DayZ Community afraid of the Dark?

[neosky5k 7]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/Neosky60/dayz_zpsdedd916c.png~original

 

I was going to go through and post more, but then I started to notice a trend... it's not just the dark they are afraid of... it's time...

 

I'd say about 87% of populated maps/servers don't have a time setting...

 

Are you just afraid of the dark, or has it just become that much of a pvp game that it needs to be 24 day to play?

 

I myself adore the night time and rain and such, adds so much more to the game, but ofc I will also help someone if I feel as so... not saying I'd kill him as soon as he turns around if I felt like it...or might end up letting them go and have some nice equipment...  it's random with me...

 

but still what happened? XD  I've been playing since what 1.6 oh man those were the days of bugs, XD... but besides that, it was to dark to see in front of you, but we still played...

 

Idk I guess I'm just holding on to much to the past...

 

Will standalone have time, anyone know, or will it be hoster config as well?

[Zarniwoop 1193]

The faint of heart think its too dark at night. I mourn with you for the death of night time.

[dgeesio 1034]

more a case of server rankings and majority prefer 24/7 daylight. if you want to stay busy you use 24/7 day light .

 

i did say this early on that it shouldnt be a option and that all servers have a night time cycle then people would play it become use to it. also lack of night vision or aid to see in dark cause quite rare puts people off. i personally like it dark and adds to the atmosphere. there are some servers that have modded the dark and made it like moonlit so it still retains darkness but you can see ! this with working street lights is the best mix and should really be incoperated into the standalone . thing is it will always come back to majority and server rankings so if a daylight option is on the server then it will sadly always remain 24/7 light.

[dulix11 731]

Nah, night is just borderline unplayable without NVGs.

 

I would like to see some light from Cherno and Elektro, maybe even a moonlight system in the SA.

[-Gews- 7443]

It just so happens most people don't want to play in near total darkness...

 

When most people don't like something, servers with "something" become less populated...

 

In turn most people don't like playing on unpopulated servers... etc.

 

Unfortunate because the night can be very fun.

[Zarniwoop 1193]

there are some servers that have modded the dark and made it like moonlit so it still retains darkness but you can see ! this with working street lights is the best mix and should really be incoperated into the standalone . 

 

If (I wish) night time is as good as in ArmA3 in the SA, then there is no need for moonlight only or streetlights.

Sure I don't like that I can't see a thing at night, but I still don't like the idea of streetlights and full moon only nights. I have been out hiking in after dark (bad idea) with no moon and I can say that I could not see 1-2 feet in front of me. I sometimes even lost track of where the horizon was at, cos of clouds. IMO if SA is gonna try to have better and playable night time, it should start with a more lit up sky at night, where you can see many stars that kind of show where the horizon is at.

 

I like the night, it is a gentleman bandit's playground ;)

[-Gews- 7443]

[...] where you can see many stars that kind of show where the horizon is at.

 

 

Oh, that reminds me, with all the artificial lights gone perhaps stars could be more visible... not the Chernarus would have had much light pollution anyways. Food for thought...

 

These photos show approximately the same area of the sky; one was taken from a rural area and one was taken from outside a small city (Springfield, MA).

Edited September 17, 2013 by Gews

[DayzForumer 284]

All of the servers you showed on the picture is GMT +10 and GMT +9, no shit it's daytime?

[dgeesio 1034]

If (I wish) night time is as good as in ArmA3 in the SA, then there is no need for moonlight only or streetlights.

Sure I don't like that I can't see a thing at night, but I still don't like the idea of streetlights and full moon only nights. I have been out hiking in after dark (bad idea) with no moon and I can say that I could not see 1-2 feet in front of me. I sometimes even lost track of where the horizon was at, cos of clouds. IMO if SA is gonna try to have better and playable night time, it should start with a more lit up sky at night, where you can see many stars that kind of show where the horizon is at.

 

I like the night, it is a gentleman bandit's playground ;)

only suggested moonlit because its the only medium inbetween to be able to see and play without aid.

 

the mod itself and night is the problem. so if its not fixed in the mod you can either give everyone nightvision (not realistic) or make moonlight which is already done .so moonlit was suggested as its possible now. obviosuly a totaly redone nightime would be better but whos going to do that in arma 2 now or dayz mod ? noone. not with standalone or arma 3. it makes no sense to put that much effort into it for the mod.

[toxicsludge 406]

I don't find sitting in a room with no windows and no light source fun, why would I like to play a game that way? I don't normally play my pc with the monitor off either. Until they fix the lighting in the game, most people want to actually enjoy the experience of seeing what they're doing.

[rossums 2190]

They will have to make some tweaks to the lighting engine for night if they want people to play, most of the time it's far too dark to really do anything - it doesn't help when on a lot of servers players are starting with kit and weapons so nobody can really use flares without being shot in the face.

