When playing the game, it feels like the aliens see better in the dark. However, UFOpedia seems to state that they should not have an advantage here, but that they can remember your position for later, so the spotter might have moved out of range, and he might not be the one shooting back, so it may appear so. Another place I thought I also read that the alien AI did not take advantage of spotter/sniper tactics.
My experience in the game seems to indicate aliens ignore night though. If they had no advantage, I would expect to be able to walk towards an alien, and as he sees me, I see him, and we're mutual surprised and he thus don't get a reaction shot.
- Do aliens see in the dark so they have the same vision as in daylight?
- If not, do aliens spot me easier if I'm close to a light source like a flare or a fire? If aliens are affected by night, how are they affected? What is a light source for the aliens? Why do they seem to spot me before I spot them?
In my turn, the map lights up around my soldiers. Does that mean I'm carrying a light source making me easily spottable by all aliens? Or is it just a practical visualization enabling the player to see the area around the soldier?
Would be very nice to have a light source with a parachute I could shoot out, which would give some illumination to a large area