Darkness at night

[johnnymra]

Well i'm working on a RPG - tag like map and i have an idea of a special effect...
At night everything should get very dark (black) and only what is near a light source would be seen normally (example: near a torch or a crystal, a flare... etc).
I sincerely don't have any idea of how to make this kind of trigger but i'm totally sure it is possible because I've seen it in a map. (Trap Brawler - in arena number 4 - get the map on hiveworkshop if you want)
The idea in my map is that everything becoming dark at night would make the game interesting and players would need to find light sources to see even each other not only the enemies. (But it would only be as color... i mean if you would know precicely where a hero is you could click him... but you would see only dark there)

Please help me out, i will truly appreciate it!

 

[HydraRancher]

What about Terrain Fog? It can create a spooky atmosphere.

 

[viktorpapa]

or try a fade filter with black mask and 50% transparency

 

[HydraRancher]

That would probably work better.

So some visibility or terrain effect.

 

[johnnymra]

i taught about the terrain fog or black mask.. that's easy but it would basically make the units invisible from one another.. i don't want them to become unclickable... only not to be seen because of the darkness... (please try the map Trap Brawler - set mode DM and arena -4 to see what i'd like... then tell me if you have an idea)
I tried a lot of things already and minimizing the visibility or terrain effects would't work...

EDIT: well if an example from dota would help than... here it is: if you know mortred... she becomes transparent after having the ability blur at maximum level and she basically blends within the environment... my idea is to make the environment totally black at night so that everyone blends within it unless there is a light source...

 

[KaerfNomekop]

You could set all units to have 100% transparency to give the effect of blending in. Then make groups of units with large shadow images at certain points across the map, so that the shadows overlap and create the darkness effect. As for removing the darkness effect, check periodically if a unit is within range of the light sources, and if so remove its transparency.

 

[HydraRancher]

Terrain fog doesn't make units unclickable. It just makes fog.

Transparency is an option.

 

[johnnymra]

Kaerfnomekop
very interesting ideea... yet it won't look like the effect in trap brawler... i'm still waiting for ideas

 

[tommerbob]

There is a specific option for doing what you want to do. You need custom scripts for it.

For making it very dark, do this:

• Custom script: call SetDayNightModels("","")

And for turning it back to day, do this:

• Custom script: call SetDayNightModels("Environment\\DNC\\DNCAshenvale\\DNCAshenvaleTerrain\\DNCAshenvaleTerrain.mdx","Environment\\DNC\\DNCAshenvale\\DNCAshenvaleUnit\\DNCAshenvaleUnit.mdx")

For turning it back to day, the quoted model is environment for the map you are using.

Now, this will make everything black, except for stuff that has "omnilight". I think the only things that have omnilight by default are torches. However, you can import a light model and then attach it to a unit to give it light. I have attached the light model below.

Also, you can read more about it here: Click me

 

[johnnymra]

Thanks a lot this really cleared a lot of questions about this thing.. and about the effects of another map (phase killer) ...

Edit: well it seems i have 2 problems... when it becomes day again.. the darkness effect does not dissapear :|. Am i doing anything wrong?

Night End
Events
Game - The in-game time of day becomes Equal to 6.00
Conditions
Actions
Custom script: call SetDayNightModels("Environment\\DNC\\DNCAshenvale\\DNCAshenvaleTerrain \\DNCAshenvaleTerrain.mdx","Environment\\DNC\\DNCAshenvale\\DNCAshenva leUnit\\DNCAshenvaleUnit.mdx")

(my map has the ashenvale tileset)

the second problem is that... even though it becomes totally dark... is still see the unit's player color... which makes it very easy to see... so i think i could make them simply to have the player color black.. but what do you suggest?

 

[johnnymra]

can't anyone help me? i still don't figure out how to remove the darkness effect after the night is over... nor the color problem

 

[tommerbob]

I'm not sure why its not turning back to day. Your custom script looks right. Could you post a test map?

As for your second problem, you could make all units neutral hostile color during the night time. Purple or brown color works well too.

 

[johnnymra]

At last it works , i found the problem... in order to turn it back to day i used the tutorial you linked me and made 2 models one with white environment color which basically doesn't change anything and another one that has the darkness effect and i made two different triggers each being activated when the game time reaches 6 am or 6 pm it's fine now
Yet about the player color problem... i can't do anything but to modify the heroes player color into black when the night comes and turn it back to the players color when day comes.