• Please make sure you are familiar with the forum rules. You can find them here: https://forums.tripwireinteractive.com/index.php?threads/forum-rules.2334636/

Tracer balls/streaks.

Jump to latest Follow Reply
Sort by date Sort by votes
J

Jinef

Member
May 15, 2006
13
0
#1
Hello,

I was editing a mission using the SDK today and among the things I saw in the resources was a tracer ball, as opposed to the streak. In reality tracers are actually little balls of light, not streaks. They become streaks when slow video cameras record them. Is it possible for me to change my personal streaks to balls? :D

This almost sounds like some dodgy porno ....
 
#2
A lot of OFP mods do tracers very realistically. They're balls that either bounce up once and stop burning after the bounce in mid air or hit a surface, "stick" and keep on burning on whatever they hit. It looks very life-like and real.

Ro took the Hollywoodish approach with tracers, which is probably a safer bet for the future of the game itself, I mean look at all the people already in awe about what these "lasers" are. Imagine what would happen if they were little balls shooting out. :)
 
Upvote 0
#4
Jinef said:
Hello,

I was editing a mission using the SDK today and among the things I saw in the resources was a tracer ball, as opposed to the streak. In reality tracers are actually little balls of light, not streaks. They become streaks when slow video cameras record them. Is it possible for me to change my personal streaks to balls? :D

This almost sounds like some dodgy porno ....
Click to expand...

Ball and Tracer are the same thing. Ball usually means the actual tip is coated with the tracer material. Tracer usually is meant the back of the bullet has a cavity that is filled with the material.
Tracers make different types of "trails" depending on the material used. In world war 2, on the East, the type of material left a burning, hot trail of material behind it. This is the streak you see. It is pretty well done in the game. Throw burning buildings, dust, smoke etc into the air and all those things exaggerate how long of a trail you see.
A bullet is travelling very fast and you will see a streak, that is not just a camera problem. Just try tying something on the end of a string and spinning it in a circle, you will see not the object, but a circular trail it leaves and this is going FAR slower than a bullet and far less bright than a tracer round.
 
Upvote 0
#6
[RWTD]Ghost[BCthc] said:
One thing I'd like to see is tank rounds loosing their incredibly lame ball of fire look. I've watched tanks while on ex with the Canadan Forces fire, and i've never seen anything like this. Its gamey, and it gives away your position.
Click to expand...

Were you watching tanks in WWII?

Things have changed.

Depending on the round, some tracers left a burning trail (the ones with the cavity, and not on the tip). Those were several feet long!
 
Upvote 0
#10
slyder73 said:
Ball and Tracer are the same thing. Ball usually means the actual tip is coated with the tracer material. Tracer usually is meant the back of the bullet has a cavity that is filled with the material.
Tracers make different types of "trails" depending on the material used. In world war 2, on the East, the type of material left a burning, hot trail of material behind it. This is the streak you see. It is pretty well done in the game. Throw burning buildings, dust, smoke etc into the air and all those things exaggerate how long of a trail you see.
A bullet is travelling very fast and you will see a streak, that is not just a camera problem. Just try tying something on the end of a string and spinning it in a circle, you will see not the object, but a circular trail it leaves and this is going FAR slower than a bullet and far less bright than a tracer round.
Click to expand...

Its not to be pedantic but ball rounds are just plain bullets with a lead or other metal filling and a fullmetal jacket. Tracers on the other hand has a pyrotechnic filling in the rear of the projectile and there is no such a thing as bullets having tracer material in the nose.
Here are some examples of contemporary 7,62mm NATO rounds of different types. Speaking of tracers: Tracer do not look like a long line of light but rather more like a small sphere or a short streak so the representation in this game is not visually correct when it looks like long lines of fiery light and in actuality the tracers long lines in the game hinders good observation of bullet strikes which is not the case with real tracers.
 
Upvote 0
#11
Atomskytten said:
Its not to be pedantic but ball rounds are just plain bullets with a lead or other metal filling and a fullmetal jacket. Tracers on the other hand has a pyrotechnic filling in the rear of the projectile and there is no such a thing as bullets having tracer material in the nose.
Here are some examples of contemporary 7,62mm NATO rounds of different types. Speaking of tracers: Tracer do not look like a long line of light but rather more like a small sphere or a short streak so the representation in this game is not visually correct when it looks like long lines of fiery light and in actuality the tracers long lines in the game hinders good observation of bullet strikes which is not the case with real tracers.
Click to expand...

Exactly. :)

A regular NATO belt composure is 1TR - 2AP - 2BALL, also shown as 1- 2< 2o.
 
Upvote 0
#14
Atomskytten said:
Its not to be pedantic but ball rounds are just plain bullets with a lead or other metal filling and a fullmetal jacket. Tracers on the other hand has a pyrotechnic filling in the rear of the projectile and there is no such a thing as bullets having tracer material in the nose.
Here are some examples of contemporary 7,62mm NATO rounds of different types. Speaking of tracers: Tracer do not look like a long line of light but rather more like a small sphere or a short streak so the representation in this game is not visually correct when it looks like long lines of fiery light and in actuality the tracers long lines in the game hinders good observation of bullet strikes which is not the case with real tracers.
Click to expand...

Yes, you are right on the ball/tracer definition. I was thinking the ball type was the definition used for tracers with the material on the tip. Which is my other point. Yes, some tracers do have the material on the tip and not in a cavity on the base. I did a quick search to find support for this and in the first sentence I read found it. Here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracer_ammunition
And don't worry about being pedantic, 95 percent of these conversations are pedantic....It's just fun to debate/discuss things that normal friends and workmates would look at you funny if you brought up LOL
 
Upvote 0
#15
[RWTD]Ghost[BCthc] said:
One thing I'd like to see is tank rounds loosing their incredibly lame ball of fire look. I've watched tanks while on ex with the Canadan Forces fire, and i've never seen anything like this. Its gamey, and it gives away your position.
Click to expand...


AYMEN, all rise and put yer right and left hand up and proclaim how much ye wants this gone furEVER!
 
Upvote 0
#18
[RWTD]Ghost[BCthc] said:
The point being, you cant hide anywhere because the first time you fire every tanker on the enemy side knows where you are because of the Bowser from Mario effect.
Click to expand...


And I just had the most awesome mental image of Bowser hurling fireballs at wave after wave of Russian infantry from his floating clown-o-copter thingy from SMW. Pure pwnage.
 
Upvote 0
#19
who said balls?

ahaha5gk.jpg
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply
Jump to latest Follow Reply
Community News
Forums
Merch
Menu