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Frogboy
Frogboy
Join Date 03/2001
+2415 sdemperor

Light…is not your friend

February 11, 2011 11:28:13 AM from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums

One of the most challenging things in making a modern PC game is nailing the lighting.  Light is all powerful when it comes to deciding how a game will look.

In most games, the camera is fixed. In some games, the camera lets you zoom in and out…a little bit…but not rotating.  It’s not a technical restriction as much as an artistic restriction. The more fixed the camera, the more optimization you can do on the presentation of the game.

image

War of Magic v1.19b.

image

Photoshop filter 1

image

Photoshop filter 2

image

Photoshop filter 3

Now, in these cases, I’m not really changing the lighting, I’m just applying a Photoshop filter in a way that simulates how the existing light source might change the look. 

In Fallen Enchantress, the lighting system is going to be redone which means that visually, it’ll look very different from War of Magic (i.e. there will be no question about what game you’re looking at from a screenshot).

But it is amazing how different something can look – with the same graphics – just by changing the light sources.

If you are familiar with examples, feel free to post them in the comments section.

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Frogboy
AlLanMandragoran
Join Date 09/2010
+63
Reply #1 February 11, 2011 11:34:36 AM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Thanks, Brad. One thing that might help improve the look of cities in EWOM is to randomize or give control to the players of which directions buildings face. I give credit to Heavenfall for the original idea as I remember the post somewhere.

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Frogboy
Ahara
Join Date 03/2006
+2
Reply #2 February 11, 2011 12:54:39 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

I like the look of Photoshop filter 2.

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Frogboy
noobshot
Join Date 08/2010
+1
Reply #3 February 11, 2011 12:55:58 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

i like photoshop filter 2. that lighting is defenitely taking the game in the better eye candy direction.

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Frogboy
LightofAbraxas
Join Date 03/2008
+23
Reply #4 February 11, 2011 1:11:00 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

I'm not familiar with examples, and in fact know nothing about graphics, but I have to say that I really like 1 and 3, and filter 2 gives me a migraine.

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Frogboy
Sarudak
Join Date 12/2006
+23
Reply #5 February 11, 2011 1:18:19 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Filter 2 looks sickly to me.

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Frogboy
Tydorius
Join Date 01/2010
+8
Reply #6 February 11, 2011 1:21:33 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

I like filter 2 because it seems there's more contrast and it's less gray, but it also seems there's too much of a yellow tint to it. Any chance of getting a filter somewhere in between 2 and 1? 1 looks like the sun is a flourishing bulb, same with 3. 2 looks like there's a normal sun but it's casting much more colored light than it should - It needs to be closer to natural sunlight. Or maybe just make the green less yellow so the sunlight makes it look normal.

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Frogboy
Goldmos
Join Date 08/2008
+6
Reply #7 February 11, 2011 1:25:20 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Well, I know it's not for a voting that you post your screenshot, but definitly #3 for me .

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Frogboy
milanjirkovsky
Join Date 06/2008
0
Reply #8 February 11, 2011 1:33:36 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Filter 2 would look nice to most of the Americans, filter 3 to most of the Europeans. Lightning is actually why some studios release two versions of a game - one colorful for America and one more darker for Europe and rest of the world.

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Frogboy
LightofAbraxas
Join Date 03/2008
+23
Reply #9 February 11, 2011 1:51:41 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Quoting milanjirkovsky,
reply 8
Filter 2 would look nice to most of the Americans, filter 3 to most of the Europeans. Lightning is actually why some studios release two versions of a game - one colorful for America and one more darker for Europe and rest of the world.

Thank you for this stereotype. I think we're both too busy to argue about this, what with you not bathing and hungover from the discotheque and me busy stuffing my face with McDonalds and getting fat and plotting imperial world domination.

I am and American, and I approved this message (and also like filter 3 and hate filter 2).

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Frogboy
TheDarkKnight2008
Join Date 04/2007
+16
Reply #10 February 11, 2011 1:53:27 PM
from Stardock ForumsStardock Forums

Quoting milanjirkovsky,
reply 8
Filter 2 would look nice to most of the Americans, filter 3 to most of the Europeans. Lightning is actually why some studios release two versions of a game - one colorful for America and one more darker for Europe and rest of the world.

LOL, is that why Japan is the master of Anime while we created film noir?  Go back to troll ville with your stupid ass.

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Frogboy
ChungasRevenge
Join Date 08/2010
+10
Reply #11 February 11, 2011 1:56:26 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Number 2 is quite garish - yuck - of the samples I would go with #3

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Frogboy
Thormodr
Join Date 09/2009
+11
Reply #12 February 11, 2011 2:02:33 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

I like number 3 the best. (I'm Canadian BTW)

Number 2 would be alright if they toned down the yellow. However, for a post apocalyptic world, I think bright colors wouldn't be the best choice. Perhaps if there was a pre-apocalypse expansion pack.

