The Division’s Dynamic Weather Will Effect Gameplay

The Division’s dynamic weather will have an effect on how/if you might choose to approach a mission, developer Ubisoft explained in a developer’s blog post.

“[W]hen in a full storm, visibility is hindered, both for NPCs and the agent. Our worst storm conditions that can hit will affect aim assist and detection ranges for both players and NPCs,” said senior game designer Fredrik Thylander.

The blog post also explains that NPCs, which include civilians and wildlife, will behave differently based on weather conditions and the time of day. In some cases, NPCs will elect to stay out of sight of the player and not interact at all.

Making both the in-game time and weather feel dynamic for the player is something Ubisoft is aiming to accomplish in The Division. One way this is best exhibited, according to the developer, is by spending prolonged time indoors.

“If there is one situation that really makes the player feel the change of time and weather, it’s spending time indoors for a while, and stepping out to realize it might be night and there’s a snowy blizzard,” said technical art director Sebastian Lindoff.

It has been noted in the past that weather in The Division will be one of the factors that contribute to the overall sense of immersion the game provides. Like other small details in the game, the player character will react to things like the weather, brushing snow off their shoulders. Additionally, coming inside from a snowstorm, where it is presumably warmer, will result in snow noticeably melting off the player character’s clothes.

The Division is scheduled to be released in March 2016 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. A beta is scheduled for December this year.

Source: Ubisoft