Feedback Focus: Fog and Light

[color=#6666ff]Sky-Captains, I need your opinions.[/color]
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[color=#6666ff]Have you had time to play our latest build yet? If so I’d like to gather your thoughts on the fog and lighting we introduced.[/color]
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[color=#6666ff]We added the fog to address the atmosphere in the game which we felt was a bit lacking. While I won’t give away any spoilers, I’m sure most of you have already guessed we also intend to use it in the future to have dreadful things sneak up on you and scare your socks off. [/color]
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[color=#6666ff]As I mentioned in the patch notes, adding the fog made it even harder to see what you could bump into which is one of the primary reasons we added the headlight. [/color]
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  • [color=#6666ff]How do feel these two thing have changed the atmosphere in the game? [/color][/li][li][color=#6666ff]Have you had any spooky encounters? [/color][/li][li][color=#6666ff]Have you played with the debris of a wreck yet to watch all the dancing shadows? [/color][/li][li][color=#6666ff]Is it the headlight helping you to not crash into stuff? [/color][/li][li][color=#6666ff]Have you used the headlight to help you aim your weapons during combat, or even to dodge out of an enemies line of fire? [/color]

edited by FailbetterFuzz on 2/14/2018

i think the fog feels a bit odd, because there’s always this clear spot in the middle of it. I guess the new fog is some sort of vignette overlay? I can see why that would be useful for hiding monsters

But also, i’m kind of of the opinion that we had enough fog already. i do see lots of complaints about too many clouds. Having everything shrouded in fog constantly causes colors to be a bit washed out

The light doesn’t feel like it does much to me. I’d like to see it cut through the fog better. Maybe have it decrease the opacity of fog (especially background layers) under the beam, so that things you shine the light on are more vivid and clearer?

[ul][li]How do feel these two thing have changed the atmosphere in the game [/li][/ul]Feels more exploration-ey.

[ul][li]Have you had any spooky encounters? [/li][/ul]Mostly just being jumped when multiple agents spawn randomly around me (esp > 1 spinster - harsh!)

[ul][li]Have you played with the debris of a wreck yet to watch all the dancing shadows? [/li][/ul]I have tried to scuttle a wreck after raiding it, to get rid of the navigation hazard.

And chased a bit of debris across the chart.

[ul][li]Is it the headlight helping you to not crash into stuff? [/li][/ul]Yes, a bit - although I would really like red/green running lights to help me remember which way to thrust.

[ul][li]Have you used the headlight to help you aim your weapons during combat, or even to dodge out of an enemies line of fire? [/li][/ul]Main use of headlights, if I’m honest. Got rid of the emanation and went back to brassraven+jerusalem now I can actually aim.

The headlight is definitely both functional and atmospheric. The fog is less functional, but equally atmospheric. It is definitely pretty cool to see things looming up ot of it, though it would be nice if we could zoom out a little further, and see more vague shapes in the fog.

One thing I missed was the ability to turn off the light in order to creep up on enemies, though that’s not such a big deal.

I feel like the fog has really improved the atmosphere, though perhaps it could stand to vary more; some areas with a really thick white blanket, another with a thin even mist, rather than most of it being similar clouds.

I agree the light could be a bit stronger. It’s definitely helping to not crash into stuff, though I haven’t used it to aim much because combat is a little daunting when everyone else seems kind of faster and more agile and there’s no indication of how close you are to killing them.

[ul][li]How do feel these two thing have changed the atmosphere in the game? [/li][li]Have you had any spooky encounters? [/li][li]Have you played with the debris of a wreck yet to watch all the dancing shadows? [/li][li]Is it the headlight helping you to not crash into stuff? [/li][li]Have you used the headlight to help you aim your weapons during combat, or even to dodge out of an enemies line of fire? [/li][/ul]The fog is a good addition, but I feel like we could do with less of it. Now the atmosphere feels to me less like &quottrains in space&quot and more like &quottrains in a gigantic cloud&quot. I think Varying the amount of fog, like AllenY said, could be a very good solution - for example, factory areas and dark, unexplored corners having heavy fog, while others being even fog-free. I feel like this could be good for creating a contrast of shady places dangerous because of things hiding from you, and well-lit places dangerous because [i]you have nowhere to run or hide! AAAAHHH!

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Had a spooky encounter tracking down a spinster, seeing it flicker at the edge of the screen and make its scurrying sound. When I engaged it, and was soon at 1/3 health, two hostile locomotives showed up… …And attacked it instead of me, everyone killing each other bar the final coup de grace I could deliver after watching the fight with a bag of popcorn. 10/10, would bite off more than I can chew again.
The shadow play is quite gorgeous.
Like has been said, the headlight is my primary means of aiming and navigating. I think it’s been a great addition, and I also love the visual effect.

I really like the fog, I think it was a great addition and I think there is a perfect amount of it. The head light is similarly amazing, but I would like an option to turn it off and on just for roleplaying experience.

[color=#6666ff]Thanks for the feedback folks. I’m going to unpin this now. Everyone is of course more than welcome to keep posting their thoughts here. [/color]