City lights on the drak side of planets would be great!

HammerX · Dec 23, 2014

I hope Night lights on teh surface of habitable worlds could be added. I think it would cool! Anyone else agree?

Ears · Dec 23, 2014

Yes I do! I often hang around a 4 billion pop planet and it breaks immersion a bit when they all switch off their lights at night. it's dark, so you wouldn't need any fancy land/water realism. just a random pattern of lights at varying densities depending on total pop.

DannyLeigh · Dec 23, 2014

I doubt it's hard to do... Probably just another thing that got pushed down the list of priorities for launch. I'm sure it'll come soon

Memnoch · Dec 23, 2014

Ears said:
Yes I do! I often hang around a 4 billion pop planet and it breaks immersion a bit when they all switch off their lights at night. it's dark, so you wouldn't need any fancy land/water realism. just a random pattern of lights at varying densities depending on total pop.

I would imagine that, with the knowledge that hundreds if not thousands of massive killing machines are flying around above their heads, they would have good reason to turn off the lights.

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ZeeWolf · Dec 23, 2014

Concept art appeared in early newsletters

It probably isn't as easy as people think. Firstly the cities have to match previous games (as the station names and locations currently do). Secondly it has to be consistent with the planetary landing and quite possibly they didn't want to put something place-holder in that looked totally different when landings were available. Obviously it would be lovely to have it in as soon as possible, but can sort of see why it might have not made it for release 1.

HammerX · Dec 23, 2014

It should just a texture that would only be visible from the night side. I wouldn't think it would be too hard. I used to do 3d computer graphics and 3d animation. I didn't design a game or anything, but it wasn't hard to simulate. Just my humble opinion.

Ruskodisco · Dec 23, 2014

i can't wait for this i really wanted to get some snap shots of earth from space at night with all those lights....

AstroCat · Dec 31, 2014

I so have been wanting to see this in-game. It would make a big immersion jump for me.