OpenXcom Forum

OpenXcom => Open Feedback => Topic started by: Shadow on October 19, 2013, 01:39:16 am

Title: Alien sight range annoyance
Post by: Shadow on October 19, 2013, 01:39:16 am
I've found something weird and annoying about alien sight range. Even in the day, they seem to be able to see at least 1 or 2 squares further than X-COM troops, and that's already cost me a handful of lives: shots from the fog of war in broad daylight, from a place the soldier was directly facing.

I'm not sure that's how it worked in the original. As far as I recall, during the day, if they could see you, you could see them if you were looking their way.

Quote from: Line of sight @ UFOpaedia.org
Within visible range
     Visible range for X-Com soldiers is 20 tiles during the day and dawn/dusk, 9 at night
     Aliens are not subject to the lighting penalties and have a 20-tile range at all times
Title: Re: Alien sight range annoyance
Post by: Warboy1982 on October 19, 2013, 07:01:54 am
they use the same sight algorithms as you do, i don't know what to tell you. sight range is a const int defined in the header. the only difference between them is accounting for light/dark
Title: Re: Alien sight range annoyance
Post by: Svanh on October 19, 2013, 07:20:29 am
I remember aliens doing this in the original. It's probably due to another alien spotting for the shooter (if aliens work like that).
Title: Re: Alien sight range annoyance
Post by: Shadow on October 19, 2013, 07:25:31 am
I remember aliens doing this in the original. It's probably due to another alien spotting for the shooter (if aliens work like that).

That's a possibility. My mistake, then.
Title: Re: Alien sight range annoyance
Post by: Warboy1982 on October 19, 2013, 08:41:07 am
even then, they're still bound by the 20-tile visible distance rule. (apart from psionic or blaster launcher stuff) it may just be something to do with reaction fire taking place, and killing the unit "before" he exposes the alien, maybe. or maybe it's an alien inside a building that makes it juuuust dark enough to obscure the alien, it could be just about anything to be honest. but yeah, i do remember taking fire from invisible aliens in the original in this regard.
Title: Re: Alien sight range annoyance
Post by: redv on October 19, 2013, 03:12:58 pm
Perhaps, we are talking about issue like this: https://openxcom.org/bugs/openxcom/issues/332
Title: Re: Alien sight range annoyance
Post by: Sharp on October 19, 2013, 03:26:30 pm
Could it also be the blind spot corner thing? https://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Line_of_sight

Is that in OXC? Is it a bug or is it a feature?
Title: Re: Alien sight range annoyance
Post by: Shadow on October 19, 2013, 04:22:04 pm
Perhaps, we are talking about issue like this: https://openxcom.org/bugs/openxcom/issues/332

Coincidentally, I was in a forest mission as well, taking cover among trees, and the firing Sectoid was close to a hillside when I spotted it a turn later.

Might be related! :o
Title: Re: Alien sight range annoyance
Post by: kevL on October 19, 2013, 06:45:06 pm
have notice something a bit quirky about LoS too. As if a tile that should get revealed doesn't quite make it...
Title: Re: Alien sight range annoyance
Post by: redv on October 19, 2013, 07:53:33 pm
openxcom_git_master_2013_10_08_0216 was latest build, which calculates LoS properly.
Title: Re: Alien sight range annoyance
Post by: Hobbit Lord on October 20, 2013, 05:56:18 am
Coincidentally, I was in a forest mission as well, taking cover among trees, and the firing Sectoid was close to a hillside when I spotted it a turn later.

Might be related! :o
I've noticed the same issue. Last time it was daytime in a jungle environment (crashed UFO). There were four sectoids sniping away at me from very long distance and had to move quite a bit forward until I found them

I suppose trees also could work for these 'blind spots'?
Title: Re: Alien sight range annoyance
Post by: Shadow on October 20, 2013, 11:42:29 pm
There's still something off about the edge of sight range as of git_master_2013_10_20_0856.

Could maybe try to experimentally reduce alien sight from 20 to 19 tiles and see how it affects things?

Sight ranges could also be externalized to the ruleset to allow for some soft modding.
Title: Re: Alien sight range annoyance
Post by: redv on October 20, 2013, 11:56:59 pm
There's still something off about the edge of sight range as of git_master_2013_10_20_0856.

This is the fix ;-)
Now, all works fine.
Title: Re: Alien sight range annoyance
Post by: redv on October 21, 2013, 12:00:42 am
Sight ranges could also be externalized to the ruleset to allow for some soft modding.

Hmm, 3 hours ago was added PR for moving View distance into ruleset. :-)