Darkness, where'd the moon and stars go?

[Paper_Flower]

The new update was released this week and I feel a few things slipped by testing. I will preface this with I love this game to death. Indie stone is an awesome example of a company who does early access right and loves their community. But they can do thing that players don't like and it doesn't make someone a bad person for being upset with an update that is released.


The first issue and biggest issue I have is that night is too dark. To the point that its very unrealistic, an the very extreme of the curve. Its like they forgot the moon and stars exist and that people can see more then two inches infront of themselves even with no lights. I'm not saying put it back to what it was i'm just saying its way too dark now. I can't even sort stuff cause i can't see the boxes without being right on top of them. It is so bad I can't even forage because i can't see whats infront of me or where I am in relation to my base. I thought my game bugged with the new update with how dark it is. Also wheres the moon phases? this way the light at night changes with the moon a bit giving more variety instead of pitch dark 100% or the time. That or players agusting to the darkness after a short period of time at night? there is so much you can do to make night even more immersive then turning up the darkness too stupid levels.


Second issue is that flash lights and lighters don't seem to have gotten a boost for how long they last to off set this drastic darkness. If you aren't going to stick to a normal darkness at night make light sources last longer so we can still function or add lighter fuel containers so that we can refuel the lighters. Most people playing well established saves mostlikely just scrapped all the flashlights around them and left candles in houses they never intended to go back too.

[WillieSea]

On thing I have to add about darkness and the stars/moon. I agree that they give a LOT of light, since I grew up in a very remote area, we could see the horizon the full moon gave so much light. Second, this is very dependant on the cloud cover, since that is like putting a blanket over the moon and especially the stars. You only get the light if it is a clear night sky.

Back in the 90's, I had 'crank flashlights' that would give light, took some calories to operate, and made noise. That would be a good item to add to the game for a flashlight. It has it's positves as well as its negatives.

[Paper_Flower]

Originally posted by EnigmaGrey:

Friend of taking a much better approach? Apologies if the poster, Adam, is unrelated. it just seems very weird that we're getting the same complaint within an hour or so + the Reddit post.

https://theindiestone.com/forums/index.php?/topic/24964-the-newest-update-light-system-is-gamechanger-and-i-hate-the-indie-stone-for-it/&tab=comments#comment-277558

Already answered it on Reddit: there are already sandbox options.

Obviously with moon phases there are days and nights when the moon and the stars are not as visible or not visible at all. It is tied to the date. Just like real life.

I like your ideas for balancing flashlights.ect though. Lighters have always been quite disappointing.

Does it matter that it's on two different discussion boards? I doubt everyone who uses the subreddit uses this discussion section of steam and vice versa. I like to hear differen't opinions as it better helps understand the issue i'm having with the game. I never made a post but i did make comments on posts.

Not everyone is keen on having to restart their entire game just to change one setting. People put hardwork into their playthroughs.

Also as i said ive noticed no change in the darkness myself it seems for the most part perpetually dark. If its a bug on my end because of converting a save thats fine I would like to know that now rather then later. If the moon is set, is their a place i can find the phases so I can keep track of the differences? Because right now I'm experiencing extreme dark that is neither pleasent to play in or adds anything but frustration to even the simplest of tasks like sorting loot or foraging/checking traps. I fear to even try to figure out how interacting with a zombie at night would end.

I'm not saying the game is terrible 400 hrs and I love it. I'm sorry if my opinion is not wanted about the game unless its undying praise.

[Happy Sisyphus]

wow nice

[Paper_Flower]

Originally posted by EnigmaGrey:

Originally posted by Paper_Flower:

Does it matter that it's on two different discussion boards? I doubt everyone who uses the subreddit uses this discussion section of steam and vice versa. I like to hear differen't opinions as it better helps understand the issue i'm having with the game. I never made a post but i did make comments on posts.

Not everyone is keen on having to restart their entire game just to change one setting. People put hardwork into their playthroughs.

Also as i said ive noticed no change in the darkness myself it seems for the most part perpetually dark. If its a bug on my end because of converting a save thats fine I would like to know that now rather then later. If the moon is set, is their a place i can find the phases so I can keep track of the differences? Because right now I'm experiencing extreme dark that is neither pleasent to play in or adds anything but frustration to even the simplest of tasks like sorting loot or foraging/checking traps. I fear to even try to figure out how interacting with a zombie at night would end.

I'm not saying the game is terrible 400 hrs and I love it. I'm sorry if my opinion is not wanted about the game unless its undying praise.

I get your point and will certainly look into / ask others to check out what's going on.

You can probably work around it by creating a new sandbox game with the settings you want, then copying the map_sand.bin file over to the old save. That way you get the new night brightness settings and don't have to restart your game.

The phases should be dumped into the console that opens upw ith the game on Windows. Though this might be a server-only thing, I'm not quite sure yet.

But . . .

It's kind of important to know whether I'm been astroturfed or not. Someone trying to pretend to be other people, to try and make their problems seem more widespread or important is not an OK thing to do. It wastes the time of everyone that reads all three portals and uses that feedback to catalog and prioritize issues with the game or an update.

