The Darkness II demo FOV is broken (same as Dark Sector)

[Postwar]

Apparently, these are the same issues that plagued Dark Sector. Broken FOV and aspect ratios. 3D world baseline is 16:10, but 2D UI & HUD are only correct in 16:9. Everything else stretches. Resolutions above 1920x1200 do not work correctly.

Now some screenshots:








We should raid 2K forums, guys. Overwhelm them with negative feedback. Releasing a game with broken FOV in 2012 is completely inexcusable.

[Damage Inc.]

To be honest, I think you might be better off with this game on the PS3...
As the first game was only on consoles, the second game seems like they just ported it to PC too to boost sales.
And the HUD only working in 16:9 kind of indicates it EXPECTS that aspect-ratio, as on TV-screens connected to consoles at 720p.
Also, the graphics don't look so healthy. I mean, what's with the textures on the cab?...

[Postwar]

To be honest, I think you might be better off with this game on the PS3...

You're missing the point. I'm not asking for advice about which version is superior. See, the game has completely broken FOV. Personally, I want it to be fixed ASAP, or I'll turn into Jackie Estacado.

[ViciousXUSMC]

With them releasing Adam Wake on PC, makes me wish they would release The Darkness 1 on PC as well to go along with this release.

It needs multi monitor support though :D

We should definitely lobby for support, it never hurts to try.

[Damage Inc.]

[quote]To be honest, I think you might be better off with this game on the PS3...

You're missing the point. I'm not asking for advice about which version is superior. See, the game has completely broken FOV. Personally, I want it to be fixed ASAP, or I'll turn into Jackie Estacado.

You're missing mý point actually. I wasn't implying which version was better, I was agreeing it IS broken and contemplating WHY.
Also meaning, that there's probably not much they will do about it as their main platform is probably the console.
Ports tend to suck... just like I'm having issues with GTAIV, as anyone else...

Hope they can help here though.

[Amon Amarth]

Well, I can confirm that NVIDIA Surround is non existent. The only reoslution I can select is 1920x1200 it seems.

Someone's started a thread on the 2K Games forums, and the Community Manager has commented:

http://forums.2kgames.com/showthread.php?117402-Darkness-2-PC-demo-issues

[scavvenjahh]

Apparently, these are the same issues that plagued Dark Sector. Broken FOV and aspect ratios. 3D world baseline is 16:10, but 2D UI & HUD are only correct in 16:9. Everything else stretches. Resolutions above 1920x1200 do not work correctly.

Actually, that's incorrect.
In fullscreen mode, the FOV depends on your current desktop resolution's aspect ratio; so if you test 16:9 gameplay over a 16:10 desktop, the game will stretch. Change your desktop AR to 16:9 and voilà, Hor+.
Also, resolutions above 1920x1200 stricto sensu (2048x1536, 2560x1600) are supported. ;) Multi-mon however is not (the game and menus are rendered in solid black), and that's a massive bummer indeed.

The game is now in the database: http://widescreengamingforum.com/dr/darkness-ii/en

[Postwar]

[quote]Apparently, these are the same issues that plagued Dark Sector. Broken FOV and aspect ratios. 3D world baseline is 16:10, but 2D UI & HUD are only correct in 16:9. Everything else stretches. Resolutions above 1920x1200 do not work correctly.

Actually, that's incorrect.
In fullscreen mode, the FOV depends on your current desktop resolution's aspect ratio; so if you test 16:9 gameplay over a 16:10 desktop, the game will stretch. Change your desktop AR to 16:9 and voilà, Hor+.
Also, resolutions above 1920x1200 stricto sensu (2048x1536, 2560x1600) are supported. ;) Multi-mon however is not (the game and menus are rendered in solid black), and that's a massive bummer indeed.

The game is now in the database: http://widescreengamingforum.com/dr/darkness-ii/en
I've figured that out already. Still, UI and FMV stretch in non-16:9 resolutions. And that's awful.

[clippa]

Some good and bad news

The good news is that I spent some time last night and today with the demo and I've fixed the FOV.
The bad news is that it only works in the game proper, not the on-rails bits (if the full game has lots of on-rails bits and I get it, I'll have a good go at seeing if I can sort those too) and I couldn't make a user friendly and simple program for you to use to do it yourself.
So I'm going to try and post a step by step guide after tea, it should be short and simple enough but I'm crap at explaining things so bare with me :D

[Armenius]

You're missing mý point actually. I wasn't implying which version was better, I was agreeing it IS broken and contemplating WHY.
Also meaning, that there's probably not much they will do about it as their main platform is probably the console.
Ports tend to suck... just like I'm having issues with GTAIV, as anyone else...

Hope they can help here though.

If it's broken on PC then it's more than likely broken on consoles as well. A lot of console games are broken and/or implemented wrong simply because console gamers either don't notice or don't care. When it comes to small FOVs, it's less noticeable sitting 8 feet away from a 40" TV than it is sitting 2 feet from a 24" monitor. Saying it's designed for consoles is not an excuse for poor programming and implementation.

[clippa]

First of all download and install cheat engine

http://www.cheatengine.org/downloads.php

Start the darkness 2 demo and play it through until you get to the game proper (the part where you're walking around with those daemonic tentacles hanging out of your ears)



windows key or alt-tab out back to the desktop and run cheat engine

click this button at the top left (just under the "file" dropdown menu)



choose the darknessii.exe process and open it



from the "value type" drop down menu, choose "Array of bytes"



and paste this value into the box

8C 42 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 34 42 01 00 01

and click the "first scan" button



Select both the lines in the window on the left there by clicking on one, holding shift and clicking the other.



