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What MMO has done weather the best?

LokeroLokero Member RarePosts: 1,514

I'm wondering if any MMOs out there have had any ultra-dynamic weather systems that really stand out?

Things along the lines of:  Seeing black clouds rolling across the horizon and knowing there is a storm coming your way.  Wind blowing in your face and slowing your movement.  Tornadoes appearing, sandstorms, etc.

Have there been any genuine climates and lively weather systems around?  And if so, what games are they hiding in?

I feel this is one of the most neglected aspects of building virtual worlds.  I can't think of any AAA MMOs that have had weather worth remembering, but I'm sure there's some more obscure titles that have at least tried.

Bonus question:  Are there any MMOs currently in development that are planning to have?  I seem to recall reading about one that was planning a living world with weather and the works(Citadel of Sorcery maybe?).

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Comments

  • Lord.BachusLord.Bachus Member RarePosts: 9,686

    Probably games using the Ashima engine

     

    http://vimeo.com/13472826

     

    But then its unknown which games use this enigine

    Another example how it can be used to make realistic magics..

     

    http://vimeo.com/13473041

    Best MMO experiences : EQ(PvE), DAoC(PvP), WoW(total package) LOTRO (worldfeel) GW2 (Artstyle and animations and worlddesign) SWTOR (Story immersion) TSW (story) ESO (character advancement)

  • MaquiameMaquiame Member UncommonPosts: 1,073
    Originally posted by Lokero

    I'm wondering if any MMOs out there have had any ultra-dynamic weather systems that really stand out?

    Things along the lines of:  Seeing black clouds rolling across the horizon and knowing there is a storm coming your way.  Wind blowing in your face and slowing your movement.  Tornadoes appearing, sandstorms, etc.

    Have there been any genuine climates and lively weather systems around?  And if so, what games are they hiding in?

    I feel this is one of the most neglected aspects of building virtual worlds.  I can't think of any AAA MMOs that have had weather worth remembering, but I'm sure there's some more obscure titles that have at least tried.

    Bonus question:  Are there any MMOs currently in development that are planning to have?  I seem to recall reading about one that was planning a living world with weather and the works(Citadel of Sorcery maybe?).

    FFXIV:ARR has a dynamic weather system, you see clouds roll in, there are rainstorms even inside the cities, there are mini sandstorms. When you run in the rain your feet make splashes, when you run in sandy areas your feet kick up dirt. When you stand still in a rainstorm your hair if you have long hair will simulate getting hit by raindrops and moving to the wind. Fountains will overflow in rainstorms.

     

    Don't sleep on this game, trust me, it has a lot of little touches

    image

    Any mmo worth its salt should be like a good prostitute when it comes to its game world- One hell of a faker, and a damn good shaker!

  • RamanadjinnRamanadjinn Member UncommonPosts: 1,365

    I can't think of one MMO where I was actually impressed with the weather.

    We are usually lucky just to get a day/night cycle!

     

  • LokeroLokero Member RarePosts: 1,514

    Originally posted by Maquiame

    Fountains will overflow in rainstorms.

     

    Don't sleep on this game, trust me, it has a lot of little touches

    Oh, that is a nice touch.  And, yeah, little touches are everything in these types of games.  It's amazing how much those little touches most people take for granted actually affect the immersion and enjoyment of playing.

    Originally posted by Ramanadjinn

    I can't think of one MMO where I was actually impressed with the weather.

    We are usually lucky just to get a day/night cycle!

     

    Haha, I was having the same problem, that's why I started a thread.  I'm sure there must be some games out there I haven't played that have some decent weather systems, but I don't know what they are.

    And, in those games that actually add a day/night cycle, it's usually pretty terrible.  Either it doesn't affect light/dark properly, or the cycle times have crazy durations that make it feel pointless.

  • deathgar77deathgar77 Member UncommonPosts: 5

    As much as people rag on it I personally think Vanguard had a pretty fantastic weather system. Prime example here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV8WRqTaEe8 . 

    On a ''lesser" known note, maybe the mmo Dark and light it failed pretty hard but i still remember being impressed when it turned winter and the lakes froze over.

  • hyllstarterhyllstarter Member UncommonPosts: 203
    I enjoyed the sand storms in SWG. The rain was ok. I think they added snow at the end in a few cities.

    image

  • Lord.BachusLord.Bachus Member RarePosts: 9,686
    Originally posted by Ramanadjinn

    I can't think of one MMO where I was actually impressed with the weather.

