I haven't been able to get a reply about this yet (I've seen your two previous questions about it). Is there any additional reason you want to learn about it?
I haven't been able to get a reply about this yet (I've seen your two previous questions about it). Is there any additional reason you want to learn about it?
I remember it was announced and I want to know what benefits it provides. Faster loading?
Yes, I am not sure why it is grey. Anyway I think understood why I got 33 HP, it's because I casted familiar and I am in HoF mode. But I have another problem: when I save the game and then reload my save, I am not in HoF mode anymore but in insane mode...
Yes, I am not sure why it is grey. Anyway I think understood why I got 33 HP, it's because I casted familiar and I am in HoF mode. But I have another problem: when I save the game and then reload my save, I am not in HoF mode anymore but in insane mode...
is it only in my game that large creatures (dragon, demogorgon, ...) have some kind of "tiling" (about 1-2 pixel thick black lines vertical and/or horizontal) across their animation? the error does not disappear when changing zoom level.
is it only in my game that large creatures (dragon, demogorgon, ...) have some kind of "tiling" (about 1-2 pixel thick black lines vertical and/or horizontal) across their animation? the error does not disappear when changing zoom level.
I have the same visual glitches with large creatures.
Iirc that glitch happens because of the scaling algorithm. Large creatures's sprites are split in two parts and the scaling makes the border "smoother" which makes it very noticable in this case. The glitch happens with smaller sprites too on their borders.
I hope the blurred background issue is fixed in this version. I'd be very disappointed if this update came out without it, and we needed to wait another six months or longer for it to be addressed.
Why just backgrounds, though? When these games first shipped, everything was sharp—not just backgrounds. I’d like that back. Right now it’s either everything blurred (bilinear) or blurred backgrounds with pixelated sprites (Nearest Neighbor.)
We get it, ThacoBell - you don't like the original games. However, trust me when I say that Beamdog's treatment of the games is not beyong reproach or constructive criticism. In other words, if you have nothing to offer but sycophantic approval of the EEs, maybe refrain from commenting whenever someone questions one of their decisions as you're not helping anyone (not even the studio). Kthnxbie
Why just backgrounds, though? When these games first shipped, everything was sharp—not just backgrounds. I’d like that back. Right now it’s either everything blurred (bilinear) or blurred backgrounds with pixelated sprites (Nearest Neighbor.)
Of course. It's just a manner of speech - I mentioned the backgrounds because that's what's most noticeable to me. As I said before, having the backgrounds blurred makes the whole game look worse. As long as the game is on 1:1 zoom, the backgrounds and sprites on screen should match the source images pixel perfect.
Yeah, I wonder, is there are an explanation somewhere from Beamdog, why they have changed scaling algorithm in the first place? Maybe there were some reasons for doing it, that we're not aware. Because I don't remember we've got any comment about this from devs.
I don't think scaling algorithm is the cause (although it might enhance the effect). Enabling Nearest Neighbor Scaling in the graphics options doesn't fix the gaps. It's more likely a side effect of using texture mapping for sprites. A similar effect can be seen when using old-style tilesets for map backgrounds.
Btw, I think they made many things right in PST:EE, including the choice of extending the linear filter option to map tilesets and background animations.
My main gripe is that while the Enhanced Editions shipped with Catmull-Rom—one of the most advanced scaling algorithms available—when they implemented bilinear to enable sprite outlines and sprite highlighting and people complained about the blurriness, they implemented nearest neighbor.
Wouldn't it have been easier to retrieve the Catmull-Rom code from an earlier build? Nearest neighbor was never there to begin with; it is an extremely crude algorithm and, in its current implementation, does not apply to anything but character sprites.
Here's a comparison shot from the beginning of IWD:EE at the same zoom level (the first picture is from v1.4, which still employs Catmull-Rom):
EDIT: Differences are a lot more visible in-game. I saved pictures as bitmaps but the host might be compressing them. Let me try Deviant Art; otherwise, it's probably easier to just run Retail and Beta to compare.
