World Fog - Hiding the Game's True Beauty

[Yazu13]

EDIT: A mod that does exactly this has been released, and to splendid effect! It is called the Extended View Distance Mod on the Nexus, and its creator was actually inspired to make it by reading this very post! Dreams do come true! Here is a link below:

http://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/1672/?

Toussaint released a little while ago and took the game's visuals to a new level. It didn't hide its vistas with fog like the base game so egregiously does despite it's beauty even far in the distance. CD Projekt RED had nothing to hide, especially from PC gamers, and I can say that after using the Super Turbo Lighting Mod to eliminate the world fog that hides much of Novigrad and some very pleasing far off mountains all over the game world, I have seen the light.

Unfortunately, that light is bland and downright ugly at times; banishing the pretty orange bath of light from White Orchard to oblivion in one particularly bad case. You see, the Super Turbo Lighting mod overhauls the game's lighting system, and also eliminates the world fog for spectacular views all around the game world, but its lighting just can't compare to the consistent quality and diversity of the vanilla lighting engine. Unfortunately, you can't get one without the other, and in fact, there is no mod that eliminates world fog without messing with the game's normal lighting system.

So I ask, why hasn't anybody modded out the world fog without undertaking the tremendous endeavor of trying to outdo CD Projekt RED themselves? I've seen it done, so I know it's possible, so why oh why hasn't anybody fixed this game's one glaring visual flaw? If I may rally for support from modders and devs alike now, I think gamers would love something done about this already. If you're reading this, please find it in your heart to let The Witcher 3 bare its naked beauty in all its glory, because after I've seen what it could look like, I just can't go back.

1A.) Clear mountains using STLM 2.2 (Super Turbo Lighting Mod)
http://s33.postimg.org/qm9iuqwwf/1_Clear_Mountains.jpg

1B.) Foggy Mountains in Vanilla
http://s33.postimg.org/458vufocv/1_Foggy_Mountains.jpg

2A.) Clear Novigrad with STLM 2.2
http://s33.postimg.org/b9ddhm8en/3_Clear_Novigrad.jpg

2B.) Foggy Novigrad in Vanilla
http://s33.postimg.org/c5t5is9hr/3_Foggy_Novigrad.jpg

3A.) Pretty White Orchard in Vanilla
http://s33.postimg.org/t7icxf9cf/2_Pretty_White_Orchard.jpg

3B.) Goodbye pretty orange glow and atmosphere using STLM 2.2
http://s33.postimg.org/j9pf4rp5b/2_Goodbye_Pretty_Glow.jpg

[papalazarou]

yep i love the stlm, couldnt play without it now

[Yazu13]

But it's far from perfect, and even ruins some landscapes. I just wish someone would mod out the fog without also trying to change the entire game's lighting. It's too much of an undertaking for a single modder and these projects always end up taking away in some places where the vanilla game looks gorgeous already.

[em_t_hed]

how can you stand to look at your game with that mod going... it looks like... to put it nicely an eye sore....

you've got some halo-ing going on above the treeline in that last picture you've provided... like you don't know how to adjust a highlight/shadows feature in photoshop...

and to say 'outdo cd projekt red...' and showing these pics as an example... is an embarrassment to the people who created the mod... you're pushing something that only a few people might like vs what the game devs tried to do in being slightly neutral in presenting their game to the world as far as 'looks' are concerned.... in short... for a larger audiance...

what you want vs selling their game... and honestly... they did a damned good job visually speaking...

please... why this advertisement of this mod????

[Yazu13]

Did you even read my post? I'm not advertising this mod, I'm saying it is the only mod that I have found that gets rid of the world fog that shortens the overall game's draw distance, but it makes the lighting look terrible at times. I want a mod that gets rid of the world fog, but leaves the vanilla lighting untouched. Such a mod currently does not exist, and I think that's almost criminal with such a pretty game. Removing the world fog would do wonders for the game's visuals, and while that is my opinion, it is a widely shared one.

[em_t_hed]

yes... i read your post and it reads like an advertisement desgined for forums

which happens on a plethora of websites that boast no ads but the sec you start to read the forums.... a good 70% of the forum posts are ads...

much like radio talk shows... will work in an ad mid conversation...

don't play dumb and dont try to deny what it is...

the same way product placement works in movies and televsion shows...

please...

[Yazu13]

Clearly you are just trying to start something instead of actually hearing what I'm trying to say. Let me put it in as plain an English as I can muster: I like that STLM removes world fog, but I hate it as a lighting mod. I want a mod that removes world fog and nothing more. I provided those pictures to show what the game would look like without fog, but that last one of White Orchard was to show how terrible STLM can be as a lighting overhaul mod.

I want vanilla lighting with the removal of world fog.

