Uh, weather?

Why this game lacks weather? I am not talking about gameplay elements like branded storms in Vabbi or sand storms in Dry Top, but actual changing weather conditions? Stuff like rain, clouds, rainbows, hurricanes, snow that isn't just part of the landscape and so on?

It doesnt lack it, many zones have weather conditions like rain and snow. I too would like more dynamic systems, but it is likely an engine limitation to do something beyond the isolated areas already in existence

The engine can do it, and the game does in several zones. The problem really boils down to game play impact. Like how the game has Day/Night cycles, but its hardly used. Nor is night actually "dark", because players have voiced contempt for things like "too dark to see" and "having to wait for something". They could easily add game play features/functions tied to weather and day cycles..... but I can just as easily foresee players complaining about "unfair difficulty", "uncontrollable interference" and/or "immersion breaking, unrealistic weather".

Also, every zone is a snippet in time, so the Devs would have to pick what kind of weather would be happening in that snippet of time...then you would be stuck with that weather pattern.

I imagine it wasn't possible back then, but now it is, as seen by the introduction of dynamic weather in PoF.

One problem is lots of particles around you can ruin your FPs. Combine that with large groups of people firing off skills and you can have people’s computers stalling in big fights. Weather effects can look pretty but they take computer space to render. I know my old computer used to choke when I went into DryTop.

Some events only happen at night. Some places can only be interacted with at night. There are weapons that change with the day/night cycle. There is even content that only occurs at dusk/dawn.

There is different weather here and there, and it can dynamically change. Weather changes can trigger events, and vice versa.

You can read more about it here: https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Weather

I wish nights would actually be dark, rather than the current midnight-sun approach, as if we're all north of the arctic-circle.

Nothing can prevent them from creating darker nights except willpower to do so. One example that comes to mind is Elder Scroll and even is from over 10 years back.I'd like to see them come here and explain why they won't. One thing I do know it's darn fun to play in the dark. I think adding night time to all maps would add to replay value.

@"EpicName.4523" said:Why this game lacks weather? I am not talking about gameplay elements like branded storms in Vabbi or sand storms in Dry Top, but actual changing weather conditions? Stuff like rain, clouds, rainbows, hurricanes, snow that isn't just part of the landscape and so on?

We have the purple rain in Jahai. I mean...

I'm pretty sure at least some core maps do have changing weather, it's just not that noticeable unless you're comparing the same scenery in different conditions (which you'd only really do if you're the kind of person who collects hundreds of screenshots of scenery in games).

For example I had a screenshot of the view from the vista at the north end of Timberline Falls as my desktop wallpaper because the view was really beautiful, and got very confused when I climbed up there again and it didn't look remotely similar, until I realised it was cloudy in-game so everything looked grey and dull and I couldn't see as far. I'm also certain I've seen the river in the north of Bloodtide Coast with both rain and bright sunshine, and mist clearing from various maps during the dawn animation.

I don't know if it's actually dynamic weather or tied to the day/night cycle or some other timer, but I am sure I've seen it change.

@Hybarf Tics.2048 said:Nothing can prevent them from creating darker nights except willpower to do so. One example that comes to mind is Elder Scroll and even is from over 10 years back.I'd like to see them come here and explain why they won't. One thing I do know it's darn fun to play in the dark. I think adding night time to all maps would add to replay value.

The thing stopping them is that most players don't actually want significantly darker nights.

@Tanner Blackfeather.6509 said:

@Hybarf Tics.2048 said:Nothing can prevent them from creating darker nights except willpower to do so. One example that comes to mind is Elder Scroll and even is from over 10 years back.I'd like to see them come here and explain why they won't. One thing I do know it's darn fun to play in the dark. I think adding night time to all maps would add to replay value.

Agreed. One reason I always play a khajiit in Elder Scrolls games is they get night vision, and even then it's really annoying having to reactivate it whenever it runs out. Trying to play when you can't actually see anything is just annoying.

I'd love it if they actually made the nights slightly darker. I'd love to have some different mechanics at night in the vanilla zones similar to what we have in Verdant Brink. I'd love to have some variety, some change of pace to spice things up. It would be great to have an actual sense of danger.

As for the weather - If it wasn't for those claiming there are changing weather conditions, I would not have noticed. Seems I am not the only one in this regard. The moment people are discussing if a feature even exists, then the said feature likely isn't working properly.

If the reason why weather isn't properly implemented is because of technical difficulties, It would be great if they tune down all the flashy effects, all the kitsch and glowy stuff surrounding most players, especially when they use certain abilities to compensate for the strain. This will make the world more believable while removing something many players complain a lot about - the inability to see what you are even hitting more often than not. I wager the servers will run far more smoothly then.

I want more zones with rain. Jahai Bluffs had a branded "rain" which looked pretty cool, but I can never have enough rain.

@"Hybarf Tics.2048" said:Nothing can prevent them from creating darker nights except willpower to do so. One example that comes to mind is Elder Scroll and even is from over 10 years back.I'd like to see them come here and explain why they won't. One thing I do know it's darn fun to play in the dark. I think adding night time to all maps would add to replay value.

The game does have night-time on all vanilla maps (at least), and they used to be darker, but over time they've "nerfed the darkness" because a lot of players didn't like it. There are still areas in the game that makes use of the darkness as a mechanic, and it can be quite fun. Personal favorite is one part of the Obsidian Sanctuary Jumping Puzzle, there is also a mini-dungeon in one of the Norn zones (forgot which).

Personally been tweaking the graphic settings to artificially darken things, so I can actually notice night time at all :)

That said, Dragon's Dogma did night time exceptionally well, and every-time I see the GW2 sun go into energy saving mode and dim slightly, it makes me miss playing Dragons Dogma for getting ambushed by Chimeras in the dark and screaming my lungs out.

We have Sandswept Isles that's constantly raining! Also Jahai Buffs has crazy rain AND snow (Yes snow.) Think there were times in the Desert Highlands where the mountains get a kind of fog that makes it a little harder to see. I would like something like the sandstorms of Dry Top in the middle of the desert again.

The rain in this game is lacking. occasional visible drops and light background patter sound. bring on the monsoons

There is a moon. I'd love it if there were tides.

There's day and night cycle xD

I don't want weather until we get the options to limit particles and the option to flatout cull other users first in PvE (Nameplates only).

It would be nice if we could get a slider in options for nighttime darkness. That way we would all get the nighttime light level we desire.

One of the things i miss the most from ESO is the weather, especially the sounds of it. So i would love to have better weather here, and make the sounds from the rain not silent.

@"EpicName.4523" said:Why this game lacks weather? I am not talking about gameplay elements like branded storms in Vabbi or sand storms in Dry Top, but actual changing weather conditions? Stuff like rain, clouds, rainbows, hurricanes, snow that isn't just part of the landscape and so on?

I've been in rain storms and snow, it depends on the zone. When I logged in last night, I was in high up in a bunch of dark clouds, it was pretty creepy. When I came closer to the ground, they went away.

There are also sounds, at least I've come across the sound of rain when it does rain. I've even heard my raptors feet splash in the rain. Playing with headphones makes a huge difference.

I'd like to see more of a variety of weather on maps consistent with the map. Lion's Arch and all the water front maps south should get rain and thick fog sometimes. Other maps should get rain, snow fog on Shiverpeaks maps like Divinity's Reach had last Wintersday. If Jormag ever wakes up I'd like to see him freeze the Harathi Hinterlands as part of a meta. That map would look awesome with an alpine make over.