The Night: It is dark...or rather jet black

[All-a-Mort 0]

Can anyone comment on what night scenes in ArmA ought to look like?

When not using NV goggles I can literally see nothing, as if the screen is jet black. I am thinking this ain't quite right as the lack of any vision at all looks like an error when compared to screenshots I've seen of night in Arma and my experiences of the 'low light nights' in OFP. I know about the screwy NVG problem with getting too light and dark but sans goggles I can't see anything, objects, fire, explosions, tracer. Not a thing. Doesn't strike me as right somehow.

For the record I am using now 1.09b, though 1.08 made no difference. Arguably the game is worse in 1.09b with new found texture flashing.

Really can't get the game to run quite right using XP, 8800GTX 768mb, 2gb ram and a 32" LCD TV for a monitor (sadly using VGA as Nvidia cards are rubbish at matching the TV's native resolution at 1366x768 via HDMI. No 1:1 digital pixel mapping on the Panasonic TV either). Not sure of the driver for the card, but since it's the only one I've found that works in Oblivion and Rome:Total War I'm loathe to change it.

I've been using high settings with a view of 2500m and resolution of 1360x768 in 16:10 format. Texture flashing seems to have appeared since 1.09b if I have the settings on vhigh or dial the view distance up.

[sickboy 13]

Sounds to me like not so great lcd-tv, or at the very least wrong settings of Contrast, Brightness and Gamma. (on screen and/or game and/or nvidia digital vibrance settings or so)

I can't think of another reason why you can't see anything at night at all

About your resolution problem, I believe this is more a problem of the monitor driver and/or setting in the nvidia control panel.

Actually in the NV Control panel you can tell it to fully auto-configure or manual configuration (possibly only available in advanced control panel mode).

Sometimes I had to toy with it to get 60hz refresh while keeping at 1080p resolution and not 1080i. I believe toying is also necessary if your native screen resolution isn't detected properly

What videocard driver do you use anyway? 163.xx series run pretty fine even for your mentioned games, afaik.

[All-a-Mort 0]

I doubt it is the TV (a Panasonic TX-32LXD700) as it is fine with any other form of content and other games/films etc. The contrast other than at night in Arma is generally fine (except the known HDR issue rather variable lighting with the 8800GTX). I have noted that the GPU may be a little screwy however, as occasionally when the PC has gone into 'monitor power off' mode and is then reawoken, video is blacked out and not playing. Can't recall whether it did this prior to the driver change last summer or not. Mod wise I am not running anything too exiciting so unless the Arma effects mod is the cause (I'll have to try without it to see) it must be the GPU.

Resolution wise I think it isn't too bad. The current driver I'm using (I'll need to check which it is when I get home from work) at least enabled a decent picture via VGA. There is a known overscan and underscan issue with the 8xxx series Nvidia cards over HDMI (I believe they still haven't included a 1366x768 resolution yet) and forcing it is problematic. The LCD will simply not except other than it's native. I might try the Vsinc idea though as I have been seeing a little 'light' at the top of the screen (as if a door is ajar with a light on).

[oChaos.DNJ 0]

Is the night always jet black for you?

Ive noticed before that sometimes it will be all black, because I believe the light source (the moon) is not present in the sky when I look up.

I figuered it was a bug....I mostly play evo and thats where I noticed it so it could be mission related?

This was back on 1.08 with different drivers, then I have now on 1.09b. Im not sure if it'll still happen since Ive mostly been playing during daylight.

[All-a-Mort 0]

Is the night always jet black for you?

Ive noticed before that sometimes it will be all black, because I believe the light source (the moon) is not present in the sky when I look up.

I figuered it was a bug....I mostly play evo and thats where I noticed it so it could be mission related?

This was back on 1.08 with different drivers,  then I have now on 1.09b. Im not sure if it'll still happen since Ive mostly been playing during daylight.

Yup always inky black. What makes me certain it is a problem is that I can encounter a fire (say by blowing up a vehicle) when using the nvgs and find that sans goggles I can't actually see it at all. It's as if the light the fire is emitting isn't in a wavelength normally visible. Hence my wondering whether it is the settings or card and related to the HDR (that said the 8800 deals with HDR in Oblivion fine).

[sickboy 13]

You can change the hdr percision to 32 in your arma.cfg file, works on 8800 cards and the hdr is much better.

It's just generally that the HDR in arma is not what it is in other games

Quote[/b] ]prior to the driver change last summer or not

Lol, you running drivers older than 6 months? There's new releases each month, and they are not for fun

Let us know what happens when you toy with the gamma/brightness/contrast.

TFT Screens have afaik biggest problems with displaying good black and dark elements on screen.

If other content is fine, it can still be the settings in ArmA though.

