Fog of war in FPS/TPC mode RUINED it

[Shaftoe]

The latest developers' experiment that turned ON fog of war in FPS/TPC has completely ruined my experience in this game.

I used to carefully micromanage all my forces and take direct control over tanks, IFVs and choppers in order to assault an area or defend a city block. I checked every corner and double checked my weapons and tactical situation before I advance, and if something changed, I reacted to that change swiftly and... achived really impressive results against both human and AI opponents. I liked that it wasn't AI that allowed me to win, it was I, with my own hands, and tools and vehicles that I used carefully and effictively.
Now it's all gone. Battlefield-like FPS mode in RTS game was the only reason why I bought this game, let alone Ultimate Edition. It was the reason why I decided to support the devs... And now, thanks to the latest changes to FPS/TPC mode, it's all gone.

Yeah, some might argue that "everything is fine", "not a big problem", but as a man who paid money for the prodcut I say: "No, problem!"

The latest change is simply outrageous. Realistically, it fixes nothing, but rather breaks some things that previously ALLOWED completent players to achieve victory. Furthermore, it brings us some issues that completely ruin previously rather nice and fair balance, such as cheesy invisible infantry. This is unacceptable.
Now a cheap AT team can nicely and easily bust a super expensive tank or avoid fire from a helicopter equipped with a THERMAL camera. Furthermore, they can overrun the entire map, simply because you don't have guards with dogs and cameras on every corner! What the f*ck, people?!

I do realize that community of this game isn't the most active, and this is why most complaints rarely get further than in-game chat, but this matter must be resolved.

The latest changes to FPS/TPC camera that brought us this lovely "invisible enemy feature" must be either TIMELY and PROPERLY fixed, to get as closer to the state 'as before', or be completely rolled back.

Here are relatively harmless examples of how it looks:

Originally posted by DNS:

I can confirm this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR8B1ju-2GU&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK1CPGGymVQ&feature=youtu.be

[allennguyen93]

i don't know what you are talking about. Me and my friends have not encountered such problem. this is from this morning. The visibility is fine
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1273838672

[Shaftoe]

Originally posted by allennguyen93:

i don't know what you are talking about. Me and my friends have not encountered such problem. this is from this morning. The visibility is fine
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1273838672

Yeah, I can see them in FPS too. But not always, as I used to. Sometimes they're invisible in thin air, out of cover! And when they sit in cover, and you are SUPPOSED to see their silouettes, you can't see them, because the game conceals their models from you now!

If you want to check it yourself, then go to Combined Arms, take a helicopter or a tank and try it out. Eventually, you'll see them. But you won't be able to play it as cautious as before. Now an expensive peice of equipment could end in a matter of seconds, thanks to this 'wonderful' concealment feature.

If you don't see a problem, it doesn't mean that there is none! Just like with that infantry - if you don't see them, it doesn't mean that there is no enemy soldiers present. The problem is... those soldiers can perfectly see YOU, and they won't miss an opportunity to end you, if they could.

[Woods]

FPS mode is useless. Cant detect enemy units at 1\3 of visual range on flat clear ground. Hate!!!

[Shaftoe]

Originally posted by Col.MWoods:

FPS mode is useless. Cant detect enemy units at 1\3 of visual range on flat clear ground. Hate!!!

Yeah, HAAAAAATE! That's what I mean.

[allennguyen93]

Originally posted by Shaftoe:

Originally posted by Col.MWoods:

FPS mode is useless. Cant detect enemy units at 1\3 of visual range on flat clear ground. Hate!!!

Yeah, HAAAAAATE! That's what I mean.

I see the problem now. It seems like it is limited to the FPS of vehicles.
And no, FPS is anything but useless. They are actually OP. If you compare FPS to the old direct control, FPS is definitely an improvement in terms of being easier to control, orientate your soldier and aim your weapons. Yes FPS needs a balance. And the fog of war mechanics need lots of work

Many advantages of FPS seem to be a loopholes created by game design limit.

However, I agree with you that the problem you posted here is indeed a problem, not a way to balance FPS mode.

I have suggested many solutions including giving the ability to adjust the rate of fire for ai soldier shooting on their own (right now ai soldier shoots at very slow rate one shot by one shot), removing the red silhouette that makes the whole body glow in red behind physical covers.

Enemy soldier is not detected from RTS perspective
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1277412775

Enemy soldier is only detected through FPS view
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1277413001

Here another case of the same problem
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1251221062
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1251221290

Ai even don’t shoot at you as if you are not even there (they don’t even detect)
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1277413207
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1260730710

The red silhouette is ridiculous.
There is no way I would have known the enemy position without the red silhouette and I don’t like this wall hack
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1277444383
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1277444681

[SirHinkel]

We completly disabled Fog on FPS / TPC which sadly introduced a bug on vehicles.

Originally posted by Shaftoe:

Yeah, I can see them in FPS too. But not always, as I used to. Sometimes they're invisible in thin air, out of cover! And when they sit in cover, and you are SUPPOSED to see their silouettes, you can't see them, because the game conceals their models from you now!

We completly disabled Fog on FPS / TPC so you shouldn't notice a difference now.

Originally posted by Shaftoe:

If you want to check it yourself, then go to Combined Arms, take a helicopter or a tank and try it out. Eventually, you'll see them. But you won't be able to play it as cautious as before. Now an expensive peice of equipment could end in a matter of seconds, thanks to this 'wonderful' concealment feature.

Sadly the changes to the fog system, which were requested by some of our modders introduced a bug with the vehicle vision system. We will fix it with the next patch.

[Enji or Not]

I don't see what's wrong. On the one hand I think FPS direct control is OP because you can use anti-personnel tanks to shoot soldiers across the whole damn map while said soldiers can't even see the tank. <--- OP
On the other hand, soldiers that aren't controlled by players easily kill soldiers that are controlled by a player, even through bushes.
I think those 2 compared, or just the top alone shows how OP DC (especially on tanks) is.