of good ideas plus first well working examples, so he gave not nothing when/if he give up.

[SissiSaatana 1]

First respect to nordkinchen for the work and free time hi but on to this.

This has been one of the threads I've been really interested in cause this would have been single most epic graphical update that arma3 would have gotten. I'm seriously worried how is that one single modder who does this on freetime is able to surpass BIS result by such an huge margin. BIS should really think of hiring nordkinchen to do this I think hi might be able to do it with in reasonable price.

ps. it makes me worried that modders are able to surpass bis results on so many fronts :/ blastcore, this, jsrs sound mod , acre :| lets hope my worries are misplaced

[xendance 3]

First respect to nordkinchen for the work and free time hi but on to this.

This has been one of the threads I've been really interested in cause this would have been single most epic graphical update that arma3 would have gotten. I'm seriously worried how is that one single modder who does this on freetime is able to surpass BIS result by such an huge margin. BIS should really think of hiring nordkinchen to do this I think hi might be able to do it with in reasonable price.

ps. it makes me worried that modders are able to surpass bis results on so many fronts :/ blastcore, this, jsrs sound mod , acre :| lets hope my worries are misplaced

Well uhh, he hasn't yet finished the mod, you can't really say "is able to surpass". Texturing the islands at the resolution he is doing is going to months, if not years.

[St. Jimmy 272]

I wasn't expecting Nord to put much effort, at least alone, in this anymore unless BIS gives the quicker technology to do this. I understood that now this is pretty time consuming. Dam nice if he'll make us better Stratis textures because it looks amazing.

[gammadust 12]

I wasn't expecting Nord to put much effort, at least alone, in this anymore unless BIS gives the quicker technology to do this.

The thing is they have, currently the engine does:

• Satellite Overlay Texture (High Range) > Low resolution (1024px/~1000m) Unique Texture per Sector > Seen at maximum opacity over below textures from 1000m
  
• Detail Texture (Mid Range) > Medium Resolution (1024px/~40m) Tiled Texture per Terrain > Seen at maximum opacity over close range from 0m
  
• Surface Texture (Close Range) > High Resolution (2048px/~2m) Tiled Texture per Surface type > Seen up to 1000m (typical is much lower - 40m?)
  

Sattellite is always overlayed and tints both the Mid Range and Close range.

Detail texture inherits color from sattellite but is tiled, hence prone to pattern effect.

Surface texture also inherits color from sattellite but is much more likely to create the dreadful pattern effect, only mitigated by the fact that it employs exacly the method originally suggested in the OP, despite at a different scale, which diversifies the seams.

Bohemia provided the command (setDetailMapBlendPars) that, by extending the surface texturing up to 1000 meters, allows us to see for ourselves that merely rendering a specific texture by surface type is not sufficient to obtain a good silluette breaking effect, and comes with the unwelcome side effect of horrific patterning at medium/long distances. This workaround of NordKindchen works because it does manually at the Sattellite texture level what is done by the engine at the close range and for this reason is able to circumvent the patterning effect.

Suggestion to Bohemia:

since the problem appears to be the scale of the texture, and from the experiences of messing with the Detail Texture, maybe Bohemia could implement a Detail Texture in a per Surface basis, similarly to the close range texture. Not pushing it too much, i believe even a reduced set of 2-4 textures distinguishing urban (artificial) from organic grounds could already help this issue a lot.