I always found Oblivion's nights and dungeons way to bright and unrealistic. Eventually mods fixed that for me, but I was wondering what everyone thinks of the lighting in the game from what we've seen so far. And also what you would like to see.

Personally I prefer darker nights and dungeons because I tend to role stealthy classes.

I want Almost pitch dark Nights filled with Scary Nocturnal Monsters

Edit : there would finally be a Use for Torches and Night Eye

I hope that the lighting is much more realistic, have you guys seen the mod: New Vegas skies? I want it to look like that.

While in outside areas in Oblivion,things where indeed too bright for nighttime,some of Oblivion's dungeons where really dark.
Specifically some Ayield ruins..

Vampire Mudcrabs with glowing red eyes and blood stained pincers.

You want S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripyat!

oblivion outside was way to bright but i couldn't see anything in most dungeons without a light spell or torch. However i think your TV settings have a lot to do with how much you see

Skyrim looks far too bright, both at night time and in dungeons. Kind've disappointing, but I guess it's nothing that can't be fixed with mods.

In oblivion, the first time round playing, it was so dark I left it for years (my tv probably had some effect on this). Until recently when I started playing again. Although I doubt it was just the dark that deterred me, I just wasn't ready for that kind of game.

So yeah I would like it to be very dark, but the light of a torch to spread further than oblivion.

Have you watched nighttime Skyrim footage ?
Where ? I think I missed something.

That's just what I did in Oblivion, I darkened it all up. IMHO some of the mods made night-time too dark. Yes, visibility is reduced during night-time, as is the ability to see in color vision as vividly and distinguish forms, but it doesn't mean at night the world is pitch black. Have you ever walked around around midnight at a full moon? It's still fairly bright, you can see shadows from the moon in some places as your eyes adjust.

So on a clear night it shouldn't get too dark, but on a cloudy/stormy night, visibility should be reduced. I wonder if I could realistically mod in a black fog around the player so that they couldn't see too far... the only problem is that lights would disrupt the darkness... I wonder how we can limit the player's visibility to sort-of give enemies stealth as well...

Lighting never really was Bethesda's forte.
If it gets too dark, I'll have close my shutters, and I get scared easily.

Since I've always lived in a urban area I didn't know that in the country with no artificial lights the nights can be surprisingly well lighted by the moonlight . Now, I understand why writers often describe the country nights almost as bright as day. Anyways, I do like pitch black nights and is stupid to have torches available if you can see very clearly at night.

A big factor is also the way lighting is projected. In Oblivion dungeons had these mystic light points that didn't make sense and some light sources (like candles) didn't produce light.

http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/files/images/farms-upstate-new-york.jpg

In Oblivion, I tried seeing what itd be like to turn the brightness way down...it was horrible...because i like using a bow the most in dungeons...and not being able to see ANYTHING is a problem...the only way i can see anything is by using nighteye...which pretty much defeats the purpose of turning down the brightness in the first place; the way I explore in dungeons and caves with using my bow and being stealthy would not go well with everything being pitch black.. :/

Well depends on where your walking. In the city, street lights will make things brighter. In a forest outside the city it would be pitch black with no artifical light sources.

:rofl:

Is that your real farm? Very peaceful.

There have been at least three nighttime screenshots.

Not sure whether I can post some of them, but I can definitely post http://epicagames.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/skyrim-races-redguard-625x351.jpg.

Night visibility should be heavily influenced by moons
If both moons are visible it is very bright and torches aren't needed at all (basically light level same as during evening)
If only Masser (the big moon) is visible, then night should be also quite bright
If only Secunda (smaller moon) is visible then night should be dark
If no moons are present night should be very dark

Weather also should have influence on nights
During heavy rains and storms, night should become even darker, due to heavy clouds

So If there is no moons, during storm night should be pitch black (you can barely see your weapon)

Also what about tone of night?
Masser is red, while Secunda is bright yellow/brown
I think Masser should give red tint to everything during night
When both moons are visible, tint should be barely noticeable
But when only Masser is on, red tint should be visible

This

oblivion is WAY too dark on my tv.

Monitor settings... gamma correction.

I have a forest right behind my house. It's dark underneath the trees, yes, just like during the day it's darker. But it isn't so terrible to the point where you can't walk or tell if something darts across the path. It's just it's hard to discern shapes. It never gets so pitch black that it's just impossible unless it's cloudy or stormy.


Yeah, ikr? I used to live in a city and then my family moved out here, it was a big change, and donkeys are really annoying to listen to. Would you be shocked if I said I live in New York?


No, I don't live on a farm, but it looks like one of the farms up the road. It is very peaceful around here, though. Until you get to the http://i888.photobucket.com/albums/ac87/MartutTES/photo2.jpg?t=1316961232. (I did take that one!) The only reason it looks so dead is because I took it right after all the snow melted in Spring.

http://i888.photobucket.com/albums/ac87/MartutTES/photo3.jpg, just to prove I live right near a forest. :shrug:

Snow also reflects a whole lot of light and can make it unbearable to be around on a sunny day if it's particularly icy. I doubt they're going to blind us in Skyrim, though. :thumbsup: