# Light sources

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/light-sources/196>\
**Category:** The Drawing Board\
**Created:** [February 8, 2013, 2:54pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/light-sources/196 "2013-02-08T14:54:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![hektar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@hektar](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/hektar)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 2:54pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/light-sources/196/1 "2013-02-08T14:54:03Z")

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[Warning-this poster is not a coder. My terminology may be WAY off; don’t yell or I may cry.]

I realized today that the snazzy candle I can make doesn’t allow me to read in the dark. So I added a couple lines to the player\_active\_light snippet to give candles enough ‘lumination’ to allow reading. It took me a minutes to figure out what was actually preventing the reading from taking place. At any rate–just wanted to mention that people have been reading by candle light since before the apocalypse we should probably be able to read by most light sources after the apocalypse.

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**Author:** ![hektar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@hektar](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/hektar)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 3:01pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/light-sources/196/2 "2013-02-08T15:01:00Z")

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Ok, I see what was happening… No pun intended, I swear. While I was holding the candle there was no active\_player\_light telling it to provide lumination but it I drop the candle on the ground then it casts enough light to read by. I guess it’s a matter of semantics, really. The lit flashlight in inventory provides lumination I suppose the candle should do the same. Does that sound reasonable or is another approach more desirable?

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**Author:** ![kevin.granade](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/kevin.granade/32/1316_2.png) [@kevin.granade](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/kevin.granade)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 3:49pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/light-sources/196/3 "2013-02-08T15:49:38Z")

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That sounds like a bug, I’ve been looking askance at the way lights the player is holding are applied, sounds like I need to bump up the priority of looking into that.

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**Author:** ![The\_Darkling\_Wolf](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/the_darkling_wolf/32/828_2.png) [@The\_Darkling\_Wolf](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/The_Darkling_Wolf)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 4:00pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/light-sources/196/4 "2013-02-08T16:00:10Z")

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No, this is somewhat intentional.  
Candles are supposed to be pathetically weak, barely providing any lumination to navigate by, but pop one down on the desk next to you and you can merrily read for hours.  
They last very significantly longer than any other light source, and were added specifically so you had some light to read by 😛

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**Author:** ![hektar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@hektar](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/hektar)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 4:38pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/light-sources/196/5 "2013-02-08T16:38:55Z")

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Darkling, the amount of light cast on the map appears to be unchanged whether the candle provides ‘lumination’ or not. It does however effect the ability to read when the candle is held by the player. I don’t know if that effects what you intended or not.

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**Author:** ![The\_Darkling\_Wolf](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/the_darkling_wolf/32/828_2.png) [@The\_Darkling\_Wolf](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/The_Darkling_Wolf)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 5:10pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/light-sources/196/6 "2013-02-08T17:10:10Z")

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It is, you’re supposed to set the candles down and leave them to either mark out a path, or read by.