Friday Facts #168 - Nightvision Nightmare

[Fish]

...and it finally started to pleasant to look at.

Seriously? The third picture isn't pleasant to look at at all.
But I never use nightvision anyway. Thermal vision would be nice though, spotting biters would be handy that way.

[ssilk]

What nightvision should look like

Additional Overlay

E.g. next enemies and their direction at the borders of the screen.

Infrared

Black and Green

Dark Red as strong contrast to green

Light should blend a bit

[ketil]

Nightvision is a feature I never use because I find it quite ugly, and I don't see any way of fixing that, expect making a nightvision, that moves brightness toward daytime without distorting colours at all, or making it into greyscale. If this is not acceptable, then I will not really lose out anything, I will just continue not using it.

[-root]

The last paragraph somehow made my hopes go higher that we will not need to reboot the game every time a mod is added or updated.

This would be very, very nice. When i was updating my game, the game had to close and reopen about four or five times until everything was right...

Heat Vision would be so freaking cool. One thing i'd suggest is actually making night "darker" so that you can't see anything at all. That way it increases the viability of nightvision/heatvision. Also, you could link heatvision into projectiles, that is to say the flamethrower would white out your vision. Some cool ideas to be explored here.

[MeduSalem]

I think whatever solution there eventually will be... the Night vision's monochromatic color should be adjustible.

As people comment on the thread I see that everyone has different preferences... Some like the green and think it should be even more puke green than it already is... and others think it should have different colors or be in greyscale.

[edalquist]

Although I agree with some of the new night vision criticism--it could use some work--I really like the thinking behind it! Rewarding placement of lighting is an interesting idea, and other optic benefits could add to the usefulness of researching and wearing night vision goggles. Here's my stab at a night vision concept:

Normal Vision.png

Night Vision.png

Maybe you could upgrade your optics to get thermal vision:

Normal Vision_1.png

Night Vision_1.png

Great Friday Facts, as always!

This is my favorite version so far. Make unlit areas monochrome, have an additional research tier for a thermal overlay.

[mngrif]

My suggestion would be to come up with something else, like how they did with Predator.
http://avp.wikia.com/wiki/Bio-Mask

I'm not saying add in different kinds of NV, but, "do something else". Something that isn't light amplification. I think thermal + highlighting biters would be pretty epic, and would actually be worth using in my battle armor. As it is now, the armor slots aren't worth it at all, to me.

As always, thank you for your hard work.

[Stripes]

Some time lurker, but this topic raised "forced" me to act!

Before changing Nightvision itself, I believe many people here (in addition to these who already suggested it) will agree what looking in to different colors or whole mechanics altogether can produce much better result.

I, personally, find green tint currently in just too intrusive and overbearing on the eyes. Some people can have much stronger issues up to inability to play the game with NV turned on.
Yes, you can adjust NV tint easily (I have done exactly it - pure blue of same "magnitude", which much better than green) - how many players even aware of such option due to modding being required?

Perhaps, the best solution will be Night Vision Googles of two tiers - basic is as it is now (supported by option to pick preferred color - should be trivial with upcoming changes) with advanced version lighting up areas below certain lighting threshold... Just (willing to beg here ), do not touch light sources (or areas above threshold) with any additional masks, layers, GFX - or however it is called properly. In a 2D sprite game, it is usually ends in disaster or demands disproportional amount of labor compared to actual result.

P.S. Also joining folks at mandatory "Thank you!" to Developers. The game is MAGNIFICENT.

[Buggi]

That night vision is horrible! @_@

[ili]

Although I agree with some of the new night vision criticism--it could use some work--I really like the thinking behind it! Rewarding placement of lighting is an interesting idea, and other optic benefits could add to the usefulness of researching and wearing night vision goggles. Here's my stab at a night vision concept:



Great Friday Facts, as always!

This is relay nice, maybe try to make it less then 100% greyscale in the dark?
I actually like how it's normal near the light sources, then gradually darker, then at certain point change to lighted greyscale, it feels like this is a "smart" nightvision that tern on only at certain darkness point and off on the lighted parts.