I must admit though that the problem somehow smells to problematic driver, as you say you really can not see anything at all at night without nvg, not even fire that's burning right in front of you :S

[All-a-Mort 0]

You can change the hdr percision to 32 in your arma.cfg file, works on 8800 cards and the hdr is much better.

It's just generally that the HDR in arma is not what it is in other games

Quote[/b] ]prior to the driver change last summer or not

Lol, you running drivers older than 6 months? There's new releases each month, and they are not for fun

Let us know what happens when you toy with the gamma/brightness/contrast.

TFT Screens have afaik biggest problems with displaying good black and dark elements on screen.

If other content is fine, it can still be the settings in ArmA though.

I must admit though that the problem somehow smells to problematic driver, as you say you really can not see anything at all at night without nvg, not even fire that's burning right in front of you :S

Well I had figured if it ain't b0rked don't fix it, but clearly that no longer stands as a sound strategy.

-edit-

Applied Nforce driver 171.23 beta this evening. Unsure of the results (so may roll back to 171.17 WHQL instead). On maps at night I can see a little more now (when there's a moon) but switching to and from NVG it takes 5 seconds or so to display anything as if it is having problems processing the change. Doesn't seem to matter if I use low or very high settings. Still got the flashing texture bug too. Wonder if I need to change the card settings in the control panel...to what I don't know.

BTW, where is the arma.cfg file found? Couldn't see it any directory...do I need to unpack a .pbo?

[paragraphic l 2]

You can find your ArmA.cfg file in MyDocuments > ArmA and just open it with notepad

It could be a game error though, I recall of some entries about this a long time ago, maybe a clean install of the game can do the trick? good luck though!

[Mr_Tea 0]

You can change the hdr percision to 32 in your arma.cfg file, works on 8800 cards and the hdr is much better.

It's just generally that the HDR in arma is not what it is in other games

Quote[/b] ]prior to the driver change last summer or not

Lol, you running drivers older than 6 months? There's new releases each month, and they are not for fun

Let us know what happens when you toy with the gamma/brightness/contrast.

TFT Screens have afaik biggest problems with displaying good black and dark elements on screen.

If other content is fine, it can still be the settings in ArmA though.

I must admit though that the problem somehow smells to problematic driver, as you say you really can not see anything at all at night without nvg, not even fire that's burning right in front of you :S

To say, those problems are related to the type of display is ridicules, really.

I got the same, on two CRT Monitors and on my 32" LCD TV.

In every other game the lights at nighttime works as it should on my LCD TV, and when i run ArmA it`s the problem of the TV?

I think someone is loosing his spirit.

[rowdied 44]

DataPlague,

I know this sounds dumb but did you try fooling around with the brightness/contrast ratios in the arma settings? Maybe it got reset without you knowing. It could also be the hdr setting Sickboy mentioned.

I have an 8800gt and an 8800gts and for me both settings at 8 are fine for me. 16 also works as well as 32, but I have not experienced those blackout effects your talking about.

Did you fool around with the bright/contrast ratios on the other monitors?

How do the new drivers work?

I had similar problems with GRAW2 and darkness levels with my 8800gts and had to fool around with the ingame settings to make it lighter.

[ArmaVidz 0]

Post a screenshot of how your game looks during the day...

[mr burns 132]

Quote[/b] ]The Night: It is dark...or rather jet black

Indeed. It´s not that obvious since the real world is constantly lit by streetlights or whatever ..

but as soon as theres a major blackout going on during new moon you´ll notice that nights are indeed pitch black, just like in ArmA.

If theres anything been done right in ArmA it´s this.

Don´t have NVG´s .. dont go out at night

Quote[/b] ]but switching to and from NVG it takes 5 seconds or so to display anything as if it is having problems processing the change.

Thats intentional and shall reflect the time that a human eye would need to familiarize with the brightness.

[fasad 1]

I've always wondered how dark the night should be in game...

It would be great if BI could include an in-game calibration screen! I suppose a community member could create a UI type mission that serves the same purpose.

[SWAT_BigBear 0]

I just use NV.

I have the same issue, "Jet Black @ late night"

If I up the gamma and or brightness, NV would not be needed.

But damn.....come sunrise, I could light my neighborhood with my monitor.

[smellyjelly 0]

The darkness of the nights depend on the time. Between 18-22 the moon is up, so there is usually a little bit of light. However, 22-4 the moon is down so the nights are going to be pitch black except the stars.

Obviously these times would change depending on the day/month/year.

Anyways, I also just wanted to add that I really like the nights in Arma, and I like how dark they can get.

[SWAT_BigBear 0]

Anyways, I also just wanted to add that I really like the nights in Arma, and I like how dark they can get.

Ofcourse, I also like the thrill.

