Too Dark Rear View Mirrors at Night [155823]

[djukon]

Hi everyone,

Since a recent update, the rear view mirrors are displaying a much darker image at night/dusk/dawn. This makes it very difficult to securely switch lanes and park at night. Is there some specific configuration to tweak? Or should this be reported as a bug (I haven't found one reported yet)?

The auxiliary rear view panes (the default F2 key) are much brighter in comparison (like the regular rear view mirrors were previously). Personally, I avoid using these panes as they break immersion. On the other hand, driving at night with darkened rear view mirrors also breaks immersion.

You have to almost max your monitor's brightness to spot the two dots that are the approaching car's headlights.

I'm not using any mods and this happens all the time. I've been driving in and around Germany lately.

Thanks.

[Some newbie driver]

Yes, the 1.40 changes in light madce the nights darkers (as it should be).

But also improved A LOT the headlights of all vehicles, AI included. Before you only see them appear on mirrors when very near; now if you don't see them in your mirrors you can be pretty sure there's no AI vehicle near that could cause your maneuver to end in a crash.

Regards

[abasstreppas]

@djukon try my flarepack mod. It increases the visibility range of vehicle lamps.

viewtopic.php?f=34&t=186306

[djukon]

@djukon try my flarepack mod. It increases the visibility range of vehicle lamps.

Thank you, @abasstreppas, good to know there is an alternative.

Just to stick to the purpose of this thread, the objective is to clarify/fix the inconsistencies of rear view mirror gamma/brightness at night without mods.

Yes, the 1.40 changes in light madce the nights darkers (as it should be). But also improved A LOT the headlights of all vehicles, AI included.

Indeed, @Some newbie driver. I have no contention on the regular (non-mirrored) changes with the new lighting engine. My focus for this thread is on the rear view mirrors, specifically the regular mirrors (not the F2 rear view panes).

Before you only see them appear on mirrors when very near; now if you don't see them in your mirrors you can be pretty sure there's no AI vehicle near that could cause your maneuver to end in a crash.

What you describe is not the case for me with the regular rear view mirrors as you can see in the screenshot (in the red rectangles compared to the green one). What rear view method are you using for driving at night? The regular mirrors or the F2 auxiliary panes?

[Mohegan13]

[ external image ]

This is what it looks like for me on a profile that has never had mods on it. While the mirrors are a bit darker, you can't see the road markings for example, the headlights are perfectly visible in both the top/bottom main mirrors and the UI mirrors.

[Some newbie driver]

@djukon I see things as like Mohegan13 just shown with that image. And it's a pretty noticeable change (for better) than before 1.40.

I've no idea why you could see them worse; but as like Mohegan13 example, I've never used mods on that profile. Maybe you have something changing the way yo see things in mirrors.

Regards

[djukon]

I've no idea why you could see them worse; [...] Maybe you have something changing the way yo see things in mirrors.

Thanks, @Some newbie driver. We might all still not be properly comparing apples to apples.

[Mohegan13's screenshot]

Thanks for chiming in, @Mohegan13. For a greater contrast, try capturing a screenshot with a vehicle passing by a few meters behind (~5m). In your screenshot, it seems a truck is passing by on the left, with its front already beyond your mirrors.

@djukon I see things as like Mohegan13 just shown with that image. And it's a pretty noticeable change (for better) than before 1.40.

@Some newbie driver, are you using UI mirrors while driving at night? I'm not contesting the UI mirrors, they look great. Can you also please take a screenshot with a a vehicle passing around 5 meters behind the mirrors? (capturing UI and regular mirrors)

While the mirrors are a bit darker, you can't see the road markings for example, the headlights are perfectly visible in both the top/bottom main mirrors and the UI mirrors.

Describing it as "perfectly" might be stretching it a tad too far. In the main mirrors you see white/yellowish dots which are not easily distinguishable from a rest station a few hundred meters behind on the other side. I'm not expecting to see the road markings (without vehicles passing), but at least we should be able to see the road slightly illuminated in front of the approaching vehicles, not just the headlight dots. My initial screenshot demonstrates the difference clearly between the UI mirror (green box) and the regular mirrors (red boxes).

The additional challenge I set for anyone who is regularly using UI mirrors to get to what I'm pointing to, is to turn the UI mirrors off (cycle through with the F2 key) from dusk to dawn and report back your experience. No cheating by raising the monitor or game's brightness/gamma .

At dusk and dawn it might even be worse when a grey/brown/black car is overtaking you. The effect is that the vehicle "melds" into the road, since at that time the headlights aren't as distinguishable.

[Some newbie driver]

I use truck mirrors on driver's side, not UI ones. But UI ones look like exactly the same than truck ones in the other side.

[Mohegan13]

The additional challenge I set for anyone who is regularly using UI mirrors to get to what I'm pointing to, is to turn the UI mirrors off (cycle through with the F2 key) from dusk to dawn and report back your experience.

Why challenge only people who normally use the UI mirrors? When you're not used to something of course it will seem harder regardless of the whether you feel something is too dark.

Personally I drive will all UI elements off as I want as much realism as the game can offer. I have no issue with night driving in game. The mirrors are fine and show more than enough detail.

For better clarity here's a video: (give it time to process it is 4k)

Watch on YouTube

[djukon]

Personally I drive will all UI elements off as I want as much realism as the game can offer. I have no issue with night driving in game. The mirrors are fine and show more than enough detail.

Thank you for the video, @Mohegan13. Your regular mirrors are showing the lights properly with that video. It must be something with my settings. I'll create a new profile to check. If anyone might have a clue to what I have to tweak, please let me know.