Graphics settings and nighttime visibility

[JoRoq]

I’m looking for help to tweak my laptop/game graphics settings so I don’t feel like I’m blind during nighttime periods in the open city zones.

 

Fixed color displays (trays, target box, etc) are all fine.  The problem is the muting/shadow effect from extreme low light conditions.  Colors and details become nearly indistinguishable, to the point that I may not visually see an enemy until I am right on top of them, or see a path between buildings/walls/obstacles until I am already in it.  Primarily this happens during night in the open zones, but can happen on some maps with poor or extremely dim light sources.
 

I’ve tried tweaking different settings (like brightness and contrast), but the results end up worse if they have any affect at all, with everything washed too bright or dark, or saturated too far with a given color.

I like my color balance pretty much where it is.  So are there any specific settings that would help make nighttime periods not be worse than DA fog for visilibility?

Edited July 8, 2020 by JoRoq

[GM Tock]

Take a look at Gamma in the Graphics and Audio tab in the Options window.  See if tweaking that helps you.

[Ura Hero]

@GM Tahquitz FYI, If you are running multiple monitors, Gamma is busted.  Not much that will brighten things up except cranking up either the Windows Settings or messing with the hardware montior controls both of which break it for everything else.

Edited July 8, 2020 by Ura Hero

[GM Tock]

Right with you, there.  My assumption was his laptop was the sole display.  

[JoRoq]

I’m running two monitors.  I play full screen on my laptop, then wiki and and references on the 2nd screen.  Guess that explains why adjusting the gamma did nothing.

[GM Tock]

I withdraw my suggestion, then.  Gamma would be best handled by your display adapter driver then, but unless it's an app-specific setting, it would affect all windows.

 

[Ura Hero]

Yep, there is no way to do game specific settings for COH in the current NVIDIA control panel or in GeForce Experience.  😞   I did a LOT of digging around when I did some Dark Astoria arcs trying to be able to see the maps and found diddly squat for fixing this issue.

 

As I said, you can do it in the general windows settings or in hardware.  No good solution to this currently.

[Oubliette_Red]

Right there with you.

 

I get the whole 'immersion' thing with darkness and 'fog of war' but it's a huge eye strain for me in certain zones and maps as well.