Kinda sucked back playing OFP, and never needing to use NV, now that I've played the ArmA way.

[max power 21]

I think that you'll find that in rural areas without much light pollution at night that it gets pretty dark.

[Mr_Tea 0]

I think that you'll find that in rural areas without much light pollution at night that it gets pretty dark.

Sure, but than we are again at the fucking unusable NVG`s.

The dimmest light, that dim you don`t have enough light light to see anything, let the NVG`s overreact.

Even when i play around with the HDR precision, it don`t have an influence on the NVG`s.

Sometimes i really hate this game. All it need`s to suit my needs are god damned usable NVG`s.

[mr burns 132]

Sometimes i really hate this game. All it need`s to suit my needs are god damned usable NVG`s.

Maybe someone can make a mod to replace the green night vision with the greyscale "setaperture fake FLIR" one

[NoRailgunner 0]

When the night has come

And the land is dark

And the moon is the only light you will see

Don't be afraid, noooo don't be afraid

Just as long as you use Flares or N-V-G

[Mr_Tea 0]

Very funny.

If the AI could see nothing in the pitch black night like me, it would be not a big problem. But we all know, that the AI can see very good in an pitch black night, and they don`t need NVG`s for it.

[All-a-Mort 0]

Very funny.

If the AI could see nothing in the pitch black night like me, it would be not a big problem. But we all know, that the AI can see very good in an pitch black night, and they don`t need NVG`s for it.

Yeah damned ai advantages. I played a night op last night, removed all NVG for enemy AI and they still saw everything ludicrously early. The use of the TrueRange AI mod didn't help but it still seems absurd that when i can't see my (virtual) hand in front of my face sans goggles, the ai can see for 1000m in pitch black. They must eat a lot of carrots...

Anyway the new driver (171.23 beta) seems stable enough for now and I can at least see what I ought to see at night, mainly tracer and fire/explosions, which is a marked improvement. I still haven't worked out what the best settings are for my system though. I did take a few screenshots but other than showing that the shadows look rubbish on 'normal' there isn't anything I could see that was wrong.

[max power 21]

I think that you'll find that in rural areas without much light pollution at night that it gets pretty dark.

Sure, but than we are again at the fucking unusable NVG`s.

The dimmest light, that dim you don`t have enough light light to see anything, let the NVG`s overreact.

Even when i play around with the HDR precision, it don`t have an influence on the NVG`s.

Sometimes i really hate this game. All it need`s to suit my needs are god damned usable NVG`s.

Then the problem is with the NVGs, not with the night. Wouldn't you say that it would be a little bit stupid to make the night unrealistically bright to cover up the fact the NVGs are hard to use?

[Mr_Tea 0]

Then the problem is with the NVGs, not with the night. Wouldn't you say that it would be a little bit stupid to make the night unrealistically bright to cover up the fact the NVGs are hard to use?

In some way, the player should be able to see at night.

Normally that would be by using the NVG`s, what is pretty useless in the current patch state.

I don`t want to brighten up the night.

I want the AI not to see at night without having night vision equipment, and for the player NVG`s that don`t get blinded by dim starlight, or the light from vehicles dashboard, or all the other "lights" that have an way to heavy impact to the NVG`s.

btw: How stupid is this build in night vision, to the AI soldiers?

[Wolfrug 0]

I've got this same problem. Let me start by refuting this:

Quote[/b] ]I think that you'll find that in rural areas without much light pollution at night that it gets pretty dark.

With a full moon up in the middle of the forest miles from the nearest settlement, you'll see far more than what I'm getting out of ArmA nights. It's dark, but it's not THAT dark. But of course, that alone can be fixed simply by messing with the in-game brightness settings (mine are slightly above 1 for both gamma and brightness), and I've got a feeling there's something slightly borked with my monitor

But anyway, here's the point where the ArmA night fails for me: you can't see obvious light sources!

Try this one day: Go anywhere where it's really fricken' dark, say a field in the middle of the night. Ask your pal to bring his flashlight. Now flash that flashlight while standing some hundred meters from eachother. It'll stand out like a sore thumb. This is why soldiers are taught never to use flashlights at night, and if they have to (for instance to read a map), they should try to cover the light as much as possible. A car with its headlights on driving down a road will be visible for miles and miles. A simple camp fire is an obvious homing point in the dark.

In the night, sans NVGs, I really can't see anything at all. Huge fires from burning tanks - nothing. Muzzle flashes? Nothing. Headlights? Nope. These things should easily be visible up to 2-3 klicks in the minimum, I can see them at 100 meters or something if I'm lucky. -_-

Anyway, point of the rant: there's something wrong with the way (my) ArmA renders night.

No-one else has these problems? I'll see if I can get up a picture or somesuch...

Regards,

Wolfrug