Dark screen, night scenes workaround found

[Francois du Toit]

Hi

I am very disappointed I not be able to play the game in night scenes due to the settings in the game-code to render night scenes are too dark.

Its too dark I cannot play the game. I do play in full screen.

Gamers playingon a PC do not have night vision while playing a game as in the real world out there. The game reflection is not playable.

My workaround found (extreme settings but do work).
===========================================
in \Program\Locations\

locations_loader.c
Inside: bool LoadLocation(ref loc)
Change from :
if(res)
{
//ExecuteTechnique("amb_other");
nAmbient = amb_other;
}
Change to:
if(res)
{
//ExecuteTechnique("amb_other");
nAmbient = amb_other;
}
//extra:
nAmbient = amb_other;
/*****************************************************************/
in \Program\Locations\
locations_init.c
Change from "incasskynight" to "incasskyday"
//loc.models.night.lights.incas_sky = "incasskynight";
loc.models.night.lights.incas_sky = "incasskyday";
Change from "outside_night" to "outside_day"
//loc.models.night.lights.outside = "outside_night";
loc.models.night.lights.outside = "outside_day";
/*******************************************************************/
void LocationSetLights(ref loc)
lightPath = "models.day.lights";
/*******************************************************************/

The major change came from the following graphics card settings.

HD Graphics Card settings changed from defaults to the following extreme bright settings:

Brightness 48 / 100
Contrast 50 / 100
Hue 360 /360
Saturation 14 / 100



Regards
Francois du Toit

 

[Francois du Toit]

Now I do run in WINDOW mode and the screens are not dark anymore at all.

It is not compulsory to run in "fullscreen" mode just to have the night

I have reverse my changes above for location and only havee done the below:
It seems that the DirectX engine look at the graphics card settings primarily.

I do got enough lighting for both window and fullscreen mode:
full_screen = 0 (In Options file - window mode)

HD Graphics Card settings changed to:

==============================

Brightness 48 / 100
Contrast 50 / 100
Hue 360 /360
Saturation 14 / 100

For window mode set the resolution X and Y smaller than your actual display X and Y settings.

start.ini file in \Programs" folder
screen_x = 1280
screen_y = 1024

The settings in "options" file in "\Programs" folder for brightness, contrast, gamma only do apply the settings in the game when in fullscreen mode:
"options" file in \Programs" folder
video.contrast=1.0000000 (middle)
video.gamma=1.0000000 (middle)
video.brightness=0.0000000 (middle)

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Now I do run in WINDOW mode and the screens are not dark anymore at all.

It is not compulsory to run in "fullscreen" mode just to have the night

If I recall, the gamma is used only in fullscreen mode.

 

[Francois du Toit]

Yes agree thanks for the confirmation, see my last comment,
"The settings in "options" file in "\Programs" folder for brightness, contrast, gamma only do apply the settings in the game when in fullscreen mode"

I was not sure which one or all three do apply? So you saying only gamma will have an effect in fullscreen mode?

When I start the game in fullscreen mode the options in the game I can set ALL three if I want to.

Bear in mind I do play not the original COAS but with mod GOF 2.5.


Some update after playing around with graphics card settings:
HD Graphics Card settings changed "HUE" to zero better outlines.

Brightness 48 / 100
Contrast 50 / 100
Hue 0 /360
Saturation 14 / 100

 

[Pieter Boelen]

I was not sure which one or all three do apply? So you saying only gamma will have an effect in fullscreen mode?

Probably all three; come to think of it.