Lantern is over powered, Electric lights are underpowered.

[CrimsonCrayon]

I don't remember if this was really a problem in the past, but in my most recent experience with 7 days I find that electric lights are not just very dim but also have a very short yet sudden falloff.  This means an incredible number of lights, as well as all the effort that goes into them is required to even dimly light a building interior.  With all that wiring and juice it would take, you should expect to be able to really see.  Don't get me wrong, sometimes you want that moody look, but shouldn't that be the reason that there are 4-5 different light fixtures available?  There's basic light bulb, industrial light bulb, industrial light, and fluorescent light.  These should all offer varying levels of illumination and maybe have different energy costs.

 

This is (literally) in stark contrast to the "Lantern".  For the cost of a few parts you can craft a lantern that you can stick to any surface, even up-side-down on a ceiling.  This thing requires no fuel or electricity, yet it IS BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN.  I really can't justify putting any effort into building an maintaining a multi-circuit solar electrical grid when I just craft a lantern and stick it to the ceiling.  Also, real lanterns generally require some refillable energy source like kerosene (or gas), oil, or batteries to function.  Why not make the lantern into an object that can be picked up, reloaded, and placed again..sort of like a robotic turret.  Allow the lantern to use these various fuel sources but with vary efficiency and cost.  Obviously early in game gas isn't hard to find in small quantities, and a lantern might be expected to be your first source of light.  Maybe your lantern shouldn't burn as bright with gas as it might if you were setup to recharge batteries later in the game.

 

LANTERN

 

INDUSTRIAL LIGHT BULB

 

INDUSTRIAL LIGHT

[Adam the Waster]

Agreed 

 

It would also be nice if we could change the color of lights too

[CrimsonCrayon]

Here are NINE basic light bulbs, the brightest electric bulb.  Unlike the other bulbs these each require one headlight.

 

The light doesn't even reach the floor.  It seems to have a max range of about 4 blocks.

 

 

A lantern also requires one headlight....but one lantern actually lights up the whole room.  This is with all the electric lights off.

 

[CrimsonCrayon]

Ok it looks like the Fluorescent is actually tuned pretty well.  It has more realistic falloff.  It's not overly bright like the lantern or spotlights but it has very good distance.  The only drawback is the 10w power usage. 

[Funukemaguro]

I certainly agree. The brightness of a lantern that can light up an entire room with just one placement is useful, but the fact that it requires no power source and attracts no zombies obviously eliminates the need for electric lighting.
Frankly, I think the lantern should be about as good as a "torch that keeps zombies away."

Instead, I'd like to see some of the electric lighting made as bright as the lanterns we have now, so that electric lighting would come into play.

Edited November 24, 2023 by Funukemaguro
mistake in translation (see edit history)