The game is too dark

SiegeSiege Join Date: 2016-07-07 Member: 219769Members
Is there a particular reason why it gets pitch black at night? Is that normal? I assume that's deliberate and not a display bug.

It was a little much for the floating island. You have bioluminescent flora all around and a brightly lit moon overhead and I can't see my hand in front of my face.

It might be realistic for the depths but I don't find it particularly engaging or fun, especially considering the lack of navigation aids. The Seamoth can be upgraded with a sonar scanner but the Cyclops doesn't even have that limited workaround. The lights on the vehicles don't seem to provide much illumination, the Cyclops moreso than the Seamoth. I think the Cyclops could use a light angled down so you can see the ground better while driving. In addition you could add some extra vision modes like infrared, etc or perhaps even a heads up display on the vehicle view screens that has a terrain overlay. Perhaps you could also have fragments and other interesting pieces of loot throw off a flash of reflected light when the vehicle lights illuminate them.

I would prefer to simply increase visibility settings though. As it stands my enthusiasm for the game is greatly reduced. The point is exploration and I can't see what I'm exploring. At times I can't even tell if I'm moving or not. I have never enjoyed games with such limited visibility mechanics. I simply don't find playing blind to be an enjoyable experience.
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Comments

  • RainstormRainstorm Montreal (Quebec) Join Date: 2015-12-15 Member: 210003Members
    While its true that its very dark at night in this game, there are ways to work around this.

    You can craft a flashlight that allows you to see better
    The Seaglide also have an integrated light that you can use both inside and outside of the water
    Theres the Led Lights you can use as a portable lantern with you
    Theres the Flares that you can use in the deep sea that makes all the surrounding redd'ish and amazing
    Theres the Floodlights you can use for around seabases for better lighting (its the lightsource i use the less personally, but its there)

    I do agree that the pitch black'ness is intentionnal to give off the feeling of being alone on this planet, in the darkness and helpless .... at first, then you get all those pieces of tech to help you feel less helpless. You simply need to take advantage of them all.

    Personally, i think the level of darkness in the game is perfect and i love it. Altho i would agree that it could be too much for others and they could maybe add a way to adjust the darkness level for night maybe but in my opinion doing so would ruin the experience the Devs want us to live in their game.
  • Darwin-EvolutionDarwin-Evolution France Join Date: 2015-06-07 Member: 205310Members
    Maybe the giant planet occaisionally brightens up a bit at night. Like an anti-eclipse.
  • SiegeSiege Join Date: 2016-07-07 Member: 219769Members
    Rainstorm, they do provide a number of tools to improve visibility but many of those are situational and I'm finding them insufficient. I think the illumination they provide could use some tweaking in some cases.

    In any case my problem is that I've started exploring the world beyond the shallows and I can't see where I'm going. I can't tell if I'm moving or not. There could be fish or wreckage out there and I'd never know. I don't see how that provides for an engaging experience. There's no mapping tool so I can't track my progress or tell where I am. The Cyclops doesn't even have the sonar option the Seamoth does. I'm flying blind and I'm not enjoying it.


  • RMJRMJ Join Date: 2012-08-09 Member: 155190Members
    The problem isnt the darkness. Its the equipment. Should be be able to craft headlamp. Better lights on all the machinery, Seamoth, Cyclops etc. Night vision. yeah that works underwater as well.
  • MyrmMyrm Sweden Join Date: 2015-08-16 Member: 207210Members
    From my days in the navy; it gets pitch dark at night when in the middle of the ocean. No land based light pollution. If there is no moon it's even darker, and that's on the surface of the water, so underneath it would be nigh on impossible to see without some form of artificial light. So the darkness we see in game at night is correct.
  • MrRoarkeMrRoarke Join Date: 2016-05-16 Member: 216830Members
    edited July 2016
    I agree with both of you. Since I started playing (April 2015), they've modified and improved the lighting more than once. The big "look" update a few months ago updated the entire lighting model, and made the dark a lot darker, and drastically improved the light diffraction and absorption. The blue-shift effect is awesome and spot-on. As realistic as it is, I now venture out a lot less during the night because realistic or not, it's not fun if I can't see.

