I am creating this post so we can show DTG just how badly we want to have the new lighting system for all the new routes and that we will not stand to go back to the way things were before this new lighting system. I understand that the new lighting system takes more time to implement but I just think it expands the gameplay so much that it would be a waste not to include it on all routes going forward. I myself have not be able to enjoy night runs as much anymore now that I know just how better those nights could look like. If you support this petition please consider sharing your opinions and comments below. Thank you for reading, have a great day.
I will agree, the lighting looks a lot better on Dresden, meaning it could lead to a lot better railfan shots +1
Matt has said repeatedly that this new system or some variant of it would be used on new routes depending on the community feedback so this post is important. Not all of the previous lighting issues have been bad, Cane Creek for example is sometimes lit awesomely at night but sometimes is awful. I suspect it's good when the moon is up. Cathcart was mixed, sometimes great but often terrible. This one really bugs me, if the whole route is well lit or the whole route is dark then it's ok for me because it's consistent. When it's inconsistent its so jarring. Bad lighting at night isn't unique to this game it was always pretty bad on WoS for example, its always good on Run8 and a bit hit and miss with TS. I'd love to see both better night lighting overall, but I also want consistency. I also want things like headlights popping in as you approach another train to die. I also want much better headlights from the cab view. I understand the challenge, in reality it's dark at night, but in reality our eyes adjust but this doesn't happen sitting in a well lit room with a monitor. It kind of happens if you turn off the lights but that's not an answer. Being artificial here in the night lighting is what's needed not exact realism. BUT because not everyone agrees with this being able to adjust it to suit yourself would be good. Paul
I couldn't agree with you more. It really is important that we show them that we need this new lighting system going forward. The same way they added the Meißen branch for the upcoming german route Riesa - Dresden thanks to the community pushing back, we as a community have the power to push the new lighting system forward.
Saw the lighting on the stream and it was epic at night. +1 for this idea. I currently don't like driving at night however if they do roll this out in routes it'll double my play time and enable me to drive at night
Even if all lighting on all routes is is way too much work, at least all the trains even in the preserved routes to have night lights from the trains actually protruding outwards more. Played GWE the other night during a dark night, I cannot believe train drivers can only see a couple of metres ahead in the dark with the train night lights on. I could be wrong and that's how the British trains are in real life.
It happens to me to, I used to not like driving at night because it looked weird. However, now with the new light system I enjoy night runs a lot more. Also those sunsets and sunrises really make for a beautiful sight while driving.
It’s certainly a must. Maybe DTG can get the guys who did Dresden to do the other routes. They seem very capable.
No thanks. I seem to be the only person who wants to be able to see things at night. It’s far too dark. There are actually people asking for a flashlight on external cameras so they can see when it is this dark in game, instead of some ambient light which is the obvious solution. I can only think that it’s the novelty of this new blackout that people currently like and that will wear off in time if every route is this black when you are away from the direct glare of light bulbs. It’s going to be fun when there are no lampposts about and you need to see your train. I’m actually wondering if anybody has actually been out at night and onserved what it is really like. I haven’t completed a night run yet, I’ve had to turn it off and try a different month, time of night, or cloud level because there is no point seeing nothing while driving, hoping for a lamppost for a glimpse of something and wondering whatever happened to the moon. I seriously cannot believe that DTG did this and it baffles my bonce that so many people thing it’s an accurate depiction of night. It isn’t. Just to be clear, it’s the total lack of any ambient light (moonlight, reflected light, diffused light) that is the issue, not the addition of extra artificial light sources along the route. Those are better than on other routes and a lot of effort has been made to make them good. That should be carried on in future routes. But they won’t be there in every route and you will be doing everything blind there. The effect of those lights would still be the same with some level of ambient light around.
Thinking on night lighting Cane Creek has bright nights and dark nights - it seems likely that when the moon is up the ambient lighting on the route is quite bright at night time - I kind of think if all routes were like this at night then that would be awesome. Here are a few screen shot examples. Its still dark (like it should be) but its very playable and everything is visible. If the station/yard lighting from R-D was used and this level of night lighting everywhere else I would be a very happy player. The reason I think the moon does this is there are fully dark night sessions on Cane Creek as well as well lit. If that is the answer keep the moon up all the time and let Unreal take care of it.
I think the moon should be in the night sky all the time. Realistic, no? But it seriously helps make the dark less dark and dismal.
I understand your point but I do think this new lighting system represents a much more accurate depiction of reality. When driving at night the only thing you are able to see is as far as your hadlights go. Also, obviously this new lighting system cannot be implemented without all those new lights as then it doesen't look real and you wouldn't be able to see anything. Down below you can see a real picture of just how pitch black the nights really are. Also if you want to see inside the cab that's why almost every train has a reading light that is used to be able to see inside the cab.
Surely the compromise here is a randomised system built at load which says whether the night is going to be a dark one, a lit one etc Some nights are very dark with no moon, no cloud, and only time you see lots of light is when you're close to a city Some are very light when the moon is full and you can see loads I don't see this being much more or less difficult to implement than the lighting when the sun is in full effect and you get differing light levels depending on where in the sky it is
Away from light sources there may be black. In the lighting system in this route there is total black where no light source is directly hitting it. Even if it is dark along the tracks from a driver’s perspective on days when there is no moonlight, there would be diffused and reflected light in stations. That’s all missing now too. The whole thing is now more unnatural than it was even if the dark is as dark as it would be for a real train drivers on some sections of track. The experience in game shouldn’t have to be exact to reality but in this case the quest for reality on dark track sections and the forced darkest nights possible has led to less reality in all other situations and a much less enjoyable experience because of it. All ambient light has been eradicated and it’s not right and having a petition to make all routes this dark at all times and weather conditions despite what happens in reality is not a good idea. A little too much light is better than not enough to the point that this system has produced.
That would be something really cool to see implemented ingame. Even better if you had the option to choose the type of moon you want to have for your night runs
Plus 1 from me. I wasnt sold the first few runs I did as I found the change of lighting distracting but Ive quickly got used to it,
+1 lets just hope this could be the start of a push to improve lighting in TSW in general, especially at night, which is drastically needed. Ed & Lucas have done a fantastic job in BRD, as well as Brandon on B-P. This is what can be achieved with outsourcing to other great developers
Yeah the first few runs were a little bit confusing for me too but once you get used to it I have started to enjoy these night runs way more than before. That's why if you have tried a night run and thought you liked it better before I encourage you to try it again as it might start to like you a lot more
It may have a couple of flaws - most notably the (slightly) darker daytime, however the plus points of the new lighting far outweigh the negatives. I have to say I believe the new night lighting system is probably the best we may get for a long time, and we should make use of it in it's entirety. After BML I think this should be fitting to all routes going forward - hopefully even onto old routes - it really would change the game for the better.
Yeah, the new lighting system is not perfect but as you said it is a very big improvement that really elevates night runs to a whole other level.
I think that is the main problem people who have only played with it a little have. They try it, don't like it because it's new and a big change and don't play it anymore. I'm not saying that if you don't like it its just because of that but if you have only played with it a little I encourage you to go ahead and try it once again to see if your opinion changes over time. If it doesn't then that's fine too as new things are not for everyone.
