Okay, in a couple more days I'll have a weather system ready. Currently it follows this basic design:

TIME TICKER (TEN MINUTE)
----> At the hottest part of the day, set the low temperature (an hour after noon)
----> At the coolest part of the day, set the high temperature (an hour before dawn)
----> Adjust the major node temperature based on the current time

TIME TICKER (DAILY)
----> Check for percipitation for the next 24 game hours and assign a starting time if appropriate

TIME TICKER (HOURLY)
----> Check for changes in percipitation (start, continue, stop)

MAJOR NODES, AREAS
MOUNTAINS
SWAMP
DESERT
COASTAL
SEA
PLAINS
FOREST
JUNGLE
UNDERGROUND

Basically what happens is a global proc checks for percipitation, sends the information down to the major nodes which adjust the check (mountain more likely for percipitation than desert), and if percipitation changes communicates this to all the turfs it contains.

After the initial check for percipitation, it is assigned a duration in hours which it follows and no other checks are made (a once per day process).

The turfs themselves will determine what it does with this information. If the turf is "indoors" but has windows, messaging might be sent reflecting this. The natural response of turfs it to match the temperature of it's area (with adjustments from turf modifiers if appropriate).

Thus a shack that has a fireplace, but doesn't have a fire going, will reduce it's temperature to match the sugested temperature of the area.

If the fire was lit, then the temperature degradation will be negated and the temperature will rise by an amount determined by the heat factor of the fire.

Unlike my previous attempt, there are no "roving" storms and instead it's all handled by the global-->areas-->turfs.

During the precipitation check, it also says what the force of the percipitation is along with wind factors. Windfactor plays a part in the "wind-chill" factor when "outdoors".

This ties in nicely with flu, common cold, pnemonia and other things that mobs might contract. In addition, it can provide negative or positive modifiers to actions.

The force of the percipitation and wind, when combined with temperature, will tell turfs if it's a light rain or mist to a full scale blizzard.

Since everything ties into the major nodes, the storms and such will effect all child nodes. Thus all the "area/Mountain" regions will have the same weather (though the turfs might interpret it differently). The actual hierarchy takes into account during the "chance of precipitation" what areas are more likly to get weather and makes adjustments to a single roll - thus the systme might roll a 70 and Mountains read this as 100, hills as 90, deserts as 40. This ensures that you can't walk from a mountain in a full blizard into a hill on a balmy day.

Hm, anyone have any thoughts or anything to add?

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