Alright I'm just gonna say it - this fog is ridiculous:: PICS

[phisher34 12]

Don't get me wrong, I love the dynamic weather system. If it's raining and thunderstorming the fog makes total sense.

I just checked 5 servers (EU's, Dallas, NY) all of them had either bright sunny days or crystal clear nights - but the fog was limiting view distance to ~150-300m tops. I swear Dallas 1 was at 100m or less.

I am guessing this is a server side setting, but can we get some agreement on what the fog should be at. If I see blue sky and it is 3:00pm in the afternoon, unless I am in silent hill, there should not be white-out level fogginess.

Does it limit snipers from shooting you? Sure. But then we are setting rules and limitations on gameplay which Rocket has vehemently fought against.

[super pretendo 2]

I strongly agree. And snipers actually get kills from distances already attainable, 600m+ sniper kills are astronomically few. Any further than about 200m just doesn't happen because the only reliable places to camp are cities with high rises that block outside sniping.

[phisher34 12]

In enter into the court exhibits A, B, and C.

[griffinz 2816]

Blame the weather gods...I've been able to see 500-600m in the moonlight fine.

[phisher34 12]

Blame the weather gods...I've been able to see 500-600m in the moonlight fine.

I think the point is that Server Admins are the weather gods. Just like moonlight was added, fog can be tailored back. Especially when every server has fog turned up to 11.

[Jester. 6]

I for one welcome our new weather overlords.

[survivalist 19]

I dont suffer from this problem, but not everyone has a top of the line computer to run great view distances. Having said that, it would be unfair to force that selection of people to play suffering performance lag just so we can see a quarter of the way across the map. Likewise, it is not fair for those of us with great computers, to suffer visual limitations. However, that visual limitation fits into the scenerio. I can completely get over the limitation because it fits into the environment of a post apocalyptic world. It also prohibits snipers from effectively blockading major routes by camping them from an elevated position, granting everybody the equal opportunity to defend themselves when encountered by another survivor or bandit.

You could suppose that we should be given the option for our own view distance. So say, I would keep my view distance at 5000. You, at 7000. The guy who has two kids, and a low paying job, 500m. Then the variations would be too wild, and some people would suffer disadvantages, while others benefiting greatly. At a universal setting playable for almost everyone, I believe it's even ground.

What you are disliking is the fog. There is nothing wrong with the game mechanics, or the way the fog interacts with the given environment and scenario. It is my belief that you will continue to play Dayz, and grow accustomed to the fog when you come to grip that the fog element is out of your control, and is incorporated for the benefit of all players, and not just a select few.

[phisher34 12]

This game played the same way before fog was introduced as it is played now.

I would also want to see statistics showing an increase in performance based on fog. Keep in mind, this isn't a view distance issue, it is a weather issue. It is a psuedo limiter, I bet your computer is still rendering everything in the distance you just cant see it.

The ARMA series and the OFP have always had large view distances, the recommended settings are based on this view distance.

Rocket has said he doesnt want to limit gameplay. This limits gameplay.

EDIT: I'm not even asking for 2k-5k view distance. But 1k is completely within the bounds of this engine. The pics from above are a beautiful sunny day, but I can't see further than 150m. That is wrong.

[survivalist 19]

You may be correct in that it is a psuedo limiter. However, prior to the fog, the view distance was universal for everybody. So it didn't matter if you had it set to 500m or 5000m, it would render at 1500m or whatever it was for everyone.

It's very likely a similar situation now, since the view distance is server side. It's not rendering anything in detail past what you could see. You might see the outline of a building in a distance in the fog, but that doesn't mean the render has taken into the account the fine details that bog a system down.,

While I have no evidence or statistical information that would prove it increases performance (it ran for me very well on the highest view distance, so I wouldn't be able to judge), I can adapt to the fog.

I fail to see how it specifically "limits" gameplay, however. It permits more unseen movement, makes combat encounters at a closer range, permits flare use without being seen from several kms away, and allows vehicles to travel with more relative safety due to the fact by the time you see them, they're likely already passing you.

But if you could demonstrate how it limits gameplay, and put forth a convincing argument, humans can be easily convinced.

[super pretendo 2]

The actual gameplay advantages vs disadvantages with view distance are pretty miniscule. And if someone doesn't have the rig for it, that's fine. It's just a game. If they have a miniscule, situational disadvantage, it's no big deal, and I am sure they can deal with it. Nobody snipes from 5 kilometers away. Just about every single computer can handle 1500m view distance, which is all you need for sniping purposes. It would just lower all the other settings and maybe have to overclock. The fact that this is even a consideration is a testament to how absurd things can get when people nitpick.

And if you think this tiny corner case of a sniper outranging the lowest possible view distance when they could otherwise be plainly seen by the victim is what makes this game inaccessible... lol, there's nothing we can do for you, you just simply aren't thinking.

[phisher34 12]

Like I said,

If were trying to solve a performance issue then this is not the way to do it. And the facts are not in that this accomplishes that anyways.

This mod is based on a game that has recommended and minimum settings. If you want a mod to cater to those who can't run the game in the first place then who is in the wrong?

[survivalist 19]

"This mod is based on a game that has recommended and minimum settings. If you want a mod to cater to those who can't run the game in the first place then who is in the wrong? "

Logical reasoning. I, would not mind reverting back to the 1500 it was at initially. I do not know why it was altered, but I deduced it was for the reasons I stated previously. It would be interesting to get the developers reasoning on why the fog was incorporated. If no reason comes forth, and no changes are made, I'll play on all the same regardless.

