CMBN ingame nature atmoshpere effects question

[DeltaSix]

I'm wondering about the in-game atmosphere. Think of he fact that the computer humans walk about nature, through woods or urban areas, do we here weather sounds/effects?

Are there different weather types like rain, sunny and cloudy days? Also visual distortions on the horizons. Just a thought I had.

I noticed from a picture that we have weather effect like rain, but how does it sound in the game?

[Sergei]

I noticed from a picture that we have weather effect like rain, but how does it sound in the game?

It sounds like this:

[George MC]

http://www.battlefront.com/community/announcement.php?f=124&a=394 Moon mentions the weather effects etc. As it's set in Normandy June to August there is no snow, ice etc. That's for the Bulge/Ost Front modules.

To be more specific for Normandy:

Sun rises and sets depending on the time of dat set in the day e.g. scenario starts just before dawn if it last long enough the sun will rise. Likewise in the evening.

Cycles of the moon e.g. full moon, rising moon etc are all modelled. So again depending on the time of day and the date you will see a full moon rise or set etc.

If it rains it wets the ground. Again in a long enough scenario this will see the ground become more saturated thereby increasing the risk of vehcile sbogging etc in muddy terrain.

Weather sound effects are modelled. So rain sounds like err...rain

Hope this helps.

[DeltaSix]

Hello George,

Ok, now i know what to expect.

@Sergei, don't be toooo cheeky , ill play the movie in the background when it rains in CMBN.

http://www.battlefront.com/community/announcement.php?f=124&a=394 Moon mentions the weather effects etc. As it's set in Normandy June to August there is no snow, ice etc. That's for the Bulge/Ost Front modules.

To be more specific for Normandy:

Sun rises and sets depending on the time of dat set in the day e.g. scenario starts just before dawn if it last long enough the sun will rise. Likewise in the evening.

Cycles of the moon e.g. full moon, rising moon etc are all modelled. So again depending on the time of day and the date you will see a full moon rise or set etc.

If it rains it wets the ground. Again in a long enough scenario this will see the ground become more saturated thereby increasing the risk of vehcile sbogging etc in muddy terrain.

Weather sound effects are modelled. So rain sounds like err...rain

Hope this helps.

[Thin Red Line]

"ground conditions can now change over the course of a single battle, so after heavy rainfall ground may become muddy, for a real tangible tactical effect in armored battles"

Does this mean that the weather itself can change over the course of a battle (from rain to overcast for instance ?)

[George MC]

"ground conditions can now change over the course of a single battle, so after heavy rainfall ground may become muddy, for a real tangible tactical effect in armored battles"

Does this mean that the weather itself can change over the course of a battle (from rain to overcast for instance ?)

From what I've seen so far - no. The weather stays as the scenario designer intended e.g. rain at start of scenario = rain at end; fog at start of scenario = fog at end. Would be an interesting variable but given most scenarios are a couple of hours long at most (although it is possible to make em four hours) I'm not sure the weather changing so dramatically would be a big issue agem wise. Still I think it would be interesting to have. Pitfall would be the weather chnaging very dramtically in the space of an hour. If it was set in Scotland, especially on the West Coast I could see it being accurate. Over here as the saying goes, if you don't like the weather just now, wait a few minutes...

[Thin Red Line]

I'm not sure the weather changing so dramatically would be a big issue agem wise. Still I think it would be interesting to have. Pitfall would be the weather chnaging very dramtically in the space of an hour.

I quite agree but it does add to the immersion. No big deal , i was asking just because from Steve's post i'm under the impression that the ground conditions do change!

[George MC]

Hi TRL

Just checked my typing and spelling in my post above. I'm impressed you managed to decipher what I was talking about!

I think the daylight changing as the sun rises or sets is very atmospheric. As is the moon rising or setting. Having mist clear as the sun rises or rain stop and the cloud clear to allow air support could all have tactical consequences for sure. I don't know for sure but I'm wondering if such changes are possible given the game engine? Also if the ground starts damp does it dry out if the weather is hot and sunny? Might have to go ask a question...

[Thin Red Line]

George MC

I totally agree, daylight changing is a great feature.

