Optional durations for day, night and weather cycling

[Perictione]

All interested:

In 'Diablo 2' days and nights passed with surprising speed, at times hilariously so. I'm wondering, therefore, if it wouldn't be nice to grant players the use of a slider that sets the real-time duration for the lengths of day and night, with a range varying between 90 minutes to 12 hours per complete day (that is, 45 minutes to 6 hours light and dark duration)?

Similarly, knowing weather effects are tied to specific environment (presumably this means not too much snow falling in the jungle), is the cycling of weather events randomized, or will these too be according to a schedule? Either way, would it be possible to set optional parameters?

Thoughts everyone?


- P.

[BlondeKnight]

Is the day and night cycle aesthetic or does it have an affect on gameplay? Meaning certain monsters or quests will only be available at day or night?

[Perictione]

Is the day and night cycle aesthetic or does it have an affect on gameplay? Meaning certain monsters or quests will only be available at day or night?

Both.

Night will show off ambient lighting schemes much better than daylight, and (of course) there's been the suggestion of different scripted events.

Not so serious spoiler warning... well, okay, semi-serious spoiler warning...

Spoiler: show

When it's night time, think zombies. Lots and lots of zombies... and not all of them are human.

- P.

[wolfmane]

There's been confirmation that different monsters can be seen at night than during the day. As far as quests or quests tied specifically to only these monsters or dependent on day/night cycle, I don't know.

[Ulvaak]

I do like the monster spawning tied to the day/night cycle idea very much but I'm not 100% sure about how it's going to work. It would be nice to think that day and night will run at a set duration rather than randomly going from day to night and back again in a hurry. (unless the planet torchlight is set on orbits several suns and various distances)

We can probably adjust the day/night duration through the level editor but I can't see it as another slider or toggle in game like the health/mana globe placement toggle.

The idea of quests being tied to day/night may be a bit harder to do because if there is a quest that can only be done at night, I may have to wait around for half an hour before I can enter the dungeon, sure I can go and clear out the country side of all wandering monsters while I wait, but sometimes, you just want to get on with it.

Regarding weather effects, since I think it's more for aesthetics I don't mind it randomized, though I guess it can be a little strange for it to rain for a minute and then stop for a minute then start blowing a gale for a minute, then dead calm for another minute then some other change. Maybe we can put it down to the imbalance of the six elements as a result of the baddy mucking around with Ordrak's powers?

Actually, is the weather just for aesthetics? Or does it affect game play in some way? Anybody know?

What sort of additional optional parameters would you like to see for the weather? Like a weather on/off toggle?

[Vasshpit]

I am pretty sure that Max stated in a game play video that the weather and day/night cycle are cosmetic only. The reason is because they did not want people dropping in and out of games just because a certain event, triggered by day/night, was going on in said game.

Things may have changed though...

I would like the elements of weather to affect each other such as not being able to ignite enemies when raining and maybe not able to freeze enemies around the peak of day in the dessert levels. Thing like that.

[Perictione]

I am pretty sure that Max stated in a game play video that the weather and day/night cycle are cosmetic only. The reason is because they did not want people dropping in and out of games just because a certain event, triggered by day/night, was going on in said game.

From the blurb that appears on the frontpage:

The most exciting new feature of Torchlight II is the multiplayer component. Play with friends old and new, using the free matchmaking service. Together you'll discover expansive outdoor areas and ominous caverns; random dungeons teem with a huge variety of all new monsters and villains, powerful magical loot, and quests to complete. Journey through vastly differing locales, enjoying all-new weather features, time-of-day events, and a new and more deeply developed story.

Now, you could take 'time of day events' to mean sun up and sun down, I suppose, but you'd be selling the game short

As for weather being purely cosmetic... well, you'd be right. It is. Right now. Maybe later it won't be... and when the thunder and lightning are ragin', the giant flying zombie wombats will strike. Or may be not (damn. damn. damn. I promised BrianW no more creative posts... like that's going to last ).

Sometimes the urge to do great mischief is just.... just... well... you know... sometimes it's a great urge!


- P.

[Rusty]

the free matchmaking service. - P.

I already have a wife, but I am glad they are doing this.

[BlondeKnight]

I dream of a day when weather plays a significant role in RPGs. Imagine rain preventing a fire mage from casting or a random tornado ripping through an epic fight and causing grief for both sides.

[Zidders]

the free matchmaking service. - P.

I already have a wife, but I am glad they are doing this.

Spoiler: show

[Ragnar119]

Day/night cycle are cosmetic only. It was said by Max Schaefer in a video on youtube somwhere

[adoomgod]

Day/night cycle are cosmetic only. It was said by Max Schaefer in a video on youtube somwhere

He might have mispoke because Devs also said some monsters only appear during day OR night.

I think 45 minutes of day followed by 1 hour of night is reasonable.

[JoystickMonkey]

I dream of a day when weather plays a significant role in RPGs. Imagine rain preventing a fire mage from casting or a random tornado ripping through an epic fight and causing grief for both sides.

Have you played magicka?

[turnipz]

With all the bugs and lag you probably wont be able to, zing!

[hawkn]

With all the bugs and lag you probably wont be able to, zing!

That was a year ago, zing! (It's a lot better now)

[amb2010]

^ just remembered D3 is online only and as such at the mercy of bandwith for smooth gameplay /sad^

That said I don't see the harm in it. I don't know how long the day or night is so I can't really say if it's long enough or not. A slider for a "reasonable" chunk of time per cycle certainly wouldn't be something I'm against. I know I'd love Minecraft to have one.

[Jerich]

I remember back when WoW was first being developed and I was playing Everquest. Everquest had 4ish day / night cycles per real day and Blizzard decided to have their day/night cycle be a full 24 hours tied to real time. People who could only play at certain times complained that they would never see night or day or vice versa, but Blizzard came back with the reply that some research had found accelerated night / day cycles could mess with some people's Biorhythms. There had supposedly been a few cases with rather serious problems in people who played EQ.

I am not sure the day night cycle in TL will be enough of a drastic difference to have any affect like that.

[amb2010]

...WoW has a day night cycle...?

Guess I need to pay better attention O_O

[JoystickMonkey]

I know at least in the console you can set how fast night and day goes by with the "settimescale #" command. If you use 1, it goes to the default. If you set it to 1000, disco.

[kaosweilder]

I dream of a day when weather plays a significant role in RPGs. Imagine rain preventing a fire mage from casting or a random tornado ripping through an epic fight and causing grief for both sides.

Have you played magicka?

Damn, I am late to post the same Magicka is highly recommended Casting a lightning spell when you're wet from rain can cause serious injury or death

On topic, I don't mind a slider being there. Just that I'd probably never use it anyway