Deathslinger: Invisible Collision Blocking Harpoon in Penetrable Areas

HuskyDogLover

SUMMARY OF THE ISSUE:
Harpoon collisions are inconsistent in certain areas of the map, particularly when shooting through objects that appear visually penetrable. Shots that should logically pass through are being blocked, suggesting a shift from mesh-based collision to simpler geometric collision volumes. This change appears to have degraded gameplay fidelity and reduced the number of reliable shoot-through spots over time.

These issues were not always present and were introduced sometime around patch 8.1

PLATFORM:
All Platforms

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW THE ISSUE OCCURRED:

1. Approach a cover area or gap (e.g., railing or fence) where it was previously possible to shoot through. Please see the video I have attached. Most of the worse offenders are pointed out in the video.
2. Aim and shoot through the visible opening.
3. Observe that the harpoon is blocked or hits an invisible surface, even though there is no visible obstruction.
4. Repeat in different areas to see similar inconsistencies, suggesting a widespread use of overly simplified collision geometry.

SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS: I assume the simplified collision meshes were done to improve performance. To preserve performance while improving gameplay accuracy, please consider:

• Perforation Zones: Define specific shoot-through areas using invisible trigger volumes or collision layers. This allows Harpoons to pass through where it makes sense visually, without relying on mesh collisions.
• Baked Penetration Data: Precompute which surfaces and angles are penetrable and reference this during gameplay. This avoids the performance hit of real-time mesh checks while maintaining a high level of accuracy.

VIDEO:
I don't agree with the title of this video. Deathslinger is not "unplayable". But there is room for improvement.
EDIT: updated the video link so it starts on the actual issue outlined in the report.

https://youtu.be/_pCgqagCHIQ?si=wV7cmNECdfs6Il1v&t=186