day and night cycle

Discussion in 'Backers Lounge (Read-only)' started by v41gr, March 16, 2013.

  1. v41gr

    v41gr Member

    Messages:
    79
    Likes Received:
    3
    is it possible? also will it be different from a planet to another,. If so; it is a good idea to add flashlights/lights to buildings and to units; isn't it?
    Last edited: March 19, 2013
  2. pheagey

    pheagey Member

    Messages:
    46
    Likes Received:
    2
    I hope so. Given the abilities we've seen from the demo videos so far (during the live streams) why would they not have true orbiting planets (incl. day/night cycle)?

    Watch a asteroid smash into the dark side of a planet and lights up the surface with a right flash of heat and destruction :D.
  3. neutrino

    neutrino low mass particle Uber Employee

    Messages:
    3,123
    Likes Received:
    2,687
    Wouldn't it be cool if units automatically lit up at night?
  4. ToastAndEggs

    ToastAndEggs Member

    Messages:
    250
    Likes Received:
    1
    :O
  5. iampetard

    iampetard Active Member

    Messages:
    560
    Likes Received:
    38
    I feel like this is a very tricky post. Damn you neutrino, damn the gods!
  6. neutrino

    neutrino low mass particle Uber Employee

    Messages:
    3,123
    Likes Received:
    2,687
    It's just a question. ;)
  7. ToastAndEggs

    ToastAndEggs Member

    Messages:
    250
    Likes Received:
    1
    Then an answer.

    It would be so awesome that bacon would struggle to surpass it.


    Not to say its possible but....
  8. FunkOff

    FunkOff Member

    Messages:
    110
    Likes Received:
    5
    In earth 2150 they did this and it was sort of okay. The day/night cycle was relevant in two ways: 1: One faction relied on solar powerplants. 2: 2 factions had stealth that only worked when the units under stealth effect had their headlights off. Having headslights off at night caused a -80% movement speed penalty.
  9. iampetard

    iampetard Active Member

    Messages:
    560
    Likes Received:
    38
    See the advantage of being a dev on a forum about a game that you're making gives you the freedom to murder us with tricky posts.

    In case it is just a question, I'd say yes cause I suggested this myself in a post somewhere.

    What I also suggested is that it would be cool to have night as a good way of sneaking up into the enemy base. Lights use more resources and theres a unit that can light up an area and help you give commands and perform better in a battle(incoming light messes with enemy sensors and makes them weaker)

    Or simply have night vision and my idea goes down the shitter. :lol:
  10. cola_colin

    cola_colin Moderator Alumni

    Messages:
    12,074
    Likes Received:
    16,221
    It might look cool, but the idea of super-futuristic robots that use visible light to scan their surroundings is weird.
  11. neutrino

    neutrino low mass particle Uber Employee

    Messages:
    3,123
    Likes Received:
    2,687
    The problem is that super futuristic robots aren't the ones that need the light, it's the players. I suppose we could just let the night side be lit up by explosions. Might get hard to select your units in the dark though ;)
  12. iampetard

    iampetard Active Member

    Messages:
    560
    Likes Received:
    38
    That is why the light in darkness should be an aspect of the economy and strategy in the game! If you decide to play in the dark, you will have more resources and you'll be pretty much hidden from the enemy but you will have a really hard time managing your units and buildings.

    Would be pretty wicked to have that in the game. Imagine knowing when will darkness cover a planet, you plan your attack to be right afterwards. If your enemy wasn't ready to turn the lights on(in case its manual) then you strike him in the darkness and he, unprepared, without any vision, falls to the afterlife.

    Or simply get a uber hi tech flamethrower and light the planet on fire before the darkness then there will be plenty of light for everyone!
  13. SplaTTerChef

    SplaTTerChef New Member

    Messages:
    15
    Likes Received:
    0
    Awesome *-*
  14. comham

    comham Active Member

    Messages:
    651
    Likes Received:
    123
    It'd be very pretty, that's for sure.
  15. pheagey

    pheagey Member

    Messages:
    46
    Likes Received:
    2
    I don't think day/night should have any effect on game play; boo that. However, it would be an epic visual eye candy.

    On the night side; it does not have to be pitch black; just dark(er). The buildings and units could have a single pixel outline for play-ability.
  16. bobucles

    bobucles Post Master General

    Messages:
    3,388
    Likes Received:
    558
    Gamma slider to the rescue! No wait, I hated playing with the gamma slider. IRL, humans can see in a fairly large variance of light due to our rod-cone system. No game has been able to really capture that function in action, at least nothing much more than lens flare spam. But since this game is about robuts, it may not be appropriate here either.

    Due to the round nature of planets, everyone is going to experience their own day/night cycle. If there's any gameplay impact, it could easily screw up the early game (welp, you have solar power and I don't, GG). Tying game elements to day/night could end up more trouble than it's worth.

    However, tying ART elements to day/night is up for grabs. Make it look good!
  17. lordcrazy

    lordcrazy New Member

    Messages:
    3
    Likes Received:
    0
    Firstly, are you trying to say that they will light up all green? That means they are all radioactive right!??! (yes, I'm not being serious)

    To be serious for a moment, I do agree that if such a system were to be put in place it should affect the economy of the game. Though, considering these planets are round, it shouldn't really be a cycle but something that is inevitable as the sunshine either approaches or leaves a part of the map to move on. Basically how the sun affects the Earth.
  18. cola_colin

    cola_colin Moderator Alumni

    Messages:
    12,074
    Likes Received:
    16,221
    Night does not have to mean total darkness. I think nobody is gonna blame you if you just make it look a bit darker than day, but not too dark so everything is still visible.

    Just from an eye-candy perspective it sounds fun to see lights turn on and of automatically, that's true.
    But the some part within me dislikes the idea of those robots having searchlights. I'd rather have some kind of night-vision overlay on the night-side of a planet. Though that might be annoying after a while.
  19. mortiferusrosa

    mortiferusrosa Member

    Messages:
    121
    Likes Received:
    2
    And the answer to said question is yes!
  20. rhinotank

    rhinotank New Member

    Messages:
    4
    Likes Received:
    0
    I think it would be awesome but only if it doesn't affect gameplay

Share This Page