Terrain Requests and Comments.

[hoolaman]

I got the demo, and screwing around with the editor, I have been quite pleased with what I have seen graphically. There is the capability to put in some really thick trees, and the combinations of undergrowth and overgrowth make for some great scenes.

I am particularly impressed with some of the screenshots in the scenario forum. Some of the creative folks are coming up with terrain that looks truly amazing. I was unimpressed by a lot of the screen shots pre-release, but I think that was more a problem with the subject matter than the capabilities of the engine.

I do however have some criticism of some of the terrain types.

"CONCENTRIC CIRCLE GRASS ALGORITHM"

I don't know if anyone has noticed, but the placement of the grass particularly, but also the trees when you zoom out, tends to form concentric circles of grass tufts around the camera.

I think this is a result of the algorithm used to place these features, but it looks pretty odd sometimes.

"SCRUB AND ROCKY NOT SCRUBBY OR ROCKY ENOUGH"

As far as I can tell, "rocky" puts down a few pebbles on the ground. I imagine rocky to be boulders and broken ground of a sort that it could be very hard to dislodge infantry from. CM1 treated its rocky tile a bit like this. Also I think "brush" should be a lot thicker and rougher, of a type that it should be very difficult to see infantry hiding. Also when used as undergrowth, I can imagine a few fallen trees and that sort of stuff.

"LOD AND COLOUR SATURATION"

These issues have been mentioned before, and I know BFC is onto the LOD stuff, but I think the maps would look a lot better with "heat haze" or lowering of colour saturation with distance. ATM it all looks very clean and sharp, whereas dust, heat smoke etc can create hazy conditions over the whole map IRL.

Anyhow part of my post is a question. I don't have the full game, only the demo, so I have made up a few maps but never played battles over them. I was wondering how these terrain types are treated for cover and concealment. I am thinking especially of the thickest groves of tress and stuff. THANKS!

[jomni]

There is an LOS study in the scenario design section of this boards. Some people are complaining about the lack of concealment for the thickest woods configuration. You can join in the debate.

http://www.battlefront.com/discuss/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=72;t=000042

[hoolaman]

I already posted there too, but I thought the topic deserved its own thread. Time will tell if anyone else thinks so!