Support NeoGAF

[cyress8]

This is an example of a game(Alien Isolation) where people say they like it. I don't get it, but you can see what the effect is and how it ruins clarity at least:

Looks blurry, but with jaggies.

Main reason I dislike it because I subconsciously squint because I'm trying to focus on the details of the screen. My mind is trying its best to make out the letters on the keyboard, but nope, CA said "Fuck you! Have some red and blue blur."

 

[Summer Haze]

As much as I despise CA, I actually think it was used really well in The Order, but that's because it made complete sense. The devs were aiming for that 'filmic' look, and it was used very subtly.

These devs are just throwing it on top of their games without any regard for whether or not it suits their title, or without any ounce of subtlety whatsoever.

It's use in games like Alien: Isolation and Dying Light baffles me also. Those games are first person...I'm playing as a person with eyes...human vision doesn't have CA, so why the fuck am I seeing it?

 

[Ishida]

Only the first screenshot looks a little blurry to me. All the others look great.

 

[hitgirl]

When playing Bloodborne I had to check if my TV was trying to display a 3D image.

 

[Gentleman Jack]

This is an example where the effect is used properly imo. The point is to achieve a sort of 80's film like quality, not necessarily to be crisp 20/20. I think it works. But yea, I get your point.

If it hurts my eyes when it's 'used properly' then I want it to be completely optional across the board. It doesn't add anything of value to my experience of a game's visuals.

 

[Phreakuency]

It's Christmas every day of the year in Yharnam.

(while moving the camera, the red/blue sections flicker rapidly).

Perfect description, perfect example. It is FUCKED in Bloodborne and needs to be an option to toggle.

When playing Bloodborne I had to check if my TV was trying to display a 3D image.

Exactly the same here.

 

[Demigod Mac]

It should only ever be used to artistically depict in-game disturbances/interference - like computer glitches, signal loss, disorientation, hallucinations, etc.

 

[DirgeExtinction]

Implementing a toggle seems like a better compromise than "don't play half of the games this generation".

Aren't there only like...10 or so games out this generation that have it?

 

[Seanspeed]

Same.

The way I see it is if you don't hate it that much, don't buy games that have it. It's as simple as that.

What if I like or want these games? I'm supposed to not buy them because of an annoying graphical effect? I'm not that petty.

I just want them to stop using it or let us turn it off. For all the complaints about sub 1080p resolutions and whatnot, I'm surprised so many people here don't seem to care about the IQ of these games being wrecked by something just as bad. Except here, there's no benefit to it. In fact, it costs *more* resources to use it.

Does that matter? It's an artistic tool if the artists want to put it into their game then that effect represents how they wanted to present their world.

You're talking about 'improving' a totally subjective thing. Like people will argue that Lens flare is a defect inherent to photographic lenses but others will say that's it's totally awesome.

And anyway:
http://www.telescope-optics.net/eye_chromatism.htm
The human eye has a lot of chromatic aberration which our brain has to correct for. So if anything it's more realistic! =D

Well yes, it does matter. As an artistic choice, its garbage. Just because somebody makes a choice doesn't mean I cant criticize it.

And no, its not realistic. As you say, our brains correct for an CA inherent in our vision, so we don't actually see it, at least not straight ahead. Its in our peripheral vision, but we cant look directly at our peripheral vision so it doesn't matter. But we *can* look to the sides of a screen.

 

[benny_a]

What if I wanted to play a game without ruined image quality though? CA in particular is such a thoughtless and borderline selfish inclusion when it causes problems for so many people.

It could very easily be fixed with pressure put on devs to make it optional. Once it's optional I don't even care if the default is on, just let me kill it so I can enjoy your game. Games shouldn't be designed to cause headaches and eyestrain.

What am I reading? You think they are sitting down to cause you headaches?

I mean at some point one has to feel absolutely silly to make up these kinds of conspiracies.

"designed to cause headaches" "force to play"

Just because you think this is annoying doesn't mean the artists need to compromise. There are a hundred different things these developers use to achieve their look and it's not realistic to expect everything to be a toggle.

And no, CA is not some elevated thing just because it has a thread on GAF that it's the most important thing in the world.

Well yes, it does matter. As an artistic choice, its garbage. Just because somebody makes a choice doesn't mean I cant criticize it..

But you aren't just criticizing it. Your thread title directly tells developers to not use something because of your whims.

 

[hitgirl]

Only the first screenshot looks a little blurry to me. All the others look great.

It looks the worse in motion.

 

[sir_kevith]

This is what it looks like to me:

Composite signals were actually the future!

 

[NinjaBoiX]

Could someone explain in a nutshell what the issue is here? I understand that concept behind the phenomenon but I really can't see it, I'm not even sure what I should be looking for.

It's one of those 'what has been seen cannot be unseen' things. But even so, the examples in the OP were mostly very subtle.

