Weather/environment effects that affect gameplay

[mutantleg]

Hi all,
I'm a games development student working on my third year project, and we need to do a context report that involves a market survey. It's about asking a "third party" on the subject of the project.
My project is going to be about weather and environmental effects that affect the gameplay
(effects like: rain, wind, hurricane, day/night cycle, earthquake etc.)

(A quick example: some recent games got now rain affecting the clothes of the character you control, but this usually doesn't have any impact on the gameplay itself, the character won't catch cold or slip on a wet surface, however in racing games rain usually means you need to change tires if you don't want to slip out at corners etc.)

So it would be a great help for me if you could share your thoughts on the subject,
or fill in this mini survey on it: http://surveys.polldaddy.com/s/F9C338E4E008CF38/

 

[walls of cetepedes]

I remember in a Splinter Cell game, one of the missions was during a thunderstorm, and if you were wearing Night Vision Goggles during a flash, you were blinded for a few seconds, and you were lit up for a second, and guards could spot you.

Stuff like that?

 

[Good morning blues]

You've got a duplicate question under question 4, there.

I also kind of take issue with your questions about graphics. Your survey kind of sets up a dichotomy between low-tech graphics and realistic graphics. What about stylized or cartoonish graphics? I don't care what effects there are on the screen as long as the game looks good, and no amount of technology can rescue a game crippled by bad art direction.

 

[Calhoun347]

Left 4 Dead 2, Hard Rain Campaign.
The Intense bouts of weather cause the horde to come (Lightning strikes/Thunder) During them, You cannot easily hear voicechat, Or any voice commands. And if your playing on realism, because your view is so obscured, it is EXTREMELY easy to get separate.

And other than that, it looks amazing.

Edit: To clarify, this is an example of Weather effects done right.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

Weather effects can be detrimental if they are too instense.

Borderlands had a final level with snow effects that murdered the framerate.

Play GTA4 for excellent weather effects, the street colours reflecting off the wet streets are gorgeous.

 

[mutantleg]

I remember in a Splinter Cell game, one of the missions was during a thunderstorm, and if you were wearing Night Vision Goggles during a flash, you were blinded for a few seconds, and you were lit up for a second, and guards could spot you.

Stuff like that?

Exactly, thanks!

 

[Beatrix]

In Lost Odyssey there's a mountain range where a rainstorm is going on around its peaks, when you're walking through it you slow down a lot and the protagonist shields his face with his hand. He also has a flashback from his forgotten past as an immortal mercenary

 

[mutantleg]

You've got a duplicate question under question 4, there.

Thanks for finding it, it's fixed now

 

[Frequen-Z]

Done the survey, I thoroughly enjoy the right weather effects and especially the sounds that go with them.

 

[koeniginator]

Left 4 Dead 2, Hard Rain Campaign.
The Intense bouts of weather cause the horde to come (Lightning strikes/Thunder) During them, You cannot easily hear voicechat, Or any voice commands. And if your playing on realism, because your view is so obscured, it is EXTREMELY easy to get separate.

And other than that, it looks amazing.

Edit: To clarify, this is an example of Weather effects done right.

This.

And with the good ol' PS2, one of my first FPS - Medal of Honor: European Assault.
GODDAMN CONTROLLER, YOU DON'T NEED TO RUMBLE 24/7 WHEN IT IS RAINING IN GAME.
It was impossible to beat that level unless you first disabled rumble.

 

[Arkvoodle]

Gears of War 2- razorhail. Does that count?