[BUG] So, why is this a thing

I understand; you need to have lower graphics settings to allow for more range of players.

I have a computer fully capable of running this game on high/ultra in 96+ fights and staying well above 50-60 fps doing it. When I set my computer to absolutely lowest settings, it renders smoke clouds and cloakers entirely ineffective against me, however. I can see straight through smoke. We've all been there, I am sure. Someone drops 5-6 smoke grenades on a point; when you push in, you get instantly engaged and headshots you, and when it shows you the kill screen they don't have the HSNV scope attached at all.

It's not even an exploit; an exploit suggests you have to do something like edit an .ini file or mess with something that's not supposed to be edited. No, this is quite literally a simple in-game drag down menu option and it gives a notable in-game edge. So, my question then is this: Why does it work this way? DBG, why is this the way this works? Let's jump this same question over to the PS4 version; the PS4 has dramatically less powerful hardware than a high end PC right now and being a console game will not have the ability to change user settings for graphics. Will smoke grenades be completely ineffective on it, or will they be equally effective against everyone, requiring the use of a scope that forces you to tunnel vision badly? The PS4 version is supposed to be the refined, post balance run version of the game right? If that is the case, as marketing would have us believe, why is it acceptable that smoke grenades can be completely ignored in the PC version but not in the PS4 version?

I am sure this has been brought up many, many times already, but it finally irritated me enough to take a break from playing the game.

You can also legally totally remove smoke by editing the ini.

But I do agree .. Something that is used as a tactical tool ( and that's it's only use ) should not be able to be bypassed by any setting change, either ingame settings or by ini. tweaking .

If it causes people to lose a few FPS when it's used .. Then so be it

I use to play on ultra but now i play on lowest settings aside from 1080p and 100% render quality. Its just too much crap on the screen and way too distracting. The muzzle flash on vanu weapons is bad enough let alone your glowing gun ( i didnt even kno guns glowed) my accuracy and k/d has drastically increased since making and change plus its so easy to see players at night and on hossin and even cloaked infils. Ill never go back.

Right, I have started to do it too unless I want to take screenshots of how much swag my ridiculously certed MBT has. The problem is that you, me, and everyone else shouldn't be able to do that for tactical edge. You shouldn't be able to change graphics to give yourself a serious edge beyond FPS tweaks.

Well then it seems to me you have more or less stopped playing the game for the fun anf the beauty of the game but simply for certs and K/D. I don't blame you I have done that before but you need to realize that a video game is just that, a game, so if you can make it look really nice on ultra graphics, even if some people cheat by changing their settings or whatever, even if it is legal, then too bad for them, they seem to have lost the pure enjoyment of this video game. Don't take this post offensively in any way, I just hate being competitve personally and certainly do not see the point of it on a game like this that can simply be enjoyed with ultra graphics settings making it (especially Hossin ) look gorgeous!

Yea ill admit that I do do it sometimes to see my shiny LA armor with my shiny eclipse.

Although being a BR 95 either means you do play competitively or you have played for a really really really long time

Well there you go That in my mind is what video games are for, not really to get the best K/D or something, but to 1. See if that fancy computer you just built can run it on ultra (personal satisfaction at having just built a computer that works ) and 2. Enjoy the visuals, enjoy the amazing stuff computers can do, and enjoy the fact that you're playing against hundreds of other players who live all across the world. I mean In Fine, who really cares about whether or not the smoke grenade effects work, as long as you enjoy it! Great for that guy that he was able to make his game look like sh** just to headshot you when you throw your smoke grenade.

As long as everyone can do it, there is nothing wrong with it. It's not like a downloadable exploit. But this has been stated to be completely legit, as it is accomplished in the .ini files, which have been repeatably ok-ed to edit by officials.

However, maybe we should deal with the illness, not the symptom. When performance gets good, people will likely not have a reason to change settings such as smoke is invisible. (Unless they just hate smoke...)

Trust i still enjoy the game...just with less hitching, 60fps in 96+ battles and less invisible players and bullets. Its still a decent looking game on lowest settings. Theres plenty of other great looking PVE games out there that ill crank up the graphics settings on without gameplay compromise.

Made the linked character about a year ago when Waterson was a server. I'd say I am above average, but I couldn't honestly call myself competitive in any regard other than using MBTs; in that case I run a fully dedicated tank-hunter set up and make enemy vehicles dead with great efficiency.

It's not really about it being legit, it's just plain unfair and unbalanced, plus it gives an advantage to those really competitive players that care only about their K/D and don't really care how good their game looks... My opinion, biased perhaps, but my opinion nonetheless

Oh I know its perfectly legal to do- setting your self to low settings being against the rules would be ridiculous.

My main point here is that it shouldn't be something that you can do to get a tactical edge; game balance shouldn't particularly be effected by graphics settings because that is just bad design.

True lol In this game on ultra even with the best AMD CPU at 4.7 Ghz I sometimes drop to 30-4o fps that should definitely not happen!
And yes you are right about other games looking better and being better optimized

they could at least force opaque 2d sprites for smoke grenades (like from older games) to disallow the complete negation of smoke. it will be no real performance hit and still make smoke a viable option for other players. but yeah, with some ini tweaking smoke is really useless in this game

what do infiltrators look like on lowest settings?

I support PS2 looking like this on lowest settings.

Theyre just easier to see. I think its partially due to no foliage setting and less texture details in their surroundind so when they move and warp their surroundings it makes them stick out like a sore thumb. Whereas on max setting like i said earlier theres just too much distractions and even when cloaked and moving the infils blend in with more uneven surfaces.

totally agree, i bought a new comp just so i could play planetside 2 on ultra (and this was before "O:MFG" i was running it on ultra)
but it just feels like you're opting for a handicap, turning on shadows so vanus can hide, turning on bloom so you can't see anything when you're playing heavy with overshield active, turning effects up so smoke is really really hard to see through...
so i mostly play with lighting, shadows, particles and effects all low, and its a real shame because this is such a pretty game.

ah, i thought it made you look more like characters in this and just kind of tinted over and a more visible grey


Bonus points if you can name the game