Widescreen Gaming Forum

I tried to reply in the Halo solution thread, but soon learned I couldn't. I believe the thread needs updating since it doesn't properly explain that when you use a widescreen resolution in HaloPC(CE), the vertical FOV is chopped. It should be listed as FOV-V, since it can't do true widescreen. (Coincidentally, those Bungie fools use the same technique with Halo 2 on Xbox - it's not true widescreen either!)

As you stated, the 3rd party FOV hack helps fix this, however it also works with update 1.07, not just 1.06.

This site and forum kicks major A! Nice job!

I say welcome in our midst Sensei, we will absorb your knowledge and benefit from it for the rest of our lives 8)

Hello and welcome nick_danger ... :D

Thanks for your info regarding Halo ...
Glad to hear that the FOV hack by Racer_S now works with update 1.07

I have now tidied up the Solution thread ... :)

Looking at the screens in the solution page, I couldn't help but notice that the arm and weapon model do a very similar thing in Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault. In Halo's case more of the gun model seems to be revealed, causing it to look a little more elongated and "stretchy".

Very similar to MOH, where the arm just seems to look skinnier b/c more of it is being revealed. For some reason, the arm elongation in Halo feels more nondescript. In both cases I think it is simply the result of the view exposing more than the developers originally intended.

Halo regular 4:3



Halo skinny



MOH: PA regular 4:3



MOH: PA skinny



All shots are courtesy of my good pal Paddy. :)

Yeah ... but doesn't it depend on what you set the FOV to ?
I think I may have gone a bit too wide in those two examples ... which gives you skinny ... :)

I think I may have gone a bit too wide in those two examples ... which gives you skinny ... :)

Yeah, if you make it wide enough, you can almost see everything on the map at once... it's trippy. Eventually, you just see a set of arms holding an incomplete gun model floating in space.

I don't know any technical terms that apply to perspective, but I would imagine that if focal point of the FOV were larger, you could cram more into the view without distorting the image as much. I forget what setting I play on, but I think it's about 103 degrees at 1280x768. It makes up for the loss of vertical FOV and provides the minimal distortion.

Having played Halo for a LONG time - even on Xbox - it took a lot of getting used to the "enhanced" FOV. You appear to get closer to objects faster - sometimes you're closer to grenades than you expect as well...

Halo's default FOV is 70; so what does that make the proper FOV settings for 16:9 and 16:10? I don't know the math to figure that out, but the pic above has obviously has the FOV set way to high. I have been using 85 for my FOV in Halo and that feels right.

I tried to reply in the Halo solution thread, but soon learned I couldn't. I believe the thread needs updating since it doesn't properly explain that when you use a widescreen resolution in HaloPC(CE), the vertical FOV is chopped. It should be listed as FOV-V, since it can't do true widescreen. (Coincidentally, those Bungie fools use the same technique with Halo 2 on Xbox - it's not true widescreen either!)

Halo 2 on the Xbox is true widescreen, it doesn't cut anything off the top or bottom but rather just adds to the sides.

I've found that there really isn't a mathematical way to calculate the proper FOV. What is enough for one game that defaults at 90 might be too much for another game that also defaults at 90. But I have found a scientific way to do it, that works on any game that supports widescreen resolutions, and has an adjustable FOV via console. Here's what I do:

Start the game at the default FOV, with a 4:3 resolution.

Find a distinguishing straight horizontal line anywhere in the level. The thinner, the better. It can be anything at all, as long as it is straight, thin, horizontal, easily distinguished from its surrounding environment, and above your head. Position yourself so that this line touches the upper edge of the screen. For an example, look at the Deus Ex screenshot. The upper border line on the Unatco sign is the line I found and used in Deus Ex.

Now change to your favorite widescreen resolution.

Do not move, or even touch the mouse. Just look at the screen. Chances are, you have lost vertical FOV, and the horizontal line is outside of your view. Now bring down the console, and fine-tune the FOV until the horizontal line is once again visible, and touching the upper edge of your monitor.

You have just found that game's proper FOV for widescreen.

Here is a link to a post showing you how to calculate your FOV ...
http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/node/

In that post

It's very much a question of taste, I'm afraid. You can use a simple equation, but whether you like that particular FOV is still subjective.

The equation is:

[FOV with 4:3 screen]/(4/3)*(16/10) = x

So, for example, a 90 degree FOV translates to:

90/(1.333)*(1.6) = 108.27

So the correct FOV for Halo at 16:10 would be about 84 ... :) ... I like it a bit wider than that ... :mrgreen:
Remebmer ...

It's very much a question of taste, I'm afraid. You can use a simple equation, but whether you like that particular FOV is still subjective.

I've seen the equation. It really doesn't work. I've seen games that default to 90 and increasing it to 108 isn't enough, and I've seen games that default to 90 and increasing it to 108 is too much. The reason for this is that different games handle the FOV value differently.

However, even if all games handled the FOV value the same, that equation is flawed. It falsely assumes that FOV is a linear value, and that you increase it 20% for it to fit a screen that is 20% wider. It does not work that way; FOV represents an angle. If you take an isosceles triangle with a vertex angle of 90 degrees and increase the angle to 108 (a 20% increase), but keep the height the same, the base will not increase by 20%.