Arma 3 Lighting - Alpha vs. Final version

[rebelvg 281]

I want to discuss arma 3's night lighting and what BIS changed since alpha.

They changed the way lights are working in beta and reworked whole lighting system, overall it looks better in release than in alpha, but some nice effects were cut or changed, and some effects are not working properly now since lighting shafts update.

I'll show what I'm talking about with screenshots.

Press right on the picture to open up imgur link.

What's wrong right now?

This, power of light now changing with FSAA setting.

This is how headlights are looking now, FSAA disabled.

2x FSAA enabled. Looks better and not flickering.

This video shows what flickering I'm talking about.

And, this is how headlights looked in alpha.

Way more sexy.

Some thing about lighthouses and helicopter lights.

Lighthouses, FSAA disabled, flickering.

2x FSAA, looks ok, less flickering, almost non existing.

And, how it looked in alpha.

Gorgeous.

Helicopter lights.

FSAA disabled.

2x FSAA.

Arma 3 Alpha.

Awesome looking lights in alpha.

Weapon lights.

FSAA disabled.

http://i.imgur.com/gxMIDi3.jpg

2x FSAA.

http://i.imgur.com/e4uc8N8.jpg

Arma 3 Alpha.

http://i.imgur.com/ocqeTn8.jpg

FSAA disabled.

http://i.imgur.com/nKQd9Mq.jpg

2x FSAA.

http://i.imgur.com/3cS1uRG.jpg

Arma 3 Alpha.

http://i.imgur.com/LexqtBm.jpg

Ticket on feedback - http://feedback.arma3.com/view.php?id=15522

What do I want? I what to know why they changed it, fix flickering in current version if they're not going to bring this effect back or bring it back. Also, is it possible to bring those lights via mod? Thanks for your attention and sorry for my mad English.

Edited June 13, 2014 by rebelvg

[babylonjoke 22]

Holy ... the helicopter one...

The real problem is that till these lights doesn't collide with objects making shadows are pretty damn ugly and useless. I mean that's a damn important aspect of the lighting in a game for create belivable scenario and good atmosphere.

But no, not in Arma, join in an house and use your flashlight, from outside they will see it. I would love to be able to create a damn house with spooky lighting inside, but I cant. Why? Because the sunlight even if you are in a box whitout holes will illuminate the whole damn thing.

So yeah, improved lighting = Not really improved at all.

That's one of the things that most irritates me.

Edited June 13, 2014 by Babylonjoke

[TSAndrey 1]

And what ever happened to the colored clouds?

[babylonjoke 22]

And what ever happened to the colored clouds?

Can you please post an exemple? What you mean with colored clouds?

[sqb-sma 66]

Can you please post an exemple? What you mean with colored clouds?

No example, but at one point (I believe it was post alpha, on a dev version) we had 3D colour/lighting affecting the clouds, which made them very, very good looking. Now they're matte painted with the normal light edges, no 3D lighting.

[TSAndrey 1]

In Beta, clouds used to get colored, but they removed it cause of some issues at certain times. I don't know why they never brought it back!

http://www.armaholic.com/datas/users/arma3_beta_pantherapc_4.jpg (575 kB)

[Smurf 12]

And make a decision on soft vs hard shadows. None of them look good now (hard shadows are bad by nature, soft are jagged) and the combination of two in the same place (try the Littebird) is even worst.

[denco 16]

In Beta, clouds used to get colored, but they removed it cause of some issues at certain times. I don't know why they never brought it back!

http://www.armaholic.com/datas/users/arma3_beta_pantherapc_4.jpg (575 kB)

I would very much like those clouds back.

[roberthammer 582]

Well almost every aspect of arma 3 is half baked - shadows , lighting , clouds , rain , physx , body armour etc

its like somebody in the middle of it said "lets start something else and keep this for later" and after a year its still the same...

Edited June 13, 2014 by RobertHammer

[sgtsev3n 12]

Well almost every aspect of arma 3 is half baked - shadows , lighting , clouds , rain , physx , body armour etc

its like somebody in the middle of it said "lets start something else and keep this for later" and after a year its still the same...

this. i think we have to live with it and that things will never be improved.

[fabio_chavez 103]

eventhough the clouds in those sceenshots clearly look different (looks more like the noise structure of Take on helicopters or DayZ SA), in general im pretty convinced that arma 3 still has colored clouds before/during sunrise/sunset.

" Now they're matte painted with the normal light edges, no 3D lighting."

-i doubt that technically anything changed to the alpha, any changes of the appearance of the clouds since alpha would probably be artistic in nature, not engine changes.

