[Lights] Server Time Lock

[Weyland Yutani (DayZ) 1159]

I see a lot of servers that have '24/7 Day' in the server name/description.

 

For those of you that are experienced with the mod, this is a hallmark of things to come. A bad omen perhaps. What I mean by that is many fear that when the private hive is established, DayZ as we know it will more than likely revert back to over-modded servers. Custom loadout, self saline/blood, 500+ vehicles, donator perks, etc.

 

For those of us that enjoy night play, there is hardly an alternative. I dare anyone on the board to find me a highly populated server that is on a night cycle. There has to be a legitimate reason why nobody is playing nights. The reason is: night play in DayZ's current state isn't attractive.

 

There has been some tweaks to gamma/brightness, I see that. What I propose is lets turn the lights on and lock the time cycles on server owners/renters. If we start now, players will be well adjusted to it way before the game is officially finished. I'm talking Regular as well as Hardcore [as HC doesn't have lights currently].

 

I want to be clear on what sort of lights I'm referring to. I'm talking about street lights…turn every last one of them on.

 

House lights [some not all] as well as tower lights would ne nice as well. But if I couldn't have all three and had to choose, I would vote for street lights.

 

I had all three of these on my mod server and night play was perfect. Just enough light to get around and loot in the cities. Countryside, your on your own. But if you stayed on or near the streets, you had light to guide you.

 

For starters, this will eliminate anyone looking to exploit gamma/brightness as having lights on will foil the advantage.

 

Secondly, it flat out looks awesome. You get an authentic feel of what the night brings…ambiance, uncertainty and fear.

 

I don't know about you, but 24/7 day is complete rubbish and takes away what DayZ is supossed to be, look and feel like.

 

Thoughts?

Edited March 24, 2014 by Weyland Yutani

[Cohors 0]

Ditto, though I must ask, is there any technical reason why I can't find a server not between the hours of 8 and 18? Did something break or has the entire player base ran scared from the dark? FFS in a community that cried about realism it's ironic that everyone runs from the dark.

Edited March 25, 2014 by Cohors

[finalstraw 193]

Even with the limited options the server providers have people are already trying to fuck the game up and dumb it down. I fear that even if the devs makes night play more desirable it will already be too late.

 

30min-1hr restarts

24/7 Daylight (locked time)

No weather

 

Stable is a mess right now. The no bullshit experimental servers seem to offer the best experience so far of the game.

[kawa_ 13]

iirc there were some problems with displaying more than 3 light sources at a time. That might have been fixed since than.

 

OT: had you written "shape of things to come" instead of "hallmark of things to come" you'd have my beans for the Battlestar Galactica reference :).

[CrazyCorky 40]

Well, as of right now my server is 24/7 day simply because the night is broken. When I can't see 2ft in front of my face it's a problem. No matter how little light there is, my eyes will always adjust and allow me to see some. I'm not saying I have to see perfectly, but when I have to adjust gamma to see anything it just doesn't feel right.

 

For those of you who are going to say use a lamp or flash light... They too are still broken too.

 

Next time before you complain about something actually think about the state of the game.

[Cohors 0]

Ya, I know flashlights shine through walls, and I know it's dark, but you DO spawn with one, and I used it. There's also gun lights and head lamps which is all rather convenient now, and I don't consider pitch black to be a broken mechanic, just means you have to use a light to get around. Hopefully soon we'll get a LITTLE moonlight.

[Ozar 108]

Yeah, the Night is just du Buggy at the Moment to Play on.

But i like the fact that it will be possible soon to adjust the Speed of time on the Servers.

[finalstraw 193]

The experimental servers have the best setup. You get the great dusk experience and it only restarts when it get impossibly dark to play.

 

But providers don't give a shit. Sticking '24/7' in the server name instantly makes many players want to click it like like they did in the mod and it will become the norm.

Edited March 25, 2014 by -lOldBoyl-

[Weyland Yutani (DayZ) 1159]

Well, as of right now my server is 24/7 day simply because the night is broken. When I can't see 2ft in front of my face it's a problem. No matter how little light there is, my eyes will always adjust and allow me to see some. I'm not saying I have to see perfectly, but when I have to adjust gamma to see anything it just doesn't feel right.

 

For those of you who are going to say use a lamp or flash light... They too are still broken too.

 

Next time before you complain about something actually think about the state of the game.

 

Reiterating my original post, night play isn't attractive at the moment. Not sure if you read that part or not but it's there. Thus, any reference to a complaint is erroneous.

 

The experimental servers have the best setup. You get the great dusk experience and it only restarts when it get impossibly dark to play.

