Full moon / new moon etc. is not in phase with the real one.
I know it's not very important... Until they bring out i44 or IronFront for ArmA3. Then suddenly a para mission on June 6th 1944 is dark as dark can be instead of bright moonlight.
Or someone tries a zero dark thirty mission and finds out it's actually zero bright thirty.
Seems a waste to have moon phases if they're not actually in phase.
Go to Editor, set date to 28th March 2013, time to 22:00, observe the moon. It should be full, but it's a waning gibbous moon. It doesn't matter where you are on Earth, the moon gets full at the same time (you might not be able to see it, but it is full).
Here's a simple moon phase calendar for quick testing:
http://www.moonconnection.com/moon_phases_calendar.phtml
Here's NASA's moon phases for 2000 BCE to 4000 CE for serious testing:
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/phase/phasecat.html
Here's some maths for devs to rip off:
http://www.ben-daglish.net/moon.shtml
http://www.koniaris.com/lunar/fraction.html
Ooops - the moon is actually full on the 27th -- but the 28th is about the same luminosity.
However the moonrise and moonset may also be wrong -- as it's high up in the sky at 20:10 on March 27th, but according to the link below, it shouldn't have risen by then:
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.html?n=26&month=3&year=2013&obj=moon&afl=-11&day=1
I agree with this, I think it is important the moon to follow the correct phases and such, especially on such an advanced simulator. Not too huge of a deal, but a very nice touch to the atmosphere.
Or otherwise perhaps a script command that sets the moon phase for historic mission makers to use.
Good thinking, but probably not --
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.html?n=56&month=3&year=2013&obj=moon&afl=-11&day=1
Capetown's moonset time is due at 07:54am Mar 28th 2013, and in Athens 06:34am Mar 28th 2013.
ArmA's moonset on Stratis is 02:10 more or less.
I figure being south of Capetown a bit won't make that much difference.
The moon phase cycle is also reversed. I feel like this is a huge issue. Apparently stratis is south of africa for some reason.
You beat me to it here....check out my post on the forum: http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?149187-Terra-Sol-Stella-Scientifically-Precise-But-Luna-is-acting-a-little-loony-p
Moonlight could crucial in the battlefield at night/evening/morning missions. I really think moon phases should be implemented. Also on different parts of the world a full moon is brighter then on other parts. Up north we get "almost" daylight at a full moon reflecting itself on the snow (same as sand).