The alien nightvision is too "Digital"

plausiblesargeplausiblesarge Join Date: 2012-08-02 Member: 154558Members
edited August 2012 in Ideas and Suggestions
For something that is supposed to be organic, the alien heat vision looks very digital - almost like the kind of vision you would expect from videogame NVGs or computer scanners or something. The sound when you turn it on is great, its just the visuals.

I have no clue how to fix it really, I would suggest making it less crisp and clear. that is, while not making it purposely hard to see, maybe if things were less cleanly highlighted, kind of like the "scent" from the AVP games effect which aliens can spot rather than straight outlines and such. It reminds me of the augmented vision from DX:HR and has very much the same style.

Did that make any sense?

Comments

  • TechuserTechuser Join Date: 2010-07-23 Member: 72719Members
    Maybe adding some bloom to it or at least a halo instead of sharp outlines in the lifeforms would help.
  • TimMcTimMc Join Date: 2012-02-06 Member: 143945Members
    I suppose the hard edges do make it look very digital, rather than a real heat-vision. However its useful and I'm happy with it.
  • SnæbjørnSnæbjørn Join Date: 2012-08-06 Member: 154868Members
    The alien vision from AVP comes to mind as it had a good "organic" feel. However I like how clear everything is in NS2 now. It's actually so good that I just have it on all the time.

    Are there any downsides to using the heat vision?
  • The GameThe Game Join Date: 2012-08-06 Member: 154872Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1958285:date=Aug 6 2012, 10:10 PM:name=Snæbjørn)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Snæbjørn @ Aug 6 2012, 10:10 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1958285"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Are there any downsides to using the heat vision?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Well, the only downside I can think of is an inability to determine what the current ambient lighting is like (although a double-tap of the F key will fix this), especially for us skulks that like to lie in wait for our prey ^^
  • [HEI] Spade[HEI] Spade Join Date: 2012-04-28 Member: 151223Members, Squad Five Blue
    <!--quoteo(post=1958285:date=Aug 6 2012, 11:10 PM:name=Snæbjørn)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Snæbjørn @ Aug 6 2012, 11:10 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1958285"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Are there any downsides to using the heat vision?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    You can't see the parasited indicator, you need to look at your map or turn of the alien vision. You can't see also where your bilebombs hit as a gorge or the spit.
  • Chris0132Chris0132 Join Date: 2009-07-25 Member: 68262Members
    Whacking a big refraction filter over the entire screen would probably fix it.
  • schkorpioschkorpio I can mspaint Join Date: 2003-05-23 Member: 16635Members
    edited August 2012
    agreed. it does feel very digital.

    I think it would be better if it left the environment alone, and just highlighted players with an inner glow type effect. Kind of like when you put a bright light behind your hand or ear and it glows.
  • ShadrougeShadrouge Join Date: 2012-08-05 Member: 154833Members
    I agree that it's a tad too digital to fit in with the alien aesthetic. I've heard though that it's just a place-holder until something more organic can be designed. I heard that second-hand though, so I don't know how true it is.

    At the moment it's really useful, to the degree where it might be a bit too useful. I started out just using it in darker areas, trying to resist over-using it in areas where I could see fine, but I've started to resort to using it almost all the time. It just makes it much easier to determine all entities at long distances without having to deal with all the intricacies of texture details.

    The downsides are you can't see many effects, such as active phase gates or healing spray (I think), and you don't benefit from being able to track marked marines through walls. Upsides though are that you never miss anything within your field of view.

    Depending on how it looks when (if) it's getting changed, if it's still really useful maybe it should be tweaked a little. I'm pretty sure it's not "heat vision" as such, but if it were then maybe flame-throwers should bloom up the screen and make it hard to see anything at all. It could be changed to movement vision, where Marines that stand still have the same invisibility that cloaking gives aliens, but only when viewed through Alien Vision, but this would have implications for viewing marine structures (or maybe that should be a downside too?)

