day-night-cycles
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The Daily Grind: Should MMO nights be darker and different?
While some MMOs don't even bother with a proper day/night cycle these days, the ones that do have pretty well-lit nights. It's basically day with a blue filter overlaid for thematic purposes, but if you stub your toe, it's usually because you're not paying attention, not because you simply can't see the root in front of you. But there are those who would very much like a more immersive night: darker, different, and even more challenging. These nights might require a torch or flashlight to see what's in front of you, and they may also feature a different set of nocturnal beasts that emerge when the sun goes down. What if nights required warmer clothes to enable us to brave the colder environments? If you had your druthers, would you like your MMO nights to be darker and different? How so? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
EverQuest Next will feature a longer day/night cycle
If you're one of the few people who have ever given serious and lengthy thought and consideration as to the day/night cycle in MMOs, you might be a developer (real or armchair). In the latest EverQuest Next round table, the SOE team discusses how the day/night cycle will impact players and whether it should change from the EverQuest standard. The EverQuest standard day/night cycle is 72 minutes (36 minutes for each half). In the poll, the most players said they were open to lengthening this cycle due to how the emergent AI will act depending on the time of day. So what did the developers decide to do with this polling data? According to the round table, they're going to make the day/night cycle an even two hours long. Just as in real life. You can watch the discussion after the break.
The Daily Grind: Should weather systems impact gameplay?
We've talked about weather systems and day/night cycles before, although generally MMOs and gamers seem to think of them mostly as cosmetic features that are fine to have as long as they don't get in the way. But what if they do get in the way? What if weather actually has an impact on your character and the game world? What if a pass got snowed in so that you couldn't reach a certain area? What if whiteout conditions kept you from seeing that face-eating monster 10 feet away? What if wind gave your character an extra bounce in his or her step if it came from behind or actually slowed you down if you were facing into it? What if lakes dried up in drought or lightning could strike metal objects (like, um, your plate mail)? Would it be more immersive for you or just more annoying? Seeing as most of the potential ways that weather could interact with us are negative, this might be a silly question. Still, I'm putting it out there: Should weather systems impact gameplay, and if so, how? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Age of Wushu China introduces factions, dating, and weather
A content update is blowing in for Age of Wushu players on the Chinese server, one that adds a few new features to the sandbox game including factions, dating (yes, really), and an active weather system. Players who never settled on a school will soon have even more options to choose from; instead of joining a school, they can join a faction. However, players who're already members of a school can also join a faction either by school betrayal, requesting permission to wander, or facial surgery. Each method affects school skills to varying degrees. The two known factions are Rootless Clan and Palace of Moving Flowers, both of which feature very stringent admission requirements (castrated males and pretty females, respectively). Players can also participate in online dating, Age of Wushu-style. Dating allows players to choose an offline player with whom to build a relationship through various quests. On top of these changes, players will also enjoy a more robust and active environmental system that includes a day/night cycle, seasons, and weather -- even eclipses! Although this content update is currently slated for the games Chinese servers, you can still enjoy a look at the weather systems in the following trailer.
Gloria Victis forecasts realistic weather system
If you need a reason to check out and possibly support indie MMO Gloria Victis, Black Eye Games hopes to tempt you with realistic weather. Actually, it's more than that; the team dubs it the Seasons system. The idea behind this system is that the game will change seasons, lighting, and weather on a regular basis, and these conditions will affect combat and strategic planning. Movement will be hampered by rain, for instance, and visibility by fog and blizzards. In addition, some NPCs will change their activities based on the weather, and some mobs will only come out in the daytime or nighttime. The team also reports that it's completed a "major overhaul" of its animations. Gloria Victis is still seeking crowdsourcing capital and is nearing pre-alpha stats. [Source: Black Eye Games press release]
