It also struck me how the skies seemed way too bright in some scenes. I personally think the skies would look more beautiful if it wasn't so bright at some times, as if a nuclear bomb had just gone off (often called nuclear dawn, as a nuclear bomb light up the entire sky).

This was present in Oblivion and in Fallout 3. Although it was more fitting in FO3 imo, because there there had actually been nuclear bombs going off...
Oblivion example: http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/image/article/695/695763/the-elder-scrolls-iv-oblivion-20060314020608317.jpg
Fallout 3 example: http://blog.al.com/techcetera/2008/06/fallout3megatoneexterior.JPG

A few mods came out that changed this. For Oblivion, a great example is the mod "http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=18305".
Here's some comparison images of what it does:
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj317/Brumbek/All%20Natural%20Oblivion%20Mod/AN-Tints-IC-Comparison-Vanilla.jpg
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj317/Brumbek/All%20Natural%20Oblivion%20Mod/AN-Tints-IC-Comparison-ANDefault.jpg

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj317/Brumbek/All%20Natural%20Oblivion%20Mod/AN-Tints-Chorrol-Comparison-Vanilla.jpg
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj317/Brumbek/All%20Natural%20Oblivion%20Mod/AN-Tints-Chorrol-Comparison-ANDefault.jpg

In my opinion, All Natural makes things look much more natural and good-looking. The sky is only very rarely "nuclear bright" in real life. But what we should ask ourselves instead is what we think looks the best. What would we like to have most in Skyrim?

So how are the skies in Skyrim then? The skies in Skyrim have followed the same path as vanilla Oblivion and Fallout 3, often overly bright. A few examples are:
http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/199017-/MountainForestPath-noscale.jpg
http://skyrimguild.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/SkyrimTrailer3.jpg
http://cdnstatic.gamesas.com/akqacms/files/tes/screenshots/LakeMountains_wLegal.jpg
http://skyrimguild.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/SkyrimTrailer6.jpg

So the final question is, do you think some skies like these in Skyrim should be less "nuclear bright" (less overly bright, as in almost completely white)? Do you think the skies would look more natural and beautiful then?

I personally think so. What do you think?

Never bugged me.

Can you seriously say... 'i care'

I personally enjoy the bright skies. I think it kind of adds to the alien feel of TES.

As long as the people don't shine too, like in Oblivion.

bright skies are pretty

Bloom: the poor man's god rays.

Yes, way too bright. I think the most telling comparison is between the vanilla OB and the All Natural mod screenshot.

You'd think the devs never left their offices. I think they need to spend some more time outside.

Those all natural shots look a little too dark IMO. But some moderation in some cases is good.

In the first example it seems its not just the sky its everything. Like look at the buildings but its just the style of oblivion, ever looked into a fresh paved driveway or bleached driveway, after my husband did ours i needed sunglasses pulling out of the driveway my point is its just the type of stone the ruins are made of. My opinion some of the examples looked dull, but after all thats what mods are for. :celebration:

No, the skies aren't too bright. Look at the examples given, there is one thing in them that makes the real world sky bright too, it's cloudy. Like right now, I'm looking out my window, it's cloudy and the sky is bright as hell. This is a realistic lighting effect that happens in the real world, what is there not to like?

The last pic wasn't even bright, you could see the blue of the sky and the only bright part of the sky was once again, the clouds.

Never thought so many liked super bright skies
Guess it's a matter of preference.

I personally like skies not that overly bloomy/bright. I love the mod All Natural.
At some times bright skies can be nice though, but at other times not so nice. Again, a matter of preference.

I personally love the teal look of this picture, because it gives a warm summer feeling: http://spoonybardreviews.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/091.jpg
I wouldn't like it as much if that sky was more blue and less teal there.

yes the sky is too bright, the grass is also to long, and how tall is dovahkiin?

Nirn is still another planet, which has its own natural elements :tes: , the sky is good to me we compare them to much with our own sky in real life and other games :thumbsdown:

And morrowinds
http://www.14kofginafpd.com/images/morrowind010.jpg
http://mtes.ru/images/screenshots/morrowind/lone_sky2.jpg
http://www.14kofginafpd.com/images/morrowind029.jpg
Looks a little darker to me but I think still a little too bright. Doesn't bother me too much and I can honestly say I never even noticed it.

HDR is what has made the sky extra bright since Oblivion in BGS's games. There was no HDR in Morrowind.

Man, people rant too much about things that should be the least that Bethesda should care about.

The base colour can still be adjusted to make the sky darker even with HDR. I think the "problem" is what Beth consider to be the right colour.

I know. But HDR was the dealbreaker. Try and change the HDR settings in Oblivion's weather and you'll notice a significant change. The sky will no longer be ultra bloomy when looking down or facing an obstacle. That's what I was bothered with most in Oblivion. You looked down or faced an obstacle and suddenly the sky went crazy bright. I've never liked it and never will...
That's how HDR works, but it can be toned down through settings, as the mod All Natural shows.

I wish I could shuttle everyone that says that the skies in those screens are unrealistic down here to Missouri instantly and show you that the cloudy sky here looks exactly like what are in those screens, right at this moment in the Ozarks. It could be the region you live in that keeps the sky from coming out looking like that but all of those skies I have seen here in Missouri, those skies are VERY realistic and I'll enjoy them for that fact. I tried to take a picture of the sky but the camera automatically filters out the brightness so all I see is clouds instead of the refracted light and an orb where the sun is. Gah, digital cameras and their light filtering :swear:

The problem is that they add to much bloom to hide things further away. Anyway they should lower the sky bloom by quiet alot.

What seems to be the right sky colour for a person is dependant on where they live.
Altitude, pollution, longitude all play their role.

I think since this is not earth, more focus should be on what looks right, what has the right atmosphere, than realism.

I dont know though, does the sky get lighter or darker blue the higher up you get?
Obviously at some point it becomes black, but does it get paler before that because there is less atmosphere to colour it?
Hmm.

I live in Scandinavia which should be quite similar to Skyrim in terms of weather and such, and I've only seen really bright skies like that very rarely. But despite skies like this can exist in real life, that's not really what this thread was about. As stated in #1 post it's more about what we would find to be best-looking

Yes, the bloom is too much.
But it was also said in one of the article today that the PC's eyes adjust to brightness and darkness, so skies might just look like that when you first look up, and the bloom reduces over time.

The skies where I live are just like in the vanilla oblivion. Yes the toned down brightness might be a little more rewarding for the view, as they add in contrast, but I like it the realistic(vanilla) way.

Personally i take a lot of time in looking at in-game skies whenever i buy. I think its amazing when artists really do a good job including cloud details especially. And ithink all Skyrim needs to do is take a look at their co-worker's exports: http://www.bluesnews.com/screenshots/games/rage/20090819/rage_gc09_screenshot_3.jpg

Well I like it but those that don't will definitely be tweaking the ini files to work on it hehe.