I hope Standalone means that players will be forced through the whole day/night cycle rather than taking the easy route with the 24/7 daylight servers.

The night is a very important aspect of gameplay and affords many players the chances to do things and go places that they otherwise might not be able to do during daylight.

[Jex 1104]

Not playing for hours and hours on a night server, If they could cycle 4 hours day, 2 hours night that would be ok. Besides, in a real zombie apocalypse, I'd be sleeping when it was dark.

[bibbish 49]

Realistic torches (flash-lights) would be good. Perhaps also the option to put a chem light in a tin can so you can angle the 'glow' further eliminating chance of being seen. 

 

With the moon and stars on quite 'high' and some points of interest being lit up would make things playable. Examples of light sources include military camps with generators with flood lights, light houses, hospital generators and lights, more burning barrels dotted around.

 

I appreciate how this is not very realistic that they'd still be working, but it would mean that players have two choices. 1. Stay in the woods/fields where the moon and stars guide you, once indoors at a small town or barn or warehouse a torch, chemlight or flare could be used briefly to help you loot. 2. Go towards the light sources I mentioned using the light to seek decent loot, even sticking to the shadows this round be risky, but it would even the odds a bit because some of the brighter lights would make NVGs useless.

 

I'm not asking for a NVG nerf here at all. They are a cherished thing. Well maybe if they used batteries that'd be good, but that's been discussed. I still think they should give a massive advantage on 80% of the map.

 

I haven't played at night-time in ages, this talk of it makes me want to.

[Jex 1104]

One tip for playing at night, if you have set all your settings to low, make sure your HDR quality is set to at least medium - helps you see WAY better.

[DoomsdayClock 34]

I totally agree with the OP, in fact was thinking about making a similar thread. I don't know why people hate on night time so much, it's still completely playable. In fact I find it to be more fun and challenging, especially on those pitch black nights where you can't see directly in front of you. It brings chemlights, flares and flashlights into play and makes it heaps riskier/more fun. It's a complete game changer. 

Also, zeds can see fuck all and it's hella easy to lose them if you do aggro them. Another handy thing is a lack of snipers and griefers at night time. 

A friend and I were playing in Elektro when it was pitch black, there were flares and chemlights being hurled everywhere and some bandit kept trying to shoot people with an AK from the firetower, but he could see shit all unless you were walking straight through a flare. It's just fun, people should give it more of a chance. I just find 24/7 daylight servers to be boring.

[SalamanderAnder (DayZ) 1747]

I agree. Server's shouldn't be able to simply nix nighttime. But also, I'd like to see a condensed day/night cycle. Night is fun, and advantageous, but a true 24 hour night day cycle is just too long for a standard play session. I want a few hours of day, a couple hours of night. That sort of thing. Also, yeah. Nights shouldn't be pitch-black unless it's cloudy. Without human light pollution, the Milky Way is bright enough that you can generally see your own shadow.

 

However, I'd just like to point out that even without the 24/7 daylight setting, servers that are going through night cycles would probably still see drops in player populations, as most would simply leave the server and find one that's daylight, or log-off and wait until day time, but to me, that seems quite accurate. In reality, most people would be sleeping at night. They'd be boarded up in houses or out camping in the woods, waiting for dawn.

[Siberian (DayZ) 527]

if i wanted tp play in utter darkness id just leave my puter off and stare at my monitor..

 

same effect.

 

NO sale on dayz nitetime.. no sale at all.

 

simply/utterly unfun to me..

[Wayze 549]

It is just really unrealistic dark in Arma 2, I could unterstand if it was that dark in forests, but open field and you can't even see yourself? No way.

[mercules 1290]

Why exactly are all you people talking about playing in the pitch black? I have heard people say things like, "Crap! Nothing but flares." or "Empty tin cans and Glow Sticks? This sucks." Yeah, it isn't like finding another clip for your gun but it isn't trash if you actually challenge yourself and play at night. A carried Blue Chemlight will let you see your immediate surroundings and won't be overtly noticeable at range. At best until close you see a blue point.Once really close it is all but impossible to miss the bright glowing person. You are at disadvantage against someone with NVGs but that makes sense since you can find blue chemlights everywhere and NVGs are pretty rare. G17 has a flashlight attached which is excellent for quick peeks when in cover like a dark interior and if you don't mind using a shotgun the Remington 870 can work like this as well. 

"But someone might be watching me with NVGs and shoot me while I skulk around." Um, yeah, that is true but that is also the point. Stick to cover so you don't get sniped, keep the engagement ranges low by sticking to crowded areas and you can whip out a flare or with the guns I mentioned above flick on the flashlight and blind those people, as long as they are close. With big towns I will sometimes throw some flares out the side of the town to attract zombies that way and also put a light barrier between me and anyone shooting into town.

