View distance in multiplayer

[JayRoe 0]

Is it possible to change the max view distance in multiplayer? I have my view distance set to ~4000 and this works in single player. But in multiplayer the game seems to override my settings and limits it to 500-1000. (the values in settings are the same, but in the game it seems like its using its own values)

Is there a way around this?

TIA

[Mister Frag 0]

Yes, it can be changed, but it isn't very simple.

The reason for this is that all players in a MP game should have the same environment and experience -- you wouldn't want one player to have a maximum viewdistance of 500m and get picked off by a player with an M21 on a hot rig and a view distance of 1000+ meters.

BIS therefore decided to default the maximum view distance in MP games to the same value regardless of how the SP view distance is configured in the Options menu.

That being said, the view distance can be changed through script commands by the mission designer, and there are even some techniques where the view distance is configured dynamically at the start of the mission based on the computing performance of the slowest system participating in the game.

Also keep in mind that the view distance can affect the outcome of the mission. Lengthening it may mean that the AI can suddenly see you approach a location or an area that they are patrolling, and if one objective is to remain undetected before the enemy can blow up a bridge or execute hostages, the mission could become impossible.

The bottom line is that for any MP mission that doesn't take the view distance and possible performance tradeoffs into account, you would have to modify the PBO file that the mission is in, and this could well break it.