'Bloom' effects

[fustercluck]

Seems to me like 90% of bloom lighting is overdone in PC games (can't really say about console games since I pretty much only play PC). I feel like I should start playing with my sunglasses on. This seems to be mainly related to FPS games.

It's not realistic at all if you're just getting blinded from every angle with unnatural lighting. It's like in a movie when they're doing a scene in heaven and they add all the heavenly glow in. Two games that come to mind are battlefield 2 bad company and counterstrike source. But pretty much every FPS game is guilty of overbloom.

They need to do a lot of work on these bloom lighting effects, they haven't improved since they were introduced it seems.

Luckily you can usually turn it off so not a huge deal...I just don't understand why game devs think bloom looks good

I think in 10-20 years people will look back on this decade of games and be like "wtf why is this game burning my retinas"

 

[DaveSimmons]

This covers it (VGCats)
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=4z9jadv&s=1

I felt that way playing Oblivion until I tuned it off.

 

[PieIsAwesome]

Its used to hide shitty textures and force lighting-dependent effects like bump-mapping and reflections to show up more.

 

[fustercluck]

Its used to hide shitty textures and force lighting-dependent effects like bump-mapping and reflections to show up more.

Kinda like the Barbara Walters filter

 

[Borealis7]

i liked bloom in Caeser IV and oblivion, it was nice. i dont much notice it in recent games.

 

[sponky]

i also tend more to the 'older' games..

_________________
Forge of Empires vs. Farm Kingdom

 

[Anubis]

it happens on console games as well and yes its annoying

 

[ixelion]

Some games do it well, but yeah many are just overdone, one notable example is Guild Wars.

 

[MentalIlness]

One of the best games I think that uses bloom is Half Life 2.

 

[Cheesetogo]

Counterstrike lets you turn it off. There's probably an option for it in BFBC2 as well. Usually I only use it if it's actual HDR rather than Bloom.

 

[crownjules]

Developers go through this every time a new graphics feature comes out. It was the same with colored lighting back in the 90s. They latch on to it and either overuse it or just use it poorly.

 

[JAG87]

I have bloom on in both CSS and BC2, and I think it looks just fine. Maybe you haven't calibrated your monitor correctly? Brightness and contrast on a good panel should be a lot lower than what you might think.

Also check the settings in the game themselves. Gamma should be at 2.2 (on a good panel), brightness should be 1 in CSS, 0.5 for both brightness and contrast in BC2.

 

[simonizor]

One of the best games I think that uses bloom is Half Life 2.

IIRC, HLDR replaces bloom and works much better, IMO.

 

[minmaster]

some games use it well, some don't. i'd rather have them not use it at all tbh.

 

[skyofavalon]

I hated bloom in Oblivion.If light reflected off stone or your horse it reflected like a mirror.

On the console side I hate depth of field.Used way too much and over done.