WoW Retail - Suggestion: Dynamic Weather and ambience

[Chucklebeast-argent-dawn]

Hi WoW Community + Blizzard (If they see this)

I was recently reminiscing while listening to some old zone ambience from classic Mulgore, and it sparked an idea. The in-game weather system could greatly enhance the sense of immersion and ambience, making the world feel truly alive. Here’s why I believe an evergreen; dynamic weather system would be a fantastic addition:

1. Enhanced Immersion: Older zones like Mulgore have a nostalgic ambience that newer zones lack, partly due to weather effects. Implementing dynamic weather such as rain, thunderstorms, snow, snowstorms, and hail would elevate the game’s atmosphere significantly.
2. Dynamic Environmental Changes: Imagine snow accumulating on the ground, Rain causing certain areas to flood, and other environmental changes that reshape the zones. This would add a layer of realism and engagement to the game.
3. Impact on Gameplay: Weather could influence gameplay mechanics, especially dynamic flight. For example, players could receive speed boosts when flying with the wind, face visibility challenges during snowstorms, or even risk being knocked off their mounts by lightning strikes. These elements would keep the experience fresh and unpredictable.
4. NPC Reactions: NPCs could react to the weather by seeking shelter, using umbrellas, or delivering flavour voice lines that comment on the conditions, enhancing the world’s realism.
5. Anti-Bot Measures: Dynamic weather and its impact on gameplay, such as with dragon riding elements, could make it more challenging for bots to operate, maintaining the integrity of the game.
6. Seasonal Changes: Introducing seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter) would further enhance the world’s liveliness, with distinct weather patterns and natural events for each season. Rare occurrences like natural disasters could also add excitement and variety to different zones.

Weather was a remarkable feature in WoW Classic that seems to have been neglected in recent expansions. Revamping and expanding this system would greatly benefit the game’s atmosphere and immersion. Thank you for creating such an incredible game, and I hope you consider this suggestion. I look forward to seeing World of Warcraft continue to evolve with input from the player base.

[Jito-turalyon (Jito)]

Right now Beledar is the furthest Blizzard have taken the in-game weather system.
When it shifts to Void the NPCs all run inside, the creatures in the zone change appearance, the treasures turn into Shadow Orbs or something, and of course the skybox become all Void-looking.
And that’s quite the step-up from the old snow or rain effects where it was just some particles on the screen creating the sense of it snowing or raining.

Going even further – like doing floodings and rain puddles and snowbanks and so on – is difficult to imagine within the confines of the existing WoW engine. That’s something that would be an argument for WoW 2 in some form or capacity.

I feel like with Beledar, Blizzard kind of indicates that they do these things when they can tie them into a zone theme or a story or a broader gameplay experience. Just weather for the sake of weather seems unlikely given Blizzard’s gameplay focus in all the content they develop.

But it’s cool ideas. I’ve sometimes throw around the fantasy of rain puddles and rain drops falling from the trees, and otherwise having a stronger sense of real weather and not just the poor imitation we currently have. But I think it’s a bit beyond WoW’s level of ambition and ability, unfortunately.

[Lukeskyvoker-ragnaros]

It would add a lot to the mood of the game/zones.
But it would be too much time for this small indie company. Maybe one day it will be available in an 80 euro package.

[Gram-ghostlands (Gram)]

Any such feature should be in the Option menu. I know there are console commands for altering the intensity of the weather (how heavy the rain is).

Of course this would mean that it couldn’t impact the players too much as some players would turn it off and others would have it on full.