SS2 Visual Configuration (Cam Config) bloom, mipmap etc.

[6649bece4073cShinobi]

Games that were developed with bloom and HDR in mind can usually be configured to look quite well. SS2 is not one of those games, I never enable these things. Stixsmaster's screens remind me of this. It can always get worse, of course.

Not dissing Ico's fantastic lighting system there, are we?! It was a pioneer in lighting! (Incidentally a brilliant game, too)

[6649bece40bdfMarvin]

Not dissing Ico's fantastic lighting system there, are we?! It was a pioneer in lighting! (Incidentally a brilliant game, too)

No, I'm dissing games with badly configured bloom mods like ENBseries added on top.

[6649bece40d66Shinobi]

Mini off-topic hijack:
You guys are rather unfriendly here! Helpful, don't get me wrong, but... not very friendly. I've browsed here for years but since Deus Ex is dead as fuck I thought I'd switch to my second favourite game's community. So far a fairly large number on these forums are rather abrupt and not very forgiving to those who don't know what they're doing. Just saying. I'm pretty thick-skinned so I can live with it as I can't get the info I need elsewhere. But some aren't.

Back on topic:-

@StixsmasterHD: If you like it that way, crack on with it mate, each to their own. BUT - maybe consider reducing the bloom_saturation to 0.85ish. Also, I may be wrong, but I believe 1 is the max value for this anyway (i.e. full colour). Bloom_threshold could go up a bit too, since SS2's textures are rather bright anyway.

Also (again I may be wrong), isn't 8 the maximum available multisampling value?

[6649bece40fb6Shinobi]

No, I'm dissing games with badly configured bloom mods like ENBseries added on top.

Heh - fair enough - seen a fair few of those. I'm thinking Deus Ex. A game it does NOT work with. Which is similar-ish in atmospheric intent as SS2.
Oh and my badly configured ENB for Skyrim is just a joke.

EDIT: @ZylonBane... you've made me want to play it like that now. Just for shits 'n' giggles.

[6649bece412f1ZylonBane]

EDIT: @ZylonBane... you've made me want to play it like that now. Just for shits 'n' giggles.

I really wouldn't recommend it for any reason other than that, because most of the time the screen is almost completely whited out. Maybe playing with the brightness could make it more usable.

[6649bece41487Shinobi]

Heh... black and white SS2... fuck it I'll use this too: https://www.systemshock.org/index.php?topic=1438.0

In all seriousness, has anybody had a good tinkering with cam_ext.cfg yet? I think it's fine with Kolya's subtle adjustments as posted in the newbie modding guide, but I was thinking maybe someone finds something a little better. As a general rule of thumb I've gone for quality options as opposed to performance, as it's never going to be an issue for me. Still not sure about the HDR, though.

[6649bece4173evoodoo47]

SS2 manga style!

now go ask Rocketman for a midwife model with ridiculous boobs, and make a skin with kawaii eyes.

[6649bece419ebZylonBane]

Games that were developed with bloom and HDR in mind can usually be configured to look quite well. SS2 is not one of those games

Nah, it just takes a little restraint (something which seems to be in short supply). Try these settings:

Code: [Select]

bloomscale 20
bloom_range 2
bloom_saturation 0.7
bloom_threshold 0.95


[6649bece41aeeMarvin]

Nah, that makes my eyes water.

[6649bece41c19ZylonBane]

Good. When you're standing in pitch darkness and stare at an intense light source, it should make your eyes hurt. That's realistic. Sounds like you don't like HDR, period, even in games designed from the ground up to use it.

[6649bece41d53Marvin]

... and realism is what I care most about when running through the corridors of a FTL ship with zombified cremembers and insane AIs at my tail.

Seriously, I don't want to play a computer game so I can emulate how my view changes when I look into the sun. Especially one that has not been designed with very bright light sources in mind.

@Ninja edit: No, I wouldn't say that.

[6649bece41fa2The Watcher]

SS2 manga style!

.... my eyemeats! 

[6649bece422edZylonBane]

... and realism is what I care most about when running through the corridors of a FTL ship with zombified cremembers and insane AIs at my tail.

