Seasons / Availability

OutRage87

As we all know seasons determine availability of certain elements, like crops and animals, meaning true market price fluctuations from the scarcity of these elements. Taking this into consideration, are seasons being reflected globally or local to specific in-game "continents"? For example, if one side of the world is experiencing winter, the opposing end could be experiencing a warmer climate. Meaning there is a true rotation around the continent(s) dispersing availability, and giving us more reason for larger trade routes and establishing dynamic contracts.

TLDR; Are seasons going to be local, or global. Do we have any idea on season durations?

Dygz

I think it will be locally by region.

daveywavey

I don't recall hearing any specifics about it. Dunno if they've got that far yet.

tautau

I thought that they would be global, as in winter ever where that has a winter will be at the same time. Everywhere that has a summer will have it at the same time. Not Winter in the north and Summer in the South at the same time.

However, @Dygz is generally better informed than I am, so I am not sure.

AidanKD

I think that you need to not focus too much on our Earth as a comparison and treat it by Biome. I don't think you will see desert Biomes with snow or Polar Biomes in blazing heat. However each biome ought to have its own thresholds.

More moderate temperaments might be more prone to freezing in the Winter, deserts might be more prone to extreme weather in the summer perhaps sandstorms or blazing heatwaves.

I am also very interested in the weather systems but this is how I believe they will approach the seasons, but am aware we need some more information on the variety. Perhaps a question to give ahead of the next live stream

JustVine

Some fun wiki quotes:

Seasons affect different zones (environments/biomes) based on their location in the world.[15]

There will be regions of the map with seasons that are less (or more) temperate.[18]

For example: Northern, Southern and Tropical regions.[18]

Events may radically change the current season a zone is in, or elongate it.[11][19]
This includes weather changes.[15]
There will also be magical seasons where you might be in a tropical zone and suddenly it's snowing.[18]

https://ashesofcreation.wiki/Environments

Atama

AidanKD wrote: »

I think that you need to not focus too much on our Earth as a comparison and treat it by Biome. I don't think you will see desert Biomes with snow or Polar Biomes in blazing heat. However each biome ought to have its own thresholds.

I'd love it if you had polar biomes that had frozen lakes and rivers in the Winter, and in Summer they thawed out and needed to be swum across or you can use a boat. Or you have to do ice fishing in the Winter, and traditional fishing in the Summer.

Desert biomes could have an oasis that dries up in the Summer, and in the Winter there is enough rain to fill it up with water.

I don't think that would be too radical to implement.

tautau

I'm pretty sure you are going to get most of that @Atama . Rivers that freeze in winter, effectively becoming roads for caravans. Mountains passes that are closed by snow in winter, closing the route. Spring floods which flood underworld passage ways until summer.

I don't know about the dried oasis or ice fishing, but I like those ideas!

neuroguy

Interesting question. I'd assume global but we do know that some zones/biomes will be more or less impacted by certain weather/seasons. We also know that local events like an ice dragon can change local weather/seasons. I do hope the seasons are global and cause some market fluctuations although if Intrepid nails the ship caravans such that cross-continent commerce is both high risk and high reward, I'd dig it.