Help! I can't see the enemy.

[sonofsammo]

When I'm playing in woodland, I seem to have a very big problem.
Generally, unless there's movement, I find it very hard to see the enemy.
As you can imagine, this causes problems for me.
It's not too bad when I'm using a gun with a 4x sight. Then, I'm golden.
However, now that everything is in bloom and I'm running a red dot on my arp, I'm struggling.
Which is very frustrating. It feels a lot like this:

 

So, what can I do?
How the heck do I see them? Is an optic the only way?
Help me Obi Wan(s).........

[Davegolf]

That's camouflage or cover for ya!

 

If you are talking about advancing through uncharted territory and getting shot up by invisible players etc then I'm afraid it's all about honing your senses and awareness.

 

Move slowly, stop wait and assess, listen - lots of players are like elephants lol!

Helps if you and you're own kit don't generate noise to distract your own ears.

 

The human eye works on movement, your peripheral vision is better at sensing movement than what you are actually looking at.

Its easier to notice movements if you are not moving obv!

 

Thats the game tho, it's real, not like a computer game or Hollywood blockbuster, it's hard to stay alive!

Or just shred your way through!!!

 

 

[M_P]

 

As mentioned, movement is the biggest giveaway, but also try looking for colour that's not quite the same as the surrounding area or shapes that don't look right- straight lines don't appear in nature etc. Ultimately practice and playing more will be the key thing to making you more accustomed to spotting other players

[sonofsammo]

10 minutes ago, Davegolf said:

That's camouflage or cover for ya!

 

If you are talking about advancing through uncharted territory and getting shot up by invisible players etc then I'm afraid it's all about honing your senses and awareness.

 

Move slowly, stop wait and assess, listen - lots of players are like elephants lol!

Helps if you and you're own kit don't generate noise to distract your own ears.

 

The human eye works on movement, your peripheral vision is better at sensing movement than what you are actually looking at.

Its easier to notice movements if you are not moving obv!

 

Thats the game tho, it's real, not like a computer game or Hollywood blockbuster, it's hard to stay alive!

Or just shred your way through!!!

 

 

That's my current approach! 😂(only arp with drum mag, as those mini guns cost a fortune!!)...
It's mostly attack and defend game types I have the most problems with at the moment.
And I seem to struggle seeing the opposition (more so than team mates), especially at distance.
I can't see where the hell the BBs are going either.....
So in the last game I played I took a different approach. I hid. 
And waited, with a suppressed mk23, until they got close enough .   😄 

 

[Adolf Hamster]

if you're attacking take it slow, move carefully and keep scanning to see what you can see.

 

it's inevitable that the team who can sit still and not move is going to have a huge advantage, it's just the nature of these things.

 

game design is an important factor in keeping games like that fun, the best sites i've found for attack/defend games tend to weight the rules against the defending team, like having only 1 life per zone or having a 30 steps back no coming forward rule. i think it makes it better as you don't feel bad for losing when the game is designed that way, and it stops it becoming a slogfest of walk in, get shot, respawn repeat.

 

other than that it's just a case of experience, getting to know the site layout, where the good spots for hiding are etc etc.

 

on one site i go to they have a big forest section and there's one point that if you lie down you become basically invunerable as until the rest of the team has been pushed back far enough to let you get flanked nobody can hit you without you seeing them first.

[clumpyedge]

Different coloured lenses also help if you are using shooting glasses... these generally help to pick up differing colours while stopping/dulling others

 

Here's  bit of blurb from a shooting website that explains why real steel shooters/hunters & hunteering folks use what

 

Yellow/Orange Lenses: Yellow and orange tinted safety glasses tend to block out “blue light,” such as the diffused haze on a cloudy day, but bring out the orange color of a practice target. These colors tend to create a more detailed line of vision, helping you to better perceive depth, and thus improve accuracy.

Amber Lenses: Amber lenses are a very popular lens color. They also block blue-light and work best in low light, cloudy days. The amber tint creates an excellent contrast between colors, helping the orange of the target stand out to you, even on those dreary days.

Purple/Blue Lenses: If you’re at a shooting range with a backdrop of beautiful trees around you, you’ll want the help of a purple or blue lens tint. These colors contribute to improving contrast, particularly against greens (trees/grass) and oranges (the target), keeping your eyes focused on the target, and only the target.

Brown Lenses: Some hunters and target shooters prefer brown lenses, as they call attention to orange colored targets. They work best in fields or other open areas, and particularly in bright sunlight. Many hunters find brown lenses are “soothing” and reduce eye strain, which helps keep them alert.

Gray Lenses: Gray is the “all around” color. Gray lenses reduce the amount of light around you, allowing you to see a balanced tone of color. It’s ideal for bright conditions and helps you get a level sense of contrast and depth.

[Guest PT247]

Have you thought about having an eye test at your opticians?  If others around you can see it might be your eyesight that is the problem!

[Druid799]

2 minutes ago, PT247 said:

Have you thought about having an eye test at your opticians?  If others around you can see it might be your eyesight that is the problem!

Was just about to ask the same question! 😂

[emilianoksa]

I know you probably aren't, but have you ever taken the test for colour blindness.

 

In it's various forms from slight to severe, it is very common among men, and there are plenty who just don't know they are colour blind.

[Lozart]

1 hour ago, clumpyedge said:

 

Yellow/Orange Lenses: Yellow and orange tinted safety glasses tend to block out “blue light,” such as the diffused haze on a cloudy day, but bring out the orange color of a practice target. These colors tend to create a more detailed line of vision, helping you to better perceive depth, and thus improve accuracy.

 

 

I used to wear yellow lenses for mountain biking in forested areas. Great for low light/grey days but freaky as fuck when you take them off and the sky looks purple!

