I'm trying to make my water less shiny. Everything I try just makes it too dark. I need to have light, non-shiny water with a slightly dark sky. I know how to edit my .fx file but all combinations I have tried make the water shiny or dark. I have tried to lighten the .tga file, but have not done anything with the specular masks and bump stuff (don't know what they do )

It may be your Water Video setting. I believe that High makes it reflect. Low just shows the texture.