The Witcher 3 - Visuals

[stexman3]

It seems like there's a disturbing lack of shadows indoor, or from non-sun sources of light.

For example, this image has obviously zero shadows drawn and it looks like an indoors environment.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/t31.0-8/11010994_1597340517176155_8334575142214432513_o.jpg

Then again, outdoors with sun shining seem to have no issues.
https://scontent-fra.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/t31.0-8/11169527_1597340563842817_3723733519383769757_o.jpg

Both pictures were released within 24 hours. Anyone explain and please tell me it's a bug/glitch/turned off feature?

It is strange because those torches should be dynamic lights that cast shadows.

No dynamic lights here:

but here dynamic lighting is fine

Maybe it was disabled or not all light sources are dynamic or maybe it's just how the lighting system works...we'll see.

 

[Avidya.454]

Any video/screenshots showing a ULTRA PC vs PS4 comparison?

 

[val.mitev]

First look at that. Almost everything cast shadow.

https://scontent-fra.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xta1/t31.0-8/11063888_1597633720480168_2495170979283673417_o.jpg

The shadow depend on 2 factor.

1. Does the light cast shadow
2. Does the object cast shadow.

In this game sun, candle fire, torch fire cast shadow. But light from signs, light from explosions does not cast shadows.

And the grass, little rocks, and some little objects does not cast shadow. But all other models, characters and etc cast shadows.

So in first picture the Igni fire killed all shadows from torch and did not cast any shadow after that. Because of that we can't see any shadow.

In second picture the sun illuminate everything and every object cast shadows except grass.

So i think it not glitch or bug. It can not be every light and object cast shadow in such big game.

That's exactly the point, if the lighting was fully dynamic, there should be a lot more shadows created by various dynamic sources, like the signs.

It seems that indoors the lighting is prebaked, because it is predictable, time of day doesn't change the lighting conditions underground, caves, some houses, but still, the dynamic shadows should be there.

I've also noticed in other various places in the footage over the last weeks, that in certain situations, there are no shadows from some characters in some cut scenes or the afore mentioned dynamic shadows. It's not a deal breaker to me, the game looks gorgeous, but it would have been a really nice detail.
Not sure if Ultra could fix anything in this case, we'll find out soon.

---------- Updated at 03:50 PM ----------

Any video/screenshots showing a ULTRA PC vs PS4 comparison?

You should wait for release then, so that there is direct footage to compare, the youtube videos are not the right way to do this and it would not be a reliable comparison.

 

[parasemic]

I think the weather effects (fog, etc) are gonna dissapoint on PS4 as they're very likely PC only features being Nvidia tech. Also water tesselation may not be on the same level. Amount and quality of assets, and texture quality should be up to PC Ultra level, as PS4 does have a huge VRAM pool to work with.

 

[mico11]

Meh. I like how it looks, going to enjoy it.

I just hope they didn't downgrade it to match consoles, but because of performance.

 

[harkinsteven]

as PS4 does have a huge VRAM pool to work with.

No they don't. PS4 only has access to about 5gb of memory and this has to be spilt across VRAM and system ram task. People seem always seem to think that this pool of memory is ONLY for VRAM task when in fact it has to store AI,Sounds,Music,game logic and what ever else the CPU has to process.

 

[SpeedRunner101]

Can we all just take a moment to comprehend how unbelievably crappy the terrain is?

No tessellation, no parallax mapping,

It is a sad day when you realize Dragon Age Inquisition looks better than his game in terms of the environment.


Lol, it should not be the responsibility of the modders to add water that REACTs or blood that EXISTS.

Pitiful..

 

[amfibiya89]

@val.mitev

The dynamic light does not mean that there must be shadow. Dynamic light mean that it is not baked. So when we move the light it illuminate different area. But the shadow can be disabled of that dynamic light.

@stexman3

I mentioned before that in that picture Igni light killed the shadows from torch light.

 

[Netero]

I think the weather effects (fog, etc) are gonna dissapoint on PS4 as they're very likely PC only features being Nvidia tech. Also water tesselation may not be on the same level. Amount and quality of assets, and texture quality should be up to PC Ultra level, as PS4 does have a huge VRAM pool to work with.