EDIT 2: Not much of a difference using Deviant Art to embed pictures here; the difference is more apparent on Deviant Art itself so here are the links.
The issue with highlighted by @BelegCuthalion 's screenshot appeared with v2.0, when Catmull-Rom was ditched in favor of bilinear filtering. The issue with blurry backgrounds also appeared at the same time, so I took for granted it was related; it is certainly possible that it isn't. Both should be fixed, and I believe an option to get Catmull-Rom back would be welcome by most.
Now my crashes appear to be happening trying to join other peoples games. I don't appear to crash when I'm hosting... Is this important to state? Do the hosts only make crash dumps?
I have been playing using the client, and they generate numbers to state when crashing. I have redmined these, but I don't know how useful they are. (I get asked for more info and the crash dumps.. Yet as I have said... I haven't got those...)
I have unchecked bitdefender from protecting my document files just in case, but it usually states if something is trying to do something first... It isn't in this case.
@Kilivitz I love the original games. I played them for ten years. But they have not aged well, and the EEs are a straight improvement. I have no problem implementing the old mapping style, but not at the cost of the smoother looking one we have now. I'd like to see it ADDED as an option. I post my feelings on the matter as a direct contrast, simply because people in general are more likely to vocal about problems than things they think are fine. I don't want the devs to get the impression that no one likes the new scaling system. @AndreaColombo Isn't wrong to want the option for the old system.
I don't think scaling algorithm is the cause (although it might enhance the effect). Enabling Nearest Neighbor Scaling in the graphics options doesn't fix the gaps. It's more likely a side effect of using texture mapping for sprites. A similar effect can be seen when using old-style tilesets for map backgrounds.
Btw, I think they made many things right in PST:EE, including the choice of extending the linear filter option to map tilesets and background animations.
Interesting. Maybe devs could explain this bit, I thought I read it somewhere here some time ago, but I could remember this wrong.
Comments
is it only in my game that large creatures (dragon, demogorgon, ...) have some kind of "tiling" (about 1-2 pixel thick black lines vertical and/or horizontal) across their animation? the error does not disappear when changing zoom level.
https://support.baldursgate.com/issues/21473
Btw, I think they made many things right in PST:EE, including the choice of extending the linear filter option to map tilesets and background animations.
Wouldn't it have been easier to retrieve the Catmull-Rom code from an earlier build? Nearest neighbor was never there to begin with; it is an extremely crude algorithm and, in its current implementation, does not apply to anything but character sprites.
Here's a comparison shot from the beginning of IWD:EE at the same zoom level (the first picture is from v1.4, which still employs Catmull-Rom):
EDIT: Differences are a lot more visible in-game. I saved pictures as bitmaps but the host might be compressing them. Let me try Deviant Art; otherwise, it's probably easier to just run Retail and Beta to compare.
EDIT 2: Not much of a difference using Deviant Art to embed pictures here; the difference is more apparent on Deviant Art itself so here are the links.
https://ev666il.deviantart.com/art/Catmull-720514646
https://ev666il.deviantart.com/art/Bilinear-720514790
https://ev666il.deviantart.com/art/Nearestneighbor-720514666
The issue with highlighted by @BelegCuthalion 's screenshot appeared with v2.0, when Catmull-Rom was ditched in favor of bilinear filtering. The issue with blurry backgrounds also appeared at the same time, so I took for granted it was related; it is certainly possible that it isn't. Both should be fixed, and I believe an option to get Catmull-Rom back would be welcome by most.
I don't appear to be generating any.
Now my crashes appear to be happening trying to join other peoples games. I don't appear to crash when I'm hosting... Is this important to state? Do the hosts only make crash dumps?
I have been playing using the client, and they generate numbers to state when crashing. I have redmined these, but I don't know how useful they are. (I get asked for more info and the crash dumps.. Yet as I have said... I haven't got those...)
I have unchecked bitdefender from protecting my document files just in case, but it usually states if something is trying to do something first... It isn't in this case.
Multiplayer is buggy... I want to help fix it.