Seasons on Zalanthas?

[Koala]

I would like to open a discussion about the characteristics of seasons on Zalanthas and here are some starting information that I could find in the help files.

http://www.armageddon.org/cgi-bin/help_index/show_help?time

There are three such phases or months in a Zalanthan year, which thus consists of 693 days. The sun returns to its original arc in the sky at the end of each year; the three primary arcs being the Arc of Descension, the Low Arc, and the Arc of Ascension.

If there is a cycle like this (above), then there should be some differences that people on Zalanthas would notice. Here are my starting questions and feel free to add yours. I hope someone will be able to answer them .

:arrow: What is the common knowledge about seasons on Zalanthas?
:arrow: If seasons exists, are there regular weather cycles, e.g Descending Sun has more stormy days then the other months?
:arrow: Does it change according to the location, i.e northern or southern parts of the world (Descending Sun, less stormy in north and more stormy in south. Ascending Sun, vice versa)?

[flurry]

Good topic.  I'd love to see this fleshed out a bit more.

One thing from the docs (with emphasis added):

Scrub Fever - A condition which causes the victim to become extremely nauseous and disoriented, followed later by blurred vision, a running nose, and a sore lower jaw. The cause is unknown, but it is common during the third month of the year, possibly due to plant spores. The treatment consists of a strong drink, a moist cloth and several days bedrest.

[Gaare]

I always thought there is a kind of season system in ARM. Especially about the density of the storms which really affects daily like of many Zalanthian even they live behind the high walls.

Probably there are works on the seasons not only buy desert dwellers, but also great houses whose great income comes from farming such as Oash, Uaptal, etc..

[Koala]

Good topic.  I'd love to see this fleshed out a bit more.

One thing from the docs (with emphasis added):

Scrub Fever - A condition which causes the victim to become extremely nauseous and disoriented, followed later by blurred vision, a running nose, and a sore lower jaw. The cause is unknown, but it is common during the third month of the year, possibly due to plant spores. The treatment consists of a strong drink, a moist cloth and several days bedrest.

Using this information I can say that the third month of the year -Arc of Ascension- is a combination of spring and summer. If there is a cycle, then the following month -Arc of Descension- should be the combination of summer and autumn and finally the third month -the Low Arc- should be the winter of Zalanthas.

Arc of Ascension: High temperature, plant spores.
Arc of Descension: Max. temperature, more fruits.
Low Arc: Lowest temperature.

:arrow: What about the storm cycle?
:arrow: Do these months have different effects on northlands and southlands?

These are the conclusions we could get so far, please feel free to add yours.

[Koala]

I have to agree with the original poster and those who support his feelings about playability... While at the same time enjoying the harsh reality that the sandstorm brings. Adgohan captured a few other concerns quite well too.

My suggestion as a possible solution is to create 'seasons'. Perhaps the last month of every year is Storm Season... In which sandstorm code is in full raging effect... But the first and second month are totally free of sandstorms.. Natural sandstorms that is.

The concept of seasonal travel would be a great addition to Arm. Travelers scurrying between the cities and doing the majority of their trading in the first two months... Also this would make the appearance of a sandstorm during the other months a unique and special event. Perhaps a magickal sandstorm or something ominous.

As it is, Zalanthas is peppered with almost constant sandstorms and this truly hampers global RP.  How often has the big plan been to get an RPT in your clan to go out and do something awesome only to gather together and discover that there's a blinding sandstorm outside. That's no fun at all and we all know how difficult it is to coordinate RPTs.

So, I push for seasonal storms. Seasonal storms could also affect animal-life, perhaps there are breeds of animal that only hunt during the storms.. Perhaps before the storms come and then they 'vanish'. That way it's no gut-wrenching surprise, we all know it's going to be storm season for 2 rl weeks... As it stands it's ALWAYS storm season. 4 weeks of calm travel seems choice to me.

Seasonal storms. This idea opens the door to many others... but before I get carried away, what do the rest of you think?

Taken from another post => http://www.zalanthas.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=13697

I think we can continue to discuss the effects of seasons or possible ideas under this post.

Can we also get any Staff reponse for clarification to seasons on Zalanthas?

[Vox]

Ah, an excellent place to talk seasons.

My primary thought was simply Seasonal Storms, but I suppose the concept of 'Seasons' opens a myriad of other topics... Plantlife blooming, animal-life predatory and grazing habits, trade routes and fiscal cycles and of course weather.

I know there has been talk of the eco-system code already in place in various places of the world, I'd love to see Seasonal code tag team these efforts, further fleshing the atmosphere of our rich gaming environment.

