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Posted

Would a possible new feature be a a day and night cycle on each planet. The beauty of each planet can be added to by changing the sky boxes and turning each planet from day time to night time.

 

Imagine seeing the twin-suns of Tatooine in dusk form. Wouldn't that be amazing to see at a certain point in the daytime period. This would be good for PvP as the battles could be given a different feel and can be good for RP in it's own unique way too.

 

Each orbital period won't be a 24 hour period like our days but instead would be it's own length. And if this could be a problem depending on where you are in the world the time could be halved.

 

(Source: Wookieepedia)

Alderaan: 12 Day/ 12 Night

Balmorra: 23.5 Day/ 23.5 Night

Belsavis: 12.5 Day/ 12.5 Night

Corellia: 12.5 Day/ 12.5 Night

Coruscant: 12 Day/ 12 Night

Dromund Kaas: 12 Day/ 12 Night

Hoth: 11.5 Day/ 11.5 Night

Ilum: (I don't know if Ilum has day but if it does...) 33 Day/ 33 Night

Korriban: 14 Day/ 14 Night

Nal Hutta: 43.5 Day/ 45.5 Night

Nar Shaddaa: Wouldn't have day or night but would cycle Hutta for 87 hours

Ord Mantell: 13 Day/ 13 Night

Quesh: (Introduced in SWTOR. No information regarding daytime)

Taris: 12 Day/ 12 Night (I notice that Republic & Empire have different times of the day. This may have an effect on the day cycle and not be used)

Tatooine: 11.5 Day/ 11.5 Night

 

Does anybody else think this is a good idea or a bad idea? Please comment and criticize

Posted (edited)

You are assuming that they have even Night & Day times. For all you or anyone knows, some could have Longer Day Time and Shorter Night Time (Vice-Verse). Also, I can't remember if Nar Shaddaa is Tidal Locked to Hutta or not (Tidal Lock is like Earth's Moon is to Earth) so that could affect things.

 

I think the Rotation Period is what has an affect on Night/Day of the World, but I'm not positive

Edited by Altyrell
Posted
You are assuming that they have even Night & Day times. For all you or anyone knows, some could have Longer Day Time and Shorter Night Time (Vice-Verse). Also, I can't remember if Nar Shaddaa is Tidal Locked to Hutta or not (Tidal Lock is like Earth's Moon is to Earth) so that could affect things.

 

I think the Rotation Period is what has an affect on Night/Day of the World, but I'm not positive

 

In a single-primary system, rotation period determines day length. On average, unless the spin speed of the planet is fluctuating in some way not supported by the conservation of energy and momentum the day lengths will be equal to the night lengths.

 

Multi-primary bodies, like binary suns and gas-giant moons (with the giant and the system primary to potentially consider), the situation becomes more complex.

 

On the whole though, the type of game that SWTOR is does not support a significant difference between ambient illumination of day and night cycles. The tantrums that would be thrown if you had to equip an lamp in one hand just to be able to see where you're going/what you're doing don't bear considering. So it'd just be the sky. And you spend a good 50% of your time indoors. It really isn't worth the development time.

Posted (edited)
And you spend a good 50% of your time indoors. It really isn't worth the development time.

 

Not to mention, if you are in the lower levels of Coruscant or Nar Shaddaa, how exactly would you even know if it became Day or Night Time?

 

Plus, Tatooine & Belsavis both have Twin Suns and 3 Moons each. Now unlike Tatooine's 3 Moons, not much is known about Belsavis's Moons. I bring that up because, if even 1 of the Moons is Large enough, Belsavis could potentiall experience a Month-Long Eclipse. Similar to that of the Movie Pitch Black

Edited by Altyrell
Posted (edited)
Not to mention, if you are in the lower levels of Coruscant or Nar Shaddaa, how exactly would you even know if it became Day or Night Time?

 

Purchase a galactic clock that automatically sets to the planet's time?

Edited by Subtrance
Posted
Not to mention, if you are in the lower levels of Coruscant or Nar Shaddaa, how exactly would you even know if it became Day or Night Time?

