MaxisNite vs DarkNite

[michaeldcannaday 42]

what's the difference when downloading something that ask which to choose??

[Bdub01 201]

Maxis nite is the night that came with the game. Dark night is downloadable and as you can guess by the name is much darker than the maxis night.

[Cyclone Boom 16,829]

DarkNite buildings are optimised for use with SimFox's To use them, you'll first need download and install the mod.

The difference between MaxisNite and DarkNite is how buildings are rendered for use in the game. DarkNite gives a more realistic (darker) appearance when viewing cities at night, and also enhanced contrast levels in the day. A BATter will sometimes provide both a MaxisNite and DarkNite version of their model, for users with and without the mod. It's worth noting that DarkNite models won't appear correctly without the mod installed.

[michaeldcannaday 42]

thanks ! that helps me out.

[Burromocho 10]

But how do NO DN BUILDINGS behave with DN plugin on? Someone?

[JimC 159]

^I second that question. I made the decision to go with MaxisNite years back because it seemed like the better option. Now I don't know about that. I want to give DarkNite a whirl but I face having to download ALLLL of the plugins again. Is it worth giving DarkNite a try if you don't have any DarkNite buildings? Further to the main issue, has anyone ever made the switch and replaced all of their plugins? How do Maxis buildings behave with each of the plugins? What proportion of users use DarkNite anyhow?

[timmie 988]

I think the proportion is rather high, but this might be the 'Simtropolis elite'. It's been downloaded more than 100.000 times in any case.

You could install the mod without redownloading your plugins, but it is not advisable, since some people optimize their buildings for MaxisNite. They will look odd if you use DarkNite.

 

 

But the best way to know is to try it yourself. The DarkNight-plugin can be easily deleted, so I'd say: try it

[cogeo 960]

I don't use the Dark Night mod, for three reasons:

- Convenience and practicality: While DN might look more "realistic", as many claim (to me this is debatable, because of the "light pollution" feature in an urban environment), but it's not as practical. You need to switch to day mode, to perform even the most simple task, not to mention lay roads, zones, plop civics, plant trees etc.

- Incompatibility with the Maxis content: If you use the DN mod, you will also have to install some Maxis blocker mod, because otherwise development will be mixed and thus won't be looking good. But blocking Maxis content isn't a simple task. Maxis lots cover all growth stages and lot sizes, so one needs to install a full spate of tiny, small, medium and large buildings (all made for the DN mod) to ensure smooth stage transitions and proper functioning of the "Developer" simulators (eg stages vs pop).

- Availability and variety: Most custom content uploaded on the STEX and LEX is for Maxis night only, some are for both Maxis and Dark nights, and I can't remember a single upload that's for the Dark night only (maybe there are some very very few ones, but this doesn't change the whole image).

 

So, I have concluded that the "Dark Night" mods (there are more than one) are not for me.

[timmie 988]

Maxis content works just fine with the Dark Night mod. Most building on the STEX also do, even if not made for Dark Night. The only problem emerges when people like jasoncw make a special version optimized for Maxis Night: this is called TruNite, and these buildings look blue-ish if used in a game with DarkNite. But every other building NOT optimized for Maxis Night works perfect with the DarkNite mod.

[Prophet42 1,500]

I too am debating whether to use the Dark Night mod or not.  So far I have stuck with the Maxis night and have downloaded the Maxis night versions to my plugin folder.  However I have also downloaded the dark night buildings into a 'backup' folder in case I ever decide to switch to Dark Night.  I usually play the game with 'eternal sun' mode and rarely ever use the night mode.  I guess that is why I'm some what reluctant to take the time effort to make the switch to a feature that I really don't use that often.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

I don't use Dark Night simply because I usually have the day/night cycle turned off. (F5).

 

Since the cycle is unrealistic in the maximum, I simply can't be bothered.  If I want a night view I can simply slip it on (F6), then back to daylight.

[infamousjbe 592]

Since there are only a hand full of DN bats in comparison to MN and very rarely ever switch to night time, I forgo DN mod as well.

 

But it's hard to argue that the images of mayor's cities built with DN in mind can be absolutely stunning in comparison to MN images.

 

So the suggestion would be:

 

1. If you're building pretty cities to show off in a CJ or Show Us threads, go with DN

 

2. If you're just playing the game to play the game, you'd be better off just sticking to MN. 

[MilitantRadical 2,844]

I use Maxis Night because I find Dark Night to be too dark. There are also many buildings that are MN only and they looks weird in DN. I also like the slightly blue tinge of MN, makes it looks moonlit. You can always use Photoshop to darken or add more contrast to MN. I have a CJ and don't feel at a disadvantage because I use MN.

[Lost Realist 762]

There's nothing wrong with BATs that were not optimized for DN, the process is, obviously, just an optimization and is not necessary for the buildings to look good. From my personal experience, over 90% of all buildings, DN-optimized or not, will look good with DarkNite and those that look a little different are more of a feature to me. After all, not all buildings in a real city look alike when their lit at night.

[Terring 6,473]

I also have the DarkNite mod, because it makes the nights as dark as they should be. Only a couple of my buildings looks a bit funny with that mod, but that's not a problem for me. In fact, it makes the night skyline more interesting

[KonstantinII 1,106]

I don't really use the dark night mod, and any buildings that do not have maxis night option can still be used.

[Cool_Z 1,547]

I think Darknite is too dark to my taste and I'll stick to Maxis night... but I just came across two wonderful looking buildings only available for Dark night. I just wondered how would DN buildings look if you're not using DN ????

 

Could someone provide a picture ?? 

