Hey there!
Another Friday has come, so let’s take a look at a new Drug Dealer Simulator devlog! This time, we’ll talk about the role of the lighting system and the gameplay mechanic that is strongly correlated to it.
In a drug dealer profession, you’re always exposed to the possibility of losing the product during its delivery. One false step, one suspicious behavior, and you're drawing unnecessary attention. It’s no secret that these kinds of situations are the real magnets on cops. Sometimes trying to act normally isn't enough, so it’s better to hide in the shadows and try to prevent that risk, but you also need to know how to do it.
During the day, the source of the light is the sun, we can’t argue with these laws of nature :) But when the brightest star on our sky hides behind the horizon, we can only count on the moon or the artificial lights, like street lanterns, building entrances or motion sensor halogen projectors that you can meet in some parts of the ghetto. Each of these illuminations has its influence on the player's visibility, that depends on the distance from the light source, and also, the obstructions on its path.
Some places are particularly dimmed or out of sight, like alleys, building corners, gates, or bushes. This visibility decreasing spots are marked on the map, and players can make use of them both by night and by day. But as we mentioned before: you need to know how to do it. That’s why you should consider if hiding in a proper situation will help or make things even worse. The player's actions, like standing or crouching in these points may also be taken as strange behavior, and draw the attention. Maybe you’ve never seen a person standing in bushes or crouching in the alley during a day, but it would surely look suspicious.
The possibility of detecting us depends on several variables, such as distance, duration of our visibility, light, and the fact if we’re hiding in the right spot. If you're in an appropriately dark place and without any movement, there’s a chance that the cops wouldn’t notice us at all.
Night-time operations during the police hours are more dangerous and require more sneaking around, but there are also giving us some advantages. It’s easier to lose the pursuit, and our actions have a half less influence on the exposition factor than during a day. So it’s wise to make your tactic, but if your exposition level is too high - consider nightlife to reduce it a little bit.
Direct Video link if the embeed doesn't work
And that’s all for this week’s devlog! Which work hours would you prefer: cleverness and strategy during the day or ninja-styled dangerous night shift?
Let us know in the comments and see you next week!