[Ylion]

Originally posted by em_t_hed:

yes... i read your post and it reads like an advertisement desgined for forums

then read again, and try to comprehend what you read

to op:
you could always try to contact the guy who made the stlm mod, seems like everything necessary is already there

[Yazu13]

Originally posted by Ylion:

Originally posted by em_t_hed:

yes... i read your post and it reads like an advertisement desgined for forums

then read again, and try to comprehend what you read

to op:
you could always try to contact the guy who made the stlm mod, seems like everything necessary is already there

Unfortunately, Essenthy (The author of STLM) has stated that he will never cherry pick parts of his mod out and make them separate. It says so in the description for his mod as well. From banter on the forums on Nexus, he seems to be a rather prideful and childish person, so reasoning with him won't get you anywhere. He said that he only made the mod to please himself and just allow us to download it because of "reasons". It's baffling that people like that exist in the modding community, where caring about the community's opinions and sharing your work with fellow PC gamers are the very bedrock upon which modding exists.

[em_t_hed]

you're obviously bad at english

Toussaint released a little while ago and took the game's visuals to a new level. It didn't hide its vistas with fog like the base game so egregiously does despite it's beauty even far in the distance. CD Projekt RED had nothing to hide, especially from PC gamers, and I can say that after using the Super Turbo Lighting Mod to eliminate the world fog that hides much of Novigrad and some very pleasing far off mountains all over the game world, I have seen the light.

Unfortunately, that light is bland and downright ugly at times; banishing the pretty orange bath of light from White Orchard to oblivion in one particularly bad case. You see, the Super Turbo Lighting mod overhauls the game's lighting system, and also eliminates the world fog for spectacular views all around the game world, but its lighting just can't compare to the consistent quality and diversity of the vanilla lighting engine. Unfortunately, you can't get one without the other, and in fact, there is no mod that eliminates world fog without messing with the game's normal lighting system.

it doesn't matter how you speak about this mod good/bad...

STLM 2.2 (Super Turbo Lighting Mod)

you tell people the exact mod you're using...

IT'S AN ADVERTISEMENT!

you could have gotten through just the same without ever once saying what mod you're using!!!

IT'S AN ADVERTISEMENT!

like i said... don't play dumb... and don't try to fool people because you're only fooling yourself not calling it what it is... AN ADVERTISEMENT!!

the same stuff happens in talk show radios... good cop bad cop... they discuss the product and the hosts opinions... good/bad... but guess what.... IT'S AN ADVERTISEMENT!

[Yazu13]

Originally posted by em_t_hed:

you're obviously bad at english

Toussaint released a little while ago and took the game's visuals to a new level. It didn't hide its vistas with fog like the base game so egregiously does despite it's beauty even far in the distance. CD Projekt RED had nothing to hide, especially from PC gamers, and I can say that after using the Super Turbo Lighting Mod to eliminate the world fog that hides much of Novigrad and some very pleasing far off mountains all over the game world, I have seen the light.

Unfortunately, that light is bland and downright ugly at times; banishing the pretty orange bath of light from White Orchard to oblivion in one particularly bad case. You see, the Super Turbo Lighting mod overhauls the game's lighting system, and also eliminates the world fog for spectacular views all around the game world, but its lighting just can't compare to the consistent quality and diversity of the vanilla lighting engine. Unfortunately, you can't get one without the other, and in fact, there is no mod that eliminates world fog without messing with the game's normal lighting system.

it doesn't matter how you speak about this mod good/bad...

STLM 2.2 (Super Turbo Lighting Mod)

you tell people the exact mod you're using...

IT'S AN ADVERTISEMENT!

you could have gotten through just the same without ever once saying what mod you're using!!!

IT'S AN ADVERTISEMENT!

like i said... don't play dumb... and don't try to fool people because you're only fooling yourself not calling it what it is... AN ADVERTISEMENT!!

A wise man once said "It is hard to win an argument against a smart person, but it is almost impossible to win one against an idiot."

Good day, sir.

[em_t_hed]

you think i'm the idiot here because i keep discussing this theread with you, but truth is... im calling you out on your AD... that's all that matters

whether or not i keep bumping it...

[HadΣs]

Originally posted by em_t_hed:

you think i'm the idiot here because i keep discussing this theread with you, but truth is... im calling you out on your AD... that's all that matters

whether or not i keep bumping it...

Are you some kind of uneducated person just wandering the forums to show that off? This is a discussion, not an advertisement. Please, stop responding. You are making everyone cringe hard here.

To the OP:

I actually have to agree with you, especially on that last image. I use this mod as well, but it derives of some of the lovely colors so hardcore on that area. Yet, the clarity and sweet sharp colors it gives during the day and in the other areas I seem to be a fan of it, which is why I've kept it. As you said, unfortunately, the author does seem very selfish and non-talkative. I'm sure someone may be able to pull it off though. Try experimenting with other lightning mods (if there are any, haven't actually checked, as I've sticked with Turbo Lighting for a while). Just don't have any faith from that author though.