 

But providers don't give a shit. Sticking '24/7' in the server name instantly makes many players want to click it like like they did in the mod and it will become the norm.

 

Experimental servers are the only real outlet for night play, even if its only for an hour before the servers restart.

 

I would hope if there was an alternative to make night play attractive, providers would take the initiative and stick to a 24 hour cycle. But there is no guarantee which is why I suggested time locking all servers. If there isn't any other option, people will be forced to play nights. 

[pacific_coast 632]

people really like daylight only

 

to them, daylight is as hard as the game needs to be

 

many people i have played with on fixed time servers in the mod will log out as the sun sets, or only play daylight.

 

right now in the SA, unless you are competent at night and have a torch/flashlight there is no incentive to play at night

 

especially with the zed speed boost and increased bleed chance right now

[hannibaldaplaya 1095]

The flash light barely provides any visibility and it just feels like you'rep laying the game with a black overlay, it needs improvements.

[pacific_coast 632]

The flash light barely provides any visibility and it just feels like you'rep laying the game with a black overlay, it needs improvements.

ideally, when light blends with shadows and other light sources

 

smoke through the lit flares with chemlights glowing in the distance and torches shining out from the treeline E.T. style...

 

*drool*

[LeAkX 1]

Some serverhosts dont provide setting a start time. i.e mpgs unfortunately

[BadAsh (DayZ) 1513]

Have they fixed the gamma exploit yet? I don't remember reading anything about it in patch notes.

[Grimey Rick 3417]

Well, as of right now my server is 24/7 day simply because the night is broken. When I can't see 2ft in front of my face it's a problem. No matter how little light there is, my eyes will always adjust and allow me to see some. I'm not saying I have to see perfectly, but when I have to adjust gamma to see anything it just doesn't feel right.

 

For those of you who are going to say use a lamp or flash light... They too are still broken too.

 

Next time before you complain about something actually think about the state of the game.

 

That's not true. Unless northern Canada (where I reside) defies physics, the evening is black as pitch. If you're in the woods, you cannot see anything. I live in a small town where people turn out their lights at around 9 o'clock. Unless the moon is high in the sky, you're not finding your way around. Stars do not provide even nearly adequate lighting unless you're in a field, at which point you can probably see far enough to navigate to a tree-line. You still wouldn't be able to see gopher holes, debris, etc.

 

My wife had a hard time adjusting to living up here as she's from Toronto. I've been to Toronto a lot to visit her family since we've been married over the last ten years, and it's never dark there. I'm wondering if people's perception of "night time" is askew due to living in or around cities. The country is dark. I feel that in its current implementation, it's one thing the development team has actually hit on the head.

[StoutAle 69]

That's not true. Unless northern Canada (where I reside) defies physics, the evening is black as pitch. If you're in the woods, you cannot see anything. I live in a small town where people turn out their lights at around 9 o'clock. Unless the moon is high in the sky, you're not finding your way around. Stars do not provide even nearly adequate lighting unless you're in a field, at which point you can probably see far enough to navigate to a tree-line. You still wouldn't be able to see gopher holes, debris, etc.

 

My wife had a hard time adjusting to living up here as she's from Toronto. I've been to Toronto a lot to visit her family since we've been married over the last ten years, and it's never dark there. I'm wondering if people's perception of "night time" is askew due to living in or around cities. The country is dark. I feel that in its current implementation, it's one thing the development team has actually hit on the head.

 

 

Your fighting an up hill battle here, I've mentioned this before (as have several others) and you will constantly get people that claim that true "dark" outside where you literally and yes I do mean literally can't see a foot in front of you doesn't exist.  I do believe it's like you said and it simply revolves around where you live.  I was stationed in Washington State and I'll tell you in the woods at night you don't see anything.  In the open if it's not full moon or close you don't see much better.  There is a reason Kevlar helmet cover bands have "cat eyes" on the back  you simply can't see the guy in front of you without them.

 

As for the game, night time is simply broken because you either adjust the gamma/brightness to where it looks like day time anyway or your playing from behind because everyone else does that.  Makes it so there is no reason to play night time servers at this time.

[Weyland Yutani (DayZ) 1159]

people really like daylight only

 

to them, daylight is as hard as the game needs to be

 

That is exactly my point. Night play is currently unattractive which is why people prefer days atm. Playing at night should be easier. Less zeds on your trail as well as the cover of darkness against bandits. If night play was attractive, playing at night would be a lot easier than day play.

 

Have they fixed the gamma exploit yet? I don't remember reading anything about it in patch notes.

 

Not entirely. They have made tweaks though and its nothing like it used to be. Hardly an advantage as comparted to the past.