Why does the sun lamp turn off at night?

[Gojak_v3]

So plants need a certain amount of light to grow. That's why they don't grow at night. I figured the sun lamp was put in the game so you can grow plants round the clock. But, what the hell is the point of it if it's just going to shut off at night anyway.

[ROE]

In real life plants have a day/night cycle just like people. If you expose them to 24 hours of sunlight they will never flower and most likely die.

In the game the sunlamp allows growing during the winter. I figure the dev cut it off at night to prevent express growing of food; i.e, balance.

[Edmund Greyfox]

It's not meant to be used round the clock. It's so you can grows crops inside in cold weather or during negative events that would normally kill them.

[desrtfox071]

Because plants do not grow at night regardless of available light. They are in "resting" mode.

[Gojak_v3]

So is the sun lamp just completely useless in biomes with year round growth? Obviously if yer in a biome with only like 10 days of growth you need to build greenhouses to grow plants.

[desrtfox071]

Originally posted by Gojak_v3:

So is the sun lamp just completely useless in biomes with year round growth? Obviously if yer in a biome with only like 10 days of growth you need to build greenhouses to grow plants.

Sunlamps are useful anytime you need to grow indoors. Even with year round growing cycles, you probably still want some indoor growth due to things like fallout, eclipses, fires, heat waves, cold snaps, etc.

[Edmund Greyfox]

No, because there are several events that will kill your crops if they are outdoors. It's not much of a concern in the first year, but after that it always wise to have at least one greenhouse going just in case of disaster.

[Gojak_v3]

The current biome I'm playing in literally says "permanent summer" in the lower right corner. I'm guessing that's why I'm not finding much use for it.

[Raymond]

plants don't grow at night, even if you have enough light.
Sunlamp was updated before 1.0 to turn off at night so that the player doesn't have to micromanage their sunlamp every in-game day.

[grapplehoeker]

Originally posted by Gojak_v3:

The current biome I'm playing in literally says "permanent summer" in the lower right corner. I'm guessing that's why I'm not finding much use for it.

Even in that climate, a sun lamp when used for hydroponics in an roofed chamber is the best way to survive a toxic fallout event or a volcanic winter... both events can cripple regular agriculture in any climate ;)

[gimmethegepgun]

Sunlamp allows you to use temperature control to avoid heat waves and cold snaps and preserve growth during eclipses (but loses growth during solar flares), protect against the temperature and light problems of volcanic winter, and protect your farmers from toxic fallout. It also will make plants grow somewhat faster overall than natural light, because natural light waxes and wanes at dawn and dusk whereas the sun lamp is at 100% for the entire growth period of the plant.
Also permanent summer means it's always warm enough to grow except in case of cold snaps or volcanic winter, but that doesn't mean it can't get cold enough to cause growth penalties.

[Bozobub]

Originally posted by grapplehoeker:

Originally posted by Gojak_v3:

The current biome I'm playing in literally says "permanent summer" in the lower right corner. I'm guessing that's why I'm not finding much use for it.

Even in that climate, a sun lamp when used for hydroponics in an roofed chamber is the best way to survive a toxic fallout event or a volcanic winter... both events can cripple regular agriculture in any climate ;)

There is absolutely no need to employ hydroponics (and their large component and steel cost) for this. Just make dirt-floored buildings, the size of one sunlamp each, and plant crops in them. While you don't get the fertility boost from the hydroponics, you DO get to grow *anything* this way, even trees.

[gimmethegepgun]

Originally posted by Bozobub:

There is absolutely no need to employ hydroponics (and their large component and steel cost)

And power, and total crop loss during solar flares.

[Raymond]

to be fair, hydroponic and sunlamp are both niche buildings. They are just more vitally important the harsher the biome become. In op's case, he doesn't need hydroponic at all.

[SamtheCossack]

Originally posted by Gojak_v3:

The current biome I'm playing in literally says "permanent summer" in the lower right corner. I'm guessing that's why I'm not finding much use for it.

You really don't need to bother with them unless you get a volcanic winter/Toxic Fallout something like that. At which point you need to build them ASAP so you don't starve (Especially the later will kill all animals too, so you WILL starve without sunlamps). It isn't a tool you need all the time, outdoor growing is just fine most of the time.

[pheanox]

I have issued a 3 day ban to Scharger99999 for Rule 1, no personal attacks.