OldLordSkull
Refugee
First and foremost, this is only about my hopes for storms. It is not a critique, but just some things that I believe would make storms more fun for me while I play the game. Your mileage may vary...and that's okay. You may think some of these ideas are good...or you might hate them, and that's okay too.
Storms have always added atmosphere to the game. With the implementation of storms that require you to take shelter, I feel that a lot more can be done to make them more fun. Again...just stuff that I think would be fun for me to experience. If I knew how to program or mod the game, I would want to make these changes for my own server.
I like the level of visibility during storms, but I want it to ebb and flow. A bit clearer sometimes…then low to no visibility sometimes. Any kind of eyewear can mitigate it bit, but not entirely. For example, if you have goggles, you can see a bit better, but it isn't fully clear…just the effects are a bit more diminished, giving you a slight sight advantage where you would have trouble without them.
I like the idea of different armor types, or mods for that matter, to help or hinder me during a particular storm type. Heavy armor in a snow storm should make me slower and slower, and make me want to find shelter or warmth to try and ride it out a bit. Lighter armors in firestorms won't protect me from burning embers, and I could possibly catch fire. I don't want to be fully prepared for a storm with a catchall armor type to protect me. I want my choice of armor during a storm to matter in some way…or hinder me.
If storms strike when there is open flame about outside (or near an open or broken window or door), I would love for it if it would extinguish those flames (if rain or wet snow is part of the storm), or fan the flames to start catching nearby things on fire. This could turn a town or city situation into something horrifically dangerous if you are in the wrong place…and I love the thought of that.
I want storms with lightning to play a little hell on electrical grids (in POIs and towns/cities that have some working power), or to temporarily knock your base power out (30 seconds to a few minutes). That would be harrowing, especially if you are defending your base with electrical traps and such during a storm. Hell, I want it to damage electrical systems that are on and running, making it so you have to repair it. I want firestorms in the burnt biome that can catch you on fire…along with POIs, vehicles, vegetation, etc. I want winter storms to ice the roads making for dangerous driving, down power lines, and sap your stamina. I want desert dust and sandstorms to create low visibility and scour your skin.
I don't want to be required to find shelter during a storm. I want to be able to be caught out in it, and struggle to find someplace to wait it out if I want to. But I also want to be able to stay outside if it suits me. Why stay outside? I want storms to damage some buildings so bad it could collapse a wall or ceiling…or the whole POI. Or maybe I'm playing as a nomad or such and like the idea of roughing it out there
I want storm hordes! Perhaps a chance that feral and nasty zombie hordes spawn and travel with the storm. Sure, there can be wanderers…but I want to see groups of zombies converging on areas as well. Or even a special zombie type that only comes with the storms.
Randomize the size, strength, and type of storm...along with the time of day and the duration of the storm. I like the idea that a storm can be brief, or long. Randomize the starting point of the storm, and have it travel across the map as a true storm would. Make it change directions like a storm would. That way we wouldn't just get a biome-wide storm…but a storm that can travel across the map. I want to be able to look to the horizon and see an approaching storm before I get the warning. Mild storms travel slower, do less damage and have less of a visibility problem…where large and violent storms could make it dark, throw debris about, have lightning strikes, high winds, pounding rain or hail (to soak you or pummel you). I would love to see a tornado throw a car across the terrain or into a building or lake, and you have to run for safety so you aren't crushed, ripped to shreds, or even lifted off the ground and launched yourself. How awesome it would be to be tumbling along the ground until you're able to crawl or get your feet under you…and even funnier if it is a friend flying by you. The strength of the storm can also have another variable to determine if the storm will get stronger or weaker during the event. I want to see power substations and transformers blowing and sparking, possibly causing fires. Downed powerlines that flail about, sparking, and possibly electrocuting you.
And I want to see storms with rain or snow accelerate the collection of water in the dew/rain collectors. I want to be able to create some downspouts with barrels that only collect water during precipitation...and have any water collections systems be able to get wrecked or destroyed during particularly violent storms with high winds. Just like after horde night, the aftermath of a storm should involve me making repairs and/or rebuilding things that were lost.
Storms are also a perfect opportunity for missions or tasks. Put out the fire and restore the power! Rescue survivors caught in the storm or a POI that is about to collapse, and escort them back to a place of safety…all while dealing with the effects of the storm and protecting them from zombies. Board up or repair a safehouse before the storm blows out all the windows and rips the roof off, exposing all to the brutal elements. There are a lot of possibilities!
I also want to see storms damage or destroy crops, knock over trees, or even injure or kill wild animals…if the severity of the storm is high enough.
I want rainstorms to soak me to the bone, and I have to do something to dry off or warm up so my stamina doesn't drop too low. I want the cold or the heat from storms to affect my stamina, and how much my food and water levels drop while I deal with it.
I want NPC survivors to be out there as well, looking for shelter…and I want some to be able to get into the building I chose to wait it out (NPCs bashing in locked doors or windows just to get inside if they can't find an easy way in)…and have it randomly determine if they are friendly, neutral, or hostile…then have to deal with that as well as the storm. I want to be able to threaten them, or have them threaten me for control of the shelter. (Getting sidetracked with thinking about an NPC encounter reaction system…it would be amazing. Their attitude and demeanor toward you can have so many variables to change. Point a weapon at you, they don't like that…and may even do the same. Keep pointing it at them, and they may threaten you or attack…or back down and try to convince you not to hurt them, even offering you something to leave them alone. You can make trades on the spot…or kill or be killed. They could share useful information…like the location of a stash or certain materials. They can hire you for a quick job [mini quest] or you can temporarily have them as a hired gun. The possibilities are there! A whole NPC interaction system would be great…but that is another discussion.)
