User blog comment:LiamFrostveins/Weather in Rp/@comment-4536066-20121108045214

I like the idea of using weather as a plot tool, but it only really works well in private rp's.


 * In private, you have your small group and can easily coordinate, whereas in large-scale, open public roleplays, it gets trickier. You agree on what the weather is, and from there everyone who was involved in the initial decision is in the loop. But, for every new guy who logs in or strolls along as a freelancer, you have to stop what you're doing and explain the climate and hope he plays along and that it doesn't nullify anything he's already done.


 * Then, if you try to make your explanation quick, some details might be missed; for windy, Joe might be strolling along in the cool breeze enjoying the temperature under his otherwise hot armor while Jack is busy pulling his coat tight around his shoulders to protect from the forceful gale.


 * Even if you get everyone straightened onto the same page without much disruption, it's not always clear when or if the weather changes. You might expect it to still be raining when you log back on three hours later, while about half of everyone else has gone back to sunny. Without some kind of universal signal available to everyone, it can get pretty confused.


 * I've also noticed that a lot of the time when full-sized public rp groups use weather, it's super extreme. Like, suddenly a city is hit by a hurricane, or a flash flood comes through, or a blizzard buries the town. (Of course, only for everything to be all better the next day.) These almost always end up being gross stereotypes of the realistic situations, and often have a lot of the same issues as listed above.

Don't get me wrong, I think weather is a great tool for adding depth to roleplay. Those are just reasons why it's generally not a popular tool.