 

Nice to see that these small details that'll make the game great are being taken care of.

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Frogboy
milanjirkovsky
Join Date 06/2008
0
Reply #13 February 11, 2011 2:19:25 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

All I am saying is Americans like higher saturation than Europeans do, I do not know why, but it has certainly nothing to do with McDonald and world domination

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Frogboy
larienna
Join Date 10/2009
+20
Reply #14 February 11, 2011 2:23:52 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Why do we need lighting effect when the whole game takes place during the day?

I prefer to have a full bright map, it makes the game easier to see. By the way, I am partially color blind.

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Frogboy
LightofAbraxas
Join Date 03/2008
+23
Reply #15 February 11, 2011 2:26:14 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Quoting milanjirkovsky,
reply 13
All I am saying is Americans like higher saturation than Europeans do, I do not know why, but it has certainly nothing to do with McDonald and world domination

Lol, I was just messing with you, to be honest.

The only way I can stomach being PC is to be offensive while doing it. I'm sure you shower every day.

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Frogboy
omicron1
Join Date 01/2007
0
Reply #16 February 11, 2011 2:35:51 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

One cheap, easy way to do things is to slap a full-screen shader (compositor, in Ogre-speak) over the top of things - the equivalent of using those photoshop filters in the actual game. Change the saturation and value curve and you've got yourself a more colorful game; perform additional modifications (for example, using value or specific colors to influence the saturation curve) and you can have different color schemas in different parts of the world. Sure, it's possible to construct a lighting system to accomplish the same task, but that is much harder and prone to problems, especially where procedural generation is concerned.

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Frogboy
Thiryn
Join Date 06/2009
+4
Reply #17 February 11, 2011 2:38:32 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Quoting AlLanMandragoran,
reply 1
Thanks, Brad. One thing that might help improve the look of cities in EWOM is to randomize or give control to the players of which directions buildings face. I give credit to Heavenfall for the original idea as I remember the post somewhere.

You can already change the direction in which buildings face: you have to press shift + Mouse wheel up/down whilst placing a building.

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Frogboy
Cynjian
Join Date 03/2008
+5
Reply #18 February 11, 2011 2:38:46 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

The light, it burns! A nice overcast #3 seems good.  

 

 

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Frogboy
Takao21
Join Date 10/2007
+2
Reply #19 February 11, 2011 2:45:27 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

 

Can we get options for all 3? I mean they are just post process filters right? Please.... 

 

It would be cool to play at a higher saturations for kingdoms and more drab hues for kingdoms.

 

Quoting Thiryn,
reply 17


You can already change the direction in which buildings face: you have to press shift + Mouse wheel up/down whilst placing a building.

Thanks going to try this soon. 

 

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Frogboy
AlLanMandragoran
Join Date 09/2010
+63
Reply #20 February 11, 2011 2:46:44 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Quoting Thiryn,
reply 17



Quoting AlLanMandragoran,
reply 1
Thanks, Brad. One thing that might help improve the look of cities in EWOM is to randomize or give control to the players of which directions buildings face. I give credit to Heavenfall for the original idea as I remember the post somewhere.


You can already change the direction in which buildings face: you have to press shift + Mouse wheel up/down whilst placing a building.

Holy crap, thanks! Has that always been there?

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Frogboy
Glowing_Ember
Join Date 09/2010
+14
Reply #21 February 11, 2011 3:05:12 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

actually, could you please put up some red light type filters for fallen, that would be neat to see.

 EDIT: You can do that with the mouse wheel ... NEAT.

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Frogboy
LujanD
Join Date 08/2008
+2
Reply #22 February 11, 2011 3:45:19 PM
from Stardock ForumsStardock Forums

I like filter 3 because I like tea, scones and dapper top hats.

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Frogboy
The_Harlequin
Join Date 07/2009
0
Reply #23 February 11, 2011 3:58:27 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Definitely #3. I would get a headache looking at a game with #2 after an hour.

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Frogboy
Heavenfall
Join Date 07/2008
+441
Reply #24 February 11, 2011 4:17:15 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Something that always bothered me is the pointed world lightning (yes, ok, that means it's not really world lightning but ambient lightning).

Consider the two examples. One is a guy facing a direction. One is a guy facing the other direction (turned 180*).

http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/5653/elemental1297458535.jpg

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/5924/elemental1297458527.jpg

I guess it's to simulate a sun. Is there a sun? According to the shadows, it's always right above everyone.

 

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Frogboy
RomanGuy
Join Date 01/2009
+3
Reply #25 February 11, 2011 4:35:36 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Definitely like filter 3, filter 2 gives me a headache.  I also didn't know about the shift and mouse wheel changing building facing.  How does one figure this stuff out?  Is there a list of hot-keys and controls somewhere?

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