    All the lighting options like flashlights and lamps are useful to an extent, but they all take up resources and inventory. Where a flashlight or a flare takes up one inventory spot, an LED stick or floodlamp takes up three (I think), and they don't have on/off switches, and are also stationary. Stationary light sources are next to useless for exploring unless I'm in a confined space like a wreck.

    What I would like to see (and I have no idea if the game's engine is capable of rendering) is ambient light and backscatter. The moon and all the bio-luminescent life should probably provide more ambient light than they do now. The only fauna that produces an ambient glow is that little green worm you find on the bottom sometimes (unless I'm missing one, anybody?). A whole lot of the flora appears bio-luminescent but doesn't provide an ambient glow.

    For backscatter, I mean the light reflected off the main spot of light from your lamps should provide a little bit of ambient light around you. It's too easy to get a spotlight or head lamp too close to a wall and lose all peripheral vision. It should work something like this:

    DSm-Dive-fluodive-3-720x340.jpg

    Or this:

    night-13.jpg

    I know from personal experience on night dives that artificial light is absorbed by water at really close ranges. But the light gets scattered around in that close range, and provides some ambient illumination.

    Adding a light shaft to the Seamoth's headlamps (like the Cyclops and the seabase spotlight) would probably make it a lot easier to find the Seamoth in the dark, too. I lose the Seamoth's beacon and marker lights against the background of too many other beacons and general bio spots at night. Even adding a low-light glow to the cockpit would be nice.

    J




  • SiegeSiege Join Date: 2016-07-07 Member: 219769Members
    Myrm wrote: »
    From my days in the navy; it gets pitch dark at night when in the middle of the ocean. No land based light pollution. If there is no moon it's even darker, and that's on the surface of the water, so underneath it would be nigh on impossible to see without some form of artificial light. So the darkness we see in game at night is correct.

    I know it's technically correct. I'm not sure from a gameplay perspective it's the best choice. I understand if they're reluctant to increase night time visibility by increasing the ambient light but I think technological upgrades to assist visibility would be in keeping with the setting and a good compromise.
  • dealwithitdogdealwithitdog Texas Join Date: 2016-06-09 Member: 218343Members
    Siege wrote: »
    Myrm wrote: »
    From my days in the navy; it gets pitch dark at night when in the middle of the ocean. No land based light pollution. If there is no moon it's even darker, and that's on the surface of the water, so underneath it would be nigh on impossible to see without some form of artificial light. So the darkness we see in game at night is correct.

    I know it's technically correct. I'm not sure from a gameplay perspective it's the best choice. I understand if they're reluctant to increase night time visibility by increasing the ambient light but I think technological upgrades to assist visibility would be in keeping with the setting and a good compromise.

    It being dark is kinda the point. It's all a part of the "terrifying ocean" atmosphere. It being less dark would have the same affect as the Reaper making rubber ducky sounds instead of the horrifying roar it makes now.
  • ChaosKnight626ChaosKnight626 Minnesota Join Date: 2015-08-05 Member: 206783Members
    A headlamp helmet would be an interesting upgrade to have in the game, both for cave diving and exploring at night
  • AmbaireAmbaire Join Date: 2016-06-27 Member: 219206Members

    It being dark is kinda the point. It's all a part of the "terrifying ocean" atmosphere. It being less dark would have the same affect as the Reaper making rubber ducky sounds instead of the horrifying roar it makes now.

    Agreed. We already have a flashlight, but a suit mounted toggleable light would be a nice addition.
  • RalijRalij US Join Date: 2016-05-20 Member: 217092Members
    I agree on the cyclops lighting especially and giving the seamoth light beams so it can be found again without having to go around behind it to find it via silloette. A headlamp would also be neat. That said, I'm perfectly fine with the level at light at night; its actually still brighter than I have skyrim modded to be at night.
  • DagothUrDagothUr Florida Join Date: 2016-07-12 Member: 220125Members
    Turn on lightstick. Drop lightstick to test how far away the bottom is. Watch lightstick slowly vanish into the impenetrable black ink of the eternal abyss. Hear something move beneath you. Go back into seabase, curl up into fetal position and suck thumb until daylight returns.
  • EnglishInfidelEnglishInfidel Canada Join Date: 2016-07-04 Member: 219533Members
    Ralij wrote: »
    I agree on the cyclops lighting especially and giving the seamoth light beams so it can be found again without having to go around behind it to find it via silloette. A headlamp would also be neat. That said, I'm perfectly fine with the level at light at night; its actually still brighter than I have skyrim modded to be at night.