I remember the first time i realized that in CMSF that the sun was actually rising on the battlelfied; i couldn't believe it and thought it was my imagination. Then minutes passed and it became obvious that the morning daylight was starting to light up the map, shadows changed and i was amazed!

This is the only game i know offering the feature.

[George MC]

I've posted the question about wet ground drying out.

Yeah the sun rising/setting thing is very neat. I had the same reaction when I was playing a late afternoon/evening scenario. I thought something was wrong with my PC's gamma settings!

[Michael Emrys]

As is the moon rising or setting.

Speaking of the moon, does its phase change as the month progresses? And do its times of rising and setting also progress?

Michael

[George MC]

Speaking of the moon, does its phase change as the month progresses? And do its times of rising and setting also progress?

Michael

Yes Cool eh?

[herr_oberst]

Hi TRL

I don't know for sure but I'm wondering if such changes are possible given the game engine? Also if the ground starts damp does it dry out if the weather is hot and sunny? Might have to go ask a question...

Now that could be fun! A scenario that starts overcast, then 10 minutes in, a deluge creating very limited visibility for 5 minutes and skyrocketing the chance for bogging in the middle of a field. Then just simple overcast as the storm moves on.

It would be nice in the scenario design to be able to designate weather effects.

Turns 0-8: overcast

Turns 9,10: strong winds from the West

Turns 11-15: deluge, strong winds continue

Turns 16-whatever: diminishing winds, overcast

Oh the havoc that could produce...

[Broadsword56]

Now that could be fun! A scenario that starts overcast, then 10 minutes in, a deluge creating very limited visibility for 5 minutes and skyrocketing the chance for bogging in the middle of a field. Then just simple overcast as the storm moves on.

It would be nice in the scenario design to be able to designate weather effects.

Turns 0-8: overcast

Turns 9,10: strong winds from the West

Turns 11-15: deluge, strong winds continue

Turns 16-whatever: diminishing winds, overcast

Oh the havoc that could produce...

Great fun indeed! And make sure some random factor is thrown in, so that no one can be sure precisely when the designated weather will change. That way, it's like a "weather forecast" for the time period that both players might have access to, but won't know precisely enough to be able to synchonize their battle plans with it in advance.

[Moon]

It would be nice in the scenario design to be able to designate weather effects.

Turns 0-8: overcast

Turns 9,10: strong winds from the West

Turns 11-15: deluge, strong winds continue

Turns 16-whatever: diminishing winds, overcast

Keep in mind that you are talking about MINUTES here. One turn equals 60 seconds in real life. Controlling weather effects down to the minute is insane. (not to speak of the problem of controlling it for the entire map at once)

[George MC]

I'd echo Moon's comments. I work in the mountains for a living and weather does not variably change by the minute, hours yes, but even then you have a series of chnages depending on the type of weather system. Showers and stuff come and go for sure so I guess that sort of weather could be simulated. But to have it chnage by every minute would be daft from a RL POV. But any weather change would have to affect the whole map so I think in the end rather than being realistic it would be at best odd.

[sburke]

Speaking of the moon, does its phase change as the month progresses? And do its times of rising and setting also progress?

Michael

If we have female soldiers, do they get PMS? Does this make them tougher in combat- sort of a berserker mode?

[George MC]

If we have female soldiers, do they get PMS? Does this make them tougher in combat- sort of a berserker mode?

Bad man

[Sergei]

Going way overboard with changing weather could bring about some problems. If eg. the direction of wind changed mid-game, the player might not notice it and would be expecting his smoke screen to drift from north to south like earlier in the battle, and when it would actually move from east to west you would learn a few new swear words if you stood nearby! At least there would need to be an informative popup to tell the player of the changed conditions (unless the change was something easily visible like rain).

[George MC]

You could have say in the top left hand corner a wee weather house. Everytime the weather changed a wee weather person could step out and tell ya what the weather was now doing.

Sorry. Taking the piss...

[MikeyD]

I remember the first time i realized that in CMSF that the sun was actually rising on the battlelfied

I remember one CMSF dawn scenario I was working on the sky got lighter, then darker, then lighter again. I complained about the lighting engine, it turned out I had inadvetantly selected a a day where a big fat full moon sets just before sunrise! So the moon went down then the sun came up! Haw!