Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: caldera on February 13, 2017, 07:38:55 AM

Title: my biggest complaint with AH3
Post by: caldera on February 13, 2017, 07:38:55 AM
Is the general darkness of everything.  The sun is up in the sky but light doesn't seem real at all.  Even at high noon.

(http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o460/caldera_08/ahss30.jpg~original) (http://s343.photobucket.com/user/caldera_08/media/ahss30.jpg.html)

(http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o460/caldera_08/ahss31.jpg~original) (http://s343.photobucket.com/user/caldera_08/media/ahss31.jpg.html)

(http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o460/caldera_08/ahss26.jpg~original) (http://s343.photobucket.com/user/caldera_08/media/ahss26.jpg.html)

(http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o460/caldera_08/AH%20screenshots/b26-3.png~original) (http://s343.photobucket.com/user/caldera_08/media/AH%20screenshots/b26-3.png.html)

(http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o460/caldera_08/AH%20screenshots/ki43-1.png~original) (http://s343.photobucket.com/user/caldera_08/media/AH%20screenshots/ki43-1.png.html)
Title: Re: my biggest complaint with AH3
Post by: Max on February 13, 2017, 07:43:02 AM
You have an issue with your vid card setting or in game settings. My views look nothing like yours.
Title: Re: my biggest complaint with AH3
Post by: caldera on February 13, 2017, 07:50:00 AM
You have an issue with your vid card setting or in game settings. My views look nothing like yours.

My video card settings are fine and screenshots are at 1.0 gamma.  Every other game, website, photos, etc online look normal.
Title: Re: my biggest complaint with AH3
Post by: 8thJinx on February 13, 2017, 08:23:21 AM
My screen shots don't look anywhere near that bad.  In fact a lot of times, it's too bright.
Title: Re: my biggest complaint with AH3
Post by: caldera on February 13, 2017, 08:51:13 AM
The first two shots are extreme examples at sunrise but in the others, it is easy to see that the light doesn't seem to "stick" to objects.  It is like they absorb too much.

With regards to my video card/monitor brightness, here are a few screen shots showing that things are bright everywhere else:



(http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o460/caldera_08/ah.jpg~original) (http://s343.photobucket.com/user/caldera_08/media/ah.jpg.html)

(http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o460/caldera_08/z.jpg~original) (http://s343.photobucket.com/user/caldera_08/media/z.jpg.html)

(http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o460/caldera_08/plinkett.jpg~original) (http://s343.photobucket.com/user/caldera_08/media/plinkett.jpg.html)

(http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o460/caldera_08/pc.jpg~original) (http://s343.photobucket.com/user/caldera_08/media/pc.jpg.html)
Title: Re: my biggest complaint with AH3
Post by: Krusty on February 13, 2017, 09:07:06 AM
Caldera,

screenshots of web windows and such won't necessarily show us what you see. If the source is fine but the display is out of whack, we won't see what you see, because OUR displays aren't out of whack.

Also, in-game settings are often totally different from desktop settings, because of the ways games render and send to full-screen windows vs just windows desktop stuff.

The first thing to do is just do a quick basic check of your monitor's bright/contrast settings. Google something like this:

http://w4zt.com/screen/

Also, you may have to adjust gamma in-game. 1.0 isn't always the best ideal depending on hardware and driver settings. It's a baseline, not so much a setting to ascribe to.

Since you think the desktop stuff looks normal, I would narrow down the search to game settings. Check your video drivers under your windows settings. See if you have a "profile" for the 3D rendering of Aces High that is affecting your color/darkness. Check in Aces High as well. See if it's localized to a specific setting in-game related to lighting. Turn off certain effects and check the results. Go through the advanced settings and see what you might toggle on/off to narrow down if it's just a wonky setting, or if it's more of a display issue.
Title: Re: my biggest complaint with AH3
Post by: Snork on February 13, 2017, 09:11:05 AM
When I optimize my in-game settings for best detail with acceptable speed it gets a bit dark like you show. A quick adjustment of gamma to 1.2 or 1.3 brings everything up to par.
Title: Re: my biggest complaint with AH3
Post by: Max on February 13, 2017, 09:14:47 AM
Caldera check to see if the "Disable Post Lighting" box is checked. If it isn't, try that.
Title: Re: my biggest complaint with AH3
Post by: Vraciu on February 13, 2017, 10:00:21 AM
Caldera check to see if the "Disable Post Lighting" box is checked. If it isn't, try that.

Disabling Post Lighting kills Anti-Alias and makes everything look like Shiite. 

Also, black objects and markings in shadow turn charcoal gray.    Bullet holes at some lighting angles are white.  This engine does need some tweaking.

Title: Re: my biggest complaint with AH3
Post by: Max on February 13, 2017, 10:12:39 AM
ACHOO is YOUR name Caldera?1?! :devil
Title: Re: my biggest complaint with AH3
Post by: Vraciu on February 13, 2017, 10:27:48 AM
ACHOO is YOUR name Caldera?1?! :devil

No, but yours is MiN!!!    :old:  :P
Title: Re: my biggest complaint with AH3
Post by: caldera on February 13, 2017, 10:30:33 AM
Caldera,

screenshots of web windows and such won't necessarily show us what you see. If the source is fine but the display is out of whack, we won't see what you see, because OUR displays aren't out of whack.

