Background/Problem:

ARMA 2 greatly improved the rendering of partially concealed players/NPCs/objects (herein simply "objects"). Specifically "objects" concealed in either grasses or behind other objects whose render distance is limited (eg some shrubs/trees/rocks). This partial concealment results in only a portion of the concealed object being rendered to distant players. While the ideal solution to this issue would be further rendering of grasses/objects that are providing concealment, ARMA2/3's approach still helps with concealment over earlier versions and thereby improves gameplay greatly.

For example, if a player is prone in grass/shrubs, an observing player at 1000 m distance may only see the top of the other players head and/or a portion of their shoulder and backside. In the most extreme cases, a very well concealed player may only appear as a few pixels or clumps of pixels. By extension, if said player is crouched they are majority exposed but the their bottom half is occluded. If standing, perhaps their knees shins and below would no longer be rendered.

While this is a great feature and helps add realism, there is room for improvement when dealing with the mostly occluded objects (i.e. the first two examples). Specifically how those objects are blended into and with the background terrain. Currently these mostly concealed objects are easy to locate because they often present with great contrast from the background. This makes them easy to pick-out as potential targets because they show up as clumps of pixels that are out of place against the flat ground terrain/texture. Even more so if there is even _small_ movement (turning of a head or minor shifting).

IRL such well hidden "objects" would be "lost" in the noise (so-to-speak) of their surroundings and be nearly impossible to discern from their surroundings unless an optic or thermal was focused on their location.

I feel this needs to be addressed such that these mostly occluded "objects" are better blended into the background; otherwise highly concealed players still end up rendering as moving "clumps" and stick out like a "sore rock.” :P

My suggestion at a solution in RV or a future engine similar to DayZ's Enfusion:

I suggest that rendering engine apply adjustment factors to determine how discernable an occluded object/player is in relation to their background. Below a certain computed threshold these hidden soldiers/objects would effectively be invisible. Above it they'd be blended/faded into the environment until they surpassed a threshold that made them fully rendered as they would normally by the engine (i.e. as described above aka partial occlusion etc).

For optimization there, objects could define the percentage that must be concealed before additional "blending/fading" is attempted. If the percentage for a given object is above said amount nothing more is done, and the existing/default rendering is applied.

Factors such as distance, camouflage vs the background terrain, protruding/visible attachments/weapons, reflectivity (i.e. the concealed player using optics might give away position), etc. would all be applied as a concealment modifier to the concealment percentage to determine visibility (range from invis to some level of blending/fading).

Example: Consider a prone player hidden in thick grass and brush.

To a level observer, this player might only expose a fraction of their head/weapon equating to 2-7% of their overall potential profile) while the same player viewed from a vantage point that is 15 meters higher would expose far more of their body (legs, back etc) potentially 100% of their profile. If both players are withing 50 meters perhaps only the 1st goes t the next stage of concealment rendering.

The percentage of the object exposed, coupled with the concealment modifier would yield a threshold that would determine if the object was indeed visible or some gradient between invisible and visible. Thresholds would likely need to be based on classes of objects and the materials that comprise them.

There would effectively be a threshold at which the player becomes invisible until they expose more of their body or made large movements.

Effect of Optics:
Optics would be treated as a distance modifier to these adjustment (i.e. reduce distance). That said care needs to be taken here as well. If they reduce distance they should also potentially re-enable the rendering/effect of grasses/objects otherwise the player will be just as visible as before. If rendering or effect of grasses can’t be enabled via optics then they need to start blending per the other adjustment factors.

Thermal:
Continue to work as is

Conclusion:
The net effect is this allows a player to stay hidden more effectively.
I fully realize there is a lot more that needs to be flushed out on a design suggestion like this but this is at least the start of a conversation. For example do irregular/mechanical objects stand out more thereby affecting adjustments (i.e. rocket launcher).
Furthermore I realize that while this makes sense to me it could be alien to whoever reads it so I’m more than willing to expand and clarify these ideas.

I submitted a similar bug that relates to the suggestion below but is instead focused on the AI engine and its propensity for god-like aim of even fully occluded/concealed players (T128621 https://feedback.bistudio.com/T128621).