[Adolf Hamster]

Another option is a flip to side magnifier, even over to one side it can still be used as a spotting scope if youre not sure if you see something.

[clumpyedge]

5 minutes ago, Lozart said:

 

I used to wear yellow lenses for mountain biking in forested areas. Great for low light/grey days but freaky as fuck when you take them off and the sky looks purple!

 

Tell me about it! I generally shift between coloured lenses when I'm playing weekender long games (like you say when the light changes) first time I'd had them on for any length of time was definitely an experience!

[Tackle]

+1 on the yellow lenses for woodland, started wearing bolle low light range glasses more than 30 years ago, made a massive difference for penetrating shadow etc.

Never understand posers with their dark wraparounds in low light situations, to some looking good is apparently more important than having kit that works  (doesn't just apply to eyewear lol)

[Adolf Hamster]

17 minutes ago, Tackle said:

+1 on the yellow lenses for woodland, started wearing bolle low light range glasses more than 30 years ago, made a massive difference for penetrating shadow etc.

Never understand posers with their dark wraparounds in low light situations, to some looking good is apparently more important than having kit that works  (doesn't just apply to eyewear lol)

 

agreed, only time i swap out yellow lenses is for night shoots when i go for clear lenses.

 

to me it's the best compromise between not being blinded by the sun in the open, and not being blinded by the shade in the woods.

[clumpyedge]

13 minutes ago, Tackle said:

+1 on the yellow lenses for woodland, started wearing bolle low light range glasses more than 30 years ago, made a massive difference for penetrating shadow etc.

Never understand posers with their dark wraparounds in low light situations, to some looking good is apparently more important than having kit that works  (doesn't just apply to eyewear lol)

 

Don't get me started... the amount of people I've seen playing dark CQB sites with dark lenses kills me! If I'm on a weekend game I can easily change my lenses once or twice during a day depending on weather. Killer for me is having to wear sunglasses indoors on occasion due to suffering from migraines so the looks i get at work when walking around with sunglasses on can make me feel like a bit of a knob.

[TheFull9]

I'll play anywhere with the dark lenses.  #doitforthegram

if you don't get sarcasm duck out here kids

[Wo1f]

Lots of good information there. Going from cqb to woodland last weekend you really notice the difference between the nice sharp lines of man made objects and the forest. 

 

Stop and scan. Like everyone has said, your eyes (assuming they work well) pick up on movement, and that’s enhanced slightly if you’re stood still. It’s also the other reason the forest is a naturally good concealer. Because leaves and stuff are all moving a tiny bit in the wind and whatnot, your eyes try to disregard that little movement. What they are good at though is pattern recognition. You’re naturally very good at spotting things that are out of place (the straight profile of a barrel for example).  

 

If you’re playing an attack defend game with fixed capture points, you have the advantage of knowing the general area that the majority of players are likely to be anyway. 

 

Sound for me is the biggest help. Get yourself in cover, keep still and keep quiet. I’ve found it’s very easy to get a good general direction of an enemy, because like Dave said, people are so noisy

[Duff]

28 minutes ago, CKinnerley said:

I'll play anywhere with the dark lenses.  #doitforthegram

if you don't get sarcasm duck out here kids

 

First outing of my smoked Bolle siliums (and a bandana so I saw his point) a cheeky guy at the Mall behind me to my right said "Oi Stevie Wonder!"  I just looked up to the left, to the right and did my best Stevie smiling head bob. 

[Jayjay]

Shoot everything once and see if it says "hit!"

 

As people above have said - Coloured lenses help. General awareness and observation also. Why not throw a magnifier on your ARP, don't need to necessarily use it for shooting but if you think you see something you can have a peak canted. 

[snuff]

A wise sniper san once said to me look right to left rather than our normal reading direction of left to right..does it work...no idea 

Spoiler

 

 

[Tommikka]

14 hours ago, snuff said:

A wise sniper san once said to me look right to left rather than our normal reading direction of left to right..does it work...no idea 

  Hide contents

 

 

The principle is sound

Stay on routine and our brains don’t concentrate, just scanning.  

(This is why you can sometimes get away without camouflage -  crouched and still and people just looking around won’t see the obvious right in front, but might catch you in their peripheral vision)

 

Reversing to view right to left changes the brains routine,  it has to concentrate to interpret the view and then sees what is there 

[mimozine]

i never had a problem in woodland, most people tend to wear mtp which sticks out like a bulldogs spericals. 

 

my advice get an expendable "friend" and send him ahead lol

[djben9]

Never tried any other of my lenses except clear but have been tempted with the yellow one my locusts come with 

 

was temped to use the smoked ones as a bright day but in and out of buildings as well.....was worried I’d need a torch!!

[Adolf Hamster]

11 minutes ago, djben9 said:

Never tried any other of my lenses except clear but have been tempted with the yellow one my locusts come with 

 

was temped to use the smoked ones as a bright day but in and out of buildings as well.....was worried I’d need a torch!!

 

Yellow is worth trying, bit weird at first but you get used to it very quickly and end up forgetting until you take them off.

 

Theyre great because unlike fully tinted lenses they're still fine in the shade, great when outdoors and transitioning between clear skies and woodland. Or entering a building.

[TheFull9]

Gotta be honest I think there's a ton of snake oil in most tinted lenses, certainly in promotional material for them.  You wanna see gear that works?  Look at international shooting competitors; 3-gun, Olympics, global military shooting competitions, heck special forces in theatre.  What I see them all wearing is clear lenses or shades... that's it in the vast majority of cases.  These are people who know infinitely more about these things than any of us and have the money and experience to buy and try every single option on the market then use all those options extensively.

 

If something works for you then use it, fire away, I'll never tell you not to. But personally I go clear if I'll be in the dark and regular darkened lenses for bright days, nothing more to it and most eye pro comes with both.