Possible way to fix the "Gamma Bug"

[Rapture2k4]

Hello there,

I am a relatively new player in the planetside realm and I enjoy the game emensely. There's just one thing that really irritates me and maybe this will help correct it or answer some questions in my mind. As you may already know, there are people who abuse thier video cards settings in order to "see" transparent objects. For example, people wearing the Infiltration suit. I have an idea to help resolve this matter.

An infiltrator, often called a Cloaker, has the ability to not be seen while standing or crouching as long as they are not moving. The game just draws a transparent figure so that to the normal human eye, you can't see it. My questions and ideas are as follows:

If a cloaker is not moving, then why draw the transparency at all? This is probably due to how the figure is used by the game engine. The way I think about it is if a cloaker is not moving and is cloaked then the game should not draw a transparency. Then in my mind, I wonder how a person using the Darklight implant could ever see the cloaker, so I modify my statement. If a cloaker is not moving, is cloaked, and is not within the range of darklight from another player, then do not draw a transparency. So then I think about how a person who doesn't even have darklight could just walk around abusing this "gamma" bug and hoping to run into one. I suppose I'll have to be even more specific. If a cloaker is approached by someone and this person does not have the Darklight implant, then don't draw a transparency. Maybe my programming mind can simplify it for those who understand code and/or psuedocode. Please note that this is not real code, merely an idea.

if ( (cloaker.speed == 0) && (cloaker.is_cloaked) )
{
 if ( (cloaker.distance_from_another <= Darklight_Range) && (approaching_player.has_implant_darklight == False) ) DrawTransparency = False;
 else DrawTransparency = True;
}

Granted, I don't know the specifics of the game engine, but I would assume this would work. The cloaker would still have physical dimensions, weight, and all the other attributes given to them. They just would not have a transparent image drawn. Also, I know I'm looking at this from a first person point of view and I would assume the server would need code that is modified to work with it. This is merely an idea to help improve an already awesome game.

I could not find a direct way of reaching the developers of Planetside, so I decided to post it here in hopes of it reaching them...

Thank you,
Rapture2k4

[_-Gunslinger-_]

I agree with most of what you said. However. Cloakers just need to have a black transparent outline. White is intesified by fog. Also increasing gamma doesnt really make black standout.

Your current "code" has 1 problem. Server clock cycle usage. Now the server has to calculate another radial. Current distance is clientside Servers simply report the location and your client gives the meters away to you. The reason I know this is because back when warping was prevolant people would warp and thier distance would change while they warped. Since the servers never actually lost track of them only your client, the difference in distance must have been your clients calculation not the servers.

[ORANGE]

it's nice to see someone putting there mind into the problem instead of just yelling at SOE to fix it or yelling OMG THAT FREAKING GAMMA CHEATER HOW DID HE SEE ME!!!!!! GARRRRRRRRR...........and really they had forgotten to turn their suit on or were running with surge on

[StrangeFellow]

wow, thats one of the most inteligent posts ive seen about the gamma problem, thats a great idea, i totally agree

see you on the battlefield

[Indecisive]

Awesome, with a fix and everything, now post that on the OF and get them to code it.

[Marsman]

If I understand the logic, the cloakers normal (visable) textures are replaced by a transparent one. I think you're suggesting that, rather than "not displaying the transparent image", to mean not displaying any image at all. What-so-ever. If tranparency is truely overlaid on the image, not displaying it would leave the original textures wouldn't it? The logic of not rendering anything at all does seem to make sense, but could involve a lot of coding to make it possible.

[Rapture2k4]

RE: Gunslinger and Marsman

Gunslinger, yes this would require a little more cpu time during each "tick" or cycle, but think about it this way. If the server has to add 1+1+1 just one extra time (basically an if statement takes hardly any cpu-time at all) then it won't bother the server much. All the server does is send to each client a "Draw the cloaker or don't" instruction. It would be saving plenty of frames per second on each client because they would not have to keep drawing a transparency.

Some video cards and CPU setups take longer to draw transparencies than actual color, believe it or not. As for your suggested change in the outline color. I totally agree with you. Maybe this could be a combination fix. While not moving, don't draw anything. While moving, use a black (or dark color) outline.

Marsman, I am assuming the devs would understand this as to not draw any textures, meshes, or anything. What you are thinking about is that wireframe white with black lines thing, right? Now, one would ask, "If there are no meshes, how do you keep from being able to walk through them or them walk through walls?". Since the server knows your position and the client's game does, it knows where you are at all times and what you can't do. Then again, I may be overestimating SOE...

I have learned from this that some people come up with better or more tactal ideas and I appreciate your feedback. Please keep it flowing, hopefully someone important will see it.

-Rapture