Survivor outline Visibility Testing results

WarKirby · 12-17-2008, 02:51 PM

I've been doing some testing with my wonderful volunteer, z95, earlier tonight. This testing was a good thorough look at exactly what makes the survivor's outlines visible in Versus mode.

When you stop doing things that make you visible, your outline gradually fades out to nothing over about 3 seconds. Once your outline fades completely, your name text disappears too.

First of all, the things that do affect it. Doing any of the following will make your outline become visible, until you stop doing it.

Running around. This is basically normal wasd movement.
Melee attacks. Swinging your gun around makes you visible
Firing. Any weapon. This includes the mounted minigun. Firing any weapon causes you to be visible.
Starting a grenade throw. You become visible as soon as you press the fire button. But, whether you throw it immediately, or hold your arm back keeping it ready to throw, you do not become visible again from a grenade. Even when you release it.
Boomer bile. Having bile on you turns your outline purple, and makes it completely visible to all infected, regardless of what you do. You can't hide until the effect wears off.
Taking damage. Whenever you take damage from anything, your outline briefly flashes visible. Note that it's the damage, not the hit that causes it. A distinction few will care about, but it doesn't happen if god mode is turned on.
Voice commands. When your character speaks, you temporarily flash visible. This includes using any of the rosetta commands, and "vocalize" commands in the console. It also applies to things your character says automatically in various situations.
Using voice chat. speaking on Mic will show your outline.
Shouting while incapped. Although being incapped on it's own, doesn't make you visible. Your survivor will shout for help every few seconds while they're down, and that DOES make them visible.
Helping someone up. You flash visible briefly when you start to help up an incapped survivor. It fades before you finish helping them though.
Using pills. Self explanatory.
Smoker/hunter attack. When you're pinned, or tongued, you become visible until freed.

Now, some other important things. All of the following things do NOT make your outline visible.

The Flashlight! Whether it's on or not is irrelevant. The flashlight does NOT affect the visibility of your outline. Given that, there's pretty much no reason to ever turn it off.
Walking. If you hold shift while moving, you walk instead of running. This is slower, of course. But your outline remains invisible while you walk. Good if you want to reverse an ambush by sneaking up on a hunter.
Crouch walking. Moving while holding crouch (ctrl) is exactly like walking. Holding the walk key while crouched does nothing.
Releasing a grenade throw that you had ready. This is covered above.
Reloading your weapon. Doesn't make you visible, but sometimes your survivor will shout "reloading!" and voice clips do make you visible, so beware of that.
Healing. As with reloading, using a medkit itself doesn't highlight you, with the caveat that the voice clips can.
Aiming. Didn't really need to be said, but mouselooking around doesn't highlight you. This includes when you're manning the mingun. you're only visible when you fire it.
Climbing on ladders
Jumping. An odd one. Juumping up and down on the spot doesn't reveal you. Moving forward will, of course.
Being seen. The outline is completely independant of actual visibility. A survivor can be standing right in front of you, and their outline still invisible if they're not doing anything to cause it. Likewise, other infected seeing them doesn't affect it.
The tank. In case anyone was wondering, the tank is identical to all other infected in terms of seeing outlines. If you follow these guidelines, you can hide from the tank too. good if you've set it on fire and need to buy time.

If anyone can think of things I've missed, do post. If you've done testing of your own, feel free to post about it too. And if you think some of my results are wrong, please tell me. A good scientist must always be prepared to admit he's wrong.

Hope this information is helpful

n30neuromancer · 12-17-2008, 02:55 PM

Thanks for the testing, very useful. +1 internets for you.

FluffyBunni · 12-17-2008, 02:56 PM

Wow, great research man. That should clear up some of the survivor outline questions we have all had. +1 rep for you good sir!

linfosoma · 12-17-2008, 02:57 PM

Nice, interesting point about the flashlights and the crouching/walking. Thanks!

