What places do you look forward to seeing in Ultra mode?

Watch this - all of it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SItM3OLqb5w

It's not very dark

I mean a place where it's hard to see unless you have a light source.

Well, a light with varying intensity and changing direction really ought to be an actual light source, specifically since I've seen light sources show up after tileset overhauls where they previously didn't exist. They do affect the world, only they are static, so they just "paint" the world. I'm fairly certain they affect characters, as I can walk by them and see the light shift.

I'm pretty sure we have light sources, we just don't have very many of them.

Originally Posted by Arcanaville Samuel_Tow is the only poster that makes me want to punch him in the head more often when I'm agreeing with him than when I'm disagreeing with him.

Yes, the neon lights are actually self-illuminating textures and nothing more. They just have a constant brightness irrespective of light conditions, but they don't emit or cast any light. It's funny, too, because broken lights with the cover hanging down still have the cover glowing, because that's what its texture actually is.

Yeah, I have no argument against this. Instance maps just don't have enough light sources to actually illuminate them. Here's the thing, though - because the lighting cheats so much, it creates a surrealistic, unbelievable look to the instances that makes it really hard to take them seriously sometimes. It also destroys any sense of presence they could have when they're all just omn-lit no matter where you go. It's like you have night vision, because no matter what you do, in an enclosed location with no windows, you WILL get dark corners and dim hallways. That's just how it works.

Here's the thing, and something I posted about back before. Having dynamic lights doesn't just give us the ability to have lighting, it gives us the ability to have DARKNESS. Right now, if a hallway is dark, you can't get past it because you can't see. With dynamic lighting, you could bring your own light, and so be able to see. Just not very far. We could have dark maps like the sewers, abandoned offices or Oranbega be ACTUALLY dark, with pockets of lighting here and there and the heroes themselves to self-illuminate their surroundings. That would actually be cool in a way that, frankly, very few games have dared try.

And, OK, maps don't have enough light sources. Why can't WE have a few? Like, on our powers. That bright orange fireball? Shouldn't it cast a bright orange light? That blue ball lighting? Shouldn't it cast a blue light? Would it be too much to ask for the Flashbang to have an actual FLASH? Things of that nature. I'd honestly take that over environmental shadows and reflections. Don't take me wrong, reflections are eyecandy, and environmental shadows are really cool, but power-cast dynamic lights and darkness to illuminate with them would be much, much, MUCH more cooler.

Originally Posted by Arcanaville Samuel_Tow is the only poster that makes me want to punch him in the head more often when I'm agreeing with him than when I'm disagreeing with him.

I'm not saying it cant be done and wouldnt be cool, just that I see why they'd rather not put all that needed work into it now and rather release the new add-on without it now, and maybe come back to redo the maps later.

So that every character must (now that power customization finally allows you to turn it off if you find it annoying) select a good amount of bright aura powers to play the game because otherwise they might not see anything in some maps? Or buy a night vision power or have a flashlight built into his sword / claws / bow / blaster fists?
I dont think that'd be such a loved feature.

I guess in a game about super powers some things that are not part of the power system just have to be assumed to work for everybody, no matter how the character does that. Like being able to jump, or swim (breath underwater in another hero MMO), or use a GPS-like nav system. Or see in the mission maps. Unless they come up with a highly detailed and well balanced system that has you pay for those things that the majority of characters clearly CAN do by various means, the best way will be to allow everyone to.

Heh. They don't seem to like competition at all. Are they even allowed to talk about console games?

Dark Astoria has the potential to be like that.

The Radulak map is kinda like that. All dark and creepy, then you can see a healing aura go off in the distance. Love it.

Originally Posted by Back Alley Brawler Did you just use "casual gamer" and "purpled-out warshade" in the same sentence?

Or, you know, have basic self-illumination like in every RPG with darkness in it, and like Diablo has done since the dawn of creation. Yes, powers making light would be groovy, but there's no reason why your own presence can't make light. Explain it away and say you just see better when you're closer.

Originally Posted by Arcanaville Samuel_Tow is the only poster that makes me want to punch him in the head more often when I'm agreeing with him than when I'm disagreeing with him.

They'll point at us with their fingers and laugh?

I think the first place I'll be checking out is the shadow shard. After I see all the new stuff that is.

Just as long as that feature is included on mission maps

Not sure if this is the same thing, Mr.Tow, but today I was doing the Vahzilok story arc, compliments of Ms. Chung in Steel Canyon, and paid close attention to the lighting in the sewers on that last sewer map. I captured a few snapshots for ya that might illustrate your point. Because of the "foggy" effect on that map, it reminded me of the effect you were talking about, but I could be misunderstanding you.





I've noticed before that the light sways with the lamps when I'm on these maps, and my position relative to th lamps is irrelevant.