Could someone post some more obvious screenshots where this issue manifests?

The images in the OP look absolutely fine to me, I've looked long and had at all four and can't for the life of me see the issue with them.

 

[system11]

The devs were aiming for that 'filmic' look, and it was used very subtly.

Yeah but as stated earlier, films have been trying to get rid of it for years. See how much there is in any recent big screen film for example, it's almost entirely eliminated now.

Edit: can anyone with the PC rev of Dying Light do shots with it on and off? That should make the problem very, very, very obvious for anyone who isn't sure. In fact Alien Isolation would work too, a shot where there's detail all around.

 

[Spyder_Monkey]

General population aren't going to be affected by if a game has CA one way or the other. They are indifferent to it. They also bought games with ridiculous lens flares and bloom, but they didn't go "Oh shit, I'm buying Syndicate for its' eye shearing bloom!" Removing the CA would look good to consumers too. The only real affect it has on people buying games are those annoyed by it.

Also CA isn't even much dealbreaker even to those on Gaf. Look how many people have and will continue to buy Bloodborne despite of it.

 

[HeelPower]

It looks really good in BloodBorne.

The slight redness works well with the game's Blood themes where as the slight blue works well with the game's Darkness and moonlight.

Its actually kinda a perfect match for that game.

 

[Adaren]

Chromatic Aberration looks great when used properly

I think it looks amazing in Bloodborne

1. Look at a fence or other distant fine object in Bloodborne. (There are tons)
2. Turn the camera.
3. Observe the object rapidly shimmer with unnatural bright colors.

Bloodborne looks good and has a fantastic atmosphere despite CA, not because of it.

 

[Ranger X]

 

[hitgirl]

Did Demon's Souls have it? I need to go back and check. If so I have no clue how I played 400 hours of that. I need to stop Bloodborne after two hours because I have a headache.

 

[Seanspeed]

The thing is, for a dev, the ideal Image Quality is whatever they decide it is.

This thread actually makes me want to add gobs of CA to my next game.

So you're saying that developers want to have blurry, smeared, shit IQ?

I think that blows. And I would hope other people would, too. Especially when so much is made of 1080p these days and the clarity it brings.

 

[DBT85]

I don't understand adding something that people actively try and remove in other visual formats like film and photography.

 

[WarpathDC]

I literally don't see what the issue is. I mean I literally can't see what you are talking about.

 

[Dr. Black Jack]

LOL, and here I was thinking that it was my Sony XBR960's convergence going bad. No wonder I can never get modern games to look right in the corners.

 

[deeptech]

I don't know what is the deal with CA in games lately. For me, it's almost impossible to look at, why are they doing this? Do they think it's a "next-gen" effect or something? Get this shit out of our games, seriously.

Give us the option to turn it off at least.

 

[freenudemacusers]

the screens of bloodborne look beyond awful with this shit. goddamn.

 

[SeanNoonan]

Look at this mess:

Truly offensive images. All of those games look like total garbage - it's like we're stuck in the PSX era. I'm shocked and appalled that this is what is classed as passable in this day and age. I don't know if the parents are to blame or it's the times we're living in, but enough it enough.

I think the OP is sad that their avatar has poor IQ

 

[bananafactory]

So you're saying that developers want to have blurry, smeared, shit IQ?

I think that blows. And I would hope other people would, too. Especially when so much is made of 1080p these days and the clarity it brings.

Again, you can hate it all you want but a developer is entitled to do whatever they want to their game to achieve the look they desire, even if it looks like shit.

Acting like we are entitled to change their game because we don't like it is a bit silly.

 

[liliththepale]

So you're saying that developers want to have blurry, smeared, shit IQ?

I think that blows. And I would hope other people would, too. Especially when so much is made of 1080p these days and the clarity it brings.

I think devs disagree with you on what makes shit IQ. In many cases CA enhances IQ.

 

[Seanspeed]

Bloodborne looks good and has a fantastic atmoaphere despite CA, not because of it.

Exactly.

I think some people are getting a bit defensive cuz I'm criticizing Bloodborne, but I'm upset because I do think Bloodborne is lovely, but the CA is holding it back from looking as good as it should.

 

[Timu]

I agree, and it should always be optional definitely if it's overdone, I wouldn't mind it if was subtle but going overboard with it isn't for the best.

 

[Dictator93]

the screens of bloodborne look beyond awful with this shit. goddamn.

your god damn avatar. lol

And yes. Please make it optional in the games it is in.

I agree, and it should always be optional definitely if it's overdone, I wouldn't mind it if was subtle but going overboard with it isn't for the best.

The problem is, devs are not actually simulating how it actually works. It is covering ever single part of the screen in everything released so far. It is affecting every colour. It isn't subtle if it is affecting everything.

 

[Hikami]

I actually like it, making it optional should be the way to go though.