Seriously, I don't want to play a computer game so I can emulate how my view changes when I look into the sun.

Okay, so you've dismissed unrealistic use of bloom, and realistic use of bloom. Yet you claim you're not flatly opposed to bloom. So what do YOU consider a proper use of bloom?

[6649bece4261eMarvin]

Okay, so you've dismissed unrealistic use of bloom, and realistic use of bloom.

No, I didn't.

[6649bece428e0ZylonBane]

No, I didn't.

When you said this, were you or were you not being sarcastic?

... and realism is what I care most about when running through the corridors of a FTL ship with zombified cremembers and insane AIs at my tail.

[6649bece42c70Marvin]

When you said this, were you or were you not being sarcastic?

I was making a point about realism not being the most important part of a game in general. Or, to put it bluntly: I'm interested in a game that looks (and/or plays) good, not realistic, although that can be a plus. System Shock's lighting is cold and sharp, almost unnerving, especially in MedSci were the designers really nailed the tone. That's why I don't like the soft and warm glow of the lights when bloom is enabled. For a similar reason I will never install vurt's wet looking eggs and textures even though they are very well crafted and fit the descriptions in the game more accurately.

As for bloom in other games: I care alot more about the general lighting but if I had to single out one game that gets it right (for that particular game, I might add), it would be the STALKER series (with or without mods):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v95/Confidence-Man/stalker1.jpg
http://images.eurogamer.net/assets/articles//a/7/9/6/3/5/ssq_anton_07_06_07_16_40_06__katacomb_.jpg.jpg
http://bagofgames.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/pripyat1.jpg
http://screenshots.filesnetwork.com/52/files2/113043_13.jpg
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/images/09/may/prip2.jpg

[6649bece42fc1ZylonBane]

System Shock's lighting is cold and sharp, almost unnerving, especially in MedSci were the designers really nailed the tone. That's why I don't like the soft and warm glow of the lights when bloom is enabled.

Umm, with the bloom settings I provided, only the pure white lights are bloomed. Pure white isn't a warm color. If anything, they come across as cold since their bloom is overlaid on the predominantly blue texturing of MedSci.

[6649bece431a8Marvin]

My most recent save is in rick2, so let's try.
No bloom:
http://s7.directupload.net/file/u/15621/jpax933d_png.htm
http://s14.directupload.net/file/u/15621/gw8j2chn_png.htm

Bloom (your settings):
http://s1.directupload.net/file/u/15621/c8zt6bz5_png.htm
http://s14.directupload.net/file/u/15621/et4pkbqt_png.htm


I know it works for you, great, but that doesn't mean it has to work for everyone.

[6649bece4332bKolya]

Goddammit, that door is upside down! Oh wait, I think that's okay.
On the other screenshot I can see no difference. *squints*

[6649bece43419Marvin]

Look closer at the grills in front the light, the red color of the "stripes" bleeds out in the middle.

[6649bece43528Kolya]

Mmh ja, I could live with that I guess, but still it contradicts the statement that only pure white light was blooming with these settings.
Anyway, different folks, different strokes. I like some bloom, ZB likes even less bloom, StixmasterUpscaled likes lots of bloom, you don't like any.
's all a-okay with me.

[6649bece43849ZylonBane]

Look closer at the grills in front the light, the red color of the "stripes" bleeds out in the middle.

You're using red and orange to demonstrate how bloom ruins cool colors?

Okay, so some colors other than white get slightly bloomed with the settings I suggested. I never would have noticed it without having before/after screenshots to flip between. Looks completely natural to me.

[6649bece43959Kolya]

I guess he was just there on Rick and wouldn't come down.

[6649bece43c7dMarvin]

You're using red and orange to demonstrate how bloom ruins cool colors?

Okay, so some colors other than white get slightly bloomed with the settings I suggested. I never would have noticed it without having before/after screenshots to flip between. Looks completely natural to me.

*sigh* I was talking about a soft, warm glow, you said it couldn't happen with warm colors, I proved you wrong, now it was about MedSci all along - what do you want from me?


Yes, it looks naturally to you, it doesn't look good to me. I know your advice was well-meant but this is getting silly.