As to save games, PZ is an Early Access game; a living, changing thing.. Things will break and change in ways that we may not like or expect. Being a small team, there's basically no QA aside from myself, Sasha, a small pool of volunteer players, and the coders testing their additions directly. There's just no way we can gurantee that an update will not affect a playthrough and still move the game forward. Many other EA games (and released games, for tha tmatter) handle this a bit differently than TIS by not caring about save game integrity at all.

Not sure what you mean by astroturfed if you are talking about Schlami I'm not sure who that is or if your talking about your discussion with AnthropomorphicToast thats a you and them discussion. As for not having the same username its just choice of mine and frankly you don't need to know cause its not important here. I just want a civilized discussion about it without the drama taking part on the subreddit. Something lacking on both the original posters end and the commentors end. Thats my opinion on that. I will try to figure out my issue but i'm not the only one having it so I felt it needed to be discussed here as well. You may be an all seeing eye but not everyone else is and should have a say.

*edit*also if you suspected me of "astroturfing" you as you say, I do have an inbox you could have tried their before accusing me of anything.

[WillieSea]

I simply modified a few game files (shaders I think they were, it was years ago) to brighten my game a bit. But with the new 'weather' system hosing things, making them darker, I may need to do that again. If I can remember what I did. lol

[Paper_Flower]

Originally posted by WillieSea:

I simply modified a few game files (shaders I think they were, it was years ago) to brighten my game a bit. But with the new 'weather' system hosing things, making them darker, I may need to do that again. If I can remember what I did. lol

If you can figure it out let me know, I look at code and my eyes cross. I do appreciate the work coders do.

[Adam]

Originally posted by EnigmaGrey:

Friend of taking a much better approach? Apologies if the poster, Adam, is unrelated. it just seems very weird that we're getting the same complaint within an hour or so + the Reddit post.

Better approach? I attacked the game, and everyone called me a bit©h for a no reason (no harm done to any of the guy, just the for the $10 game, my God.

Originally posted by EnigmaGrey:

Already answered it on Reddit: there are already sandbox options.

Not if you have existing save for 9-10 ingame-months gameplay worth.

I love the game, but the attitude of guys defending every bit of this game is insane, they would literally kill you mother in defend of PZ. Screw 'em all.

At least give us 30.36 beta branch on Steam, so I could continue my game without grumble.

[Paper_Flower]

You know what everyone needs, a hug and smashing zombie skulls with frying pans. In the end its just a game and frankly it doesn't matter. @EnigmaGrey and @Adam

[Fast2pizza]

I like the new lighting system... I still manage to roam the nights as I am fearless af, the new lighting makes nights... fantastically pretty

On the other hand I noticed zeds react stranger in the night (my zeds are set to OP but nocturnal) so they should be hunting me but instead they are stupider and can't see in the dark lmao

[WillieSea]

I will guess the lightness might be changed in this file.

\Steam\SteamApps\common\ProjectZomboid\media\shaders\screen.frag

This is a text file and you can edit it in notepad. Of particular interest is the 'NightVisionGoggles' sections.

[Paper_Flower]

Originally posted by WillieSea:

I will guess the lightness might be changed in this file.

\Steam\SteamApps\common\ProjectZomboid\media\shaders\screen.frag

This is a text file and you can edit it in notepad. Of particular interest is the 'NightVisionGoggles' sections.

Thank you very much, I appreciate it.

[Pammie72]

Lol i have to say i can't see well not even the dang rope to climb, i just run like hell when i hear the zombies. i don't check traps at night i wait :( but i love the game even though i just bit it in a freak accident ( my parked car flipped) :D. but to not "ruffle feathers) it is dark af. i just stumble blindly into the night :D.... oh and pray :D

[martindirt]

Agreed with those, who say nights are toooo dark.
Im playin only MP, and i can see these:
Most ppls log out when night time come.
Few others stuck at their shelters, chattin, readin books, etc.
And...there are realy few ones, whos has cat eyes trait. They go out at night, and takes the advantage to raid others. The player without cat eyes (or powered light sources) dont have any chances. Aaand ppls leave the server after they seen 1-2 nights.
And we have to talk about new spawns: survive chance = 0. Or, they have to wait some time before spawn. But thats nonsense ("I want to play, i have few hours ... but i cant, cuz its nighttime on the server")

Imo devs shoud rework nights a bit.

[Herr Morlock]

It would be really cool, if there would be a thunderstorm in pitch black nights, where flashes would enlighten the surrounding for a sec and after that, pitch black again. Just imagine how tense that would be...

PS: I always take the cats eye trait when I am planning to go out regularly at night with my character. With that, you've got no problems...
I think it is some kind of realistic, that you can't do foraging in the woods, at night. Just saying.
At least apart from gathering some wood for the fireplace...

[Krieger]

My wife and i play, our pc's are next to each other, while i can still see things, hers is almost pitch black, she can't see a box in front of her, while i can still see a very dark room, she had to turn brightness up in hopes of seeing anything, you don't go out at night, at all, or you will die.
It's not just preferences at play but unchangable settings effecting ppls games.
My wifes veiwing reticule at night drops to less than a door frame width at it's maximum range, else it is a slither