    We are usually lucky just to get a day/night cycle!

     

     

    Dark and Light, a sandbox that used to be and a huge fail actually had one thing going for it, an awesome weather system

    Best MMO experiences : EQ(PvE), DAoC(PvP), WoW(total package) LOTRO (worldfeel) GW2 (Artstyle and animations and worlddesign) SWTOR (Story immersion) TSW (story) ESO (character advancement)

  • RamanadjinnRamanadjinn Member UncommonPosts: 1,365
    Originally posted by Lokero

     

    Haha, I was having the same problem, that's why I started a thread.  I'm sure there must be some games out there I haven't played that have some decent weather systems, but I don't know what they are.

    And, in those games that actually add a day/night cycle, it's usually pretty terrible.  Either it doesn't affect light/dark properly, or the cycle times have crazy durations that make it feel pointless.

     

    I'm trying to look into more. 

    I found this video on Wushu where they are adding in a weather system.  

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0aP4J66-gU

    The rain and thunder/lightning look good, I especially like how dark the game actually looks between lightning strikes.  I'm not sure if it would ever go live like this so dark though.

    I would love to play a game though where the night time was actually dark.  You're spot on that the lighting is never really right.   I personally think it would be really neat to be in a forest and have the sun go down and actually not be able to see without a light source of some kind.

     

  • WizardryWizardry Member LegendaryPosts: 19,332

    I have not seen a game yet that utilizes the weather.The closest thing is FFX that utilizes elemental properties,day/night and moon phases.In reality they did not go far enough in utilizing their importance but it is still miles more than any other game is doing.

    Example on a Firesday your Fire spells will become more effective and the Bosses that utilize fire wil l also be more effective.Example you wouldn't want to fight Ifrit on Firesday or Leviathon on Watersday or Ramuh on Lightningsday ect ect.

    However i would like to see a lot more,including a rainy day almost nullifies any fire based attacks,Windy days nullify earth attacks ect ect.

    I would also like to see terrain play a factor,example trees,lakes,snow,mountains,marshes ect ect.

    Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.

  • VladamyreVladamyre Member UncommonPosts: 223
    Dark Age of Camelot had the best weather system. The rain and fog and snowstorms could make you get lost.

    In a world of sharp knives, you would be a spoon.

  • NovusodNovusod Member UncommonPosts: 912
    Originally posted by Lord.Bachus

    Dark and Light, a sandbox that used to be and a huge fail actually had one thing going for it, an awesome weather system

    Light and Dark only failed because the devs used an unlicensed graphics engine and got sued for copy write infringement. It was this lawsuit that forced them to shut the game down. The game had a bad launch but was never really given a chance.

  • RydesonRydeson Member UncommonPosts: 3,852
         I would love to see a day/night cycle..  Even more dynamic then EQ originally did..  Let the zone mobs change from living to undead for example, or maybe only wisp come out at night like fire flies.. While some mobs go to sleep, other come alive.. This to me would add in a whole new dynamic into playing.. Same with weather having an effect on mob density or spawning..  Happy Happy Happy..
  • CalerxesCalerxes Member UncommonPosts: 1,641
    Vanguard did weather the best as you couldn't see it on Vista and W7 but could hear it which was great the visual effects didn't clutter up my screen, I wish real weather was like that. They've fixed it now which is a shame, bloody dev's "fixing" things who'd have believed it. image 

    This doom and gloom thread was brought to you by Chin Up™ the new ultra high caffeine soft drink for gamers who just need that boost of happiness after a long forum session.

  • tedgartedgar Member Posts: 52
    minecraft the besr weather system every it interacted with you .... mad your day bad or made it good
  • SanguinelustSanguinelust Member UncommonPosts: 812
    SW Galaxies. I'll never forget the first time I got caught out in a zero visibility sand storm on Tatooine.
  • aspekxaspekx Member UncommonPosts: 2,167
    Originally posted by Maquiame
    Originally posted by Lokero

    I'm wondering if any MMOs out there have had any ultra-dynamic weather systems that really stand out?

    Things along the lines of:  Seeing black clouds rolling across the horizon and knowing there is a storm coming your way.  Wind blowing in your face and slowing your movement.  Tornadoes appearing, sandstorms, etc.

    Have there been any genuine climates and lively weather systems around?  And if so, what games are they hiding in?

