Wow, I'm genuinely shocked at how vehement the hate for this change is. I get not liking it, there's plenty not to like, but I never expected this to garner so much passion.
I work as a dev – but even if you didn’t, common sense will tell you that if they already created the config for a darker, more atmospheric lighting system, then making it an optional setting in the ‘graphics’ tab is trivial. The case would be closed right there: it would appease both sides, with minimal to no effort.
Instead, they make this reworked gaudy lighting system the ‘new norm’ and we’re all supposed to just accept that.
As for your apparent bafflement re: the ‘impassioned’ loathing of the thing – well, that’s simply down to tastes. Which are a thing. On a sensory level, our brains have vastly different, and unfathomably complicated, ways of processing what we see, hear, smell. I also paint/sketch as a hobby – in particular as a kid my sketches tended towards hyper-realism/photorealistic renderings of every little detail.
I don’t think I’ve lost this kind of attention to detail, and genuinely disagree that anything in those photos looks remotely similar, as you appear to suggest: ‘Some things look the same to me’. We’ll have to just agree to disagree – but we’re only talking about a mechanical evaluation of differences there, of which there are many.
It’s the dramatic stylistic change that’s the worst offender here. As I mentioned, if you throw ‘chiaroscuro’ into google images, you’ll see Larian – whether by fluke or otherwise – had achieved this remarkable style in the left screenshots (particularly pic 3, 4 and 10). It’s a very powerful style, accomplished with mere shadows: take out the shadows, and the images don’t have a fraction of the power.
While that’s an opinion, and opinions are by no means fact, I feel the new washed out, brighter world is dull as dishwater. It’s boring to look at: what once sparked the imagination and ignited the senses is gone completely. You may not feel the same way, but like I mentioned we’re not all created equal in that respect. Just as it is with food – I’m certain there are some dishes you despise that your pals might adore. Of course we all have very strong, very different reactions to the same sensory stimuli. This is especially true on a visual level: how my brain reacts to a woman is very different to how it reacts to a man (neutral/indifference to potential vomit, depending on the male image in question).
You’re correct in that the ‘real world’ is indeed ‘plenty vibrant and bright too’ – but so too so are many of the examples in the Patch 7 photos (pic 6 and 7 are in fact more vibrant than the washed out Patch 8 equivalents, ironically because of the heavier shadows providing sharper emphasis to the brighter colours). The main complaint is about the watering down of the shadow detail, to the point it might as well not exist – which is not true to reality (not that it would have to be, since we’re talking an art style here). The brightest sunshine casts the darkest shadows, but even in the grim overcast light of today, there is shadow/light drama aplenty that’s more than enough to inspire a painting or a sketch.
The only convincing argument I’ve read here in favour of the new lighting system is that ‘too dark’ is an accessibility issue. That’s fine: make it an option in the graphical settings then. Win-win, end of the problem.
