mat_hdr_level 0 is a startup option. It switches the game from hdr mode to ldr mode. It effectively brightens l4d2 and makes everything very texture less. It does not require sv_cheats 1. There seems to be some confusion. People are mistaking it for a cheat protected command. It is a startup option. It does not require console in any way.

This is not true. When using this command, once you get in-game, it changes mat_fullbright to 1, which is a cheat-protected command. I just confirmed this myself.

Even placing that aside, I really feel that this command, which is being used for a clear advantage, indeed creates an unreasonable advantage while requiring the game to be played in an unreasonable way that most people are not going to want to deal with because it is very painful to look at. I know that I wouldn't want to come in to a speedrunning community to check out the runs and the strategies used and be met with this in the video, I just wouldn't want to watch it through. I can't even imagine playing under it for long, and that, to me, is the unfair advantage, the fact that one would have an easier time seeing enemies coming by having to deal with a setting no reasonable person should be expected to use, so they are the only ones benefiting from it.

All of the run you submit have full bright on and it's cheat protect and I don't even want to verify run with this brighter, and it's really awful to verify run like this

mat_hdr_level is not sv_cheats protected, but it is a "hidden command" and is still protected in multiplayer source engine games: To use this command in the console I used a plugin that gives access to all hidden commands. But you can circumvent this by exploiting a flaw with launch options, it's by no means an "intended" launch option.

Cheat protection is sufficient to ban a command, but not necessary. For example, the kick command is not cheat-protected, but is banned anyway.

I don't believe the command gives much of an advantage beyond a few dark areas such as The Passing 2 crescendo, but personally I find fullbright to be pretty ugly and unnecessary, so I'm only slightly opposed to it.

I'm opposed to the command because it removes a bit of the game's natural element and because it's not such a trivial thing, like an option on a Settings menu. The darkness surely influences in the game: sometimes Specials blend in the environment because of the colors or throwables/consumables are hard to see because they are in a dark spot.

Sure, you could argue that everyone could use the command, but the main thing to me is that it removes one of the main elements of the game, so I don't think it should be allowed.

[quote=Derpduck]mat_hdr_level is not sv_cheats protected, but it is a "hidden command" and is still protected in multiplayer source engine games[/quote]

It is actually directly changing mat_fullbright, though. If you add mat_hdr_level and check the console at the menu, fullbright will be off, but once you get in-game it toggles fullbright to 1 and locks it. Even enabling cheats and trying to turn fullbright back off doesn't work, it just sticks to 1. Turning on fullbright without the launch parameter causes an identical effect.

[quote=mr.deagle]Cheat protection is sufficient to ban a command, but not necessary. For example, the kick command is not cheat-protected, but is banned anyway.[/quote]

I think the same, which is why I went into explaining why I didn't think it should be allowed regardless. Things aren't always so black and white, sometimes things need to be handled separately as they come up, like the kick command.

[quote=mr.deagle]I don't believe the command gives much of an advantage beyond a few dark areas such as The Passing 2 crescendo[/quote]

I tried it a little bit out of curiosity in swamp fever 1 and it's definitely way more effective than that... toggling fullbright on and off, you can see a HUGE difference in the ease in seeing enemies through bushes and trees especially, and many specials like Hunters in even the slightest dark area are no problem at all to spot right away. It's a really big difference and I could easily see it heightening my reaction times to things coming from my sides since I'll notice them right away.

Anyway, seems pretty settled now. Thank you for bringing the command to the community's attention, mike. Always feel free to post about things like this if there's something weird you want to try which isn't something you've seen used or discussed before.