    The SeaMoth absolutely needs lights on it's exterior. I've died quite a few times because I knew the SeaMoth was very close but I couldn't find it in the dark.
  • LonnehartLonnehart Guam Join Date: 2016-06-20 Member: 218816Members
    DagothUr wrote: »
    Turn on lightstick. Drop lightstick to test how far away the bottom is. Watch lightstick slowly vanish into the impenetrable black ink of the eternal abyss. Hear something move beneath you. Go back into seabase, curl up into fetal position and suck thumb until daylight returns.

    No. I go out and hunt down whatever that is. Then I use its bones to build equipment to take down even bigger creatures. Then I keep going until there's nothing left to hunt me.

    In all seriousness, the darkness doesn't bother me at all. I just bring a spotlight or something or point the lights of whatever vehicle I'm using at any point of interest. :)
  • VincentNZVincentNZ Germany Join Date: 2016-05-31 Member: 217829Members
    I think they really need to increase the bioluminescense from the plants outside of the shallows. Right now the only real natural light sources are the creepvine seeds.

    In the deeper biomes there often are just not enough plants to increase the light, so most of your light comes from the ambient lighting which seems to be emmitted from the biome itself, like seen in the lost river and lava zone.
  • DagothUrDagothUr Florida Join Date: 2016-07-12 Member: 220125Members
    You know, that bioluminescence thing you mentioned
    VincentNZ wrote: »
    I think they really need to increase the bioluminescense from the plants outside of the shallows. Right now the only real natural light sources are the creepvine seeds.

    I think you're on to something there. Let's take it and run with it into the upcoming Science Patch/Expansion (there is an upcoming science expansion, right?) Let's make bioluminescence a genetic trait that can be learned with our DNA analyzing gizmos. Once learned you get a formula for the color and intensity of that species, be it plant or animal.

    Then we can either inject that DNA sequence into a different plant or animal and give it that same bioluminescent property itself! By the way, this would be soooo easy to code, to. No different that assigning light values to lanterns in the old Elder Scrolls Creation Kit. Three digits for color, one for intensity, and fifth for radial range. That's it, and I'm betting all those values are already in the game & attached to every glowing thing already. It's really just a copy/paste job that the player can do themselves for fun.

    But wait, let's make it better! Why copy/paste when you can screw with it even more? Take your genetic manipulation to the next level and just make up whatever values you want for your little monstrosities. Make a new breed of kelp with a color value of (255,255,255), an intensity of 255 and a radiance of 300m. Shazaam! Ouch, where's my flash goggles? Now plant a couple of those bad-bright boys outside and you'll be able to reliably find your way back to base from space.

    But wait, it gets better still! Ever notice how aquarium critter you release into the wild tend to hang out wherever you released them? Turn that to your advantage and raise a bunch of Defensive fish with intense glowing and let them loose in areas you want to explore. Ta-da, all natural, battery free flashlight hovering behind you. Turn a batch of Peepers into living light bulbs and carry them into deep caves with you in lieu of flares or light sticks. If it gets to dark just release another fish (and hope nothing eats them).

    Oh, and before anyone says, "Dude, you're insane... that's not how genetic engineering works."

    b6e70228ce28409710ed5d55cf272e4c.jpg

    Actually, that's totally how it works.


  • SkyKaptnSkyKaptn Stratosphere Join Date: 2016-07-05 Member: 219635Members
    I find that when using the cameras in the cyclops things are bright enough.
  • DagothUrDagothUr Florida Join Date: 2016-07-12 Member: 220125Members
    In latest experimental build it gets even darker. If you're out at night and below even 25m, you're not going see anything except the bio-neon unless you've got a flashlight.
  • SiegeSiege Join Date: 2016-07-07 Member: 219769Members
    DagothUr wrote: »
    In latest experimental build it gets even darker. If you're out at night and below even 25m, you're not going see anything except the bio-neon unless you've got a flashlight.