[super pretendo 2]

I think 1500 is a happy medium, but it's not like people realistically snipe from any longer range than that. And if someone is successful at a 2 kilometer sniper kill, good for them I say, because that is amazing

[phisher34 12]

The way I understand it, the game has a Weather setting and Fog setting. If you go into the map editor you will see both these sliders.

So you can have a bright sunny day but have debilitating fog. Just like you can have thunderstorms but 2k view distance.

[Freeborne (DayZ) 7]

Lower view distance results in:

- Not being able to spot cars and other valuable things from long way off.

- Not being able to fly around in a chopper and easily spot everything and everyone.

- Makes the map feel bigger, as you have to travel further to inspect every area.

- Cannot easily follow trail of bodies, or a flare to hunt players down.

- Sound can be heard further than you can see (for a change).

- It's easier to be stealthy without worrying someone from 2KM can easily spot you by zooming in.

- Players can't camp from safe spots as easily now and pick off players with a sniper rifle, while being well away from zombies or ear-shot.

- Fog makes for a bleaker atmosphere. Running around in a nice open sunny, cloudless day doesn't seem right with a zombie apocalypse.

- Server view distance is about 1600m, fog is about 500m. Not having to send data to clients for objects that are 2000m away does help server performance, although I doubt that was high in the list of reasons to implement fog.

[phisher34 12]

What you just described is everything Rocket said he didnt want to do.

EDIT: To clarify. What you just described is DayZ easy mode.

---

BTW Don't misjudge my words. I am all for fog. I do think it adds atmosphere. But it should only be present when the weather is reflecting it. And if so, it should rarely be below -200m.

The pics I posted earlier is a sunny blue sky but a viewing distance of ~150-200m.

Since the creation of that topic I have gone into nearly 10 servers. All of which had view distances less than 500m, with clear weather.

[super pretendo 2]

Yeah fog is great, even if it's foggy way more than it could be in real life, like 40% of the time. But not always, some days should be clear with far view distance

[phisher34 12]

Exactly. I don't understand why people can only comprehend in black and white. I am not saying to remove the fog all together. I'm saying what it is right now is completely overpowered to the point of impacting the game.

If I join 10 servers, and all 10 have have fog limiting your sight to less than 500m, there is a problem. Especially when the weather is completely benign.

[Magnet (DayZ) 211]

The fog's not a huge issue, just make the damn sky reflect it!

Mag.

[MR DELICIOUS 297]

I don't mind fog now and then. It contributes to the whole "watch East Enders, undiagnosed diabetes and live on benefits" feel of misery I want to experience while playing this game, however to have the fog all the time is getting a bit tedious. I don't mind it if it's set at a high chance (like 25%), but one of the best features of the Arma engine is the draw distance. I love standing at the castle above Solznichy and looking down at the coastline, and at the moment I can't see the end of the mountain.

[codeine 3]

the fog is haynus its everywhere, it should atleast show up on the morning of the day before it rains.

I dont get the fog at all, you cant even walk through it, it stays at 500m from you.

i cant see!!

[Freeborne (DayZ) 7]

Like the bandit system, it's not perfect, but its a bandaid fix to combat several problems, and will evolve into something better I'm sure over time.

I like the fog at night, although I wish it wasn't so dense during the day. There's no reason the weather effects need to be applied across the entire map either. I've seen positional weather many times in other missions. It would be nice if some areas, such as valleys, or coastlines had more fog than northern areas. These would be good places to spawn at too, as the fog as mentioned makes it harder for snipers and bandits to claim easy kills.

It would also be good if you could get swallowed up occasionally in really think fog that makes it easy to get lost in, if you don't have a compass and map. Even a GPS would greatly help.

Not 100% keen on the current fog either, but I'm happy to live with it for now at night, less so during the day.

[phisher34 12]

I think the point is, you are defining a large viewing distance as a 'problem' that the fog system is combating. Or at least a large viewing distance is causing the conditions for a problem. That in itself is counter to what DayZ is promoting (realistic anti-game survivalism)

Fog is great when it makes sense. It's also great when it compliments the engine not inhibit it.

In terms of sniping bandits. That is a PVP argument, unrelated to fog.

When I played before dynamic weather was introduced, if there was a sniper posted up in the hills, you either flanked him or grabbed one of the hundreds of CZ 550's in the game and took him out.

Simple as that.

[alienfreak 6]

I don't mind fog now and then. It contributes to the whole "watch East Enders' date=' undiagnosed diabetes and live on benefits" feel of misery I want to experience while playing this game, however to have the fog all the time is getting a bit tedious. I don't mind it if it's set at a high chance (like 25%), but one of the best features of the Arma engine is the draw distance. I love standing at the castle above Solznichy and looking down at the coastline, and at the moment I can't see the end of the mountain.

[/quote']

The ArmA 2 view distance limitation already looks like fog, so why implement another?

Fog is only useful if you have 3kms+ viewdistance and want to limit the spotting abilities of people a bit for flair on a random basis.

10km:

http://imageshack.us/f/221/arma2oa2012051017373895jcy.png/

1.525km:

http://imageshack.us/f/832/arma2oa2012051017375436.png/

Notice how it exactly looks like if there was fog around?

[Boss (DayZ) 1]

It's server owners being mad at snipers.

Snipers are a part of the game, as are bandits.

Stop trying to remove them.

This is not a PvE game. This is not a Carebear game. This is Arma.

I'm for it becoming naturally foggy when the weather changes, but it being foggy all the time because you're sick of bandits?

If server owners want to change settings, turn nameplates off.