 

Honestly, some of the people who won't play at night... They give you all the tools to get around at night. If you are scared of dying you shouldn't be playing DayZ.

[mercules 1290]

It is just really unrealistic dark in Arma 2, I could unterstand if it was that dark in forests, but open field and you can't even see yourself? No way.

 The only time this happens is when it is overcast with no moon, kinda like real life. 

[Dr.Duff 211]

The server my friends and I run has a night-time, set to UTC-4. Search Hatchet Reloaded. We're also busy updating to 1.8 over the weekend.

[Wayze 549]

 The only time this happens is when it is overcast with no moon, kinda like real life. 

It's just too dark, even if the moon is overcast. Not kinda like real life. And if it is cloudy in DayZ it is like everywhere. In real life there are mostly just some clouds, but also spots which let starlight through.

 

And what you forget, a human is able to feel he enviorment and adapting his eyes to the dark. Both is not possible in DayZ (although you see a bit better in dark if you've been there long enough).

Edited September 17, 2013 by Wayze

[mercules 1290]

It's just too dark, even if the moon is overcast. Not kinda like real life. And if it is cloudy in DayZ it is like everywhere. In real life there are mostly just some clouds, but also spots which let starlight through.

 

And what you forget, a human is able to feel he enviorment and adapting his eyes to the dark. Both is not possible in DayZ (although you see a bit better in dark if you've been there long enough).

 

When it is partially cloudy and stars out you can see pretty well, about what you would see in a location without much light pollution and semi cloudy skies. If the moon is out and bright, even an overcast night can have a general glow that is enough to see by. When the moon is not out, and it is overcast, which means the sky is completely covered in clouds, it is black and dark where there is no light pollution. 

Now, where most people live these days there is so much light pollution that the night never really is all that dark and cloudy nights can actually be brighter from reflected light pollution. 

Get out in the hinterlands, not just out of town, but out in the empty parts of the world and you will see how dark night can get. Most of Chernarus is lacking lights and so  you would have to get pretty far away from everything to be able to compare and see how accurate it is. Then again most of us don't go out into that dark without a light anylonger and would have no idea. 

[Wayze 549]

When it is partially cloudy and stars out you can see pretty well, about what you would see in a location without much light pollution and semi cloudy skies. If the moon is out and bright, even an overcast night can have a general glow that is enough to see by. When the moon is not out, and it is overcast, which means the sky is completely covered in clouds, it is black and dark where there is no light pollution. 

Now, where most people live these days there is so much light pollution that the night never really is all that dark and cloudy nights can actually be brighter from reflected light pollution. 

Get out in the hinterlands, not just out of town, but out in the empty parts of the world and you will see how dark night can get. Most of Chernarus is lacking lights and so  you would have to get pretty far away from everything to be able to compare and see how accurate it is. Then again most of us don't go out into that dark without a light anylonger and would have no idea. 

The problem is like I said humans are able to feel their enviourment, they know where they step and no matter how dark it is they can see like 5 feets infront of them atleast. Additional to that in DayZ it is cloudy in dark like almost always, which is really annoying and not realistic.

Also from a gameplay perspective it is a really bad design decision, because people are able to just switch the servers. They do not want to risk it and as they are able to avoid it very easily, they just won't expirience the nights, but they can be so cool and we all know that.

The same with first person. People have the choice to play third person and because they do not want to risk they gear due to first person they just switch to third person. But actually most of the players would just enjoy more on first person, if it was optimized and the only option.

Edited September 17, 2013 by Wayze

[mercules 1290]

Yes, we are able to feel their environment. I get that. In fact I know what you are talking about. I can wander down a hallway and sense door openings I pass. I still can't sense objects at 200 meters which I can do with vision. We don't trip over small branches in DayZ and fall on our faces. That takes care of the sensing our surroundings.

You do NOT know where you step. Go walk around in a dark woods at night, you run a large risk of spraining an ankle if not worse. In a dark house where you have been and know the layout, you have some idea, but not in the woods. Even in pitch black in DayZ we can run full bore and only have a small risk of running down a steep hill and breaking a leg. No tripping and such. Get over that. 

You have heard the phrase, "So dark I couldn't see my hand in front of my face."? That comes from something, that being that without light you can't see. In fact in low light that many animals can see in Humans lack enough Rods to absorb enough light to make out much at night. What they can make out is often very low resolution due to where the rods are located in our eyes and them needing enough light stimulation to fire and notify our brains.

I get the feeling you really haven't been out in the wilderness on a rainy night with no moon and no local lighting.