Am I the only one who hates bloom
OttoDestruct
Join Date: 2002-11-08 Member: 7790Members
in Off-Topic
So yeah topic pretty much says it all. Am I the only person who looks at games coming out and vomits and how ridiculously shiny random crap is - especially stuff that has no business being shiny, glowing, sparkling, or whatever? Please tell me I'm not the only one.
Comments
Also, everything in Doom 3 was made of either leather or metal.
<img src="http://www.vgcats.com/comics/images/070119.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
I've yet to play a game(other than a certain MP beta I'm playing...) that doesn't look like crap close up. Half-Life 2 does a decent job, but the texture resolution is nothing short of too-damn-low. And at least for me, texture resolution is nearly everything.
<img src="http://www.poster.net/bloom-orlando/bloom-orlando-photo-orlando-bloom-6206802.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
I hate him too.
So SHINEY! everything that CAN shine shines the rocks, the grass, the characters, the skin of the characters, the houses etc etc. Oblivion is the biggest sinner in the shining apocalypse that is bloom...
Do you implement what IS realistic, or what is PERCEIVED as realistic?
Do you implement what IS realistic, or what is PERCEIVED as realistic?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
To which the answer is: whichever makes it more fun within the context of the game.
Bloom's great, if used well. All things in moderation, as the saying goes. Guild Wars is a good example of bloom done both right and wrong. Some areas have a little too much of it, others are fine. Bloom in and of itself isn't evil.
Bloom is like salt. Almost any food can benefit from a little salt, but you have to be careful about the dosage or you're going to end up feeling ill.
<img src="http://www.poster.net/bloom-orlando/bloom-orlando-photo-orlando-bloom-6206802.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
I hate him too.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
So did I.
And so do I. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":angry:" border="0" alt="mad-fix.gif" />
Do you implement what IS realistic, or what is PERCEIVED as realistic?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Neither. You implement whatever looks the most appealing. I've noticed that many photographs look far more visually appealing than actually being there would look. Whether or not it's a good thing that reality seems dull and drab compared to video games and film is debatable.
See, I disagree. IRL it's rare to have an environment where bloom is expected. Games seem to put some bloom into EVERYTHING though. The real world just doesn't bloom that much. In the correct circumstance, at long distances, in high dust/mist enviroments, looking into light sources directly (reflected light doesn't bloom any where near as much as it does in games unless it's reflecting off something mirrored), it's fine. However, bloom should be on the things that should bloom, it shouldn't be on the things that shouldn't.
Keep in mind that bloom in games is often to approximate HDR, which is itself designed to approximate the wide range of lighting we see in real life that can't be accurately reproduced on a computer screen. When you say bloom isn't universal, you're probably talking about <i>Oblivion</i> levels of bloom or something similar. Many if not most real life environments have a small "bloom" component to them. It's not on the Brothers in Arms/Oblivion/whatever level, though. It's closer to Team Fortress 2.
Well, that's actually how it's supposed to be. It simulates your eyes adjusting. They're adjusted for the dark, then you step into the light and it's a little overly bright until they adjust again. In my opinion the HDR in HL2 is very well done.
The other end of the spectrum is the HDR in CS:S's cs_militia, which is over the top.
Back on topic though, I like bloom so long as it is done subtley. NS2's environments, for instance, will look gorgeous with the proper level of bloom.
I know about the adjusting part, I mean I loaded up a dod level and just stood in the light street and watched as a wall just got lighter then darker over and over again like the sun was having a godamn space rave.
<img src="http://frecklescassie.files.wordpress.com/2006/09/sun_glasses_hw.gif" border="0" class="linked-image" />
In my opinion bloom is a good thing, they just need to make it less noticeable.