Buildings are depressingly dark again

[larrysteele]

Some time ago, someone discovered a way to light the work and storage buildings. We had always hoped it would be temporary until the devs got around to giving us the ability to add lighting the way they gave us the ability to add lighting to homes.

It turns out it was temporary. They've "fixed" their oversight that allowed us this workaround to light our buildings. We can no longer position lanterns to light up the inside of buildings, even in ghost mode.

Ah! But the hand lantern you say! Surely, we can use those to light up buildings. No, no we can't and don't call me Shirley. Apparently these are lanterns in name only because they do not light up.

Of all the updates I've seen in the past four years, I have to admit, this is the most discouraging. Walking into a well-lit building at night was always energizing. I can't explain why, maybe it was just the way things were rendered. Now? Just depressing darkness like back in the not-so-good old days.

Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, there's nothing I can do to undo their change.

[Ookapia]

I was also hoping for the lanterns :) Nevertheless, I find the change less dramatic than the new production management. Somehow I still hope that there will be working lamps at some point.

[Morri]

Originally posted by larrysteele:

Ah! But the hand lantern you say! Surely, we can use those to light up buildings. No, no we can't and don't call me Shirley. Apparently these are lanterns in name only because they do not light up.

They do, but only when you hold them (instead of the torch).
I must admit; i was hoping they would also give light when placed down. I never used the lantern glitch to light my buildings, as I don't like using unintended features, but I sorely would like some light inside work buildings.

[🎮AliveSince1961🎮]

Somewhere Morri mentions that they removed the glitch because it was causing problems. I've used this glitch in almost every workshop and never had any problems. I wonder what kind of problems it was causing.

[larrysteele]

Originally posted by Morri:

I don't like using unintended features

I respect that. But you actually have a lot of rules you play by to make the game more challenging, rules that would not be fun for me. And while this lantern placement glitch was unintended, it gave us the opportunity to enhance our play experience in ways the devs have chosen not to up to this point. I've always presumed it's on their enhancements list (too many people have asked for it for too many years) but they set the priorities on work they take on. I just wish they'd left this glitch in for those of us to continue using until we finally get proper workplace lighting.

Thanks for the tip about use of the hand lantern. Maybe I'll give it a try next time I spin up the game. I rarely use the torch since I can see fine in the dark, but it will be interesting to see how they compare.

[simeon]

As a interim workaround / just an idea:

One could try to turn off/down SSAO (screen space ambient occlusion), as this setting draws some additional shadows inside buildings, around (object) corners, etc..
So it could help to reduce the darkness a bit, by trading in some visual quality.

[Morri]

Originally posted by 🎮AliveSince1961🎮:

Somewhere Morri mentions that they removed the glitch because it was causing problems. I've used this glitch in almost every workshop and never had any problems. I wonder what kind of problems it was causing.

I didn't say it was causing problems; i said it COULD cause problems. I don't know, maybe with the new bridges or some other stuff they have cooking they thought it safer to remove. Just guessing here.

Originally posted by larrysteele:

And while this lantern placement glitch was unintended, it gave us the opportunity to enhance our play experience in ways the devs have chosen not to up to this point.

Yes ofc, I don't blame people that wanted to use it. It looked really nice. I just wish they added a proper way to light up the buildings.

I personally would like to see some kind of larger nails that you could stick to any wall - a bit like with spears - and then hang everything that allows it from it, just like the hanging racks you can put in the houses. And then add some decorative items that you can hang; lanterns being chief among that ofc.
One can dream... :-)

[larrysteele]

Originally posted by Morri:

I said it COULD cause problems. I don't know, maybe with the new bridges or some other stuff they have cooking they thought it safer to remove. Just guessing here.

I had a slightly different thought, based solely on a hunch, that this was removed in the same way as the economics rebalancing. Many of us got around the first year economics by grinding stone knives and emptying as many vendor's purses as we could. In one standard year, we can have enough money to never have to worry as long as we grew smartly. With stone knives nerfed as much as they are, we've had to find other ways to make quick coin at the start. Stone knives weren't supposed to nullify the economics challenge, so they "fixed" that. Lanterns weren't supposed to be placed inside buildings, so they "fixed" that also. My position is that the stone knife prices allowed us to bypass an intended game challenge. The lighting glitch allowed us to increase aesthetics without affecting game play. But I think I'm beating a dead horse. I guess it's because this is my hill, much like The REAL Chris's hill is being able to pass dynasty control to his heir, sans death.

Originally posted by Morri:

I personally would like to see some kind of larger nails that you could stick to any wall - a bit like with spears - and then hang everything that allows it from it, just like the hanging racks you can put in the houses. And then add some decorative items that you can hang; lanterns [that light up please] being chief among that ofc.
One can dream... :-)

YES PLEASE!

Oh, to be a fly on the wall at Render Cube studios. Well, except for the part where I don't understand Polish.

[🎮AliveSince1961🎮]

Thanks Morri to point it out.

I doubt they'd remove it without good reason. It's purely aesthetic and has nothing to do with the mechanics of the game. So maybe it's something they find and have a problem with later.

I can understand why the intersection of two objects might create a problem, but if they're not touching, I'd like them to be as close as possible. , like a house and workshop side by side that appear to be one building, or like Ookapia who uses a roofed gateway against the wall of the house to create a firewood shed.

Even if they add lights inside the workshop, I'd still like the objects to have less space between them and the buildings.

[dr46onfusion]

Give more 'aesthetic' objects more utilities?