    I feel this is one of the most neglected aspects of building virtual worlds.  I can't think of any AAA MMOs that have had weather worth remembering, but I'm sure there's some more obscure titles that have at least tried.

    Bonus question:  Are there any MMOs currently in development that are planning to have?  I seem to recall reading about one that was planning a living world with weather and the works(Citadel of Sorcery maybe?).

    FFXIV:ARR has a dynamic weather system, you see clouds roll in, there are rainstorms even inside the cities, there are mini sandstorms. When you run in the rain your feet make splashes, when you run in sandy areas your feet kick up dirt. When you stand still in a rainstorm your hair if you have long hair will simulate getting hit by raindrops and moving to the wind. Fountains will overflow in rainstorms.

     

    Don't sleep on this game, trust me, it has a lot of little touches

    wow. makes me want to pull out my original CE and fight my way thru the morass that is SE's account retrieval system.

     

    okay, well maybe not *that* bad.

    "There are at least two kinds of games.
    One could be called finite, the other infinite.
    A finite game is played for the purpose of winning,
    an infinite game for the purpose of continuing play."
    Finite and Infinite Games, James Carse

  • aspekxaspekx Member UncommonPosts: 2,167
    Originally posted by Wizardry

    I have not seen a game yet that utilizes the weather.The closest thing is FFX that utilizes elemental properties,day/night and moon phases.In reality they did not go far enough in utilizing their importance but it is still miles more than any other game is doing.

    Example on a Firesday your Fire spells will become more effective and the Bosses that utilize fire wil l also be more effective.Example you wouldn't want to fight Ifrit on Firesday or Leviathon on Watersday or Ramuh on Lightningsday ect ect.

    However i would like to see a lot more,including a rainy day almost nullifies any fire based attacks,Windy days nullify earth attacks ect ect.

    I would also like to see terrain play a factor,example trees,lakes,snow,mountains,marshes ect ect.

    had a friend who was heavy into FFXI. he said that all these things, seasons, day of the week, direction you were facing, also impacted your crafting. so that if you wanted to make a very high quality item you literally had to wait till the stars were all aligned.

    "There are at least two kinds of games.
    One could be called finite, the other infinite.
    A finite game is played for the purpose of winning,
    an infinite game for the purpose of continuing play."
    Finite and Infinite Games, James Carse

  • drbaltazardrbaltazar Member UncommonPosts: 7,856
    Lol!never!none!why?I'll give you one exemple!lighting,it isn't very refined yet it change tru out the in real life !so you would think the morning 8 am wouldn't have same value of 9 am.most have 2 setting night and day!so if its midday you would expect light value to be about 5800k!add cloud and rain at midday and now everybody doesn't know!the hour hasn't changed just the circumstance!add lightning ?oh brother we lost everybody again!take all this!put it at midnight!ya it seem nightmarish!yet most of it is always the same nobody went to the trouble !so we got various half darted attempt.most game don't bother with night!but some newer game like gw2 use pitch blackness to great effect for their puzzle part,some of them would be great area for pvpbraid content!won't be done!too hard!or tsw!when your done in first area as your faction rep you get to a dark area!wow this is not children friendly ,but close the light shut your music pump up the volume at a level you would expect a terror movie to be and dam you feel the scare !the mood on the island at the beginning of the game is the best I ever felt!you meet a ton of weird stuff and the mood is always spot on!some mood might be harder to get for younger one ,might need to ask your parent!tsw is not a light game ,funcom use all the senses they can access!sometime its sound !
  • wizyywizyy Member UncommonPosts: 629

    SWG without a doubt.

    Sandstorms on Tatooine and

    unforgettable heavy rains on dangerous Dathomir. Felt like I was soaking wet.

  • SamuraiXIVSamuraiXIV Member Posts: 354

    FFXI had really nice weather system and it effected your gameplay. 

    I will never forget running through Batallia Downs which was not a cold place and it was snowing, I told my Linkshell (guild) and they where as suprized as I was. 

    "mmorpg.com forum admins are all TROLLS and losers in real life"
    My opinion

  • LokeroLokero Member RarePosts: 1,514

    Originally posted by deathgar77

    As much as people rag on it I personally think Vanguard had a pretty fantastic weather system. Prime example here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV8WRqTaEe8 . 

    On a ''lesser" known note, maybe the mmo Dark and light it failed pretty hard but i still remember being impressed when it turned winter and the lakes froze over.

