We've just had a discussion on TS between several DOU people including myself and I really would like some input from the veterans of the UT world.

What has happened in the past while sniping is that sometimes we'll be up against an opponent or in a clan match and we get schooled thoroughly. Particularly disturbing was when we'd get picked off while camping in places where we couldn't even see the rifle in front of our faces.
We always thought it was some kind of hack or cheat until we have finally discovered that you can brighten up a dark map like mid-day by typing "set levelinfo brightness 15" into the console before entering a server.

The issue is this.....At least one of our members over at DOU feels that this takes unfair advantage of unknowledgable players and feels it is a dishonorable way to play. Others feel that since it is a simple console command, there's nothing wrong with it and obviously other players and even entire clans use it.
One side feels it is an immoral way to play.
One side feels it is a simple player preference.

My questions:

-Is this command widely used?

-What does the UT gaming community at large think of using this command?

Thanks for any light anyone can shed on this,

-JB

I have play for at over 5 year .I didn't know you don that all.
I alway thought over internet you can't do that. I am wrong?
Anyone on DOU Try it for themself to if that is case?

Well frankly I've always considered really dark skins like those favoured at DOU and many other sniper servers to be rather chickenshit. Especially when they are not universal in their availability. Kudos to DOU for making a guest skin available, even if it is rather rude.

I can accept and understand the use of very dark skins in a camping/sniper setting, but find them quite unacceptably chickenshit in their use on any DM server. I like to play UT with the gamma set where the dark shadows are truly dark, as they should be. I personally believe that the original skins that came with the game were carefully designed to be at least noticeable in the really dark areas by an alert player. The last time I played on your Uzi server, I got my ass handed to me far too often by someone whose skin was probably completely black. I could never see the guy at all. And I refused to hit F11 until I had a gamma of 10/10.

I would only consider someone changing the gamma to 15/10 to be morally cheating on your sniper server. On the Uzi server it could be seen as a way of evening up the odds.

I try it couldn't get it to work.

I try diferent thing I never got it brighter but I did one thing It did make it bright but I was to slow I couldn't tell

I think that it is not ethically wrong. To be a cheat to me, it would have to be something that is NOT included in the game and is NOT available to everyone on the server. Since this is available to all and included in the game, I would have to side on the side of fair play.
That does not mean that I would use it. It just means that I do not see it as cheating per se.
If it is an issue, then a simple mod could be created that could block this command from being used on a server.



I do not use it. This is the first that I have heard of it.

It's a new one on me, don't see how the folks could stand that much brightness ahhhhhhh !! I'd have to wear welding goggles to stand that lol!!! Like Jargy said ,you'd think that could be easily fixed up with an admin tool of some sort .

Iron

No comment.

Okay. I tried it out. I have issues with it being used in a sniper match, as I can see how this would make it easier to target a person. I will get some screenies to show you the difference.

Well maybe it works better in D3D. It did brighten up the already bright areas even more; but on the DM map I checked it out on, the dark areas stayed very dark.

I couldn't get it work.

I am trying to find a good picture server that won't spam the heck outta me if I join. I can tell a HUGE difference.

try http://www.imageshack.us/ or I just try http://photobucket.com/

The screen shot Sci Fi graciously displayed for us is from the map 'Lost Canyon'. This is normally a pitch black map.

Anyhow, I think I've read enough to know that this "tweak" isn't common knowledge and I won't be making it a part of my regular game play. I doubt it would be of much use on a 'deemer server (thus the reason I'm exporing the subject HERE), but on a camping style sniper server it makes for a huge difference.
BTW, if anyone knows of a way to block this on a server, please let me know!
Thank you all for your input. Hopefully I'll get some time one of these days for sharing a few 'deemers on CG's. Been awhile since I've been there.

-JB

First and for most I must apologize to you Scify. It is obvious to me why you choose this map for your screen to show how this changes maps. I was in the server checking the brightness thing out and you were there too that is why I only stayed for one game. That is all it took for me to not want to ever use this. So once again please forgive me for making you my test.

If any of you do not know the map pictured It is called lost canyons, it is the darkest map I have ever played (I have been playind since UT came out). You can see almost nothing, in both of the screen shots you see, without the Brightness set, everything would be black, you would see nothing.

This needs to be banned I hope someone does have a mod or somthing to block people from using this.

Scify, I would ask one favor of you. Please respond to this with how you felt while playing against me on this map. I WILL use you comments (not your name) in my battle to sway the DOU members to put an end to this.

Although it is not a cheat or a hack it does present an unfair advantage. This should not be exploited.

Welcome to the Redeemer Insanity forum, Charger.
I was talking with another DOU member today. I can see why this is such a difficult issue. On the one hand, it is available to all. On the other, it defeats the purpose of the camping sniper game.
As I told the other player, and I will also let everyone know. I do not think it is a cheat, BUT I will not use it either.
For me, it is a matter of honor. I would not be happy knowing that I used this to win a game. Now if I could prove the OTHER team was using it, then things would be different. The best solution is a mod that disables this function. It could be set up on the DOU servers.

Does anyone know of a person that could produce this?