An Explanation For Cloaking

TheGlow

im rocking an amd 1.0ghz, 512sd pc100, and a geforce2 gts 32mb.
I get 70fps easy. Oddly enough when I was messing with some settings its dropped to 30 or 60. Always one or the other, like somehow my vsync would go slower. I turned vsync off and now I have a steady 70 fps.
Ive only ever noticed a cloaked skulk once.
AF is only i think 2 or 4 on my card.

IBT

oy that screeny reminds me of the ol won days.
when my comp blew badly...

i find that i can see cloaked ailens, even with my pretty non blurryness and anti-ailasing steam plugin, its not easy and they to at least be turning a little.

plus theres always the lerk spore bug, that helps <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->

<!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='asrifle.gif' /><!--endemo-->

Salvation

<!--QuoteBegin-Zek+Aug 22 2004, 02:31 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Zek @ Aug 22 2004, 02:31 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I'm curious to see an actual screenshot of a cloaking skulk with those settings as opposed to a minimap-obscured marine base... <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
yes

that would be interesteing

gazOzz

With that kind of settings it is just a bit easier to notice than normal... The more important factor is the gamma and the screen resolution (try it at 640x480)...

The only thing you can see is the sharp edges at %90 transparency... The background you see thru cloacked object has the same amount of blur...

So if you think you will see thru background sharp, which indeed will make noticing cloacked object much more easier; you are tottally wrong... <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->

Im happy with my GF4 running at 1280x1024 with 4AF... I can STILL notice cloacked players; if I use my brain and they not... <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->

Fin

Sorry what i meant is your a clear object and therefore easier to track against a blurred world. That the cloak itself was completely clear i did not want to imply but rather that the skulks distortions are easier to spot. To be more specific as the skulk is entering the cloak or exiting. And the edges of the cloak should be easier to spot as it is moving. Now there are many settings with graphics which have effects on cloaking but i wanted to point at one which from my past experience made it easier for me to spot a cloaker. I also noted that at lower res(800x600) it was easier to catch a cloaked skulk as it was crossing the progression lines.

coris

Nadagast, could you post your the videosettings you used for that screeny?
Id like to try to see if its true that you can see cloakers easier.

BloodBall

Seeing cloaked skulks is really easy, you just have to train your eyes. I get called a hacker sometimes becuase i can see the 90% cloaked skulks <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->

God_Killer

I used to see cloakers really good, but not since...I don't know what I did.

Nadagast

I realize that I should get more FPS with my setup, but my video card is broken or something... GF4 ti4600. I should get 100 fps pretty much all the time right? =\ I dunno I get 100 fps if I'm looking at a wall or something... but if there is a model or 2 on the screen I get serious FPS drops. In that screenshot with the buildings and stuff I was probably getting around 40 fps... which REALLY sucks in NS imho <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->

Rapier7

I'm playing with 20 fps on a GeForce 2 mx400 32 MB.

It's playable, but I can't bhop, use pistol effectively, or all that other stuff clanners do.

Not that I'm complaining, I'm just happy to play the game (most of the time).

But yeah, ti4600? Always a constant 100 fps.

Update drivers, update motherboard chipset drivers, update everything.

Nadagast

Oh and for Coris... I was using StarStorm benchmarking drivers (hoping they would improve my FPS <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--> )

I really would not suggest using them for games because it seriously looks HORRIBLE.

Palin

you may also want to look at an upgrad to the powersupply if nothing else works. often times nvidia cards will by default run at a slower pace if it is not able to pull as much juice as it wants to. My friend had a brand new 5200 that was giving him 12 -20 fps in most "old tech" games. I found out he was still running off a 200W PS and told him to upgrade that... once we put a new one we was running at 100 fps with no software tweaks whatsoever... it also ended up increasing overal performance of the system as it turns out the processor couldn't pull as much power as it wanted either.

EDIT: you may also want to check the power connection cables (if your card requires being separately plugged to the PS) as a bad cable can do that too. for example... try switching the cable with the one for your primary hard drive and see if your machine still detects the primary hard drive (do at your own risk... slight chance of dmg to HD if not powered correctly).

coris

<!--QuoteBegin-Nadagast+Aug 25 2004, 03:14 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Nadagast @ Aug 25 2004, 03:14 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Oh and for Coris... I was using StarStorm benchmarking drivers (hoping they would improve my FPS <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--> )

I really would not suggest using them for games because it seriously looks HORRIBLE. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ok so you werent using picmip or any weird texturemode?
Bah, I so wanted to try that out <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->

Anyway, Ill just test OSS|Admiral's settings then D:

UKchaos

maybe post a screenshot that actually shows a cloaked alien ?