Weather system

Overview

The weather system in Solarpunk creates dynamic environmental conditions that affect gameplay across multiple systems. Weather influences energy generation, airship flight, farming, and animal behavior.

Day and night cycle

Solarpunk has a day/night cycle that currently lasts 20 minutes in total (combining daytime and nighttime). The developers have indicated that this duration may be extended during further development if testing shows a longer cycle feels better for gameplay pacing.

The day/night cycle directly affects the energy system. Solar panels only generate power during daylight, so batteries must store enough energy to keep machines running through the night. Chickens also respond to the cycle by automatically returning to their coop at nightfall.

Thunderstorms

Thunderstorms are the most impactful weather event in Solarpunk. During a storm:

• Lightning strikes: Lightning can hit the player and cause damage. The fairness of this mechanic was a point of feedback during playtests, as some players felt the strikes were too random and punishing.

• Crop destruction: Unprotected crops can be destroyed by storms. This makes greenhouses an important investment for any serious farming operation.

• Reduced solar output: Cloud cover and storm conditions significantly reduce the output of solar panels, straining the energy grid.

• Animal behavior: Chickens return to their coop during rain and storms.

Performance during storms

Thunderstorms caused FPS drops in earlier builds of the game, especially on lower-end hardware. This was identified as a known issue during playtests, and the development team has been optimizing storm rendering to reduce the performance impact. Weather effects like rain particles, lightning flashes, and wind animations all contribute to the rendering load during storms.

Wind

Wind is an ongoing environmental factor that primarily affects airship flight. The wind system includes direction and strength variables that change over time, pushing the airship off course and requiring the player to compensate while steering.

The wind system was improved during development to reduce turbulence near islands, allowing more precise landings. Previously, wind gusts near island edges made docking difficult and frustrating.

Simplified flight mode

For players who prefer not to manage wind while flying, an optional simplified flight mode is available. When enabled, wind no longer affects the airship at all. This can be toggled on and off at any time, giving each player control over how much the weather system influences their flight experience.

Weather and gameplay summary