    Meh. What do I have to do? Make some underwater highways with floodlights and power transfers going everywhere.
  • CyionCyion London, ON Join Date: 2016-04-04 Member: 215334Members
    The darkness in the depths is fairly realistic.
  • SiegeSiege Join Date: 2016-07-07 Member: 219769Members
    Cyion wrote: »
    The darkness in the depths is fairly realistic.

    I know this.

    Realistic does not always equal good gameplay though.
  • dealwithitdogdealwithitdog Texas Join Date: 2016-06-09 Member: 218343Members
    Siege wrote: »
    Cyion wrote: »
    The darkness in the depths is fairly realistic.

    I know this.

    Realistic does not always equal good gameplay though.

    oh no. he said the thing. RUN!!!!
  • ToothlessToothless Uderwater Join Date: 2016-07-10 Member: 220019Members
    Found a way around this problem in my game... if it gets to dark in the game I switch on my rooms lights and get a torch to shine on the screen in the really dark spots. Only problem is then there is so much light I see bugger all on the screen anyway. :s
  • CeepsCeeps Join Date: 2005-01-23 Member: 37626Members
    Siege wrote: »
    Is there a particular reason why it gets pitch black at night? Is that normal? I assume that's deliberate and not a display bug.

    It was a little much for the floating island. You have bioluminescent flora all around and a brightly lit moon overhead and I can't see my hand in front of my face.

    It might be realistic for the depths but I don't find it particularly engaging or fun, especially considering the lack of navigation aids. The Seamoth can be upgraded with a sonar scanner but the Cyclops doesn't even have that limited workaround. The lights on the vehicles don't seem to provide much illumination, the Cyclops moreso than the Seamoth. I think the Cyclops could use a light angled down so you can see the ground better while driving. In addition you could add some extra vision modes like infrared, etc or perhaps even a heads up display on the vehicle view screens that has a terrain overlay. Perhaps you could also have fragments and other interesting pieces of loot throw off a flash of reflected light when the vehicle lights illuminate them.

    I would prefer to simply increase visibility settings though. As it stands my enthusiasm for the game is greatly reduced. The point is exploration and I can't see what I'm exploring. At times I can't even tell if I'm moving or not. I have never enjoyed games with such limited visibility mechanics. I simply don't find playing blind to be an enjoyable experience.

    >I can't see in the dark
    First I would try changing your gamma settings on the hardware side of things, on your monitor or TV. If defaults are 50/50, I like to bump my contrast up to 60 and brightness to 80 if I want to be able to better see in dark games. I have no trouble seeing on the island. If I'm playing at nightIRL, or I want a dark spooky atmosphere, I also can set brightness down to 20 and contrast up to 80.

    >Lack of navigation aids
    Beacons that you can rename
    Compass
    Pipes as landmarks

    >Reflected light
    More bounces, exponentially more calculations, lower framerates

    >Limited visibility
    As if there aren't items to help you see better in the dark, such as the flashlight, spotlights to craft all over your base, floodlights, seamoth highbeams

    >Exploration isn't fun unless you can see
    Survival/Horror wouldn't be as fun for me if it weren't for the spooky atmosphere and the risk of getting eaten by some monster lurking in the shadows
  • NorulvNorulv Norway Join Date: 2016-06-13 Member: 218528Members
    Let the darkness be. Its kinda realistic. Since as said before me, in real life its nigh pitch black/ impossible to see things when in the ocean.
    We got the tools to break apart the dark and it gives a really good atmosphere being alone in the dark trying to survive. Things also get real pretty with all the bioluminiscense going on.
    Also cant you just turn up the brightness in options? If not, well then that should be a choice.
  • DagothUrDagothUr Florida Join Date: 2016-07-12 Member: 220125Members
    Ceeps wrote: »
    First I would try changing your gamma settings on the hardware side of things, on your monitor or TV.

    While this works, it's kind of cheap and asks the question "Why is the even necessary?"
    Ceeps wrote: »
    Beacons that you can rename
    Compass
    Pipes as landmarks

    Good ideas, and I had never even considered using pipes as navigation markers before. I'll have to try that.