[Yazu13]

Originally posted by Flandre Scarlet:

Originally posted by em_t_hed:

you think i'm the idiot here because i keep discussing this theread with you, but truth is... im calling you out on your AD... that's all that matters

whether or not i keep bumping it...

Are you some kind of uneducated person just wandering the forums to show that off? This is a discussion, not an advertisement. Please, stop responding. You are making everyone cringe hard here.

To the OP:

I actually have to agree with you, especially on that last image. I use this mod as well, but it derives of some of the lovely colors so hardcore on that area. Yet, the clarity and sweet sharp colors it gives during the day and in the other areas I seem to be a fan of it, which is why I've kept it. As you said, unfortunately, the author does seem very selfish and non-talkative. I'm sure someone may be able to pull it off though. Try experimenting with other lightning mods (if there are any, haven't actually checked, as I've sticked with Turbo Lighting for a while). Just don't have any faith from that author though.

Thanks for keeping this a discussion, and yes, it is a sad state of affairs. I heard the Ultimate Lighting Mod has an option made specifically for reducing fog, though it seems the mod is notoriously hard to install and is currently out of date. Not to mention the author of that mod is also a childish boor (A running theme it seems with these modders). I like the STLM at times, I really do, but it has some very rough edges. Particularly at dusk/dawn time, the deep orange/red that the clouds get painted in is crazy intense and not very realistic or aesthetically pleasing. Other times, it takes away a lot of character in a landscape with flat lighting, as you can see in White Orchard.

After using STLM to remove the fog, I am heartbroken that I can't have those beautiful draw distances without ruining the atmosphere of the game. This should've been modding priority number 1 as soon as people started tinkering with the game's engine.

[HadΣs]

Originally posted by Yazu:

Originally posted by Flandre Scarlet:

Are you some kind of uneducated person just wandering the forums to show that off? This is a discussion, not an advertisement. Please, stop responding. You are making everyone cringe hard here.

To the OP:

I actually have to agree with you, especially on that last image. I use this mod as well, but it derives of some of the lovely colors so hardcore on that area. Yet, the clarity and sweet sharp colors it gives during the day and in the other areas I seem to be a fan of it, which is why I've kept it. As you said, unfortunately, the author does seem very selfish and non-talkative. I'm sure someone may be able to pull it off though. Try experimenting with other lightning mods (if there are any, haven't actually checked, as I've sticked with Turbo Lighting for a while). Just don't have any faith from that author though.

Thanks for keeping this a discussion, and yes, it is a sad state of affairs. I heard the Ultimate Lighting Mod has an option made specifically for reducing fog, though it seems the mod is notoriously hard to install and is currently out of date. Not to mention the author of that mod is also a childish boor (A running theme it seems with these modders). I like the STLM at times, I really do, but it has some very rough edges. Particularly at dusk/dawn time, the deep orange/red that the clouds get painted in is crazy intense and not very realistic or aesthetically pleasing. Other times, it takes away a lot of character in a landscape with flat lighting, as you can see in White Orchard.

After using STLM to remove the fog, I am heartbroken that I can't have those beautiful draw distances without ruining the atmosphere of the game. This should've been modding priority number 1 as soon as people started tinkering with the game's engine.

Interestingly enough, the author of Super Turbo Lighting Mod created a Toussaint version, and has kept the original colors of the sunsets and everything, while maintaing the crispy colors of the mod's intent. Here:

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=699995120 (With Super Turbo Lighting off)

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=702237384 (With Super Turbo Lighting On)

And here's another one with a different time of day:

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=702097658 (Off)

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=702226334 (On)

All images on the same locations, and same time. (sunsets are probably off by like a couple seconds)

So I think it's actually remotely possible to do it after all. I do wonder why he couldn't manage those vibrant colours in the original areas of the game though without that flat lighting..

[Yazu13]

Overhauling the entire lighting engine of a game like The Witcher 3 has to be a crazy amount of work. When you think about it, there's no way a single person could do the necessary quality control to change the game's lighting to look different while keeping the same level of quality and variety throughout the entire game. I believe Essenthy stated he hasn't done much to Toussaint yet, but just from the screens you've taken, I can see a noticeably larger pallette of colors at work in vanilla as opposed to his mod.

Personally, I believe Toussaint to be The Witcher 3 at its artistic and technical best, and I really don't see a need to change it much. Essenthy's original vision for STLM was to recreate the fidelity of the E3 presentation gameplay, but Toussaint is an entirely new area with new assets, lighting..........everything. Him messing with it has no point. Toussaint is already drop dead gorgeous with no glaring flaws like the base game's fog. The priorities of these modders is bonkers, and would help to exaplin why they haven't done the logical thing and simply remove the base game's fog without putting their own unnecessary touch on things.