Larian Studios Forums Divinity - Original Sin Divinity - Original Sin - General 1M for NPC Schedules, Day/Night Cycles, Weather

It feels a bit funny reading this 2 week old thread. Firstly, there are a few posters complaining about the $ 1M stretch goal - often because they really would like to see it realized. Secondly, a few posters assumed that day/night and weather cycles were already in game when put up the $ 1M stretch goal at their KS. But they never were in, and David said that they will only be in if they are done right with some gameplay cycles integrated with them.

During the KS, David took the time clarify a bit of what we could expect from the $ 1M getting reached:

From the KS comment section: Q: "Since the elements are such active components in the game, and the atmospheric lighting is in, as well as rain and probably snow, would the $1M stretch goal also include NPC/monster behaviour in that way too?
Examples:
-If it rains, a few rare critters appear (and only then)
-In bad weather, some NPCs move indoors or under trees or whatever shelter
-As the atmosphere get foggy and darker, will-o-wisps appear and lure people into swamps.

A: "All such things would apply if the $1M stretch goal is reached, so it's not just day/night cycles, but weather and atmosphere will come with neat NPC/critter cycles as well."

Also, what Swen showed us in that update video; If it rains people will take shelter, for instance.

So, to sum things up, there will be plenty to dialogue to add if the night is added, although people aren't perhaps so talkative when you wake them up in the middle of the night, but with rain, sun, fog, etc, you've got so many more things affecting dialogue alone, and each of those weathers and atmospheres will need to be combat-ready and spell-prepped too. But night is merely one big new cycle, there will be plenty of other "cycles" too, and they are not as intuitive to make as night time. It will be hard work as it is to implement a world reacting to weather, and when we add spells, critter spawning and whatever, it will be a tall order indeed.

It's gonna be awesome!