Seasons

[adam92682]

Would it be possible to add seasons in this game. Have 4 versions of each zone like the click clock wood area in banjo kazooie.

[Shioban]

This is a huge technical challenge, look up the development video for The Sims 2 Seasons, and you'll see exactly why.

[Allyra]

This is a huge technical challenge, look up the development video for The Sims 2 Seasons, and you'll see exactly why.

Eh. I think it depends on how far they take it. Weather was rather important in FFXI, and it had 4 seasons. But all that did was increase chances of certain weather statuses appearing in certain areas (and I think affected the spawning conditions of certain NMs).

[Tupsi]

This is a huge technical challenge, look up the development video for The Sims 2 Seasons, and you'll see exactly why.

Nope. FFXI has seasons and even some object changes based on said seasons - For example winter months rl/game time it is more likely to snow in Rolanberry/Batallia downs and even Rolanberries scattered around changes colors iirc.

Heck even some mob based spawns/weakness/strengths based on seasons/weather patterns, so it's not a technical challenge if a 2002 PS2 game can do it.

[Shioban]

Nope. FFXI has seasons and even some object changes based on said seasons

I completely understand your point, and also that it'd be nice to see more varying weather, sometimes more really is better.

But, from an assets point of view, FFXI had considerably less in terms of assets that needed to be produced/edited to suit any changes they wanted to make.

FFXIV has a lot of assets, lets assume there are at least three seasons, that three new sets of textures, sounds, particle effects and more that would require a tremendous amount of effort to go back and reapply simple for the sake of 'changing the weather'.

The development team did a good job of adding in weather effects for each area;

Sagoli Desert = Windy/Heat-wave
Coerthas = Sunny/Blizzard/
The Black Shroud = Thunder/Rain/Fair/Fog

It's safe to say it would be unfair to have to go back and re-design The Black Shroud assets for the sake of 20 minutes of snow.

[Alhanelem]

at a core level it would mean 3 new sets of textures for everything in every area, plus new sounds and effects, it would be just barely less work than adding 3x the current number of areas to the game.

FFXI had seasons, but only on a basic level: certain weather conditions would appear more or less often depending on the season (e.g. heat waves would happen more during the summer, and blizzards would happen more in the winter- but only in the areas that have those things anyway).

[MumboJumbo]

I just have to mention how awesome banjo kazooie is. Love the game and soundtrack.

[Zfz]

I'd also love to see real seaons built into the system. But I know there will be people crying that they only get to do certain content once a year and it's not fair for new players, etc. So I'm willing to accept that Eorzea is a flat world sitting on top of a huge adamantoise.

The cost associated with the textures I think really is what's preventing it. FFXIV doesn't have real weather. Rain and snow are just particle effects that have no persistent result---there are no puddles forming. While FFXIV has a very beautiful world, it is all very superficial, just applying higher resolution texture to very old technology.

[Pinworms]

Adding a fall summer spring and winter would be fantastic for SOME zones. Other zones would not translate well particularly thanalan. Snow and fall in the shroud, spring and summer in limsa, fall spring and winter in highlands, and well...summer in thanalan. It doesn't need to be based off of earths schedule, base it off of eorzea - breathe life into the would.

Just some thoughts. Also you can't say that SE could not do it...because they can if they want to.

[Xieveral]

It would be nice but... PS3 limitations