hl2 weather system

[The Dark Elf]

Originally posted by Murray_H
That would be so awesome! If only HL2 had Splinter Cell like soft body physics

It does, to a point anyway (those matresses and ragdolls) granted not true soft body dynamics but certainly passable and will work

I dunno if anyone has said it yet but Someone from Valve have confirmed that the wind will effect physics enabled objects. So yes having your leaves and newspapers blowing around will be quite possible I would say

 

[A True Canadian]

Oops. For some reason one of my replies got posted 4 times in a row.

Anyway, the weather system doesn't need to be a bad as you think. I'm just saying that it would be cool to have different weather effects implemented.

For example: You (Gordan), is driving down the streets of City 17 in your dunebuggy. It begins to rain and your vision is blurred so you step inside a building to get out of it. Travelling downwards below the earth you encounter tunnel after tunnel after tunnel.

Eventually you reach the bottom only to find it is an antlion's nest. After shooting for hours you finally make it back to your buggy only to find that a blizzard has hit, and your buggy has been completely covered in a blanket of snow. with the antlions still on your tail, you are now forced to walk through the snow instead of driving away for a quick escape.

Weather adds a whole other dynamic that can quickly change the gameplay for the better.
Running away from hordes of antlions to what you thought would be a sure escape is quickly changed, all thinks to the weather.

 

[The Dark Elf]

A True Canadian: thanks for the heads-up. Deleted the clone posts, should be fine now.
-
some cool idea's for the weather system too, it would be cool if it could be done to that extent, the only hard bit would be dynamic textures (changing from one set to another with a gradual crossfade between them, so the change between dry textures and wet or wet and snow looks better) that would be great and I could certainly make use or something like that in mine. I've no idea if it can be done to that extent though, the actual wind, rain, snow etc. effects will probably be possible to do that way, the textures I guess we wont know for sure until the game is out.

 

[Bitchslapper]

Originally posted by Sparta
I remember reading in this forum that apparently there is a level in the game where there is a Tornado? Is that true? that would rock

LOL! Theoretically is there where Tornado on Half-Life 2 Multiplayer games, then you will problaby die anyway if you get close to it. I recomend to not join those server until the weather get fine

 

[phantomdesign]

I don't know how you'd dynamically create a blanket of snow.

 

[A True Canadian]

Originally posted by phantomdesign
I don't know how you'd dynamically create a blanket of snow.

Niether do I.
Valve is delaying the game to improve it, perhaps these weather ideas will become possible now. Since the game was already so close to completion, this is one area they could spend time to further develop.

Still, I would rather see the game released ASAP and have patches then having to wait longer.

 

[Emon]

Originally posted by ray_MAN
Do you mean day and night cycles? If you do, then no HL2 will not have day-night cycles like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Though it will be very easy to mod.

Wow, you'd have to be one hell of a coder to be able to alter the lightmaps in real time, which aren't even accessible in the game code, and also figure out how to calculate them every frame but not make the framerate drop into very, very small fractions.

 

[MultiVaC]

Originally posted by Emon
Wow, you'd have to be one hell of a coder to be able to alter the lightmaps in real time, which aren't even accessible in the game code, and also figure out how to calculate them every frame but not make the framerate drop into very, very small fractions.

Or maybe you would just make your map completly out of objects that cast dynamic shadows.

 

[S1ddharthA]

well ok then have your wether engine...but when
im kick your ass online and you finally get a
chance to shoot me...but you get struck by lightening
before you can pull the trigger then please forgive me
whan i say i told you so dumbass.

 

[A True Canadian]

Originally posted by S1ddharthA
well ok then have your wether engine...but when
im kick your ass online and you finally get a
chance to shoot me...but you get struck by lightening
before you can pull the trigger then please forgive me
whan i say i told you so dumbass.

Half-Life 2 is supposed to be one of the next generation games. It is supposed to revolutionize the FPS genre like the original did. Valve has the knowlege and the technology to implement a weather system, so why not take the next step and do so.
Deus Ex was one of the first FPS to combine stealth and role-play consistantly throughout.
Max Payne gave gamers bullet-time.
Doom was what made FPS so popular today because of its blood and gore.
Would implementing a weather system really destroy the gameplay?

Side Note: Anyone here played Serious Sam 2? If so, remember the last level. That was one of my most remembered experiences because of the meteor shower during the gunfight. Same thing with the Tornado in the trailer prak from NOLF 2.