I like Koala's thoughts on further seperating the North and South by climate.  I would suggest that storms which effect the Northlands not be sandstorms but rather viscious tornados of thorny debris from the forests. These terrible storms would come in the third month, as Koala mentioned the third month is 'winter', these cool temperatures would most likely be brought by a shift in the Zalanthan jet-stream, bringing us cool temperatures from the barrier ridge peaks or something. The meeting of the cool winds with the hot air hovering over the land would generate the tumultous storms.

The Arc of Ascension would mark our ascension from the month of storms.. and then the Arc of Descension our slow decline into the poor weather.

Obsidian and glass deposits, spice deposits and so forth would be uncovered more during the stormy months... Giving people a pull to brave the weather... Perhaps even certain hardy lizards appear only during the storms to forage for 'hibernating' wildlife.

This would give those ever-popular Rangers things to do in the Storms and highlight an ability that others don't possess.

Primarily though, giving us 4 rl weeks of calm weather and allowing everyone to prepare for 2 weeks of storms would make playability issues a thing of the past.  Sure for those two weeks people are hampered, but they're looking forward to the next month... And perhaps there are storm festivals, merchant business in cities and villages probably double since people are mostly huddled within.

Perhaps the cities actually prepare for the coming storms... As the month draws near merchants might be tying down reinforced tarps, perhaps special desert gear is only sold during these months as well.

I could go on and on, each possibility inspires another.

What say the rest of you?

[Maybe42or54]

Right, those crazy kadians would put there storm resistant items a month early so people can prepare for the worst of it and sell those skimpy clothes during Storm Season so you have something to look for.

The prices of Obsidian and wood go up pretty drastically during the later part of the Storm season and early part of the season after.
Prices of food go up, since they can't have a fresh supply of it during the storm season.
Merchants buy skins, food, obsidian, wood at higher prices during the storm season and lower during the season before and lower still during the month after the Storm season.


Nomads retreat closer to natural barriers, stock up on water, attack other tribes during the month before.

I think seasons have an awesome ability to make things feel more "Alive" IG.

[WarriorPoet]

I think seasons have an awesome ability to make things feel more "Alive" IG.

[joyofdiscord]

I absolutely ADORE the idea, although I do think there should be the occasional lighter storms even during calm seasons, so Zalanthans don't get spoiled.

[Delirium]

I absolutely ADORE the idea, although I do think there should be the occasional lighter storms even during calm seasons, so Zalanthans don't get spoiled.

[Ghost]

I absolutely ADORE the idea, although I do think there should be the occasional lighter storms even during calm seasons, so Zalanthans don't get spoiled.

Thirded.

[Revelations]

Alright, so here's my take on the seasons of Zalanthas. If you take into account that there hasn't been not one single case of a living being coming from past the Known World, or from outside the Known World, it is reasonable to suspect the conditions beyond are unbearable for any living organism to tollerate...or you just can't get there, but I like the previous idea better. Where I'm taking this is from Dune, actually, where only the poles of the planet Arakis I believe are habited because of the cooler nature of the poles.

So, keeping that in mind, as well as the fact that there are three months within the year, it isn't hard to figure out the patterns. If 12 o'clock was to be a point that Zalanthas would be starting directly with the beginning of the Arc of Descension (with whatever pole the Known World located on closest to the sun) and that Zalanthas rotated around Suk-Krath in a clockwise direction, you can reasonably confer that when the Arc of Descension ends, it has reached about 4:30 on it's course, and directly in the middle of the Low Arc would be 6:00 where Zalanthas is farthest away from Suk-Krath. The Arc of Ascension would begin at 7:30. Taking that into account, the Low Arc would be the stormiest time of the year, with the warmer air on the other side of the planet colliding with the cooler air from the Known World creating irritations in the weather. I may be completely backwards with the seasons, with the Arc of Ascension marking the time when the storms are worst, exactly -because- of the more exposure to the sun, but its a shot worth taking.

Seasons would be affected with how exposed our pole is to Suk-Krath. It would cause the storms to be more predictable, which could be for the better or worse in a few aspects, which is the only problem that comes to mind if it can be implemented. There would be no need to change anything with subclasses if that was the case, since the seasons should deal enough with playability issues. By being able to predict when blinding storms are coming, you could simply stick to the city if you don't have very much time to play.

[Anonymous]

I think seasons have an awesome ability to make things feel more "Alive" IG.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

Seasons.

One of the best ideas I have heard since I have played this game.

[ObsidianSoul]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's a very nifty idea.
I have a feeling that it could really go far, to flesh out the world, and the atmosphere, ect., and would add in a great amount of playability.

[sacac]

And have bragging rights against other muds.

[Revelations]

And there doesn't seem to be any reasons that might go against having seasons, beside coded problems and time perhaps.

[Larrath]

Sounds like a rather daunting thing to code, but I'm all for this.
It will just be awesome.