I was talking with @Thrawn589 the other day about how Darkvision feels like a burdensome mechanic in #dnd.

Accommodating for a character without darkvision—a torch, light, etc.—invalidates those who have it unless you split the party, which can be burdensome to GM.
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On top of that, splitting the party can be dangerous, especially when so many cave-dwelling and underdark monsters are ambush predators who ALSO possess darkvision. No wonder it's earned a stigma.

Don't get me wrong. Splitting the party can be a LOT of fun—until you get ganked!

I feel like parties with split darkvision end up in one of 4 scenarios:
1. Player with darkvision scouts ahead
2. Party is split
3. Darkvision is invalidated by a torch or other light source
4. One or more characters wander through the darkness without the ability to see

Options 1 and 2 are, in my opinion, more rewarding from a narrative standpoint. You either get new information, or characters wind up in situations that they would otherwise have encountered as a complete team.

Options 3 and 4 feel like the mechanic is cancelling itself out.

There are many mechanics in D&D where your character gets to do something the others can't, like lifting heavy objects, casting spells, or flying.

However, darkvision stands out to me as disruptive because it encourages physical separation of the party.

I find myself more often than not ignoring the subtleties of lighting in my games. I'm sure it can be rewarding to keep track of lighting, but seeing in the dark feels like more of a prerequisite to be met than an exciting feature.

It also feels a bit too common. The reason that darkvision's been on my mind lately is because my entire party has it. I feel bad when they're accompanied by an NPC without darkvision. It's like babysitting.

Also... why do elves get darkvision?

I'm curious what you all think!

Do you like darkvision? How do you use it in your games?