Thanks for the reply and your view on the matter - I kinda expected some to push-back, hence i also asked for it to be an option. Since you seem to enjoy the light cone, i'd go and implore Larian: please add an option for this.
Guess it comes down to preference. What follows is my opinion and my thoughts are more like: Since my character doesn't trace my eye's gaze (could use tobii eye tracker maybe?), with the change i now have to turn my character at things that i want to "cast light" upon. But to me darkvision isn't at all like "casting light". Currently it feels more like a flashlight feature and since my character only turns when i click somewhere or hold CTRL to force-attack, i feel it's very cumbersome to actually take advantage of darkvision. I thought circular illumination based on the selected character's abilities was absolutely brilliant before in early access. In a fight the visibility of the surrounding and elements was based on who's turn it was - no matter the direction that character currently faced.
In my mind my character doesn't stand mindless in one spot, staring just straight ahead. As i do IRL i'd expect my characters to look around and be somewhat aware of the things around them. So when i look at my screen at stuff behind my character, i don't wanna first turn that character around to be able to look there **. It's not a 1st person or OTS shooter after all. Plus if i wanna "take in the environmental lighting" i'd just select a different character (or don't play a Drow). For the character i wanna play the environmental lighting is (and should be) less of a factor - to me that's more immersive and more "being in character" playing with a circular illumination, first and foremost because it's being able to "see in the dark" and not "being able to cast light where one looks".
** by extension of that "turn around to see" argument: in that case shouldn't there always be a "fog of war" behind every character? No matter if there's light or darkness around them? Once there's light there doesn't seem to be an argument about the player being able to see and click stuff behind their character - only when it's dark suddenly we're only supposed to see what our character sees? My opinion: that logic is faulty. Sorry.
If i'd want spelunky torch management i'd play a race without superior darkvision. In addition my "real life" peripheral vision is around 180° - i can see much more than just a 45° cone in front of me - and i can look behind me by turning my head alone. In BG3 release version, standing in front of a wall this change becomes even worse with a round sphere of light on that wall. It's plain awful. So much so that i'm considering to start over, picking a character without darkvision.
I get some prefer the new way but i still ask for the option to get the early access circular illumination back. Please.
