I started this thread because the discussion does not really belong in a "list inconsistencies" thread and I want to hear more. It seems to me that materials in 3d applications have a couple of things useful for harsh lighting. I do not know if they apply specifically to PS but there are bump maps and specular highlights. If you have a black texture with sufficient specularity (bad made up term, hope you understand) and bumps then while a black object would be hard to see it would be possible. Oily black sounds to me to mean shiny and should have a large specular component.
Having said that the textures in PS do not seem to have this aspect enabled, is that a limitation of the engine. Actually come to think of it, it seems pretty rare in the game world altogether. So is that to reduce performance overhead? Actually, I am playing Oblivion these days and running the natural environments mod which seems to get a very nice reflectionoff the waters surface but maybe that is something else.
So enlighten me please if you know what I am talking about.