Also, in-game settings are often totally different from desktop settings, because of the ways games render and send to full-screen windows vs just windows desktop stuff.

The first thing to do is just do a quick basic check of your monitor's bright/contrast settings. Google something like this:

http://w4zt.com/screen/

Also, you may have to adjust gamma in-game. 1.0 isn't always the best ideal depending on hardware and driver settings. It's a baseline, not so much a setting to ascribe to.

Since you think the desktop stuff looks normal, I would narrow down the search to game settings. Check your video drivers under your windows settings. See if you have a "profile" for the 3D rendering of Aces High that is affecting your color/darkness. Check in Aces High as well. See if it's localized to a specific setting in-game related to lighting. Turn off certain effects and check the results. Go through the advanced settings and see what you might toggle on/off to narrow down if it's just a wonky setting, or if it's more of a display issue.

The only thing that seems to work is 1.5 gamma when the sun is high in the sky.  It does kind of wash the colors out a bit.  When the sun is low, I need 2.0 gamma and it just looks like crap.

Caldera check to see if the "Disable Post Lighting" box is checked. If it isn't, try that.

That makes things a little lighter, but washes out the colors.


Was flying around a bit just now and the sun was high up to my left.  My left wing was bright and had some reflective glare, while the right wing was flat and rather dark, despite the sun being well above. 
Title: Re: my biggest complaint with AH3
Post by: Randall172 on February 13, 2017, 11:23:52 AM
ew you use firefox or something that isn't chrome

but it looks like the game needs HDR (High-Dynamic Range) lighting
Title: Re: my biggest complaint with AH3
Post by: Dobs on February 13, 2017, 12:08:44 PM
Agree...fly with gamma 2.0 set to try to lighten things up...

Disabling shadows did help, but takes away some from game immersion IMO...

Title: Re: my biggest complaint with AH3
Post by: Biggamer on February 13, 2017, 12:15:54 PM
i also have the same problem in AH3 i only use a death dot i put a dot in the center of my screen with a sharpie and i cant see it very well in AH3 i could see it great in AH2 i have the same settings in AH3 as i did in AH2 i have also messed with all setting in game and find nothing really works to solve my problem
Title: Re: my biggest complaint with AH3
Post by: AAIK on February 13, 2017, 12:18:03 PM
Darkness isn't a problem for me. It's just a cool feature of the game.
Title: Re: my biggest complaint with AH3
Post by: popeye on February 13, 2017, 01:10:48 PM
You can also do quite a lot with monitor adjustments -- contrast, brightness, saturation, etc.  Some monitors have multiple setups, so you might be able to make a "AH" setup with settings optimized for AH.
Title: Re: my biggest complaint with AH3
Post by: SFRT - Frenchy on February 13, 2017, 01:12:18 PM
Once the sun is above the horizon, light should poor but it doesn't ... yet if you face within the general direction of the sun you don't see even your tracers anymore. I understand your grip, really dark looking at the earth, yet very bright looking at the sky.
Title: Re: my biggest complaint with AH3
Post by: scott66 on February 13, 2017, 02:53:57 PM
I was trying to attack a CV with my 110 noe at night,I ran into it twice without ever seeing it barely a siloete .. It was awesome!!! I was laughing so hard third time I augered into the water before I even reached the CV. Finally got it lit tho
Title: Re: my biggest complaint with AH3
Post by: BuckShot on February 13, 2017, 02:56:43 PM
My biggest complaint about ah3 is that I have so much fun I lose track of time and stay up too late.
Title: Re: my biggest complaint with AH3
Post by: pembquist on February 13, 2017, 04:22:45 PM
My biggest complaint about ah3 is that I have so much fun I lose track of time and stay up too late.
You just have to re-frame it. Don't go to sleep and you are just getting up early!
Title: Re: my biggest complaint with AH3
Post by: Brooke on February 13, 2017, 04:53:55 PM
The People's Cube!  :aok
Title: Re: my biggest complaint with AH3
Post by: madrid311 on February 13, 2017, 05:22:33 PM
Amazing Eye candy, and everything works. Just an awesome game! My biggest complaint is.....I still suck at it. Peace.
Title: Re: my biggest complaint with AH3
Post by: MADe on February 13, 2017, 08:19:21 PM
Op,
Ur pics would seem to show no kind of back lighting or glint of any kind.

When in cockpit, prolly black silouette with sun behind would be correct, yes? The AH viewer would not reflect certain things from actual game I think???? So would would not get the post lighting effects?????

For color, contrast, B/W extremes. See if monitor is adjusted correctly??
You can also use vid card profiles to adjust same.
AH3 I use vid card profiles maxed, AA, the works. Turn off AA in game, and reflections, all sliders 80%. Beautiful!

I also recommend SweetFX, can adjust all same again more finely.
With AH2 I used this, best ever!

I understand ur pain about the enemy object planes blending into the background, losing definition. My failing old eyes sux. Unfortunately at a certain distance all enemy are just sillouettes, no color. Fine at 10K and up, black on blue sky. pain on the deck, black on shadows.......

 :salute