Remove (or improve) Darker Nights Addition [+Poll]

[Xoza]

The "[Visuals] Nights are now darker" modification that was recently implemented need some rework and improvement. While I respect the goal to create a slightly better environment in various area, it doesn't really do what I believe the goal should be. In design there are some refinement tools where you can sharpen and darken, dark colors while lightning and improving light colors, in addition with adding sharpening to still be able to see edges and lighting falloff and bounce.

Right now the visual, only looks like a #% filter over your entire screen and it unnaturally darkens everything including lights. It feels like you're just using a screen that doesn't have good balance in colors. With this modification, everything is equally foggy, lights are severely dim, unrealistic and show now improvement in lighting dark area.

I do really like the idea of making nights darker, but lighting should make a larger difference, since it is darker.

• Let's see if we can find a better light/dark modification, that does both improve and sharpen darks, and increase lighting and refraction.

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With the darker nights, interiors are additionally impacted as they physically reside in the far north. Interiors were designed with Midnight in mind and it looks like 'someone installed fog machines' in every building without being able to better control the lighting without a huge overhaul in building and lighting literally every corner or step.

• Please remove any environment modifications to other dimensions / properties.
• Add property / dimension owners the ability to change time for that dimension.

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Below are a few samples.

 

[IAmTurtle]

+1

[Pazz]

The thing with the entire update for darker nights is that not only did it ruin interiors, before the update, players would be able to choose and use graphic overhaul mods such as NVE. This would make their nights darker than those of the average player, but that was a "disadvantage" you would willingly sign up for with the installation of the mod, and it did not at all affect the experience of other players.

Now with the forced and arguably overdone darker nights, instead of allowing players to choose to have their nights be darker, it is forced upon them and with how incredibly dark it gets it feels that the general idea of accepting a disadvantage to have your game look subjectively better is gone and was instead replaced by a forced dark night which instead encourages players to bump their brightness up significantly to be able to see half properly in interiors or to lessen the strain on the eyes when driving in the county at night.

Basically, I feel that instead of allowing players to use mods that would put themselves at a disadvantage in terms of vision during the night, we have shifted to where we will now have players bumping their brightness whether that be through in-game settings or mods to be able to see better which in turn gives them an advantage.

I honestly personally wish the change was reverted in its entirety and left alone, instead of "fixed". The cons most definitely outweigh the pros with this.

[Yputi]

+1

I haven't much to add really. I had to increase my brightness since I already played on below average brightness. This also with the consequence that "normal" light is way brighter now. However, it's still better than not being able to see anything.

Some people don't have monitors with much brightness in general, which isn't that bad if light sources still worked properly. Many people are trying to get mods to work, just to get it to an acceptable level for them while still having the right colors, which shouldn't really be a thing in my opinion as that gives adventages over others that don't do this (me being one of those that don't want to use mods).

Bumping up the brightness, for me at least, to the level that it's acceptable causes the colors to be washed out/grey which indeed gives the filter effect mentioned in the post above.

I am 100% into the idea and I still find it quite cool the way it is now, but I feel like the current implemented way is not really what it should be in my opinion.

Edited May 4, 2021 by Yputi

[Donovan]

3 hours ago, Pazz said:

The thing with the entire update for darker nights is that not only did it ruin interiors, before the update, players would be able to choose and use graphic overhaul mods such as NVE. This would make their nights darker than those of the average player, but that was a "disadvantage" you would willingly sign up for with the installation of the mod, and it did not at all affect the experience of other players.

Now with the forced and arguably overdone darker nights, instead of allowing players to choose to have their nights be darker, it is forced upon them and with how incredibly dark it gets it feels that the general idea of accepting a disadvantage to have your game look subjectively better is gone and was instead replaced by a forced dark night which instead encourages players to bump their brightness up significantly to be able to see half properly in interiors or to lessen the strain on the eyes when driving in the county at night.

Basically, I feel that instead of allowing players to use mods that would put themselves at a disadvantage in terms of vision during the night, we have shifted to where we will now have players bumping their brightness whether that be through in-game settings or mods to be able to see better which in turn gives them an advantage.

I honestly personally wish the change was reverted in its entirety and left alone, instead of "fixed". The cons most definitely outweigh the pros with this.

