Atmospheric conditions - wind, temperature, rain

[Tempvirage]

Hi everyone,

I saw some topics regarding cold planets but I didn't see anything regarding other atmospheric conditions that would really add some cool gameplay mechanics/drone building challenges. Something along the lines of planets having extra conditions with different scales such as:

Wind - Force players to build drones with lots of engines

Low/None: default, as the game is now; maybe very slight forces at high altitudes

Medium: Maybe either a constant, low directional force that acts upon your x/y axis or occasional gusts that push you around if you're above a planet's horizon; Small -flight speed to rockets, bullets, etc.

High: Same conditions as medium but more severe changes from high to low altitudes/intervals; Greatly affect bullet drop/missiles, etc.

Extreme: (hurricanes/planetary storms?) Think Death Wind from the old SNES F-Zero (having to constantly fly at a 30+ degree offset + high wind gusts that push you off course); Missiles near useless (maybe just slightly alter the current existing signal affect?)

 

Rain

None/Low: No changes/default; slight visual effect

Medium: Visual effect that accompanies low/medium wind;

Heavy: Maybe something extreme like has some adverse affect to sensors such as disables all distance sensors, etc.?

Bonus: Perhaps have rain affect bio weapons like increase the fire rate/growth rate?

 

Temperature

Probably an obvious one/already suggested but maybe give planets passive temperatures that would force you to build heaters/coolers into your design in order to not overheat or freeze while exploring (rather than just have them to counter magma/meteorites); Also on that note, maybe add in a small cooler/heater affect to plasma/cold lasers that affect a .5-2 radius around the weapon while firing (.5 for short laser, 1-2 for long/extended lasers)

[ManTheMister]

I think that a much simpler wind effect would be enough. A constant push in one X direction when not underground.

rain could be a purely graphic/audio effect.

[Lurkily]

Wind should be a CW or CCW thing, rather than a left or right thing, given the radial nature of planets and gravity here.

[Alpino_WILL_STEAL_ oats!]

Fog

light

small visuall effect.

Med

visual effect obscures View 

Heavy 

Med+ slight sensor interference

Bonus

an enemy that hunts you in the fog

[Lurkily]

Not a great fan of messing with sensors.  It's like messing with logic; intelligent behavior relies on sensors and awareness as much as it does on logic.

[ManTheMister]

21 hours ago, ManTheMister said:

I think that a much simpler wind effect would be enough. A constant push in one X direction when not underground.

rain could be a purely graphic/audio effect.

 

13 hours ago, Lurkily said:

Wind should be a CW or CCW thing, rather than a left or right thing, given the radial nature of planets and gravity here.

That is what I meant.

[Alpino_WILL_STEAL_ oats!]

I meant slightly messing with sensors like, altitude sensors would be fine but,  but it would mess with sensors that require visual data. This is to mess with auto completeors, because important stuff is hiding in the fog.

[Lurkily]

There will be some missions, remember, that can only be done autonomously.   Also keep in mind that the detectors are often used to handle drone self-awareness. (The 'detect self' setting.)

[Alpino_WILL_STEAL_ oats!]

11 minutes ago, Lurkily said:

There will be some missions, remember, that can only be done autonomously.   Also keep in mind that the detectors are often used to handle drone self-awareness. (The 'detect self' setting.)

Oh will our drones become self conssious and rise up against us?

[Lurkily]

That is the idea.   Making drones autonomous without being mere planet-destroyers is one of the most challenging things right now; with better sensor targets, it'll get easier, but it'll still require a lot of time.

[jbox1]

Rain should also make your drone experience a downforce from the rain falling when in the atmosphere, but not while underground

[Lurkily]

5 hours ago, jbox1 said:

Rain should also make your drone experience a downforce from the rain falling when in the atmosphere, but not while underground

Not sure the game actually knows what's underground, and what's not.

[Alpino_WILL_STEAL_ oats!]

No it does, Everything with a background counts as underground

[ManTheMister]

Altitude below 0%. That planets surface is not even, so that wouldn’t be very precise, but it would probably be good enough.

[Lurkily]

6 hours ago, Alpino_WILL_STEAL_ oats! said:

No it does, Everything with a background counts as underground

What I mean, is that there's nothing to show that the engine has criteria by which it judges anything to be different about territory with a background.  Not that it makes it impossible, just another thing.