 

[Corpekata]

I think some people would play games with their heads titled at a 45 degree angle if the instruction manual told them that's how the developers wanted them to play it.

 

[IcyBlueStrawberry]

Aren't there only like...10 or so games out this generation that have it?

I don't know how many released games use the effect, but the fact that it's becoming a trend is what's irritating. Of the games that I've played so far this generation it's about 50/50, and that ratio seems to be increasing rapidly.

 

[CassidyIzABeast]

Its awful. Not even sure what its supposed to do other than making screenshots hard to look at. It can work when used in specific instances but as a filter used through the entire game? FOH

 

[Solid Samus]

If not for the film grain effect mitigating the CA a bit in Dying Light I would not be able to play that shit. And fuck removing the CA myself when that disables scads of other effects.

 

[Trago]

I couldn't tell the difference at first, but now I can't unsee it. Dammit.

What's the benefit of this effect? It doesn't look good.

 

[benny_a]

I think some people would play games with their heads titled at a 45 degree angle if the instruction manual told them that's how the developers wanted them to play it.

No, if I didn't like that I would just not play it.

And if it made me super angry and annoyed I would use a filter proxy. Save my sanity.

 

[finley83]

Did Demon's Souls have it? I need to go back and check. If so I have no clue how I played 400 hours of that. I need to stop Bloodborne after two hours because I have a headache.

No, the effect only started appearing prominently in about 2013 I think.

 

[Summer Haze]

It looks really good in BloodBorne.

The slight redness works well with the game's Blood themes where as the slight blue works well with the game's Darkness and moonlight.

Its actually kinda a perfect match for that game.

But it's more of a neon pink/red mixed with a neon green...

 

[epmode]

What's the benefit of this effect? It doesn't look good.

Shit really pops with CA. Super pops.

 

[HoodWinked]

this is the classic i didnt know what this was before but i learned a word and now im outraged when it didnt make much difference either way.

actually this is pretty much the same petty crap you see people complaining about on tumblr and twitter so i guess its no surprise it would bleed to gaming.

 

[Ziffles]

This is what it looks like to me:



Composite signals were actually the future!

Next we'll have dot crawl again, but it'll be called something like "Line Gradient Multiplexing AA"

 

[Dictator93]

No, the effect only started appearing prominently in about 2013 I think.

The funny thing is... I am pretty sure the first game to use it was Crysis 3 (which also had lens falres). But the devs said it was because you have a visor.

Ryse has no CA and no lens flares even though it is more cinematic. LOL

 

[FuturusX]

Can we have an option to turn it off? GTFO.

 

[Summer Haze]

this is the classic i didnt know what this was before but i learned a word and now im outraged when it didnt make much difference either way.

actually this is pretty much the same petty crap you see people complaining about on tumblr and twitter so i guess its no surprise it would bleed to gaming.

Speak for yourself. I didn't notice it before because it wasn't there, then suddenly games start using it out of the ass left right and center. I instantly noticed and hated that shit.

I actually like it, making it optional should be the way to go though.

 

[epmode]

this is the classic i didnt know what this was before but i learned a word and now im outraged when it didnt make much difference either way.

actually this is pretty much the same petty crap you see people complaining about on tumblr and twitter so i guess its no surprise it would bleed to gaming.

Yeah, that must be it.

Or it could be a relatively new effect (in games) that is only now becoming common in big games! I noticed it for the first time in Payday 2 which only came out 1.5 years ago.

 

[DannyDanger]

I dont see any benefits in adding it... so i have no choice but to agree with the OP

 

[Seanspeed]

Again, you can hate it all you want but a developer is entitled to do whatever they want to their game to achieve the look they desire, even if it looks like shit.

Acting like we are entitled to change their game because we don't like it is a bit silly.

They are of course entitled to do what they want. And I'm entitled to bitch and moan about it. I don't usually bitch and moan about much of anything in life, but this has been something that has been building up and I cant seem to get away from it anymore.

So I'm gonna do what plenty of other people do all the time and complain about it as loud as I can hoping to get heard. I don't expect devs will read this and all agree and say, "Huh, he's right, let's stop doing it." I'm not naïve. But if I can just raise awareness of it, maybe it can get the ball rolling a bit to where more people critique it and notice it and maybe at some point, devs will start realizing that people are hating on their game for including it and choose to opt out of using it, or again - at least start including the option to turn it off. At least LOTF and Alien Isolation do allow that and I thank them for that greatly.

I think devs disagree with you on what makes shit IQ. In many cases CA enhances IQ.

Show me an example of CA enhancing IQ in a game.

I would say it inherently hurts IQ. It introduces blur, which is anti-image quality.

 

[Nozem]

What am I looking at?

CA is basically colour bleeding at the edges right?

I can't see it in the images in the OP, like at all. Is it really subtle or something?

Same, I can't see it.