    Originally posted by Lord.Bachus

    Originally posted by Ramanadjinn

    I can't think of one MMO where I was actually impressed with the weather.

    We are usually lucky just to get a day/night cycle!

     

     

    Dark and Light, a sandbox that used to be and a huge fail actually had one thing going for it, an awesome weather system

    Ah, I remember reading about DnL way back and thought it sounded fascinating, but I never did get the chance to check it out myself.  I liked the ideas they had.

    Both that and VG were games with huge potential(read: diamonds in the rough).  It's a shame how many clever and fascinating game worlds and designs get destroyed by bad upper management.  Bit off-topic, but I can think of more brilliant games hindered by bad management than I can think of actual quality games existing in the market today.

  • LokeroLokero Member RarePosts: 1,514
    Originally posted by Jean-Luc_Picard
    An oldie, AC1, had a great weather system (for its time of course, old graphics), and even had seasons!

    If there is one old game I wish I had played in its hey-day it would be AC.  I was pretty addicted to EQ1 back in those days and missed out.  People always make that game sound so fascinating when they talk about what it was like.

    Vanguard had a pretty good system too.

    LOTRO has a pretty good weather system, with weather adapted to the different areas too. And cold weather could affect your character in some areas (Forochel), Blizzard in the Misty Mountains could also seriously affect the visibility.

    The night/day cycle is decent too in LOTRO, even if too bright for me. I'd love to see a game with really dark nights, where you have to use torches or lanterns. Hell, even Moria in LOTRO doesn't have any really dark parts.

    I'd even daresay GW2 did Moria better than LOTRO, with the totally dark parts in Jumping Puzzles where you need a torch to see where you're going.

    I played LOTRO back in the open beta era, and I remember the world environments being quite beautiful.  I didn't play it long enough to get out and explore and experience the weather  through all the different areas like that, though.  I didn't enjoy the combat in that game and didn't stick with it too long.

    I do think day/night cycles have become way too watered down and pointless.  Most games these days, the night isn't really much darker than the day.  And you don't even need any light sources or anything.

    And, yeah, those jumping puzzles in GW2 with the pitch-black darkness were pretty slick.  I'd love to see some creepy dungeons built to be like that.  They could make for some real exciting dungeon crawls.  It would also make things like pit falls and traps more viable(since you wouldn't see them coming).

  • LokeroLokero Member RarePosts: 1,514

    Originally posted by Ramanadjinn

     

    I'm trying to look into more. 

    I found this video on Wushu where they are adding in a weather system.  

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0aP4J66-gU

    The rain and thunder/lightning look good, I especially like how dark the game actually looks between lightning strikes.  I'm not sure if it would ever go live like this so dark though.

    I would love to play a game though where the night time was actually dark.  You're spot on that the lighting is never really right.   I personally think it would be really neat to be in a forest and have the sun go down and actually not be able to see without a light source of some kind.

     

    The lighting effects are really nicely done, but, yeah, the darkness will probably get lightened up.  Which of course will make the lightning flashes less fascinating.  The rain and sound effects were pretty awful in that video.  Hopefully, they've improved it since that was shown.

    Originally posted by coretex666

    I think it is Black Desert where weather allegedly influences gameplay to a noticeable extent.

    Is it ArcheAge where weather influences agricultural activities?

    None of them is released yet (in the west), but it somewhat indicates that the developers think of ways how to make weather more important aspect of an MMO. It makes sense, in my opinion. In real world, weather does influence "gameplay" quite significantly, doesnt it.

     

    Black Desert is definitely one I'm keeping an eye on.  But, as with most of these games, I expect half the features they describe will be watered down and/or cut out entirely by the time it nears release.  But, until then, it sounds like a really fascinating game with high potential.

    Hopefully, we'll see the trend continue of these upcoming games putting more effort into the actual world environments themselves with weather and climate having a dynamic impact on gameplay and happenings in the world.

  • TheocritusTheocritus Member LegendaryPosts: 9,739
    Its a little known MMO (more of a coop multi) but the Hunter has the msot realistic feeling weather conditions imo.....When it rains it really feels like it is raining...They also do a great job of creating conditions like overcast, sunrise, sunset, etc.....
  • evilastroevilastro Member Posts: 4,270
    EQ2 really impressed me with dynamic weather at launch but expansion zones never got this treatment and the dynamic nature got lost somewhere in zone revamps. Shame really. Same with the NPC chatter. They fired the guy who implemented it and were not able to fix it.
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