The lighting at night is far, and away better in X-Plane 12 than either 2020 or 2024.
I need to re-run some tests but this is what I saw at night quite a few months back. Not only do the lights have bloom around them but this star effect as well. There was also this effect where the camera stopped moving, and the lights started to get brighter, like the same light was being drawn over the top multiple times, increasing the bloom effect. This disappeared when the camera was moved, then came back when it stopped.
If had to be cynical about it, I would think someone was sat on a couch watching a TV 10 feet away, thought the night lights weren’t very visible, and then decided on some pixel doubling effect to make them visible at a distance. It’s so bad!
I just checked in 1.5.21.0, and it is still there.
Add the sepia mask, and although I didn’t show it, that at night looking over the lake you can clearly see the horizon, against a lit up sky, and it makes night flying a less than enjoyable experience.