Development is progressing well with the implementation of various weather effects and time of day conditions that can change the gameplay in Drone Warfare radically.
Clear/Sunny
Clear conditions present the ideal (easiest) state of each scene/environment in the game. View distance is unrestricted and the honey bees are out in force searching for their favourite flowers to harvest pollen and nectar.
Fog/Mist
With fog/mist conditions the view distance is restricted which forces you to rely on your sensors and in-game map to determine threats beyond your view range. However the bees still forage for nectar similarly to how they would in clear conditions.
Rain
Rain conditions also restrict view distance, but this time there is also a limit to how many bees are foraging for flowers. This affects how quickly the nest replenishes its nectar reserves which in turn restricts the nest's ability to birth new bees.
Rain drops can also randomly hit the drone causing damage from the impact, albeit limited.
Night
Exploring and defending the environments in Drone Warfare at night time can be the most restrictive. Night missions may include any of the weather conditions highlighted in this post, however these are also compounded by the night vision desaturating all colours from the scene. This makes it difficult to prioritise enemies by sight alone.
The honey bees won't forage for flowers at night time either so the nest is particularly vulnerable.
Storm
Storm conditions in the day or night are the most hazardous. The honey bees will remain in their nest due to the driving rain which is also a danger to the drone itself. Rain drops will hit the drone more frequently, and with greater force, resulting in more damage.
Even worse are the lightning strikes. Distant strikes may glitch the display, however nearby strikes will interfere with the drone's systems. This results in temporary loss of flight control, the HUD disappearing, and the screen whiting-out.
Loss of flight control can cause the drone to drop like a stone so it's recommended to keep some altitude during a storm, particularly when flying over water!
Until next time,
Faster Time Games.
