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Thread: More Real Horizons/Istaria - Warning: Screenshot heavy

  1. #1
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    Default More Real Horizons/Istaria - Warning: Screenshot heavy

    ( Note: Screenshots are at bottom )

    Hey!
    I know some of you out there are real graphic buffs and like to see the game in a more realistic light. My friends and I did some research on the engine we found from an article Horizons/Istaria is supposedly using which in turn myself being from Older time in the game, decided to share some details with you all as players!

    I also have some screenshots, though I wish I could find a better one with the Celestial Lighting turned on, I just did it yesterday so I have yet to really get a good snapshot of it in work.
    This, I also mind you was all work for myself, since I do love realistic flairs as well, but more importantly trying to find how to get this one little detail back:
    http://membres.multimania.fr/firebra...lan/cercle.png

    The screenshot mind you is not mine! However it is perhaps on of the only screenshots I know that show the detail real shadows on the ground. This was done by /setpref displayshadowdetail 2, however such preference only now half works.

    But, back on subject!

    First off you will need a few mods. 4 of them to be exact. (You really don't need them, but I find they are really nice)
    A sky mod - Cobal
    http://community.istaria.com/forum/s...light=Horizons

    A lava mod - RuneDragon
    http://www.starfiresystems.ca/runeca...Texture_V1.rar

    A obsidian rock mod - RuneDragon
    http://www.starfiresystems.ca/runeca...Ebon_Dralk.rar

    and a water mod - RuneDragon
    http://www.starfiresystems.ca/runeca...de_texture.rar

    Now these four mods give the game a tad bit more realism and they do belong to their respective owners, as I can't mod a game to save my life.

    Next up!
    The part that everyone hates...
    You need to run the game in fullscreen mode....

    Horizons was designed for Fullscreen, it tends to handle details better this way and it makes the game far more crisper. Alt+tab does kinda work, but it can-- kinda.. crash. It is the reason most people don't use Fullscreen but do not realize what they are missing out on.

    While in fullscreen you gotta do two things:
    1) /setpref CelestialLighting True
    2) Restart the game.

    Mind you, I run the game with everything at full, but one of my friends did this last night as well and she also recognize the difference, and I don't think she has the mods I listed above.
    The game does come across much more crisp.

    The other feature I used (but I am not sure what its default setting) is this:
    /setpref useLowestLevelShader false

    -----------

    So though I did find the means to make the game more realistic, I still haven't found my rabbit. Outside there is a .sha file called realshadow, but I have no clue if that is indeed the file that controls that and where the connection is between the displayshadowdetail and to that file.
    Perhaps someone with better knowledge of such things can figure how to play connect for and make a mod for us to get real shadows back one day.

    For now.. I am done!

    -----------

    Your Typical Windowed Horizons:




    Some Mods with Horizons




    Full Screen - Celestial Lighting









  2. #2

    Default Re: More Real Horizons/Istaria - Warning: Screenshot heavy

    To each's own..

    I THINK I see the differnce with the celestial lighting (its really hard to compare unless you do the same screenie/same shot with and without the mod you're talking about - different views don't really show what the mod does or doesn't do).

    But the water/lava mods I never really felt made a huge difference for me.

    And I don't see a difference in your full mode shots from my windowed way I play the world *shrugs*.
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  3. #3

    Default Re: More Real Horizons/Istaria - Warning: Screenshot heavy

    Quote Originally Posted by neva View Post
    ( Note: Screenshots are at bottom )
    http://membres.multimania.fr/firebra...lan/cercle.png

    The screenshot mind you is not mine! However it is perhaps on of the only screenshots I know that show the detail real shadows on the ground. This was done by /setpref displayshadowdetail 2, however such preference only now half works.
    Hey, one of my very first days in Istaria on Wind shard (I took this screenshot ).
    The settings were on "real shadows" (/setpref displayshadowdetail 2), but it doesn't work anymore nowadays, you can only get a blob shadow.
    Firebrandcrest Arma: Ancient Helian Dragon | Dragon 100 / Dragon Crafter 100 / Dragon Lairshaper 100 / Dragon Crystalshaper 100 (Order) | My MODs: Zexoin's and Firebrand's Sound Emotes Pack v2.5.4.0, Alternate Dragon Bolt Casting v1.4, Old Istarian Ambiance v1.0.8.

