Vision Change sudgestion

[DaTexican]

So it occurred to me that Arelith has these random lights in random places that make no sense. You're in a cave. Said cave is inhabited by Orcs. Orcs have darkvision. Orcs have no reason to have lights all around the caves... Are the random lights just added for player convience? If so why? I feel this kinda takes away from characters who have low-light vision or darkvision from their race. For example, Humans have derp-vision. Always have, and this is one of the big drawbacks to this common race. Is it just me or is there alot of "for player convience" lighting that makes no sense added to the server? The reason I ask is I was going to make a sudgestion to have this removed or at least removed in some of the higher lv places to make the server more realistic. You want to go kill the Bloodmoon orcs? Better be able to case (or have wands of) ultravision or be carring a torch (gives a use to torches). Else... have fun.

Thoughts?

[Mofference]

The issue with this is that the feat, item property, and subrace Darkvision doesn't do anything mechanically related to light.

At all.

So you'd have Pale Masters, RDDs, and every single Underdark race unable to actually see. Also, I'd rather not sacrifice player convenience for 'realism' when it comes to something so simple as literal vision. Roleplay it, don't make me strain my eyes even more than I already do in certain areas.

[DaTexican]

That sounds like a glitch in the code then unless NWN intended that. Is it being looked into for a fix? Also it would bring great use for the Darkvision feat and item property as you said. Just trying to make the game's immersion higher while removing some random things that make no sense. IDK.

[Faye]

Torches already have a use. They're used for brightening up dark areas, of which there are plenty. Even places with random light sources are still genuinely quite dark.

[Mofference]

It's not being looked into and if it did anything it'd likely be a client-side-only light spell. I don't really think that's a reasonable use of dev time, particularly considering the MASSIVE effort it'd take to remove all those little lights from hundreds of areas.

[The Rambling Midget]

The issue with this is that the feat, item property, and subrace Darkvision doesn't do anything mechanically related to light.

At all.

It does slightly increase the light level in very dark areas. The trouble is that it only activates when the character is in one of these very dark areas. If they're trying to view a dark area while standing in a light area, it won't do anything.

[Mofference]

I'm pretty sure that happens to every character, to some extent. The effect is so minor as to be pathetic.

[The Rambling Midget]

This is true.

[Lorkas]

The issue with this is that the feat, item property, and subrace Darkvision doesn't do anything mechanically related to light.

At all.

It does slightly increase the light level in very dark areas. The trouble is that it only activates when the character is in one of these very dark areas. If they're trying to view a dark area while standing in a light area, it won't do anything.

That's what it does when you're a dwarf or a half-orc base race. Then, darkvision actually does something (and even has a mechanical purpose: it gives +5 to spot at night).

The feat and item property don't actually add that effect to a character though: darkvision is hardcoded to only work on dwarves and half-orcs.

[Rystefn]

Torches already have a use. They're used for brightening up dark areas, of which there are plenty. Even places with random light sources are still genuinely quite dark.

Torches don't do anything the gamma slider doesn't do better.

[Someonehere123]

Torches already have a use. They're used for brightening up dark areas, of which there are plenty. Even places with random light sources are still genuinely quite dark.

Torches don't do anything the gamma slider doesn't do better.

They make your travels more atmospheric, they induce a new need. What if someone drops the torch/it goes out? Who's going to sacrifice use of their shield-arm? Etc. I always loved travelling with a torch when not on Vippin.

Or you could all have magical super-vision with gamma because you may as well make grinding as free of any realistic niggling details as possible.

[Rystefn]

Also, greensteel weapons, the hr/level 0-level spell Light, and the incredible cheapness of popping a light enchant on your gear kind of makes the torch an awful source of light from an IC perspective, too.

[Faye]

They're still cool, even with all the magickal magicks ever! Vida was Not useful At All during her stint as a non-magick caster until she took up the rear-guard/torch-bearer role.

We're all different, but personally I like the touch of old adventuring a torch can bring.

[Artos13]

For those of you that care, there are two types of torch in game too. There's the default bioware one, and then a custom one that I added ages ago that isn't quite as bright, and has a more orangey light to it than yellow. Test yer torches to find the one you like best. I want to say that the vagrants in the sewers have the custom torch, but I also think I added it to the crate/barrel loot matrix and some other critter drops as well.

As for the light being too bright, dark, not pink enough, whatever... It's a taste thing that we'll never get everyone to agree with. Go fire up BG2 and run around in the Underdark. It's not the pitch-black abyss that everyone says it should be. It's atmospheric, and it works. Arelith is lit in the same way. If its not dark enough, adjust gamma. If it's not bright enough, adjust gamma. It's a far easier solution than me going back and forth on lighting.

[The Rambling Midget]

This is why there aren't many pitch black areas.