Architect Archive
Thread: Light Source Decay A fine idea, just awkwardly implemented.
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Eutock
Thu Mar 18, 2004 8:15 am
#1
As a user of many an architects' fine furniture for 7 months, I have always enjoyed decorating the half dozen houses and shops I have owned. I like taking the time to move objects around until I get them just right, and using the old stair trick whenever possible.
I was looking forward to finally getting believable light sources, and being able to toss the misfitted torches. However, with the new light source items completely decaying their use over a given time, without any chance of "refilling" them, it does not make much sense to go through all the hassle of positioning the light sources "just right" in your house. Placing down furniture is a semi-permanent thing, not to done every 10-30 days.
I have not read even a fraction of the discussions in this forum, and I assume this has already been talked about. I would like to propose though a "place once, refill many" light source system. In other words, you can place a certain type of light source inside your house to the position you want it in, and then just refill that one light source with replacement candles and bulbs as needed.
Also, you should be able to turn off the light sources to save their usage. This would benefit two different types of house owners. For a shop owner, the lights should always be on, and a fully lit house will indicate to prospective customers that the shop owner is keeping up the place and serious about conducting business (and may save the time of clicking an empty vendor). For personal homes, this would allow the owner to turn off the candles and lamps whennot at home or just doesn't want the lights on.
I hope this describes to some extent the light system that is most desirable and will have the highest benefits for architects and home owners alike.
Bandola
Thu Mar 18, 2004 8:22 am
#2
Yepp, that pretty much sums up what we wanted too. Shame then that theDevs didn't think to ask the crafters and the consumers what we wanted but instead went ahead and did what they always do, make what they want to 
Stumpet_Rakingclaw
Thu Mar 18, 2004 8:49 am
#3
hmmm an interesting post and i agree with a lot of it...i too am someone who enjoys getting everything just right...and yeah refills of no kind kind of suck...but what about the fact that they decay from the second they are produced...i have candles in crates in my factory that have been decaying since they got manufactured...i mean what in gids name is that about...i don't remember telling my droid to light those and ubrn down my factory...so i could deal with your issue on no refills...but the idea of them burning or being lit when in your inventory or your factory is just ludacris(like the rapper my friends woo)...and dealing with doesn't mean liking the idea as it would probably be a lot more resource friendly and a lot more credit friendly(to consumers)to have refils...i mean look at the lamp schematics...how come a torch takes an electronics gp module while lamps done...roflmao...candles and torches run on fire last i checked...a cool idea would be like a lighter or something that has a certain number of charges to light and put out candles so that you could save them for special occasions...or something like that...hell i don't know i am just making this stuff up as i go along...
one comment though i don't think we should be bashing the devs as at least they listened to us to not patching the experimentation changes...i thought that finally my opinion(as well as many other crafters)was actually being taken into account...so i refuse the bash the devs on little things like this for the moment...i will wait till they screw something big lke the space expansion up(IF they do
)
anyways i am beginning to ramble and class starts in a few mins here lol...thanks for the opportunity to reply to your thread
one comment though i don't think we should be bashing the devs as at least they listened to us to not patching the experimentation changes...i thought that finally my opinion(as well as many other crafters)was actually being taken into account...so i refuse the bash the devs on little things like this for the moment...i will wait till they screw something big lke the space expansion up(IF they do
)anyways i am beginning to ramble and class starts in a few mins here lol...thanks for the opportunity to reply to your thread
MadACR
Thu Mar 18, 2004 10:56 am
#4
I agree with this post, but think that the devs have more critical things to deal with, like for instance DE bugs.
I think in the future we will see replacement kits, but for now I am happy that I have light with out having to set off my smoke alarm 
as with anything programming this is a great first step.
PikechickLei
Thu Mar 18, 2004 11:49 am
#5
I had this exact same thought while I was using the beautiful new /move up and /move down commands to put my new candles on a table in a room without stairs(!!!!). But after taking advantage of the new, smaller /move increments to get them just right, I asked myself "Do I really want to have to do this again in 12 days, 15 hours, 23 minutes and 57 seconds?"
I really hope they'll make lightsources 'rechargable' and let architects make and sell the batteries (or wax packs, or whatever) needed to refill and re-light the lights themselves -- which ideally stay where they are when they burn out, but just go dark.
Lightswitches would also be a great addition .Some way to manually turn a lightsource on/off (streetlamps do this automatically on the day/night cycle, so the code obviously exists) would be super. Even better would be a way to also turn the ambient (or built-in) lights in a house on and off as well, so those candles can still have a dramatic effect rather than being washed out in the blinding interior light of a Corellian house.
Good thoughts. I hope the architects pull together to convince the devs to keep refining lightsources.
Moxxinal
Thu Mar 18, 2004 12:24 pm
#6
/wave Hi Eutock!! 
I completely agree with your post. My biggest problems with lights:
1) They decay - people won't bother buying replacements every month, let alone every week or two for candles. It takes too long to get them just right, as you say.
2) They're too bright - 1-2 flood a room with light. Candles should be softer and more localized light - would make for some cool effects in interior design.
3) They can't be turned on/off, exactly as you said.
4) They decay as soon as you make them. This is a problem for me as I generally take a week to finish up an interior design for a client - by that time the candles will be almost dead!
5) The reason for decay - renewable income - is paltry and not worth the hassle of replacing them.
I do enjoy using them in my designs, but I already see myself not using candles in favor of the longer-lived desk and floor lamps. That's a shame, because the candles are quite cool, and I'd like to take advantage of them!
Arakesh
Thu Mar 18, 2004 2:39 pm
#7
Hell, I like it...as a Master Architect, it has completely rejuvenated my business...I'm selling more furniture now than ever, plus the lights...I think this addition of decyaing lamps and cnadles is a good thing and will aide in keeping us in business for many months to come...at least until color-change furniture comes along...
Bandola
Fri Mar 19, 2004 12:39 am
#8
I think that one of the things that may have rejuvenated the furniture business, esp the interior decorator side of things, is the new /move up/down option, this has opened up new possibilities that just weren't there before, even with the workaround of using stairs. Watch out for a whole bunch of new and exciting design ideas based on the new ability. Now all we need is the ability to rotate on the final axis and the possibilities will be endless !
Arakesh wrote:
Hell, I like it...as a Master Architect, it has completely rejuvenated my business...I'm selling more furniture now than ever, plus the lights...I think this addition of decyaing lamps and cnadles is a good thing and will aide in keeping us in business for many months to come...at least until color-change furniture comes along...
BoberFett
Fri Mar 19, 2004 1:36 am
#9
5 stars for you my friend. My g/f and I were having this exact discussion last night. With the option of turning lights on and off, in addition to a recharge source similar to droid batteries, I'd welcome the decay. As it is, I don't look forward to replacing lights every month. I'll do it because I like them, but I won't like it.
PikechickLei
Thu Jun 23, 2005 6:16 am
#10
Return from the grave! Necromantic powers bring this thread back to life, over a year from your death!
It's like, topical again. Whoa.
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