Night time is pitch black for me

[MA]

Before you say "it's suppose to be dark" please read. My night times are literally pitch black. I can not see a single thing besides odd reflections here and there. I know my darkness is not normal because my friends have shared screenshots of what their nighttime looks like (also streams) and it is nothing compared to mine. My monitor brightness is all the way up. Does anyone else have this issue and/or know how to help it?

[Kashra Fall]

It's quite literally suppose to be that dark. You're friends like adjusted their ingame gamma when they took their screenshots. A good amount of players are doing it.

[Uzi [OTG]]

Well since a recent patch has made the moon bigger, when the moon is out it is quite
bright in the night now.

I imagine it has to do with whatever graphic settings you are using.

I know it is fine for me but I'm using a mix of elite/high settings with some other
stuff detuned from max.

GTX970.

[MugHug]

When you move around at night do you use a torch?

I suspect it is that dark to reflect how dark it really is in a place like that at night. I notice with a clear moon things do lighten up a bit but all the same it seems realistic.

[GrandTickler]

open up console and type gamma 3 if its really too bad for u

[Diogenes]

You could also use some Flare Guns to illuminate an area.

[Uzi [OTG]]

Yah, I should have said I still have to use a torch at night depending on where I am, like
in a wooded area.
Beaches (dangerous) are pretty well lit if moon is out.

[Skull Punch]

Would you say its advanced darkness? Anyways mine is pitch black unless im on a beach then I can see a little bit. Once im in a grassy or wooded area I can't see anything except for the special effects from the towers lights.

[MugHug]

Too many city dwellers here.

Anyone remember camping out in the middle of nowhere, I mean really in the middle of nowhere?

Remember how dark it can get at night?

[sebo]

screenshot or it didn't happen.

[Писюнчик]

Made a thread for this:
http://steamcommunity.com/app/346110/discussions/0/615086038676926278/

[MA]

thanks for the replies guys. it's not so much that i mind the darkness itself, it's that i feel disadvantaged compared to other players who aren't experiencing nearly as dark of a night as i am, which makes me think there might be something wrong (or something lucky on their end)

i think the gamma suggestion might actually fix it! just waiting for night time to see the difference

[KingxCorpse]

the night is perfect how it is i just cant see the area lit up by torch i can only see the flame

[Attacca]

It depends on the night and your location as well. Fog or rain, and it can be completely pitch black. A moon out on the beach is different than a moon in the deep jungle.

[Š†ÏÇ|<|V|ÅÑ]

I hear what all you have said, but I think this is a real bug that is only seen at certain settings. I recently got a friend talked into picking this up and he is experiencing the same, or possibly worse issue than is described.

Both of us went through the optimization steps found here:
http://segmentnext.com/2015/06/10/ark-survival-evolved-tweaks-guide-to-improve-performance-and-graphics/

My game improved remarkably, his was able to run, but at lower settings than my own(mostly medium).

The problem is not as simple as it gets really dark when it's dark. I believe that it has to do with how the game renders ambient lighting when the sun source is taken out of the picture. His game is literally pitch black at night, showing only the overlays and player/dino tags. However, we can also go to a cave I found where, after proceeding just around the first corner, it is if a switch was flipped and all goes black. Torches, campfires, and forge fires do nothing to help. However, supply drops can be seen from a moderate range of like 40 or so in game feet.

I think this implies that the shader system is not reflecting/recasting ambient light from some sources. I think that the obelisk must use its own light emitters, as opposed to reflecting light, allowing him to see them. However, his case extends to torchlight as well (not being visible), which is odd, since they also give off light and he can see them in the day. I think in the day time, the sun source is reflected properly, or handled differently, so it allows him to see until that source is 'blocked' out or occluded from the rendering calls, when it immediately goes pitch black.

So, our plan is to tinker with the settings pertaining to lighting and shaders. If I get any good news, I'll post back.

[Sava]

Depending on where you are, moonlight may or may not be shining on you. The moonlight is the only source of natural light in the game at night so if it's obstructed by something, you'll get these pitch black nights. It is supposed to be that way.