Suggestion: Gamma fix mod

[Dark Reality]

By now I'm sure we all know about the gamma problem in DX. DX uses gamma (a display setting, like brightness or contrast) to brighten the game, and when it crashes, the gamma settings are locked in and your Windows desktop looks bleached, washed out, and there's no way to fix it short of restarting the computer.

I've also heard that you can load DX, crank the gamma down manually, and force it to close via the task manager. But then you've gotta go back in and change the gamma back.

So I got to thinking: Shifter, TNM, HDTP, Hotel Carone, and others are really cool and all, but after nine years I would have thought someone would have written a mod that adds a "Gamma fix" .exe to the Deus Ex folder (and Start Menu folder) which would 1) alter the gamma setting in the .ini file, 2) launch the game, 3) initiate a crash, and 4) set the gamma back in the .ini - assuming that hack works. And if it doesn't - something that would fix the gamma without a restart.

And with a lot of modders hanging out here, I thought I'd suggest it. It seems to me it wouldn't be nearly as complex as TNM, or even Shifter perhaps.

[Jim]

That gamma thing is indeed irritating. There's no need to go to that much trouble, because I can just write a tiny little app that resets gamma instantly. Although it would be nice if there was a more elegant solution.. so I'll think about it and write something, and maybe I can convince jonas to include it in the patch if I finish it before it comes out.

[Jonas]

That will have to be the next patch.

But have no worries, there will be another patch. At least one.

[Jim]

DON'T THINK I WON'T COME AFTER YOUR FAMILY, JONAS!


...because I have a delicious cake to give to them.

[Jim]

Here you go, a gamma reset app. I had fun playing around with the settings to compile it ultra ultra tiny. Only a 602 byte download!

[Dark Reality]

Holy crap. It worked. Damn, that should be included in the game or something.

May I host this on my site? I haven't updated it in a while - no mention of TNM. I was going to do it, and then I was going to wait for the 1.0.1 patch - I didn't want to endorse it with all the random crashes, but rather was looking forward to being able to recommend it as stable.

Without wanting to spam (I don't even run AdSense, let alone the annoying ads, or any kind of ads), here's my site, so you can see what I'm trying to do: pretty much a simple site about the game, with a few original articles.

[Kee715]

Here you go, a gamma reset app. I had fun playing around with the settings to compile it ultra ultra tiny. Only a 602 byte download!

Thank you kind sir, and may you have a good day!

(I like using "Old" English, protonostalgia is to blame...)

Without wanting to spam (I don't even run AdSense, let alone the annoying ads, or any kind of ads), here's my site, so you can see what I'm trying to do: pretty much a simple site about the game, with a few original articles.

What is this about ads? I never have to see any of those annoying ads EVER.

Firefox + Adblock Plus + Noscript = 73|-| |7\/\/|\| (The pawn)

[JC12]

Here you go, a gamma reset app. I had fun playing around with the settings to compile it ultra ultra tiny. Only a 602 byte download!

Awesome fix, but would it not be possible to make TNM (or DX) execute the .exe on exit?
(I wouldn't know if it's possible at all, just thinking aloud)

[Scale]

Here you go, a gamma reset app. I had fun playing around with the settings to compile it ultra ultra tiny. Only a 602 byte download!

Awesome fix, but would it not be possible to make TNM (or DX) execute the .exe on exit?
(I wouldn't know if it's possible at all, just thinking aloud)

Not if it crashes (unless it can be done in the exception handler but i don't know if the SDK allows such things)

[Dark Reality]

What is this about ads? I never have to see any of those annoying ads EVER.

Firefox + Adblock Plus + Noscript = 73|-| |7\/\/|\| (The pawn)

Ditto for me, but I don't use NoScript. It's a good idea but overkill and I've never had a use for it. Yeah, I hate ads... I put AdSense on my blog, and a year later hadn't made a dime on it, so I took it off. Advertising is the biggest scam on the Net. You basically can get paid to harass people, paid well if you're good at it. They're starting to make some of it (mostly spam email) illegal, which is a good start, but it's not enough. Until more gets done... Firefox and Adblock Plus FTW!

Awesome fix, but would it not be possible to make TNM (or DX) execute the .exe on exit?
(I wouldn't know if it's possible at all, just thinking aloud)

It does. It resets the gamma upon exit. When it crashes, it doesn't get to do all the neat things it does when it exits normally. Hence the term crash.

What might be able to be done, however, is a launcher for DX. The launcher sits in your system tray, and maybe it can have some cute functions like connecting you to this forum or the GameFAQs board for DX or other places of interest, but its main function would be to launch DX and/or TNM or whatever other mods you have. (Ideally such a thing would do deusex.u/.int swapping, so as to switch between Shifter, Smoke's Mod, and vanilla DX on the fly.) While the game runs, the launcher could keep an eye on what the game is doing, possibly back up saves, or assign a global hotkey to take screen shots and/or record video, and if it detects a crash, it could fix the gamma for you.

[DDL]

Is it worth pointing out that this isn't a universal problem? This only actually happens to a (I assume) small percentage of DX players, so don't get too carried away with crazy autolaunchers and the like..

[Shadowtruth]

Everyone with a nvidia card? (not sure, but I believe it didn't happen on my old radeon)

[odawali]

Nvidia + OpenGL Renderer I think. I recently switched to the DX9 renderer because of the gamma problem, but I might just switch back to try this new tool out

[JC12]

Awesome fix, but would it not be possible to make TNM (or DX) execute the .exe on exit?
(I wouldn't know if it's possible at all, just thinking aloud)

It does. It resets the gamma upon exit. When it crashes, it doesn't get to do all the neat things it does when it exits normally. Hence the term crash.

Ye sorry, I meant run the program when it crashes (But then I guess it'd have to be on actual exit aswell).

I'm not bothered if it doesn't since I have the fix next to TNM.exe on my desktop.

[Dark Reality]

Everyone with a nvidia card? (not sure, but I believe it didn't happen on my old radeon)

Really? I always thought it was a universal problem. I've never used anything but an nVidia card, but since I've gotten less serious about PC gaming (thanks to an Xbox 360), next computer I build (whenever that is) might have something other than nVidia. I really don't play new PC games anyway.

Nvidia + OpenGL Renderer I think. I recently switched to the DX9 renderer because of the gamma problem, but I might just switch back to try this new tool out

Care to link to that? I've heard it mentioned, it might be worth trying out.

[...] I have the fix next to TNM.exe on my desktop.

LOL, same here. I was telling my wife about it... "Double-click on My Computer, G drive, Archived Games, Deus Ex, double-click on... ah hell I'll just put a shortcut on the desktop by DX and TNM. Double click on that." Of course if it crashes I'm not gonna leave it like that for her to bother with it, I'll clean up my own mess, but I guess the supposition is that one day she'll give TNM a try. She tried DX on Easy and got killed in short order on Liberty Island and hasn't tried it since. (But when it comes to Rock Band, she'll kill me every time. Anyone know what the Endless Setlist is? She's a Platinum Vocalist.)