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

You would find out a lot faster by simply downloading them, installing them and having a look at them in your sandbox, especially since you don't give the URLs for these lots.  Easily removed if there are problems.

[Cool_Z 1,547]

You would find out a lot faster by simply downloading them, installing them and having a look at them in your sandbox, especially since you don't give the URLs for these lots.  Easily removed if there are problems.

 

Not a bad idea.. I was just hoping there was some reference pics already existing.

 

I will do it and post the results here so people can see what's what.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Great.  Looking forward to it.

[Cool_Z 1,547]

Ok here are the builidings I was talking about :

 

 

 

Both are Dark nite but here is how they look at night without simfox's plugin (the two buildings are the green and red midrise on the left and the big one with the blue top on the right) :

 

 

I think it's quite OK...  ... they even look stunningly beautiful !

 

Next test, I'll put a Dark Nite and a Maxis Nite version of the same building side by side to see what the difference is when you only use Maxis Nite.  :kitty:

[Mr_Maison 2,426]

I been back and forth with this. When I try the DN. I like the way some buildings look but some areas are too dark and some of my nightlights (particularly the bridge lights) start to look weird. I also find myself turning off the day/night cycle when doing construction (which is most of the time) because it gets too dark. I wonder if I play with my monitor brightness and contrast settings if that would help find the right balance when using DN but then I don't want to ruin my display for other things I do on my computer.

 

Cool_Z that looks cool BTW.

[Jasoncw 11,839]

I didn't realize how much confusion there was over this.

 

DarkNite buildings are rendered darker so that they fit into the darker night modds.

 

MaxisNite buildings are rendered with the normal brightness so that they fit into the default Maxis night.

 

If you think it looks better darker, then do darknite, if you like the brigher nights better, then do maxisnite.

 

 

If the BAT was made in 3ds max you have to choose one or the other, and they are not compatible (the DarkNite will look too dark in normal night, and MaxisNite will look too bright in darknite environment). For about the last 3-4 years pretty much any 3ds Max BAT should provide both. I think pretty much all authors do. BATs made from like 2008-2009 will only have MaxisNite, but 3ds max was less common then anyway.

 

Maxis buildings and BATs made in gmax are automatically compatible with either because of the way that night is composited in the game. Without going into technical details, the 3ds Max renders have more accurate lighting and a higher image quality, and this is at the sacrifice of the compatibility between the two.

 

As far as which is more popular, when DarkNite was first created I'd do separate uploads for each version. They were about half and half, but downloads that would appeal more to "hardcore" players tended much more towards darknite and ones that appealed more to casual players tended towards maxisnite. But that was a few years ago, and I'd guess since then much more downloaders use darknite.

[Cool_Z 1,547]

On 29/01/2014 at 11:30 PM, Jasoncw said:

As far as which is more popular, when DarkNite was first created I'd do separate uploads for each version. They were about half and half, but downloads that would appeal more to "hardcore" players tended much more towards darknite and ones that appealed more to casual players tended towards maxisnite. But that was a few years ago, and I'd guess since then much more downloaders use darknite.

Upping this topic from a looong time ago because reasons.

First, I'm very curious of the proportion of people actually using Darknite now... We know that the most hardcore players are here on Simtropolis and SC4 devotion, maybe a poll would tell us what the MN/DN proportion is. Darknite was all the rage when released... but now I think the usage has shrinked a lot. (still used by many... but far less).

But more than that... I've been rebuilding my plugins folder. I came across the period following Simfox's mod release... and at that time some people (like I said in a previous post here) made buildings only with a darknite render.

For some (as I said too), they are still usable... but others (like all of ILLTonsko's releases from the beginning of 2011) are darknite... and it is not precised in the description. You can guess it only by the screenshots.

An example here : 

And ingame (not using Darknite) here :

If find it pretty sad that some people decided to make their work not usable (or much less usable) for half or more than half the SC4 players.

[Cool_Z 1,547]

Up again...

Over the period between september and december 2011, from the 29 buildings I wanted to install I've got 4 that are unusable at night because of that.

 

What a bad idea. They just had to make a second render with the Maxisnite setting, a few clicks and just some rendering time. This is actually sad

[Compdude787 916]

I use SimFox's DarkNite mod. This is despite the fact that I hardly ever switch the game into night view. Maybe I will once I get a decent looking downtown area.

[Lost Realist 762]

On 15.6.2016 at 5:56 PM, Cool_Z said:

Up again...

Over the period between september and december 2011, from the 29 buildings I wanted to install I've got 4 that are unusable at night because of that.

 

What a bad idea. They just had to make a second render with the Maxisnite setting, a few clicks and just some rendering time. This is actually sad

That's true but then again compatibility situations like this are not uncommon in the world of custom content and at the end of the day, it's not like you can't install DarkNite. It's kind of like a regular dependency in these cases: if you can't find/download/install one or don't want to for whatever reason, you're nailed.

[Cool_Z 1,547]

11 minutes ago, Lost Realist said:

 it's not like you can't install DarkNite.

Well I don't want to. Because i like to play with the night day cycle running, means I want to be able to build during the night.

[Lost Realist 762]

Just now, Cool_Z said:

Well I don't want to. Because i like to play with the night day cycle running, means I want to be able to build during the night.

Makes sense but see, that's your call. There's always things you can't use for some reason; there's plenty of lots you can't really get great use of in DarkNite as well.

[Cool_Z 1,547]

Of course.

But as making a Maxisnite and a Darknite version of a same building just takes a few more clicks a some rendering time, I find it sad that some people decided to make their content only usable with one option.