Magnusblitz · 12-17-2008, 02:57 PM

You left out one that DOES make your outline show up: talking on your microphone.

Which completely kills trying to stay hidden, except possibly to try and ambush an infected you hear behind you every now and then.

WarKirby · 12-17-2008, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magnusblitz

You left out one that DOES make your outline show up: talking on your microphone.

Which completely kills trying to stay hidden, except possibly to try and ambush an infected you hear behind you every now and then.

Good point, that never ocurred to me.

Can anyone confirm this? I'll add it to the OP if someone else confirms.

Z-95 · 12-17-2008, 03:24 PM

Hurray for being a test subject!

Interesting about the mic. Will have to be tested!

Esham · 12-17-2008, 03:27 PM

Good info. I thought the flashlight caused you to be visible. Now i can just walk around to ambush ppl

eVeR_aMaZiN · 12-17-2008, 03:29 PM

nice results, good to know

mouton · 12-17-2008, 03:30 PM

Very interesting post. Thanks for testing!

Might shift the balance further towards survivors, eh

chief-lazyhorse · 12-17-2008, 03:38 PM

how does this affect people in the cron field in blood? is it line of sight in field or can you walk through it without being seen.

Isy · 12-17-2008, 03:49 PM

A helpful post. Repped.

WarKirby · 12-17-2008, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chief-lazyhorse

how does this affect people in the cron field in blood? is it line of sight in field or can you walk through it without being seen.

The outline only applies to human infected players. The horde will find you regardless of what you do.

I don't think there's any way to walk through that field without startling the crows, but I haven't tried walking through it yet.

bosky · 12-17-2008, 03:59 PM

Good to know, thanks for all the testing effort. It'll be fun to play the game like Splinter Cell (well, sometimes).

Templarion · 12-17-2008, 04:02 PM

Thanks for the info. +rep!

12-17-2008, 02:51 PM	#1
WarKirby Join Date: Nov 2007 Reputation: 176 Posts: 2,700	Survivor outline Visibility Testing results I've been doing some testing with my wonderful volunteer, z95, earlier tonight. This testing was a good thorough look at exactly what makes the survivor's outlines visible in Versus mode. When you stop doing things that make you visible, your outline gradually fades out to nothing over about 3 seconds. Once your outline fades completely, your name text disappears too. First of all, the things that do affect it. Doing any of the following will make your outline become visible, until you stop doing it. Running around. This is basically normal wasd movement. Melee attacks. Swinging your gun around makes you visible Firing. Any weapon. This includes the mounted minigun. Firing any weapon causes you to be visible. Starting a grenade throw. You become visible as soon as you press the fire button. But, whether you throw it immediately, or hold your arm back keeping it ready to throw, you do not become visible again from a grenade. Even when you release it. Boomer bile. Having bile on you turns your outline purple, and makes it completely visible to all infected, regardless of what you do. You can't hide until the effect wears off. Taking damage. Whenever you take damage from anything, your outline briefly flashes visible. Note that it's the damage, not the hit that causes it. A distinction few will care about, but it doesn't happen if god mode is turned on. Voice commands. When your character speaks, you temporarily flash visible. This includes using any of the rosetta commands, and "vocalize" commands in the console. It also applies to things your character says automatically in various situations. Using voice chat. speaking on Mic will show your outline. Shouting while incapped. Although being incapped on it's own, doesn't make you visible. Your survivor will shout for help every few seconds while they're down, and that DOES make them visible. Helping someone up. You flash visible briefly when you start to help up an incapped survivor. It fades before you finish helping them though. Using pills. Self explanatory. Smoker/hunter attack. When you're pinned, or tongued, you become visible until freed. Now, some other important things. All of the following things do NOT make your outline visible. The Flashlight! Whether it's on or not is irrelevant. The flashlight does NOT affect the visibility of your outline. Given that, there's pretty much no reason to ever turn it off. Walking. If you hold shift while moving, you walk instead of running. This is slower, of course. But your outline remains invisible while you walk. Good if you want to reverse an ambush by sneaking up on a hunter. Crouch walking. Moving while holding crouch (ctrl) is exactly like walking. Holding the walk key while crouched does nothing. Releasing a grenade throw that you had ready. This is covered above. Reloading your weapon. Doesn't make you visible, but sometimes your survivor will shout "reloading!" and voice clips do make you visible, so beware of that. Healing. As with reloading, using a medkit itself doesn't highlight you, with the caveat that the voice clips can. Aiming. Didn't really need to be said, but mouselooking around doesn't highlight you. This includes when you're manning the mingun. you're only visible when you fire it. Climbing on ladders Jumping. An odd one. Juumping up and down on the spot doesn't reveal you. Moving forward will, of course. Being seen. The outline is completely independant of actual visibility. A survivor can be standing right in front of you, and their outline still invisible if they're not doing anything to cause it. Likewise, other infected seeing them doesn't affect it. The tank. In case anyone was wondering, the tank is identical to all other infected in terms of seeing outlines. If you follow these guidelines, you can hide from the tank too. good if you've set it on fire and need to buy time. If anyone can think of things I've missed, do post. If you've done testing of your own, feel free to post about it too. And if you think some of my results are wrong, please tell me. A good scientist must always be prepared to admit he's wrong. Hope this information is helpful Last edited by WarKirby : 01-10-2009 at 08:34 AM.