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    Default Re: More Real Horizons/Istaria - Warning: Screenshot heavy

    Quote Originally Posted by Firebrand View Post
    Hey, one of my very first days in Istaria on Wind shard (I took this screenshot ).
    The settings were on "real shadows" (/setpref displayshadowdetail 2), but it doesn't work anymore nowadays, you can only get a blob shadow.
    Yeah I know, a friend of mind is actually looking into how to get that back since he knows computer lingo better then myself.
    He believes a feature is turned off since the realshadow.sha still exists within the folders and he is pretty sure that was the file used to create the effect.

  5. #5

    Default Re: More Real Horizons/Istaria - Warning: Screenshot heavy

    I would preferred you link to the associated pages on the blogger site rather than hotlink the downloads. Not because I don't want you to link them, in fact, I'm rather flattered, but because the sites have more pictures and information on them about the mod and how to install, etc.

    As for the water mod, you will get several appearances based on what your texture settings are, but more importantly, there are actually two outcomes based on what I assume must be graphic cards & settings there. I have the pleasure of being able to experience both, one from an intel based laptop card and the other from an ATI radeon. The intended look is the radeon's look, which is a lightly ripping, glittering, very water-like appearance. The unintended look is what the laptop provides, which seems to focus more on the ripples. That is the water you see in those pictures. I'm not fully sure how to make it all look the same, but either way it still looks slightly more real even if it can't be consistent based on how your computer is processing it.


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    Default Re: More Real Horizons/Istaria - Warning: Screenshot heavy

    Quote Originally Posted by RuneDragoon View Post
    I would preferred you link to the associated pages on the blogger site rather than hotlink the downloads. Not because I don't want you to link them, in fact, I'm rather flattered, but because the sites have more pictures and information on them about the mod and how to install, etc.

    As for the water mod, you will get several appearances based on what your texture settings are, but more importantly, there are actually two outcomes based on what I assume must be graphic cards & settings there. I have the pleasure of being able to experience both, one from an intel based laptop card and the other from an ATI radeon. The intended look is the radeon's look, which is a lightly ripping, glittering, very water-like appearance. The unintended look is what the laptop provides, which seems to focus more on the ripples. That is the water you see in those pictures. I'm not fully sure how to make it all look the same, but either way it still looks slightly more real even if it can't be consistent based on how your computer is processing it.
    Sorry about that. ^^;
    Sadly can't go in and edit the post now to make that correction or I would. -_-;

    But yeah, I noticed that from your video along time ago vs how it looked on mine, but since you explained it, it does make since. I am no computer master when it comes to code, but I do know that Intel vs ATI sees thing on a very different light at times.
    I know I am using Intel ( Duo 9000 extreme to be exact), so yay for processors and having fun with texture mapping (Though I thought Graphics cards dealt more with that).

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    Default Re: More Real Horizons/Istaria - Warning: Screenshot heavy

    By virtue of request and because in my last post above I was a bit of a dim-wit (not enough sleep can do this to you).
    These are the sites of the two wonderful modelers, where you can find the how tos, and other things they have made.

    [Also my greatest of apologize for not doing this earlier to both you RuneCast and Cobal. Hope ya'll are a understanding sort.]

    RuneCast: http://runecasting.blogspot.com/

    Cobal: His stuff can be located all over the forums (I don't believe he has a site from what I could see).

  8. #8

    Default Re: More Real Horizons/Istaria - Warning: Screenshot heavy

    Just a wee headsup about that lower horizon mod of mine.
    It was intended as a proof of concept to accompany a suggestion and as such I didnt stick in any more time then needed to get low horizon screenshots going.
    Whenever you switch between environments (you move from blight to normal for example) you will see hugely ugly effects in the sky that will definitely break immersion for that moment.

    Ever since I made that mod new tools became available/known to the community.
    With the available tools someone could change the UV mapping on the sky domes and the dome model to better play with horizon height.
    Doing it like this, on the model instead of via a quick 'n dirty method like I did, should give a better effect and would give a far smaller hit on performance.
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    Default Re: More Real Horizons/Istaria - Warning: Screenshot heavy

    May I ask a question...

    In your fourth screenshot, how did you get the names above the Copper and tin veins? That would make my mining much easier

  10. #10

    Default Re: More Real Horizons/Istaria - Warning: Screenshot heavy

    Quote Originally Posted by Tarida View Post
    May I ask a question...

