Snipers rejoice: PlanetSide 2 testing increased infantry render distance

Soldiers of PlanetSide 2's Miller and Connery servers might've noticed they're spotting other mudfoots at a greater distance. Though we can't totally rule out the possibility that everyone's goggles received a secret spit-polish overnight, the more likely explanation is that SOE is testing out a range increase for infantry rendering.

An increased viewing distance has been a much-requested addition to the MMOFPS, as massive battles and sweeping vistas are its calling card. SOE first acknowledged the need for a rendering improvement last December , and plenty of debate since then has prompted the studio to fast-track testing and include the topic in its Roadmap voting system .

Some players are already reporting positive effects from testing out the change. "I actually sniped multiple targets inside The Crown from the hillside south of it even while there was armor and air battles going on all around me," writes Reddit user Jnar7. "No lag impact, and I can actually see a battle unfold before me; it's pretty sweet."

"The new render distance is 100 times better," AudieMurphy135 enthuses in the same thread . "Infantry renders much further, and sniping is actually viable in massive fights now. There was also a guy at The Crown who was killing people at TI Alloys with the default lightning cannon. It's that good."

Another player recorded a few snippets of combat to show off just how far you can eyeball future victims, which is a nice taste for forces not residing on the Connery or Miller servers.