Target visibility

[irR4tiOn4L]

Originally Posted by Wolf_Rider

to make the dots bigger

Ok tell me you're just being an ass now!

But seriously, the dots get harder to see at smaller fovs because of the way they work - they remain the same size in terms of pixels, except now they are further apart and harder to see. Try it!

The main reason you'd want to use a 1:1 view is not to make dots bigger, but to actually FOREGO (mostly) the need for dots!

By making the apparent size of distant aircraft as close to reality as possible, they disappear at the appropriate distance, meaning that dots are no longer necessary.

Remember, dots are artificial rendering modifications introduced by 1C to make spotting aircraft at long distances possible at larger fovs (70/90) - to simulate a real pilot's spotting ability.

Originally Posted by Wolf_Rider

most FPS's are user altered to run @ 90 deg FoV and in those games running a high FoV is considered a cheat... altering the Fov for zoom, is to "assume" a zoom bearing in mind the technical limitations of monitors.

Cheat is a relative term and I don't want to discuss that. Let's put it this way - if a modification provides an advantage to a small number of players (which wider fovs in FPS's do) in a competitive environment and it is not officially sanctioned for whatever reason, it is a cheat. It could STILL be realistic you know - but be considered a cheat.

In IL2 CLoD, the difference is that fov facilities are provided and officially sanctioned so its not a cheat.

When it comes to zoom in games though, FOV is what is used to zoom the view by developers, whether we are talking about binoculars, telescopes etc. Thats just a fact

Originally Posted by Wolf_Rider

Field of View is associated with magnification, however they are not same thing, as you claimed earlier.

I know its hard to admit, but what I said was true. Let's go back to what I said;

Originally Posted by irR4tiOn4L

While being as uncondescending as possible, I suggest you review your understanding of what FOV is, how it and binoculars work and what they have in common.

Let's just say that both 'zoom' by taking a small angle of our field of view and re-focussing it to take a larger portion of that field of view.

Small FOV's do this by rendering only a small part of the ingame view and having it cover the full viewing plane/monitor, which would normally display a much wider view.

Binoculars do this by taking light from a small part of our field of view and realigning and refocussing it to take a larger portion of our retina.

The principle however, in both cases, is the same. And perhaps once you understand why, you will grasp why FOV needs to match the field of view taken by your monitor in order to present a 1:1 view.

Then maybe you can end your insistence on 60 being the 'perfect' fov and opposition to the practice of switching between FOV's and realise that, like all viewing technologies, FOV is a compromise compared to our real world visual acuity. We don't do it to make the 'dots bigger' (it actually makes them smaller relative to everything else and much harder to spot) but in order to prevent things becoming dots in the first place and to see everything more clearly like it would appear in real life.

As you can see, what I said was true - the way 'FOV' in games is used to magnify and the way angle of view in binoculars is used to magnify works on the same principles.

What you've said, by contrast, is things like this;

Originally Posted by Wolf_Rider

FoV doesn't zoom... binoculars do though, bringing an element of higher level flying difficulty (realistic) with them as well as tracking (re-aquiring).

Which is just completely wrong - FOV is USED to create 'binoculars' in games!


By the way, FOV is very dependent on how far you sit from your monitor and how big it is, and we are by no means helpless as players when it comes to improving our visual acuity. Remember this formula?

FOV = ((((screenwidth/viewer distance)/2)tan-1)2)

Depending on how large your monitor is and particularly how close you sit to your monitor, the 1:1 (or 'optically correct' according to valve) FOV changes a lot!

Lets use my own monitor as an example. My monitor is a 22" CRT that is 41 cm wide on its viewable area (thats screenwidth). So let's see what my 1:1 (ie, optically correct FOV where objects appear roughly as large in terms of apparent size/angular size as in reality) is for various viewing distances:

1 metre - 1:1 FOV = 23 degrees
90 cm - 1:1 FOV = 25 degrees
80 cm - 1:1 FOV = 28 degrees
70 cm - 1:1 FOV = 32 degrees
60 cm - 1:1 FOV = 37 degrees
50 cm - 1:1 FOV = 44 degrees
40 cm - 1:1 FOV = 54 degrees
30 cm - 1:1 FOV = 68 degrees
20 cm - 1:1 FOV = 91 degrees

Notice the fov's I have highlighted. These are the distances at which the relevant FOV appears as near to reality as possible given my existing monitor. If I sit 80cm away, then at 30 fov objects appear roughly as large (and thus easy to spot) as in reality. If I sit 30 cm away, then at 70 fov objects appear roughly as large as in reality. If I sit at an eye-crushing 20cm, then at 90 fov objects appear roughly as large as in reality. Note that 'dots' are more visible at 70/90 fov, and if I sit very close, spotting them will probably be too easy. Notice also how much the 1:1 FOV changes based on just viewing distance! A larger monitor would also have a big effect.

Now remember - 1:1 FOV is the FOV setting at which individual objects on the screen APPEAR ROUGHLY AS LARGE TO OUR EYE AS IN REALITY. Anytime I go BELOW the 1:1 FOV for any given setting - for example, if I am sitting 50 cm away from the monitor and switch to 30 FOV - I am actually MAGNIFYING objects compared to reality, and making more detail visible than a real pilot could see!

So yes, its very possible to gain a large advantage over other players just by moving closer to your monitor, let alone using a larger monitor! And this is not just about 30 FOV - its the same for ANY fov setting - just by moving closer, my 'dots' are indeed getting bigger Are you going to stop moving closer to your monitor when you fly online? Would you like to prevent others from doing the same?