So, dynamic lighting - What's the deal?

[Sinnesloeschen]

Referring to the GZDoom variant here. I found it can be used to create some really moody lighting, like in this butchered example (Disregard the freezing lol).

I know i start to sound like a dynamic lighting shill but i would have killed for this stuff back in the 90s.

 

Spoiler

 

But what exactly are the downsides of using stuff like that in a map? (Especially going nuts on conveyors and lifts to create moving lighting - Currently using Boom format)

 

For example, do i exclude literally everyone not using GZDoom by making a map that relies (Too much) on light props? Or are light props compatible with other ports that use a similar form of "dynamic lighting"?

 

Also is there a noticable performance hit for older/less beefy machines?

 

And for future projects, i am probably shooting myself in the foot by doing this in the Boom format and not just going straight to UDMF, right (I.e. anyone who can run a UDMF map can probably also turn on dynamic lighting)?

[Kappes Buur]

17 hours ago, Sinnesloeschen said:

Also is there a noticable performance hit for older/less beefy machines?

Going overboard with anything is usually not a good idea.

 

For years I had been using an AMD Phenom II X6 1055T without any noticable degradation of mapping experience. The get the prober measure about one's system performing I recommend playing Gene-Tech: Before the Storm which was constructed with models and lots of dynamic lights.

Edited May 1, 2023 by Kappes Buur

[Edward850]

18 hours ago, Sinnesloeschen said:

For example, do i exclude literally everyone not using GZDoom by making a map that relies (Too much) on light props? Or are light props compatible with other ports that use a similar form of "dynamic lighting"?

Basically dynamic lights are only used by two mainstream ports, GZDoom and Zandronum (and these are both just branches of the same thing anyway).

 

There's a bit more to it, but the gist is only GZDoom is used for visual fluff as it's less concerned about vanilla mapping tricks, that other ports try to maintain. Even something as "simple" as dynamic lights adds unnecessary complications to that.

Edited May 1, 2023 by Edward850

[Sinnesloeschen]

Thanks for the replies, that allready gives me a good idea about how to "treat" the feature.