    Or other things could be tweaked. Could make the effective view range be half, or the world gets less in focus the further away you're looking. Marines could even have an upgrade ability that masks them (individually?) from Alien Vision. A cold suit upgrade if it's thermal, or some anti-pheromone nanotechnology if it's scent, something like that, so that Alien Vision is largely the same as it is now except that you run the risk of encountering an enemy you cant see if you leave it on all the time.

    I dunno, either way, it is a bit digital and tech-looking as it is right now, though functionally it's quite useful.
  • EgoGamerEgoGamer Join Date: 2012-06-21 Member: 153536Members, Reinforced - Onos, WC 2013 - Supporter
    Agreed, the marines need to show up as inconsistent blobs in my opinion, making them a little harder to hit. I'd like to see it become an ability you flick on and off to quickly scan a room and pinpoint marine locations.

    Whatever the case, it does need a change. Right now I just pretty much have it on all the time, which is a real shame because the aesthetic of the game when you have it turned off is brilliant.
  • _ToF__ToF_ Join Date: 2012-08-07 Member: 154899Members
    I also think the alien view looks far to digital, it reminds me a terminator vision more than an Alien or animal vision

    Personaly i don't think the alien vision is realy usefull because you see everything red
    aliens, humans, structures, doors, stairs,.... and in the end it doesn't realy help you much.....

    I hope it will be improved with the next update....
  • darkfictiondarkfiction Join Date: 2010-12-14 Member: 75677Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1966941:date=Aug 26 2012, 10:54 PM:name=_ToF_)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (_ToF_ @ Aug 26 2012, 10:54 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1966941"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I also think the alien view looks far to digital, it reminds me a terminator vision more than an Alien or animal vision

    Personaly i don't think the alien vision is realy usefull because you see everything red
    aliens, humans, structures, doors, stairs,.... and in the end it doesn't realy help you much.....

    I hope it will be improved with the next update....<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Are you crazy? I never turn it off. I need it to play as aliens otherwise it's so hard to make out marines from inanimate objects. I would rather that they didn't mess with it at all but only made the toggle more permanent, as is I have to re-enable alien vision every time I evolve, upgrade or respawn.
  • .ADHd.ADHd Join Date: 2012-02-18 Member: 146565Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1957133:date=Aug 4 2012, 11:55 AM:name=Techuser)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Techuser @ Aug 4 2012, 11:55 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1957133"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Maybe adding some bloom to it<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


    .... bloom.
  • _ToF__ToF_ Join Date: 2012-08-07 Member: 154899Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1967111:date=Aug 27 2012, 10:47 AM:name=darkfiction)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (darkfiction @ Aug 27 2012, 10:47 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1967111"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Are you crazy? I never turn it off. I need it to play as aliens otherwise it's so hard to make out marines from inanimate objects. I would rather that they didn't mess with it at all but only made the toggle more permanent, as is I have to re-enable alien vision every time I evolve, upgrade or respawn.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    I also use it all the time even when i play gorge
    but it lacks on effects like the light and shadows (you can´t see if you are hidden in the dark or if you are not hidden at all...)
    and i think it would be great to have different colors for aliens marines and structures


    and i agree with your idea of the permanent toggle
  • CodeineCodeine Join Date: 2010-11-22 Member: 75155Members
    I liked ns1's better, lets change it to that.
  • fedobearfedobear Join Date: 2011-07-14 Member: 110369Members
    I think its well-balanced as-is. Especially love the turn-on effect, which I believe is you tapping into the sensory system information of the bacterium.
  • LittleLeezardLittleLeezard Join Date: 2010-10-15 Member: 74460Members
    Its basically infrared vision. Straignt lines will still be straight lines. it looks 'digital' because you see the outlines of a human ultra-modert superstructure, which is very geometric. if you blurr, blend, or bloom, basically, your aliens would have less than 20/20 vision with astigmatism =P
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