 

Plus, Tatooine & Belsavis both have Twin Suns and 3 Moons each. Now unlike Tatooine's 3 Moons, not much is known about Belsavis's Moons. I bring that up because, if even 1 of the Moons is Large enough, Belsavis could potentiall experience a Month-Long Eclipse. Similar to that of the Movie Pitch Black

 

That isn't the point. If you adventuring through a bunch of planets you wouldn't know anyway until you got there and saw, it just adds to what little realism is needed. Also as somebody stated above, a galactic clock feature could be added.

Posted

... and considering it was done well in StarWarsGalaxies... a 9 year old, now dead, MMO predecessor. I see no reason why it cannot be accomplished in today's technologies in this newer star wars mmo.

 

The issue actually is: Does Bioware even want too?

Their answer was: No.

 

No matter how many times we bring it up, and wish it to exist... Bioware will never do it because for some reason they think it ruins the immersion they are trying to accomplish on each planet. Even though they go and do asinine things like allowing speeders in cantinas, and the ability to teleport out from the bottom most reaches of an enemy stronghold or cavern system.

 

But hay, it's their game. We either play it, or we dont, right?

Posted (edited)
... and considering it was done well in StarWarsGalaxies... a 9 year old, now dead, MMO predecessor. I see no reason why it cannot be accomplished in today's technologies in this newer star wars mmo.

 

The issue actually is: Does Bioware even want too?

Their answer was: No.

 

No matter how many times we bring it up, and wish it to exist... Bioware will never do it because for some reason they think it ruins the immersion they are trying to accomplish on each planet. Even though they go and do asinine things like allowing speeders in cantinas, and the ability to teleport out from the bottom most reaches of an enemy stronghold or cavern system.

 

But hay, it's their game. We either play it, or we dont, right?

 

Can you tell me the source of that quote from bioware? If this is true and they don't eventually change it, I will actually leave over this issue (static worlds). I think that not listening to your customers is a cardinal sin, and I won't support them if they don't evolve the game to modern standards.

Edited by mattgyver
Posted (edited)
Can you tell me the source of that quote from bioware? If this is true and they don't eventually change it, I will actually leave over this issue. I think that not listening to your customers is a cardinal sin, and I won't support them if they don't evolve the game to modern standards.

 

Oh, geez. Hmm. Well, it was a long time ago, in beta forums when this issue kept coming up. They had discussed why they set each planet at a specific time. Mainly because they wanted to control the initial ambience of a situation on entering new areas and places on a planet.

 

For example when entering Coruscant for the first time, you are at sunset, with that incredible ambience of the huge looming sun, and the towers, and the lighting of the moment. But if they had night/day cycles, and if you happened to arrive on Coruscant at night, you would have not witnessed this 'setting' upon first arrival.

 

These settings are why Bioware wanted to lock in time, and NOT do a day/night cycle.

 

Whether their view on this has changed since then, I do not know, they seem to skirt the issue when its brought up now. We all know its not about 'how' they could do it. Its been done before in an older game. Its all about 'why' they wont/will do it.

Edited by Frigidman
Posted
Oh, geez. Hmm. Well, it was a long time ago, in beta forums when this issue kept coming up. They had discussed why they set each planet at a specific time. Mainly because they wanted to control the initial ambience of a situation on entering new areas and places on a planet.

 

For example when entering Coruscant for the first time, you are at sunset, with that incredible ambience of the huge looming sun, and the towers, and the lighting of the moment. But if they had night/day cycles, and if you happened to arrive on Coruscant at night, you would have not witnessed this 'setting' upon first arrival.

 

These settings are why Bioware wanted to lock in time, and NOT do a day/night cycle.

 

Whether their view on this has changed since then, I do not know, they seem to skirt the issue when its brought up now. We all know its not about 'how' they could do it. Its been done before in an older game. Its all about 'why' they wont/will do it.

 

ok thanks for the response though.

Posted

Yeah Weather too. Good call.

 

I have seenn threads like this non other sites, and one thing that troubles me is the statement that someone at Bioware reportedly made that having a day/night cycle will break immersion.

 

I really hope they ditch that stance because it could become the vorpal sword by which they avoid anything that does not mesh with their original concept for the game.

 

OPen Worlds? No breaks immersion

Different space experience? No, doesn't go with the immersive VO

Player Housing? No because the VO quests are the focus

 

etc. etc.

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