optics

[Bimbobjoejr.]

We've all had that point in your playthrough where you're wondering how you missed that shot or you can't tell if that's a wolf or a bush. This has probably been done to death but imma try it anyway.

Rifle scope- A scope fitted for a .303 hunting rifle,makes long range shots easier. Has a magnification of 2x - 6x. .33lbs

Military scope- A military grade sniper scope, meant to pick out targets from a great distance. Has a magnification of 3x -12x. 1.10lbs

Revolver scope- Standard revolver scope, making shots easier. Has a magnification of 1.5x. .22lbs

Binoculars- A hunting grade pair of binoculars, allows you to see the horizon. Magnification of 2x to 10x. .55lbs

Improvised scope- A scope made of a broken down pair of binoculars, not as accurate but with more zoom. magnification of 2x to 10x. can be fitted to the rifle or revolver. .55lbs

The scopes would be limited to maybe 2-3 per run while the military scope can only be spawned once. Binoculars would be found in many places and aren't a rare item.

I can't begin to tell how many times I missed a shot because my sights are too bulky and square, so I'd like to share my own take on the topic.

[Glflegolas]

I don't think that rifles should have scopes. IRL, a skilled marksman can hit a target from hundreds of meters away using the iron sights. If you don't believe me, check out this video, where Cody Don Reeder manages to land a bullet 10 feet away from his camera using the iron sights at 1,200 m.

I do however support your idea of adding binoculars or a spyglass. Those would come in very handy to help identify something from a greater distance, and would be especially handy if you're at the summit of a hill.

[dizinator]

i for sure like the idea of binoculars. it would be cool to scope out for wolves or bear before you make a move ortake a long walk. maybe also could be used in a similar fashion as the magnifying glass to light fires. also someone on great bear has to have been bird watching at some point!

[Bimbobjoejr.]

13 hours ago, Glflegolas said:

IRL, a skilled marksman can hit a target from hundreds of meters away using the iron sights.

I know where you're coming from with this,  but one thing you've got to remember is that Mackenzie nor Astrid are likely skilled marksmen. Astrid is a doctor and Mackenzie is a pilot. Out of the two, Mackenzie would probably have more shooting experience. But I'm not saying they couldn't be marksmen, I'm just saying it's unlikely that they are. I also made this as a quality of life improvement for the players, but even if a scope isn't added, I'd like to see the sights be slimmed up a bit so shots can be hit easier, since the current irons are very bulky.

[Dancewithknives]

I think the greater issue is that the range in game is kind of garbage (I think i read that higher gun skills improve range somewhere, but idk). So its no necessarily that you missed that easy shot on a deer during a bright day in Pleasant Valley, but instead that the hit simply doesn’t register. 
 

To add onto your idea, OP, instead of a scope for the rifle, I think that using the Diopter/ range on the rifle would be easier. 
 

i just bought a SMLE No4 Mk1 2 weeks ago, and one thing I learned is that you can flip up the back ironsight and the adjustable rangefinder can act as a diopter (essentially a blinder to focus your eye on the sight) to focus and range in your shot.  Now, I’m not going to lie, that seems a little too involved, but it was something I wanted to share. 

[Glflegolas]

I think the base effective range with the rifle is only 50m or so (according to the wiki). The revolver's range is 30m. For a revolver (or any other handgun), that kind of short range makes some sense, but with the rifle, an effective range of at least 200 m would make more sense. That is a shot length which is quite reasonable for someone with a little experience using the iron sights.

The rifle's short range is why some players prefer the bow. If you're good at judging distance, you can shoot animals from well over 100m away using it.

[Stinky socks]

Bow and arrow in the right hands can be a potent weapon. I just one shot killed s bear in DP.(it was close range and probably lucky critical hit)

It's very sad that they gimped a rifle..

[Dancewithknives]

about firearm ranges:

 

yeah, the effective ranges are kinda junk. This is just me, but i once was in Mystery lake at the lake cabins when I spotted a bear. I only had a pistol, and i needed to get back to the camp cabin. I stood near the door, aimed my revolver, took a shot.... and nothing.

 

i aimed again and shot... and nothing again. I had to wait for the bear to get stupidly close for the bullet to connect and then the bear bolted away.  I mean, a bear is a pretty big target, it wasn’t moving very fast, and its kinda weird  that you need to get that close for a shot to register. 

[Mroz4k]

Yep, Scopes were done many times before. Your idea is better then most, but I still would not like to see scopes for firearms. Especially not for the revolver - each weapon in the game has its uses and unique benefits - revolver is a defensive weapon for instance. While nothing is stopping you from hunting with it, its really not what it was designed for (albeit being called Hunting revolver). I am a big fan of binoculars, for the same reason Glflegolas pointed out. Also, I can see their use in specific tasks as hunting, if it increased a rendering distance for entities in the game, thus allow the player to spot animals from futher away. Hunters use binoculars on elevated points to "glass" for their prey. This can be both hunting action, or a travel action, as it would give the player information ahead of time about the placements of animals in potential way. They would have to be pretty heavy, though. 

Definite no to anything "makeshift" scope wise. Although your idea being the use of a broken binocs is probably the only one for "makeshift" scope I saw that would make sense. Still, optics in a scope has to be calibrated properly for the scope to function as intended and I dont think that is something a random survivor is capable to do without proper equipment and training. 

I also agree the range of firearms blow. I think they would probably be fine as they were, if the firearm skill would increase the distance by a 100% of the base distance. Aka at lvl 1, you get say 50 m with rifle. Lvl 2 its 100, lvl 3 150 and so on. There is no bullet drop, and I dont think they have to add some elaborate bullet physics to fix the issue, but I think many players would love if the distance was increased with the skill, as it just make sense. If this ends up being too much, could be nerfed to half base distance increase. 

Ive made a suggestion that if scopes on weapons are to be a thing, it should be a specific, unique, 1-in-game kind of rifle that would be found in a far-away region, similar in terms to technical pack as an item reward you get for a long adventure.

[Stinky socks]

4 hours ago, Mroz4k said:

way. They would have to be pretty heavy, though

Why would they have to be pretty heavy?

[Mroz4k]

3 hours ago, Stinky socks said:

Why would they have to be pretty heavy?

Game balance, mostly. To make the player really think about whether to carry the binocs for their use or not. If the design was the really old-timey massive mostly-metal binoculars, those would fit both the theme of island and would fit well into the game when it comes to itemization!

[Stinky socks]

So let's make them 10 pounds? A little heavier than a rifle to be on the safe side.