Hard Light Productions Forums

General FreeSpace => FreeSpace Discussion => Topic started by: potterman28wxcv on November 08, 2015, 11:47:07 am

Title: What are your custom flags ?
Post by: potterman28wxcv on November 08, 2015, 11:47:07 am
There is this page called Sample Lighting Settings (http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Sample_Lighting_Settings#Woolie_Wool.27s_Settings) on the wiki.

While it's useful, it might be outdated, so I was just wondering which settings do you use to have your best visual gameplay ? :)
Title: Re: What are your custom flags ?
Post by: Phantom Hoover on November 08, 2015, 12:53:38 pm
Phantom Hoover Approved Light Settings (I think. They're pretty old by now.):

-ambient_factor 160 -spec_exp 5 -spec_point 0.15 -spec_static 1.0 -spec_tube 1.0 -ogl_spec 40 -bloom_intensity 42 -fxaa_preset 9 -fov 0.55 -no_emissive_light
Title: Re: What are your custom flags ?
Post by: Spoon on November 08, 2015, 01:11:19 pm
It's all highly subjective, I've been using:
-ambient_factor 150 -ogl_spec 70 -spec_exp 5 -spec_point 0.6 -spec_static 1.25 -spec_tube 0.6  -fov 0.75 -fxaa_preset 9
for a while now. And I haven't experimented recently with all the visual improvements that Swifty has implented (shadows/deferred lighting etc) to see what new settings would make more sense with those developments.
Title: Re: What are your custom flags ?
Post by: jr2 on November 08, 2015, 02:51:01 pm
If you use wxLauncher, it has some preset settings to choose from.  Go under 'Advanced', then in the 'Lighting presets' section choose what you want.

(http://i68.tinypic.com/1ev39k.png)
Title: Re: What are your custom flags ?
Post by: Phantom Hoover on November 08, 2015, 02:53:54 pm
Yeah but those presets aren't, in my experience, very good.
Title: Re: What are your custom flags ?
Post by: jr2 on November 08, 2015, 03:15:38 pm
You could submit your own, maybe the wxLauncher could include them?  :shrug:
Title: Re: What are your custom flags ?
Post by: TwoCables on November 08, 2015, 05:15:32 pm
There is this page called Sample Lighting Settings (http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Sample_Lighting_Settings#Woolie_Wool.27s_Settings) on the wiki.

While it's useful, it might be outdated, so I was just wondering which settings do you use to have your best visual gameplay ? :)

It depends on my mood, but right now I'm using this:

-ambient_factor 0 -no_emissive_light -spec_exp 11 -spec_point 1.5 -spec_static .8 -spec_tube .6 -ogl_spec 83

All you have to do is take what's on that page you found, read about each flag and then experiment to see what you like the best. You might even find as I do that you don't always want the same visual style. You might one day feel that you want to change something in some way, or a to change a bunch of things - or to even be nostalgic and go back to the default appearance.

This is like asking what condiments someone prefers on a specific food - and how much of each condiment they prefer. Or what spices and how much of each spice... etc.
Title: Re: What are your custom flags ?
Post by: deathspeed on November 08, 2015, 05:52:24 pm
I'm curious how anyone can see anything with both -ambient_factor 0 and  -no_emissive_light.  Playing FSBlue with nightly build 3.7.3 (0ea25e7), I cannot see ships at the baseline recommended default of -ambient_factor 75 and without -no_emissive_light.  Bumping ambient up to 140 made it playable for me.  But, then again, I was fine with ambient at 75 for other mods, although I was using 3.7.2.

EDIT: I hope that didn't sound snotty or critical - I really am curious!
Title: Re: What are your custom flags ?
Post by: TwoCables on November 08, 2015, 10:12:43 pm
I'm curious how anyone can see anything with both -ambient_factor 0 and  -no_emissive_light.  Playing FSBlue with nightly build 3.7.3 (0ea25e7), I cannot see ships at the baseline recommended default of -ambient_factor 75 and without -no_emissive_light.  Bumping ambient up to 140 made it playable for me.  But, then again, I was fine with ambient at 75 for other mods, although I was using 3.7.2.

EDIT: I hope that didn't sound snotty or critical - I really am curious!

It's for realism.

Besides, I don't need to see anything at that distance because I use my radar. This is how it would be in real life. Imagine being out in space and it's super dark at huge distances away from a sun and you're trying to rely on visual contact. It's not going to happen unless you're close enough for combat. Even then you might not be able to see them very well or at all. That's one of the things the targeting system is for.

The first time I did this, I was like "I can't see anything at all at a distance...", but then it hit me that this is far more realistic and I love realism. Plus, the way things look close up is amazing. So, it grew on me.
Title: Re: What are your custom flags ?
Post by: potterman28wxcv on November 09, 2015, 04:54:44 am
I'm curious how anyone can see anything with both -ambient_factor 0 and  -no_emissive_light.  Playing FSBlue with nightly build 3.7.3 (0ea25e7), I cannot see ships at the baseline recommended default of -ambient_factor 75 and without -no_emissive_light.  Bumping ambient up to 140 made it playable for me.  But, then again, I was fine with ambient at 75 for other mods, although I was using 3.7.2.

EDIT: I hope that didn't sound snotty or critical - I really am curious!

It's for realism.

Besides, I don't need to see anything at that distance because I use my radar. This is how it would be in real life. Imagine being out in space and it's super dark at huge distances away from a sun and you're trying to rely on visual contact. It's not going to happen unless you're close enough for combat. Even then you might not be able to see them very well or at all. That's one of the things the targeting system is for.

The first time I did this, I was like "I can't see anything at all at a distance...", but then it hit me that this is far more realistic and I love realism. Plus, the way things look close up is amazing. So, it grew on me.
Actually it depends on the mod. I recall having tried an ambient factor 0 + no emissive light on a pre great-war mod (can't remember the name, it was relating how terrans had discovered subspace), in which you had no targeting system and ballistic weapons. While it felt great to be in the dark, it was actually very hard because the A.I. would have a great advantage over you (being able too see you in the dark), while you would struggle to see A.I. ships. Sure, it was very awesome for realism, but I had to turn no-emissive-light back off in a couple of missions that I just could not handle in Insane without it.

(or i could just have left it as it is, and go to an easier difficulty)

Phantom Hoover Approved Light Settings (I think. They're pretty old by now.):

-ambient_factor 160 -spec_exp 5 -spec_point 0.15 -spec_static 1.0 -spec_tube 1.0 -ogl_spec 40 -bloom_intensity 42 -fxaa_preset 9 -fov 0.55 -no_emissive_light
I am using now the same as you, but with -ambient_factor 0 instead. I might tweak it a bit more, but so far it really looks great, thanks :)