I messed around lighting and sunsets myself, starting from the vanilla lighting, which 100% has colored clouds at one time of the day under certain weather conditions, you just have to hit the right moment i guess...

the lighting in this video is customized but you can see that clouds are colored, slightly different than in vanilla a3 though

[zooloo75 834]

In Beta, clouds used to get colored, but they removed it cause of some issues at certain times. I don't know why they never brought it back!

http://www.armaholic.com/datas/users/arma3_beta_pantherapc_4.jpg (575 kB)

I remember saying, "man, ArmA3 has the best looking clouds out of every game!", and now I'm thinking why I would even say that, the clouds looks like shit. Now I remember why I used to say they were awesome (because they were).

[Fushko 59]

its like somebody in the middle of it said "lets start something else and keep this for later" and after a year its still the same...

Arma in a nutshell.

There are so many half-assed things in this game, it's like they don't even care about the most basic stuff (GL and launchers animations anyone?)

Oh and the popping. THE POPPING FOR GOD'S SAKE. Do they consider the grass abruptly switching 3000 LODs in front of you acceptable for a release? It's a jarring reminder that I'm playing in a videogame and not in an at least slightly believable world.

[DJankovic 401]

I would like if some of devs atleast read this post and tell us what went wrong why did we lose those clouds that lights and stuf that got changed

and ps. how can i get Alpha again? would like play bit of alpha now when i have good PC :D

[Tonci87 163]

Well almost every aspect of arma 3 is half baked - shadows , lighting , clouds , rain , physx , body armour etc

its like somebody in the middle of it said "lets start something else and keep this for later" and after a year its still the same...

Yeah, sadly this^

I feel as if in many cases they just made stuff function in a very basic way so that it is in the game, but then went on to other things instead of refining and expanding upon that.

[fabio_chavez 103]

guys, in not a dev or anything who can know 100% for sure, but i thought i could put away a bit about the cloud myth...

what you have there is a promo screenshot, that shows off a pretty sunrise, the only difference i can from the actual build is that the noise structure, that constitutes the actual shape of the clouds seems different, more like dayz SA or TkoH...

eventually the actual looks of the clouds has A LOT to do with daytime and weather settings...

im not saying that i dont like to have a lot of things changed (i spend hundrets of hours tweaking and experimenting with arma 3 lighting), but i dont think you do the clouds justice with your ranting, at the end of the day, arma 3 has a ridiculously versatile and robust weather engine, not everybody has to like every particular artistic decision but taking on a thread about vehicle reflector sprites and turn it into a rant about clouds (and rain?!?!)?!

maybe better stick to the original topic, the vehicle reflectors technically havent the slightest connection to clouds, its a completely different department.

keep in mind that unlike battlefield 4 where every sky is matte painted eyecandy, every weather condition in arma is generated dynamicly...

[Tonci87 163]

No it is not just a promo screenshot, we had those clouds in the game!

[TSAndrey 1]

The video posted in the "Lighting Tweaking" thread that shows the colored clouds timespan got removed, but the dev response to it is still there:

Hi, thanks for very nice video. I agee with you, I must revert this version cloud, due a problems with mornig and evening. I try repair it as soon as possible. Thanks

AFAIK sometime after this the clouds got removed and we never got them back!

[Fushko 59]

Is Googlava even a BI dev anymore? I haven't seen it in these forums for a long time. Maybe that's why they didn't fix the clouds yet, he probably was the one responsible for the clouds implementation. But then again I'm just guessing so I might be wrong.

[CaptainObvious 95]

Is Googlava even a BI dev anymore? I haven't seen it in these forums for a long time. Maybe that's why they didn't fix the clouds yet, he probably was the one responsible for the clouds implementation. But then again I'm just guessing so I might be wrong.

Last Activity Yesterday 18:08

[babylonjoke 22]

Weird, just weird.

[KeyCat 131]

What's wrong right now?

...

2x FSAA enabled. Looks better and not flickering.

http://i.imgur.com/XgiWcjZl.jpg

Have to disagree with you! I much prefer the new vehicle reflectors over the old ones in Alpha that was way to dim. If anything the headlights should reach even further (and not shine thru walls or other objects!) to be usefull while driving, same thing with flashlight etc.

Can't explain the FSAA thing tho, use 4x FSAA myself.

/KC

Edited June 14, 2014 by KeyCat

[bullet purveyor 85]

No it is not just a promo screenshot, we had those clouds in the game!

I bet most of the people whining about the colored clouds never even saw them in game.

They where tested in the development branch for barley a week, and was completely broken. Only during a small time window in mornings and evenings did they look good. The rest of the time they looked like black blobs in the sky.

[rebelvg 281]

If anything the headlights should reach even further (and not shine thru walls or other objects!) to be usefull while driving, same thing with flashlight etc.

Well, I'm not talking about how far should the light reach, I agree on that, I'm talking about that effect right on the headlights.

[Fushko 59]

Last Activity Yesterday 18:08

That was a post from DnA, click on "Googlava" under "Googlava's Activity" and you'll notice how there is no recent activity from him.