But whatever you do don't use the third image option from the FFF it's... horrible, it actually make me nausea and strain my eyes

[MiloRK]

Here's another test example. I reduced the greyscale to %80, and made the biters stand out a bit more:

Normal Vision

Normal Vision_2.png (1.25 MiB) Viewed 8182 times

New Night Vision and Thermal

Night Vision_2.png (3.57 MiB) Viewed 8182 times

It works really well with some of the other mechanics, like rail signal color, fire, headlights, and so on. Not all the images I edited turned out very good though, so I decided not to share them

[Grimakar]

I never felt the need for the nightvision. The night is not long and not so dark. I once tried it and ewww...

[Fish]

Here's another test example. I reduced the greyscale to %80, and made the biters stand out a bit more:

Normal Vision

Normal Vision_2.png

New Night Vision and Thermal

Night Vision_2.png

It works really well with some of the other mechanics, like rail signal color, fire, headlights, and so on. Not all the images I edited turned out very good though, so I decided not to share them

I like this. Colours aren't obnoxious and biters are highlighted. I would actually use this.
Looks like nobody's even using nightvision right now. So there's not much point in just changing the colours, imho it's better to do something to bring more focus on biters too.

[Ohz]

Here's another test example. I reduced the greyscale to %80, and made the biters stand out a bit more:

Normal Vision

Normal Vision_2.png

New Night Vision and Thermal

Night Vision_2.png

It works really well with some of the other mechanics, like rail signal color, fire, headlights, and so on. Not all the images I edited turned out very good though, so I decided not to share them

This.

[Aardwolf]

Speaking about the campaign: it would be awesome to extend it with new levels that go towards the final rocket mechanic!

[lyallp]

I do like the samples provided in this post.

Although I agree with some of the new night vision criticism--it could use some work--I really like the thinking behind it! Rewarding placement of lighting is an interesting idea, and other optic benefits could add to the usefulness of researching and wearing night vision goggles. Here's my stab at a night vision concept:

No Night Vision

Night Vision

No Night or Thermal Vision

Night and Thermal Vision

[Rhamphoryncus]

Of the examples provided #1 and #2 are about the same to me, although #2 would probably come out ahead in the middle of a base rather than on the edge. #3 is just bad.

In practice I almost never touch nightvision, I don't even research it. The only time I want it is when attacking a biter base in the middle of the night, otherwise it's more burden than benefit (both the power armour space and the visual effect). Thermal vision would be much better for that and I really like some of the examples shown in this thread, even with their magic outlines.

Even regular lighting can be a PITA. I don't usually bother and I know some streamers have said they only install lights for the viewer's benefit. Modding out the darkness can be the best solution there or using the balloon light (much larger radius).

[TheCycoONE]

I also like MiloRK's much better than the ones in the post.

On this monitor and lighting I like the grey from his first post, and the heat for the biters from his second post. I imagine the exact preferred grey would differ from screen to screen and room to room though; I'm still good with the second grey.

[silverkitty23]

The reason I don't use night vision is because in reality night vision goggles are like a little headwear, but in the game, they're bigger than shield generators. They kick on way too early and stay on way too late, so if you have a well-lit base, it looks terrible 2/3ds of the time instead of 1/3d the time.
I wouldn't mind them so much if you went with option 2 where a well-lit base stays proper looking all night ("not realistic"? your character also has 360 vision, which is far from realistic, so the assumption that the character turns night vision off when looking at lights is fine)
As for size, they should be size 0. Once you research them, it should just be on (assuming you go with option 2 so you're not punished for having a well-lit base). I wouldn't make them dependent on modular armor, either - maybe on advanced optics + advanced circuits or something. Your character is clearly wearing a helmet with goggles when the game starts, and night vision should be like an upgrade to those goggles.

I really liked the grey-scale picture with the red biters MiloRK submitted (keeps the proper lighting from option 2, the red biters look awesome)

let me re-emphasize the most important point: Your character can see 360 degrees and through walls. Vision is already incredibly unrealistic. Trying to make night-vision "realistic" by applying a green filter that is already out-dated tech on Earth, which is hundreds of years behind whereever the character is from, should not be a concern. Make it "unrealistic." Make it futuristic. Make it good.

[tehroach]

IMO This is by far the best rendition of what night vision should look like in Factorio
+>9000

In my hundreds of hours of Factorio play, I have chosen to equip the Nightvision goggles once and then promptly put them in the box next to the pistol!
Never to be used again

The green idea is OK for an FPS but is just a gamey effect.
Modern NVGoggles will appear black and white rather than green.
as the green ones lie in the same box of reasons for why the first computer monitors were green.

This green effect is just not warranted for Factorio IMO