a thought recently crossed my mind regarding "gamma level adjustments".
idea:
dynamically changing rendering-distance (rd) roughly based on non-artificial factors such as
- time of the day
- cloudiness and
- lunar phase.
You drastically limit the rd - i.e. for dynamic objects and characters (players, npcs, dynamically spawning loot and player built/set-up constructions) - based on these three variables above.
Now you add artificial factors (light sources) into the calculation:
- lamps
- fire
- torches
- muzzle flash
- chemlights
Depending on the present sources of artificial light and their distance and/or intensity regarding to your character the rd is readjusted dynamically.
This means you absolutely need artifical light sources at night or in dark places in order to see loot or other npcs or players
possible downsides:
- engine related and therefore no chance to see that as it's far too much work to change rendering on such a level
- too taxing on server load
- guaranteed min. lag between rd-distance switches too high and therefore unacceptable for the game experience
- how to resolve dark interiors, like basements or rooms w/o windows still an open topic here
cheers anyway :D