Planetside
2 developers SOE have been experimenting with an increased render
distance for infantry units and the results are impressive. During a
test run on the US server Connery (“because there was a good sized fight
there to test against,” said creative director Matt Higby), players
were treated to a much greater viewing distance, something that not only
improved the look of the game but also lead to more long-range
engagements.
“I
actually sniped multiple targets inside the crown from the hillside
south of crown even while there was armor and air battles going on all
around me. No lag impact and I can actually see a battle unfold before
me; it’s pretty sweet,” said one poster on reddit.
One
player even captured the combat in a YouTube and it provides some very
impressive views of the game. You’ll find it after the break.
Increased render distances are just one of the changes that SOE highlighted in their roadmap for Planetside 2’s development and they’ve already made substantial changes to the game’s UI and performance in the latest patch.
If you’re disappointed that you didn’t get to enjoy the new render distance yourself, console yourself by trying out Planetside 2’s new PhysX features, which can be enabled by tweaking one of the game’s .ini files.
Oh,
and while all this increased rendering is both more exciting and more
realistic, it’s worth remembering one of the cardinal rules of war: if
you can see them, there’s a good chance they can see you.