Question:
Would it be technically possible to increase the draw distance for character models? Possibly through lower the Level of Detail with Distance?
I am playing on the Xbox 360, and ever since I started Defiance, I noticed that character models vanish in the distance, just like grass, textures and other little details. This is most notable when using a scope, especially a high-powered Sniper Rifle Scope, where distant enemies are present, can be aimed at (HUD shows Name, Health and Reticule turns red) and shot at, but are invisible. And they only turn visible when they are "relatively close" - in terms of a Sniper Scope, the characters "show up" well big enough to aim for headshots.
Funnily enough, as often seen in Shadow Wars, should those distant characters shoot, the muzzle flash and shots can be seen clearly, just not the character they originate from. But when that character then comes into view, it appears to be fully detailed, with just as much polygons as you would see close up - which makes me suspect that the render engine has a fixed draw distance without loss of detail, as opposed to games that manipulate the detail level according to distance (the farther away, the less detail visible).
With the wide open spaces of Defiance, especially regarding Shadow War, the "visibility distance" is quite frustrating. Of course that is likely the result of the consoles' technical limitations, but I was wondering if by using a level of detail approach, the effective draw distance, albeit less detailed, might be increased, even on our aging hardware.
I'd really like to know if this is possible, and if so, if you would consider it.
Originally Posted by Rhorge