    Beacons still need work. They have no range or depth indicators and they can only be turned on and off manually. Suggest Devs head over to Space Engineers and steal some (but not all) of their ideas for navigation. Ideally beacons should be controllable from the HUD, and should also exist as a furniture item that can be affixed to seabases.
    Ceeps wrote: »
    More bounces, exponentially more calculations, lower framerates

    Sad but true. Still a good idea as an option for people who's systems can handle it, though.
    Ceeps wrote: »
    As if there aren't items to help you see better in the dark, such as the flashlight, spotlights to craft all over your base, floodlights, seamoth highbeams

    Very true, but unless you're in Creative Mode the power drain from running all those things in any meaningful number is going to be very high and may conk-out a solar powered base in the middle of night (which is when light is needed most).

    First suggestion: Again stealing from Space Engineers, put lights on controllable timers. It doesn't have to complicated, just a day/night/always switch will suffice. That way you're not wasting power during the daytime near the surface.

    Second suggestion: New lighting items that harness the power of bioluminescence beyond simply stuffing exterior grow beds with mushrooms and kelp. Even just a smaller, one plant sized version of that grow bed (outdoor flower pot, basically) would be a start. Expand with higher tech light-amplifying crystal covers to put around them to increase their visible radius. Extract their DNA and make purely artificial "torches" that are made from force-shaped corral; self-sustaining power free light.

    Ceeps wrote: »
    Survival/Horror wouldn't be as fun for me if it weren't for the spooky atmosphere and the risk of getting eaten by some monster lurking in the shadows

    Very true. The downside, at least here, is that due to unchanging map and fixed creature behaviors, a lot of that fear wears off very quickly once you download a map and/or memorize the workarounds to the baddies. Not sure how to fix that without making a whole new game, however.

  • JB940JB940 Join Date: 2016-07-14 Member: 220248Members
    Realism is a hard argument to use for things like these. Guns are realistic. Using a knife thousands of years in the future is unrealistic. Not being able to make huge lights that can be shot from inside the seamoth is unrealistic.

    The lights in this game are still severely lacking for exploration, but I have faith in the development team they will fix this as time goes by.

    Also, seeing 5 meters or 10 meters ahead of you are both still very scary, but one improves the playability by a lot. I think tweaking can be done for sure, but I agree the game should keep the dark atmosphere.

    As a last point: gamma/brightness was talked about. I have no idea why this game doesn't have a gamma setting yet. A game based around correct moody lightning should definitely have this. Some monitors are inherently darker or some people just prefer more/less brightness/gamma (out of the game, monitor setting), so this game just needs gamma settings. People don't have the same experiences at all. Some can't see their hands in bright daylight. Some can see miles away deep underground at night. I have both on different pc's. Think this is a very easy improvement.
  • CeepsCeeps Join Date: 2005-01-23 Member: 37626Members
    DagothUr wrote: »
    While this works, it's kind of cheap and asks the question "Why is the even necessary?"

    You have more control over changing it on your hardware than you do in game. You probably also have Nvidia or AMD settings.
  • Calarand77Calarand77 lurking in general forums Join Date: 2016-01-22 Member: 211786Members
    I can only speak for myself, but I do like the darkness. I like swimming out during the night, while sitting in a dark with headphones on, not knowing what I will encounter and when. I like getting lost, stumbling upon a glowing fish or plant all of a sudden, wandering around until dawn to find my way back... for me, it's fun, it's challenging to always be prepared food/water-wise, and most of all, it adds wonderfully to the game's atmosphere.

    That said, my guess is that with the game's release, some sort of gamma/darkness slider will be added to the options to let players decide just how creeped out they want to be...
  • RalijRalij US Join Date: 2016-05-20 Member: 217092Members
    edited July 2016
    Another thing you can do for navigational aids if you need only visuals is marking a spot with either a flare or planting a creepvine.

    Knives thousands of years in the future is perfectly realistic. Hominids have already been using knives or knife-like objects for tens of thousands 2.5 million years. They're really handy afterall.
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