Night Vision and PvP

[Duck & Jenny]

Does anyone know how Night Vision supposedly works? If it is purely passive, then it must rely on some sort of EM signature (normally this would be heat or very low-level light). If it is active, then the ship using NV should be giving off its own EM signature.

I'm of course tying this to the advantage NV gives players in combat, especially against "stealth ships". I doubt Frontier even considered this as a possible use for NV. I'd like to see it reworked to bring some balance.

If NV is passive, then cold ships should "disappear" from the NV silhouetting effect, but still be visible in the same way it would if NV was turned off.

If NV is active, then the ship using NV should light up like a Christmas tree, or in ED's case, a ship encased in emissive particles. This would make NV similar to active radar on a submarine.

Either way, I'd like to see this fixed. I know not everyone uses stealth as part of their PvP, but I find it fun, whether I'm the hunter or the hunted!

 

[Krash]

There's no way to avoid NV. I use it when targeting with rails. Very helpful. I'm not aware of any "active" effects or signature on the ship that is using NV.

 

[Duck & Jenny]

There's no way to avoid NV. I use it when targeting with rails. Very helpful. I'm not aware of any "active" effects or signature on the ship that is using NV.

That's my point - it's currently overpowered. I'm requesting that Frontier either lets us avoid it using Silent Running or at least makes using NV "costly" by having the ship using it "go active" (like sonar), giving it an emissive signature. This would have to come in a future update, of course.

Another possible way to "nerf" NV would be to make it like real night vision - good at "night" but blinded by bright light, be it the sun, an exploding missile at close range, or perhaps a heatsink (which is surprisingly bright) dropped in front of the ship.

Or perhaps Frontier could implement all THREE nerfs! NV was never meant for combat IIRC, its use in this regard is just an unforeseen "side effect".

 

[Krash]

I thought you were asking a question about it. Shouldn't this be in "suggestions"?

 

[Duck & Jenny]

I thought you were asking a question about it. Shouldn't this be in "suggestions"?

I debated that with myself before posting... Unfortunately "Suggestions" is just a code for "Place where good ideas go to die".

 

[viper666]

It's not even night vision in the true sense. Proper night vision just amplifies any low level light sources. If you then get a bright light source, night vision just washes out.
What we actually got, was some sort of wire frame highlight object enhancement. That said, I don't want it nerfed as (a) it's great for shadow rez sites on the dark side of a planet, and (b) it makes using fixed weapons (especially) rail gun, a bit easier to use.

 

[Duck & Jenny]

What we actually got, was some sort of wire frame highlight object enhancement. That said, I don't want it nerfed as (a) it's great for shadow rez sites on the dark side of a planet, and (b) it makes using fixed weapons (especially) rail gun, a bit easier to use.

That's well and good unless you're on the receiving end of that rail gun. Thankfully none of the "nerfs" I suggest would affect your gameplay - you're using it on the dark side of planets, and it sounds like you are using it against NPCs, who don't seem to use SR for stealth. Even in PvP, it really wouldn't be a nerf as most players can't stay in SR for long, and being "lit up" by emissive isn't a super huge advantage / disadvantage.

 

[MUSKETEER]

My Midnight Black paints no longer give a tiny bit advantage

I should ask for money back

 

[CMDR Cknarf]

I keep forgetting its a thing tbh. I don't normally have trouble seeing other ships in engagement range, silent running or not.

 

[Morbad]

Personally, I think they should have omitted any sort of non-thermal NV and just given us better headlights...that would probably require better lighting effects though.

Does anyone know how Night Vision supposedly works?

Passive and optical or shorter wavelengths, so detatched from the ship's IR sensors or any other stealth mechanisms. Camera grabs the entire visible/UV spectrum, computer runs it through some filters, projects it in green on the HUD/canopy.

Basically it's Mechwarrior 2's image enhancement.

There's no way to avoid NV.

Other than very brightly lit areas, which only really exist on planets.

 

[Screemonster]

Personally, I'd like it to be treated as a kind of active sensor, especially since the visual effect of NZ seems to indicate some sort of scanning pulse.

So you want to use night vision to spot targets your regular thermal signature sensors can't resolve? Sure, cool, but you're gonna give your position away. In game mechanics terms, NV on would carry a permanent emissive effect and be disallowed during silent running.