Agreed entirely, I am all down for RP and immersion of darker nights, but as someone who loves using NVE/and mods in general and prefers their game to look as good as it can, while also looking and feeling realistic, this update is basically just adding a layer over my screen that makes something that was already dark, darker. In the scenarios where the sun would shine over my screen, I honestly am not able to see anything on the highways, I will post few examples of the game with NVE installed.

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The biggest issue are the lights themselves, lights that are emitted from cars whether being regular or high beams, do absolutely nothing with this " darkness mod ", they basically do not work, unless we are able to get a proper mod that will make nights darker without placing a layer over the entire screen and calling it a mod.

[DjBricheta]

+1

[agent69]

+1 
I want to also highlight the way the game became. as most people run Reshade/ENB which allows them to make it as bright as daytime. Player who RP nights or have a bad PC that can't run Reshade/ENB find themselves at a disadvantage against those who basically use one slider to make it as bright as before if not even more. 
This update has created a bad in pact and allowed an advance to be gained so easily while also being undetectable. Anything you have on top of the main game such as a filter would not show on a video and players can always say my screen is brighter and so on. 
I really wish it would get improved or removed. 

[KrisBoyd]

+1

 

As much as I love the idea and feel of the new nights, this new update also unfortunately gives a significant in game advantage to those with the ability/knowledge to tweak gamma settings. I have noticed some criminals beginning to tweak these out-of-game settings giving them far better visibility in night time shootouts. 

[Ash]

I like it being darker overall, I also have 0 investment in the usage of any mods.

What I don't like however is that lights that are in the game are literally just dimmed. The perk the mods highlighted have is that they selectively change brightness as opposed to just reducing the brightness globally. Lights should still be lights, moreso when it's dark.

• Add property / dimension owners the ability to change time for that dimension.

^^^ This 1000%. Or just a straight up toggle between midday and midnight. Properties that want to be naturally darker could set it to night, those that want to use it for basically anything but a nightclub can set it to day. 

 

[Bala]

As with all things, there is probably a compromise to be had here.

I think the light situation with interiors needs to be resolved as a matter of most importance, because it renders them pretty useless. Having to direct connect to fix the lighting issue is not it.

I think the idea behind it is interesting, but it should add to the experience of playing, not take away from it.

[Cyrus Raven]

+1 pretty much everything has been said. I feel like this mod is just a brightness % that gets turned down after X hours. Something like the night mod shown above would work much better and actually make lights work instead of just making everything dark. 

Cool idea, just needs adjustment.

[Xoza]

Greetings, Poll added.

This poll does not confirm or guarantee any type of change!

I've heard a lot of opinions and ideas pertaining to the darker nights, and not only when it comes to interior properties. I've put together the new poll to actually see numbers to the ideas. If you have any additions, or wish to add to your selection, please post details below.

I would like to see it improved, but honestly I feel like it's still going to be its own kind ongoing issue. Whether that be players just using other mods to remove it and take advantage of it against others who don't have knowledge or capability to get away from it. Visual mods already exist and this has severely put a damper on things with players that don't use or haven't needed mods.

[KaetoKit]

+1 to basically everything that has been said in this thread! I also use the NaturalVision Evolved visual mod, which already has a bit of a darker look/enhanced shadows, so it’s pitch black at night to the point where I can barely see anything. Adding on to what others have said, it would also be nice for city lights/street lights to have an actual realistic effect on how dark it is. Driving into Paleto, it shouldn’t be as dark as it currently is, as there is more lighting in this area. Same with Route 68. On the other hand, forests, low-lit/abandoned areas and such might be darker than the city areas, adding another layer of realism. Also, agreeing with others above, headlights and other light sources should definitely make surroundings brighter instead of doing nothing. As to the concern of people raising gamma to get past the darkness, this is valid, and does potentially pose as an advantage, especially during fights or pursuits. 
 

The idea is great, just (IMO) needs some reworking, and if reworking/a different darkness mod isn’t possible or efficient, I believe it should be removed.

Here’s what it looks like at night for me... LOL

Edited May 12, 2021 by KaetoKit

[Osvaldon]

We're currently working to improve this lighting update and to resolve the custom property issues, thanks for the in-depth feedback.

[Puzzling]

I believe this was either changed or completely removed. Basically fixed in general

Thank you for the feedback as said above.

Locked and Archived.