Storms have always added atmosphere to the game. With the implementation of storms that require you to take shelter, I feel that a lot more can be done to make them more fun. Again...just stuff that I think would be fun for me to experience. If I knew how to program or mod the game, I would want to make these changes for my own server.
I like the level of visibility during storms, but I want it to ebb and flow. A bit clearer sometimes…then low to no visibility sometimes. Any kind of eyewear can mitigate it bit, but not entirely. For example, if you have goggles, you can see a bit better, but it isn't fully clear…just the effects are a bit more diminished, giving you a slight sight advantage where you would have trouble without them.
I like the idea of different armor types, or mods for that matter, to help or hinder me during a particular storm type. Heavy armor in a snow storm should make me slower and slower, and make me want to find shelter or warmth to try and ride it out a bit. Lighter armors in firestorms won't protect me from burning embers, and I could possibly catch fire. I don't want to be fully prepared for a storm with a catchall armor type to protect me. I want my choice of armor during a storm to matter in some way…or hinder me.
If storms strike when there is open flame about outside (or near an open or broken window or door), I would love for it if it would extinguish those flames (if rain or wet snow is part of the storm), or fan the flames to start catching nearby things on fire. This could turn a town or city situation into something horrifically dangerous if you are in the wrong place…and I love the thought of that.
I want storms with lightning to play a little hell on electrical grids (in POIs and towns/cities that have some working power), or to temporarily knock your base power out (30 seconds to a few minutes). That would be harrowing, especially if you are defending your base with electrical traps and such during a storm. Hell, I want it to damage electrical systems that are on and running, making it so you have to repair it. I want firestorms in the burnt biome that can catch you on fire…along with POIs, vehicles, vegetation, etc. I want winter storms to ice the roads making for dangerous driving, down power lines, and sap your stamina. I want desert dust and sandstorms to create low visibility and scour your skin.
I don't want to be required to find shelter during a storm. I want to be able to be caught out in it, and struggle to find someplace to wait it out if I want to. But I also want to be able to stay outside if it suits me. Why stay outside? I want storms to damage some buildings so bad it could collapse a wall or ceiling…or the whole POI. Or maybe I'm playing as a nomad or such and like the idea of roughing it out there
I want storm hordes! Perhaps a chance that feral and nasty zombie hordes spawn and travel with the storm. Sure, there can be wanderers…but I want to see groups of zombies converging on areas as well. Or even a special zombie type that only comes with the storms.
Randomize the size, strength, and type of storm...along with the time of day and the duration of the storm. I like the idea that a storm can be brief, or long. Randomize the starting point of the storm, and have it travel across the map as a true storm would. Make it change directions like a storm would. That way we wouldn't just get a biome-wide storm…but a storm that can travel across the map. I want to be able to look to the horizon and see an approaching storm before I get the warning. Mild storms travel slower, do less damage and have less of a visibility problem…where large and violent storms could make it dark, throw debris about, have lightning strikes, high winds, pounding rain or hail (to soak you or pummel you). I would love to see a tornado throw a car across the terrain or into a building or lake, and you have to run for safety so you aren't crushed, ripped to shreds, or even lifted off the ground and launched yourself. How awesome it would be to be tumbling along the ground until you're able to crawl or get your feet under you…and even funnier if it is a friend flying by you. The strength of the storm can also have another variable to determine if the storm will get stronger or weaker during the event. I want to see power substations and transformers blowing and sparking, possibly causing fires. Downed powerlines that flail about, sparking, and possibly electrocuting you.
And I want to see storms with rain or snow accelerate the collection of water in the dew/rain collectors. I want to be able to create some downspouts with barrels that only collect water during precipitation...and have any water collections systems be able to get wrecked or destroyed during particularly violent storms with high winds. Just like after horde night, the aftermath of a storm should involve me making repairs and/or rebuilding things that were lost.
Storms are also a perfect opportunity for missions or tasks. Put out the fire and restore the power! Rescue survivors caught in the storm or a POI that is about to collapse, and escort them back to a place of safety…all while dealing with the effects of the storm and protecting them from zombies. Board up or repair a safehouse before the storm blows out all the windows and rips the roof off, exposing all to the brutal elements. There are a lot of possibilities!
I also want to see storms damage or destroy crops, knock over trees, or even injure or kill wild animals…if the severity of the storm is high enough.
I want rainstorms to soak me to the bone, and I have to do something to dry off or warm up so my stamina doesn't drop too low. I want the cold or the heat from storms to affect my stamina, and how much my food and water levels drop while I deal with it.
I want NPC survivors to be out there as well, looking for shelter…and I want some to be able to get into the building I chose to wait it out (NPCs bashing in locked doors or windows just to get inside if they can't find an easy way in)…and have it randomly determine if they are friendly, neutral, or hostile…then have to deal with that as well as the storm. I want to be able to threaten them, or have them threaten me for control of the shelter. (Getting sidetracked with thinking about an NPC encounter reaction system…it would be amazing. Their attitude and demeanor toward you can have so many variables to change. Point a weapon at you, they don't like that…and may even do the same. Keep pointing it at them, and they may threaten you or attack…or back down and try to convince you not to hurt them, even offering you something to leave them alone. You can make trades on the spot…or kill or be killed. They could share useful information…like the location of a stash or certain materials. They can hire you for a quick job [mini quest] or you can temporarily have them as a hired gun. The possibilities are there! A whole NPC interaction system would be great…but that is another discussion.)