 

[Sparta]

yeah at the time i played the NOLF 2 demo the tornado totally blew me away (no pun intended) One of the coolest things i had seen in a game (at the time) and falling out of the plane in NOLF that was awesome

I really really hope there's a tornado in Half Life 2, i'd love to see the strider try and cope with it

 

[Frosty]

falling out of the plane in NOLF that was awesome

God, yes. That was absolutely amazing fun.

 

[Varg|Hund]

Originally posted by S1ddharthA
well ok then have your wether engine...but when
im kick your ass online and you finally get a
chance to shoot me...but you get struck by lightening
before you can pull the trigger then please forgive me
whan i say i told you so dumbass.

Please S1ddharthA. Stop being so hostile.
And remember: Capital letters are your friends.

BTW, yes I DO masturbate to the weather channel. Especially when I see rain-storms from Scottland. You got a problem with that? Eh? *jumps up and down trying to look threatening*

 

[got-haggis]

I work for NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)....i work with a couple of people who also play computer games, and we've thought about creating something like this before.....also code in climate factors (this would be good for RTS type games).....however, it seems to me that it just really doesn't matter that much, the majority of people don't want realisitc weather/climate in games...they want something that is *fun* (and real isn't necessarly fun to everyone)

 

[The Dark Elf]

Originally posted by got-haggis
I work for NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)....i work with a couple of people who also play computer games, and we've thought about creating something like this before.....also code in climate factors (this would be good for RTS type games).....however, it seems to me that it just really doesn't matter that much, the majority of people don't want realisitc weather/climate in games...they want something that is *fun* (and real isn't necessarly fun to everyone)

Well I for one would like day/night cycles and weather

 

[Varg|Hund]

Originally posted by Fenric1138
Well I for one would like day/night cycles and weather

Aye, I wouldn't either mind having my panzers stuck in mud on a rainy day

 

[The Dark Elf]

Originally posted by [CoHn]FuSeD
Aye, I wouldn't either mind having my panzers stuck in mud on a rainy day

I think it would work great, even if the game is always the same, the weather could change and what might have been an easy part of a level now becomes difficult. Works well in Daggerfall and Morrowind. Really adds to the atmosphere on the Island of Solstheim your walking along minding your own business when a snowstorm comes in, your viewing distance halves and everything becomes difficult to see, but you can hear a wolf nearby, problem is, you just can't see the damn thing.

Or your wandering through the wilderness from one town to the next cause and it begins to rain then out of the now dark skies thunder and lightning, my first reaction was head to the nearest dungeon and wait till it blows over. Silly but rue Really makes for a fun game. Weather like that and day/night cycles will be in my mod if things work out.

 

[Varg|Hund]

Originally posted by Fenric1138
Weather like that and day/night cycles will be in my mod if things work out.

Ah. Sounds good =)
What mod might that be? :cheers:

 

[morient]

Atmosphere, atmosphere, atmosphere. Atmosphere is what makes a game a game. Think about a game with no textures or materials, but rather a plain boring game with solid colors. Plain, boring, and "outdated" I would call that game. No one would want to play a plain game, but where we are now we don't have to worry about plain. In HL2, if I remember correctly, there is a strong amount of emphasis on facial features. Yeah, you don't NEED emotions but it does add to atmosphere. People enjoy seeing expressions. Think about MMORPGs (if you don't like them, then try to bear with me), the amount and quality of emotes has increased (because people want them) quite a bit over the years for people to use and express themselves, for an individual to express themself it gives others a feel of "realism" and thus supporting the game's atmosphere. You don't really NEED recoil (or the likes of it) either, but IMO it is a necessity that add for extra "realism." (Yes, I realize that recoil affects the physical gameplay more than things like facial features and weather..) Just take out music and SE if you don't want that atmosphere. Just watch older movies from the early 80s, they would have benefitted from better music and sound (they might have been good without it, but better with it). Many movies today have great music selections, I'm mainly talking about composed music that was made specifically for the movie and it allows people to put emotion into the movie during certain scenes (ie LoTR), control the audience's thinking and draw them into it. HL2 would be better with weather (and, assuming it will stay, is better because it has it). It gives that sense of reality and takes you away from the real world. A person troubled with life is more likely to try to avoid thinking about their troubles by immersing themself in something else beyond their own life (entertainment and such). So that better atmosphere causes for more realism and takes you away from your life to a "better" (for some) place. A place with more adventure and excitement, but without the atmosphere it's just another game.

Perhaps I've rambled on long enough..

["variety is the very spice of life"]