FOSS gamedev and creative worlds

I have built a large hall, and I struggle to hang my torches such that it still looks pretty.
The dimensions are: floor is 50x50 nodes, and the height is 25 nodes. It appears that using regular torches, I need 3-4 rows of torches along the walls at various heights, with torches every 4 nodes, and torches suspended from the ceiling at various heights (at least one torch close to the ceiling and one close to the ground).

The room gives a feeling of a large open space now but with all the torches (especially those hanging from the ceiling), it just feels cluttered. Is there any way to solve this - preferably using the regular game, without extra mods, but if I need it, an extra mod that has improved lights?

All suggestions are welcome.

Hi Magz,

Have you seen [Mod] Mini Sun, Pesudo Brighter Light Source [mini_sun]? Full disclosure, it's made by me :)

When I first started playing, the lack of powerful lighting really bugged me. But now, with Mini Sun, it's all good ;)

Magz_builder wrote: (clipped)... Is there any way to solve this - preferably using the regular game, without extra mods... (clipped)

Glass or even open skylights in the roof are a good, day-time, design technique.

Ladders and rails can be used as slatted shutters to cover holes yet still allow light through.

Stairs and slabs have a lighting glitch that allows light to pass through them even though they are supposed to be opaque building blocks. I've used this lighting glitch a lot to create hidden lighting. Look for spots where you can hide a torch behind a screwdriver-rotated slab or stair. Slabs will cover one side; stairs will cover two sides. You may have to ajust your structural design in places to create the necessary layers for this techinque.

If your hall's floor is sitting right on the ground, dig the floor 2 blocks deep, place torches on the bottom layer and then place slabs on the side of the next layer up. If you place a support block one block above to floor you can place your first slab on the support blocks' bottom side then remove the support block. From their set your slabs from the side and they should auto-position to the top half of the 1x1x1 block-space. If not, rotate the slabs in to the top position with the screwdriver. You can either do the whole floor this way or create a pattern of lit tiles.

Default torches aren't the brightest available so the if the stairs and slabs block too much light, place a ladder over the inset torch instead.

Another approach is to use the dark areas to downplay the less important parts of the hall and use multiple torches to accentuate the focal piece of the hall (an eleborate design in the center of the floor, the throne where the monarch sits, on the long dining tables where the feast is served) or to lead your viewer's eye to the parts of the hall that you want noticed first (colored wool banners and slab sheilds on the support pillars instead of the plain walls in the background) .

You'll have to tinker with the technique; it's one of those things that is better understood by doing than reading about.

I hope this gives you some ideas. Good luck ;)

Note:

• Default torches are coded to emit light at level 11.
• The MInetest sun emits light at 14.
• MoreBlocks "super glow glass" and HomeDecor's "glow lights" emit light at 14.

LazyJ wrote:

Magz_builder wrote: (clipped)... Is there any way to solve this - preferably using the regular game, without extra mods... (clipped)

Glass or even open skylights in the roof are a good, day-time, design technique.

Ladders and rails can be used as slatted shutters to cover holes yet still allow light through.

Stairs and slabs have a lighting glitch that allows light to pass through them even though they are supposed to be opaque building blocks. I've used this lighting glitch a lot to create hidden lighting. Look for spots where you can hide a torch behind a screwdriver-rotated slab or stair. Slabs will cover one side; stairs will cover two sides. You may have to ajust your structural design in places to create the necessary layers for this techinque.

If your hall's floor is sitting right on the ground, dig the floor 2 blocks deep, place torches on the bottom layer and then place slabs on the side of the next layer up. If you place a support block one block above to floor you can place your first slab on the support blocks' bottom side then remove the support block. From their set your slabs from the side and they should auto-position to the top half of the 1x1x1 block-space. If not, rotate the slabs in to the top position with the screwdriver. You can either do the whole floor this way or create a pattern of lit tiles.

Default torches aren't the brightest available so the if the stairs and slabs block too much light, place a ladder over the inset torch instead.

Another approach is to use the dark areas to downplay the less important parts of the hall and use multiple torches to accentuate the focal piece of the hall (an eleborate design in the center of the floor, the throne where the monarch sits, on the long dining tables where the feast is served) or to lead your viewer's eye to the parts of the hall that you want noticed first (colored wool banners and slab sheilds on the support pillars instead of the plain walls in the background) .

You'll have to tinker with the technique; it's one of those things that is better understood by doing than reading about.

I hope this gives you some ideas. Good luck ;)

Note:

• Default torches are coded to emit light at level 11.
• The MInetest sun emits light at 14.
• MoreBlocks "super glow glass" and HomeDecor's "glow lights" emit light at 14.

Since the game is to limit it to the lower 14, in fact, superglow glass and glow lights, light emitting level 13.

MeowCat wrote:Since the game is to limit it to the lower 14, in fact, superglow glass and glow lights, light emitting level 13.

This seems to be wrong – Super Glow Glass emits light level 14:

There have been some really good tips here so far, and my favorite is the trick to hide torches under slabs.
I applied it in the statues that I had built which were perfect for this trick. I now have some glow-in-the-dark statues.

Also, the comment that the entire room does not have to be equally bright, and that it is ok to have some darker areas is a good comment. I'll see if I can post a screenshot of the result here once I am done (gonna take one or two evenings).

My current world is without any additional mods (just whatever came with v4.11 and now v4.12), and I think I'd like to keep it to the "classic" Minetest... but I may try the other suggestions in another world.

Thanks for the replies.

Another way is to make a feature out of the lighting instead of trying to hide it.



In this example I used Silver blocks from Calinou's More Ores mod but it looks good with Sandstone as well, can be used as floor or ceiling, doesn't look so good as walls though.



Cheers,

Andrew

If you're fine with giving yourself blocks, you can even install the Map Tools mod then use maptools:lightbulb. These are invisible light sources. :P

The trick with lights hidden behind a nodebox (stair, slab) also works very fine with furniture. A sofa looks much better if you light it from below. Decreasing light over distance can cause very intresting light effects. I also like the homedecor thick glowlight a lot - it is white, so it appears to be more bright than other nodes with the same light emitting value.