Friends, I haven’t been on the forum for a long time. I don’t know if this topic has been discussed. I would like to realize the effect of light diffraction on the camera lens. If you do this, the night cities will look quite realistic and more lively. Who has any ideas?
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If you are referring to the first image I would say this ist totally unrealistic since it is overexposed.
As this is a flight sim, we anyway should suppose to look to the world through the eyes of a virtual pilot - and eyes can not do that what the first picture shows (and virtual eyes shouldn‘t do that).
The second one is more realistic. The first one is a typical video game/movie stylized image in my opinion 
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As a retired pilot i have to say the 1st image is nothing you would see from the sky and since this is a Flight Simulator I would say go for realism and in that case the 2nd picture is much more realistic
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Perhaps I made a strong effect in the first photo, but still cities can’t be dim at night. The light from advertisements, roadways should still be brighter and more saturated. And then, it’s more of an artistic decision. If we look at the recordings of landings from the cockpit, this effect is clearly noticeable. Yes, we won’t see it with our eyes. but it still seems to me that there is a little lack of brightness for the lights. Perhaps some albedo parameter is responsible for this in the settings.
You can enhance night cities 
by purchasing enhanced night package(s) from the market place for $10.99. They are a bit pricey in my opinion. However they are highly detailed and vibrant. I have purchased a handful of them. A major upgrade for the sim, in my opinion but too good to be true
Here Chicago Landmarks enhanced night
But again, Chicago at night looks nothing whatsoever like that. It’s far too bright, far too any lights switched on. It look more like a funfair!
Night lighting is one area where MSFS has got it pretty much perfect.
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I think it would be more useful as an artistic post-processing effect for the recorded video. . I would just like the light from the lanterns to be a little brighter and more atmospheric, and not just dots.
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eyes are not cameras
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Enhanced night add ons have to detailed and vibrant for customers to buy them. I think if they were any dimmer in the sim, then the content would be harder to sell in the marketplace. How else can the developers show where your money went? Nonetheless, they are are a little too good to be true.
I have promised myself not to spend on them anymore.
I wouldn’t even spend a dollar on it. Everything is overexposed, crammed with colors and looks like the lighting of a cheap fast food restaurant.
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I think this is a case where a marketing department has determined that the vast majority of FS users are not pilots IRL and therefore don’t know what the proper lighting should be. I’m guessing these folks love to see the bright lights “because it’s cool”.
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I can’t say for sure, but the pilot looks through the glass of the plane, which also gives a blur of glare from the light. Also, halos from lighting can occur due to haze or a small fog. In my opinion, the city is a little more atmospheric and more beautiful. Although I’m just a graphics lover. Perhaps this would be a good solution for post-processing.
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This photo is not what I had in mind.
This looks like GTA to me
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Uh oh, I hope SU10 doesn’t end up with this lighting problem that currently exists in the beta: No light pollution at night If so, then we’re moving towards less realistic night cities rather than more realistic ones.
much bloom. very 2000 and late.
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