I doubt the weather effects will be any different. We already know that effects like volumetric fog have been removed. Volumetric fog would require Nvidia PhysX but it is not in the game. As for tessellation, I don't really see much (if any) in PC footage. PS4 does have a large amount of VRAM but it has to use that for lots of features that a normal graphics card wouldn't so you can't compare them like that.

 

[SpeedRunner101]

I doubt the weather effects will be any different. We already know that effects like volumetric fog have been removed. Volumetric fog would require Nvidia PhysX but it is not in the game. As for tessellation, I don't really see much (if any) in PC footage. PS4 does have a large amount of VRAM but it has to use that for lots of features that a normal graphics card wouldn't so you can't compare them like that.

Physx is in the game.....


This game is going to be EXACTLY like skyrim in terms of graphics.

Leave it to the modders to fix everything but reap the rewards because "they encourage modding" so it is technically "thanks to them"

 

[wonderboyxd]

There was never any volumeteric fog, there was aerial rendered fog. But it has not been seen in recent footage so it is probably scrapped .

 

[Netero]

Can we all just take a moment to comprehend how unbelievably crappy the terrain is?

No tessellation, no parallax mapping,

It is a sad day when you realize Dragon Age Inquisition looks better than his game in terms of the environment.


Lol, it should not be the responsibility of the modders to add water that REACTs or blood that EXISTS.

Pitiful..

This is what stands out to me the most. The terrain is as flat as a pancake. I could understand if they couldn't use displacement mapping but the fact that there doesn't even appear to be any parallax occlusion is surprising.

 

[SpeedRunner101]

There was never any volumeteric fog, there was aerial rendered fog. But it has not been seen in recent footage so it is probably scrapped .

Lol..false.

Jose said himself volumetric fog was in, but they scrapped it

 

[wonderboyxd]

Can we all just take a moment to comprehend how unbelievably crappy the terrain is?

No tessellation, no parallax mapping,

It is a sad day when you realize Dragon Age Inquisition looks better than his game in terms of the environment.


Lol, it should not be the responsibility of the modders to add water that REACTs or blood that EXISTS.

Pitiful..

Even tough i agree with you on some points, like that things shouldn't have to be fixed with mods. But i don't really like the visuals of dragon age specially not hair and skin, the only thing i have seen that is really better in dragon age is tesselation.

---------- Updated at 04:07 PM ----------

Ok then my bad, i just wan't to remember the original Nvidia video calling it aerial rendered or something of the like.

 

[Netero]

Physx is in the game.....


This game is going to be EXACTLY like skyrim in terms of graphics.

Leave it to the modders to fix everything but reap the rewards because "they encourage modding" so it is technically "thanks to them"

I know Physx is in the game. I meant to say that volumetric fog would use Physx but as the volumetric fog is no longer there it doesn't matter.

 

[wonderboyxd]

If physx is in a game can you mod in volumetric fog and other Physx stuff.

 

[SpeedRunner101]

Even tough i agree with you on some points, like that things shouldn't have to be fixed with mods. But i don't really like the visuals of dragon age specially not hair and skin, the only thing i have seen that is really better in dragon age is tesselation.

---------- Updated at 04:07 PM ----------

Ok then my bad, i just wan't to remember the original Nvidia video calling it aerial rendered or something of the like.

Yes the skin hair and characters look like they are dipped in liquid plastic.

But the environment is properly mapped, with volumetric clouds and effects

---------- Updated at 04:14 PM ----------

This is about as pitiful as Watch Dog's headlights not casting dynamic shadows.


Water doesn't react? Blood doesn't show up? Blood turned from liquid to confetti? Grounds are a bunch of flat textures and nothing more? Water looks like jelly? Interior lighting is crap?


REALLY?


This game doesn't "set the bar" for graphics. Nor does it hold back for "consoles".

The truth is that they hold it back because they expect the average PC gamer to have like a 700 series GPU or something.




The ONLY hope..the ONLY hope left is that this is all a sort of "ruse", and true Ultra settings haven't actually been shown yet.

 

[Rawls]

 

[jaakkomm]

The truth is that they hold it back because they expect the average PC gamer to have like a 700 series GPU or something.

Really? If that would be the case they could have made an option for it

 

[dragonbird]

Lol..false.

Jose said himself volumetric fog was in, but they scrapped it

No, he said volumetric clouds were in and then cut back. Volumetric fog was never in.