    In your fourth screenshot, how did you get the names above the Copper and tin veins? That would make my mining much easier
    That's an old mod by Transam (I think). Not sure if he is still active, but Crimson Dawn has it stashed on their guild website, for sure. Try downloading it from here http://www.crimson-dawn.org/download...ources_Mod.rar

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    Default Re: More Real Horizons/Istaria - Warning: Screenshot heavy

    Quote Originally Posted by Tarida View Post
    May I ask a question...

    In your fourth screenshot, how did you get the names above the Copper and tin veins? That would make my mining much easier
    As Rad said, its an older mod and can be locked at the link he gave above this.
    It does list a good deal of the resources with names, but not /all/ of them. I think it doesn't list like the flax plants or the shrooms for bipeds. It does list the ginger plants however..

    Probably needs to be updated by someone, that and if your flying pretty high up, you wont see the text.

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    Default Re: More Real Horizons/Istaria - Warning: Screenshot heavy

    Thanks for the link, but actually, I don't know how to install it since it's not a zipped folder .. could you explain, please?

  13. #13

    Default Re: More Real Horizons/Istaria - Warning: Screenshot heavy

    RAR is an archive file format like ZIP. Use 7-Zip.
    "Ohoh...someone is actually trying to sell something, I see an attunement coming. LOL" - Teto Frum


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    Default Re: More Real Horizons/Istaria - Warning: Screenshot heavy

    Yay! Thanks again

  15. #15

    Default Re: More Real Horizons/Istaria - Warning: Screenshot heavy

    Quote Originally Posted by Radamanthas View Post
    That's an old mod by Transam (I think). Not sure if he is still active, but Crimson Dawn has it stashed on their guild website, for sure. Try downloading it from here http://www.crimson-dawn.org/download...ources_Mod.rar
    It was Transam's work and unfortunately he is no longer active. This is more than a double blow for me since he was a guildmate and friend .. and a most excellent source of information for me about the techo side of things that I do not really understand.

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    Default Re: More Real Horizons/Istaria - Warning: Screenshot heavy

    Oh, I have connections... and I bug him every once in a while about dragging me here and abandoning us.

    And he says, "Hiiieee. I'm in Ryzom."
    Last edited by Veruliyam; May 24th, 2010 at 12:13 AM.
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    Default Re: More Real Horizons/Istaria - Warning: Screenshot heavy

    Hiya!

    I got the water mod, but it won't show up ingame. i unzippedthe .rar file and moved its contents into my resources_override. was i supposed to do somethin different? :\

    ~Racktor

  18. #18

    Default Re: More Real Horizons/Istaria - Warning: Screenshot heavy

    You shouldn't have to do something else. However, the change it brings is light and the result may vary depending on your hardware:

    Quote Originally Posted by RuneDragoon View Post
    As for the water mod, you will get several appearances based on what your texture settings are, but more importantly, there are actually two outcomes based on what I assume must be graphic cards & settings there. I have the pleasure of being able to experience both, one from an intel based laptop card and the other from an ATI radeon. The intended look is the radeon's look, which is a lightly ripping, glittering, very water-like appearance. The unintended look is what the laptop provides, which seems to focus more on the ripples. That is the water you see in those pictures. I'm not fully sure how to make it all look the same, but either way it still looks slightly more real even if it can't be consistent based on how your computer is processing it.
    Firebrandcrest Arma: Ancient Helian Dragon | Dragon 100 / Dragon Crafter 100 / Dragon Lairshaper 100 / Dragon Crystalshaper 100 (Order) | My MODs: Zexoin's and Firebrand's Sound Emotes Pack v2.5.4.0, Alternate Dragon Bolt Casting v1.4, Old Istarian Ambiance v1.0.8.

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    Default Re: More Real Horizons/Istaria - Warning: Screenshot heavy

    Yeah, from what Rune Dragon said it depends on your hardware.
    I think I get a semi-break cause I am running a Nividia Quadro FX 1600M in my system which is a business graphics card with 4.0 Shader and DirectX 10 support.

    Though you may also want to see if you can upgrade your drivers.

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    Default Re: More Real Horizons/Istaria - Warning: Screenshot heavy

    Quote Originally Posted by Firebrand View Post
    You shouldn't have to do something else. However, the change it brings is light and the result may vary depending on your hardware:
    Ooh...i missed that part. I guesss i see the version thats meant to be, instead of just ripples

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