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12-17-2008, 02:55 PM	#2
n30neuromancer Join Date: Feb 2008 Reputation: 6 Posts: 405	Thanks for the testing, very useful. +1 internets for you.

12-17-2008, 02:56 PM	#3
FluffyBunni Join Date: Jan 2005 Reputation: 7 Posts: 258	Wow, great research man. That should clear up some of the survivor outline questions we have all had. +1 rep for you good sir!

12-17-2008, 02:57 PM	#4
linfosoma Join Date: Jul 2008 Reputation: 315 Posts: 5,750	Nice, interesting point about the flashlights and the crouching/walking. Thanks!

12-17-2008, 02:57 PM	#5
Magnusblitz Join Date: Dec 2007 Reputation: 2 Posts: 215	You left out one that DOES make your outline show up: talking on your microphone. Which completely kills trying to stay hidden, except possibly to try and ambush an infected you hear behind you every now and then.

12-17-2008, 03:24 PM	#7
Z-95 Join Date: Nov 2008 Reputation: 11 Posts: 38	Hurray for being a test subject! Interesting about the mic. Will have to be tested!

12-17-2008, 03:27 PM	#8
Esham Banned Join Date: Aug 2008 Reputation: 38 Posts: 2,082	Good info. I thought the flashlight caused you to be visible. Now i can just walk around to ambush ppl

12-17-2008, 03:29 PM	#9
eVeR_aMaZiN Join Date: Aug 2008 Reputation: 2 Posts: 356	nice results, good to know

12-17-2008, 03:30 PM	#10
mouton Join Date: Aug 2008 Reputation: 31 Posts: 1,261	Very interesting post. Thanks for testing! Might shift the balance further towards survivors, eh

12-17-2008, 03:38 PM	#11
chief-lazyhorse Banned Join Date: Dec 2008 Reputation: 19 Posts: 528	how does this affect people in the cron field in blood? is it line of sight in field or can you walk through it without being seen.

12-17-2008, 03:49 PM	#12
Isy Join Date: Jan 2008 Reputation: 648 Posts: 2,248	A helpful post. Repped.

12-17-2008, 03:59 PM	#14
bosky Join Date: Nov 2008 Reputation: 0 Posts: 128	Good to know, thanks for all the testing effort. It'll be fun to play the game like Splinter Cell (well, sometimes).

12-17-2008, 04:02 PM	#15
Templarion Join Date: Nov 2008 Reputation: 23 Posts: 272	Thanks for the info. +rep!