Matrix Games Forums

Originally posted by Mike_B20
When I first heard of an overhaul of the weather system in UV I was excited.
I had visions of a dynamic weather map, similar to the one in Carriers at War many years ago.
Saw myself riding a weather front, sneaking up on my objective, like Sherman in his raid on Rabaul.
What we have now is good feedback to the player on why his bombers aren't flying but things could be a lot better.

To be brutally honest, the wetaher system in UV blows chunks.
You'd think the South Pacific was one big thunderstorm intersperced with rain, more rain, the odd cloudy day and the unique sunny one.

I'd love to see a dynamic weather system in UV, with Tropical cyclones sinking destroyers and wreaking havoc on Transport TF's.
Swirling patterns of clouds following seasonal meteorological patterns.
I'd love to have a go at programming one.

I agree, Mike, and enjoy your Wagnerian maelstrom of poetic imagery as applied to meteorology.

The biggest problem I have with the UV weather system is that it just simply doesn't make any sense. It looks like each base or TF has a determination applied to it without regard for what actual South Pacific weather is like (weather fronts, isolated squalls, generally execrable weather over New Guinea but areas of more calm weather conditions in sea areas without large land masses and over northeastern Australia - except seasonally).

Even Grigsby's old WITSP had something of a rational weather model built into it (remember the cloud cover areas moving across the map forming storms where they overlapped?). Even the cumbersome weather from FlatTop could have served as the basis for something better than this hit-or-miss thing we have now.

I have learned to live with it, but I am sincerely hoping for something better from WITP. The "ghostbuster plane" symbols don't do much for me, either, BTW. They're not there when you need 'em.

"Wagnerian maelstrom of poetic imagery "



Yea Hard_Sarge, probably wisest to get a few more CV's, always a couple more in the pipeline for the US.

I've always felt that an operational level naval game should use a dynamic weather system.

I had not spent much time on the BTR boards, so I did not know that there was an outcry over the clouds. I thought that they were done quite well. For years my TV would be on the weather channel by default, stereo on and a wargame on the table - BTR's systems looked like many a satellite photo I've seen. I liked the way you received a forecast of the base and top of the clouds, and that both cloud amount and depth changed across the breadth of Europe.

I was rather hoping for an improved version of that engine for the weather in UV... oh well.

Such a weather system would be an absolute necessity for one dream game of mine: a WITP type detail of the age of Nelson (three great wars in one game!). You'd have to have the weather systems since the shipping is entirely dependant upon it for mobility.

the clouds look great in BTR, the out cry was in the moving system, and how you could not tell if you had good weather over the target or not, a nice clear day, and 3 hours later,when the bombers reach the target, the map is full of clouds

another is one area of the map may be totally clear of clouds (6 weather zones on the map) but over the targer may be one little wisp of cloud, which sheilds the target)

or the nasty little cloud that hangs over a airfield at 10K, there by stopping all planes from being able to take off, or if landing cause a good chunk of them to crash

HARD_Sarge

My complaint was that it should give you a "predicted weather at X hour" depiction.

I accepted with good grace the times that no bombs were dropped due to weather and the times that squadrons were unable to form up due to weather. If they had given us way to see a weather prediction it would have made it easier to guestimate when the strikes should launch. I would not have fussed if the prediction was wrong, but would have tried to figure out its pattern of error (much in the same way I always try to guess when the clouds will be where).

The moving system was spot on, and the way it was different in different areas of the map. Those occaisional little clouds? Well, that is weather...

I'm not sure about moving clouds. that's a God's-eye view. But if we could pull down 5 day weather predictions(with % certitude) and/ or weather reports for major ports and bases, then we could plan for missions realistically.