Then click the red arrow pointing to the bottom right corner there



Now in the bottom window, select both lines by clicking one, holding shift and clicking the other, and then press enter.



The fov is vertical and the default fov is 45, to change it to 68 (100 horizontal), change the "34" to "88" and click OK
So cheatengine should now look like this



go back into the darkness 2 and it should now look like this, you should actually see the fov widen as you start to play.



I don't know what FOV you all prefer, I only have one 16:9 monitor so I always go with a horizontal fov of 100. I'll put some values here but if you have any you want specifically just ask :D

Just change the "34 42" that we changed to 88 42, to the following value instead to get the different fov.
The games fov is vertical but I'm using horizontal just to save you working it out.

90 = 6C 42
120 = B2 42
150 = 02 43
170 = 23 43 (This looks as if it's as high as it goes)

To clarify, to get an horizontal fov of 150, the value would change from

8C 42 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 34 42 01 00 01
to
8C 42 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 02 43 01 00 01

Hope that wasn't too long winded. I'm sure you'd rather go through that than playing with the claustrophobic, restrictive, eye-spinning, nausea and headache inducing console style narrow fov from hell.

The reason I can't make a nice easy to use program like I did with EDF is because the game chooses a memory address at random every time it starts, it may even choose a new address at the start of each level so you'd have to minimize out and change the fov each time. Nightmare, if only devs knew what they were doing when it came to the pc platform. Hopefully if enough people badger them, they'll add a slider in the full game. I very very much doubt it though.

[dopefish]

clippa, if you're interested, I can help you out through PM or IM and show you how to get a static address (one that doesn't change each time you restart).

[clippa]

Aye man, nice one :D
Just started tinkering out of necessity and I think I've probably gotten as far as blind groping is gonna get me now so any help would be greatly appreciated.

[scavvenjahh]

I'm sure you'd rather go through that than playing with the claustrophobic, restrictive, eye-spinning, nausea and headache inducing console style narrow fov from hell.

Really ? I found the demo's FOV surprisingly appropriate. Actually your second screenie looks a wee bit too distorted for me, the original seems just right... It sure is unusual to have some of your vision blocked by tentacles, but that didn't make the FOV feel any restrictive to me. Maybe my brain is just consolifying, but it feels nothing like low-ceiling-o-vision gems Singularity and Sniper GW.

Impressive job nonetheless.

Anyway, multi-mon support would be even harder to fix, am I right ? Since all rendering just dies at any triple-screen res... :~

[Postwar]

Anyway, multi-mon support would be even harder to fix, am I right ? Since all rendering just dies at any triple-screen res... :~

I think that lack of Surround/Eyefinity was done on purpose. Just imagine how these tentacles coming out of his spine would look like on triple-screen. :)

[clippa]

@dopefish, thankyou so so much for the advice :D Will give that all a good go either tonight or tomorrow night when I get a chance :D

Really ? I found the demo's FOV surprisingly appropriate. Actually your second screenie looks a wee bit too distorted for me, the original seems just right... It sure is unusual to have some of your vision blocked by tentacles, but that didn't make the FOV feel any restrictive to me. Maybe my brain is just consolifying, but it feels nothing like low-ceiling-o-vision gems Singularity and Sniper GW.

Impressive job nonetheless.

Anyway, multi-mon support would be even harder to fix, am I right ? Since all rendering just dies at any triple-screen res... Puzzled

God yeah, felt like I was reading a book with it pressed up against my nose. Really uncomfortable. I felt sick but I was still having fun so thought it was worth trying to fix.
It's nothing to do with the tentacles, they're still there, in fact they cover the screen more as you widen the field of view, but everything gets further away and that's what makes it more comfortable. The game was designed for console players sitting at the other end of their living rooms, when they ported it to the pc, they "forgot" that pc gamers sit very close to their monitors and "forgot" to adjust the fov accordingly.

As to the distortion, I don't mind it, I just want everything pushed back until it feels comftable, and to be honest, I personally like a little bit of fisheye when playing first person games, makes the edges of the screen feel more like peripheral vision, but you don't have to go as high as I do if you find the default fov too narrow but don't want any fisheye.
Over the years I've found that a horizontal fov of 100 degrees is my preference in most games at 16:9, feels totally natural and comfortable for me. A lot of people prefer something lower like 90 or 80.

I don't know about the multi-monitor support, I've only got the one monitor, have no experience of it and don't have an extra monitor to tweak and test things so I can't help you there I'm afraid :(
Does the game not play ball at all? Just shows on one monitor no matter what?

[scavvenjahh]

The whole game (including menus) is not rendered in multi-mon. You can hear the musics and sounds but all you see is blackness.

[clippa]

all you see is blackness.

darkness, surely :D I've no idea about any of that stuff to be honest, like I say, never had more than one monitor, have you tried running it in a window?

[scavvenjahh]

I have... I get a black (darker than dark!) window and when I move it around my triple-screen desktop, I get glimpses of the game being rendered on the 16:9 central part, but only when said part is on my center screen. W.E.I.R.D.

[Amon Amarth]

Any word on a fix coming up? I know the game comes out tomorrow (7th), but thought I'd bump this thread before then.