Click here to read the previous dev blog (#4) - CampaignWar Ultimatums and War Declarations

Welcome to the fifth experimental plugin development blog, where I discuss a suite of custom plugins being developed for their own gamemode, provisionally called the "CampaignWar (CW) gamemode". Today, we discuss the latest plugin in this line: Seasons.

Seasons have been one of the most requested additions to CCNet. Over 11 suggestions have been made calling for their implementation over the years, but I have refrained from adding them owing to the poor performance of public plugins, which is impossible to fix due to them also being closed-source. By writing our own plugin, we avoid this.

Before we talk about what Seasons can do, let's briefly mention what it can't do. Since performance is paramount, the plugin only makes visual changes to the world; snow will not accumulate and water will not freeze where it normally does not. But perhaps this is a good thing -- if you have played with seasons mods, you may be familiar with the jarring sight of snow and ice still being present in long-unloaded chunks, which we avoid with this approach.

Seasons

There are two seasonal cycles: temperate (spring, summer, autumn and winter) and tropical (dry and monsoon). The majority of biomes follow the temperate cycle, while warmer biomes such as savannas and deserts follow the tropical cycle.

Each season is divided into three sub-seasons: early, middle and late. Temperate sub-seasons may last either one or two days (the exact length is still to be determined); tropical sub-seasons last twice this length. As the sub-seasons progress, the colours of grass and foliage change. So too does temperature - and by winter, it can appear to snow in biomes where it normally rains.

Temperate Seasons

Spring

Spring begins with blossoms that transform the leaves pink, peaking in mid-spring before losing their colour in the final third of the season. Pink petal blocks spawn below these leaves if they decay. The colour of grass transitions to a more lush hue, almost reaching its summer colours by the season's end.

Summer

Biomes maintain their typical appearance through most of summer. Mid-summer thunderstorms are accompanied by hail in warmer biomes. By late summer, the leaves begin to hint at the onset of autumn.

Autumn

During autumn, the leaves and foliage change colour dramatically as they wilt. Spiders spawn more frequently, and it can appear to snow in cooler biomes towards the end of the season.

Winter

In winter, temperatures drop to such an extent that snowfall can be experienced in the majority of biomes. In biomes where snow accumulates, it will accumulate to greater depths. Skeletons will often spawn as strays and breezes occassionally spawn on the surface, with this occurring most frequently during mid-winter. Thunderstorms in colder biomes result in hazardous blizzards, which slowly freeze players exposed to the sky.

Tropical Seasons

Dry Season

The dry season is characterised by a yellow tint present on foliage and grass, and the absence of rainfall - even in jungles. In deserts and mesas, thunderstorms can generate sandstorms that limit the visibility of all those exposed to the sky.

Wet Season

As one might expect, the wet season (or monsoon) is typified by rainfall - rainfall that is so widespread that it falls in savannas and even deserts. The grass and foliage responds accordingly, becoming lush in colour. Bogged will replace some skeleton spawns, and cave spiders can spawn on the surface. Hail will fall during thunderstorms.

Weather

Hailstorms

Hail falls during thunderstorms in the wet season and summer. Though hailstones may look similar to snowballs, this is deceptive - for while snowballs are harmless, hailstones can damage you.

Blizzards

The thunderstorms of winter lead to blizzard conditions in colder biomes. Exposure to the sky will limit your visibility and mobility, as well as inflict freezing damage. As in vanilla, wearing leather boots will ward off the freezing damage.

Sandstorms

Though largely harmless, the desert sandstorms of the dry season will limit the visibility of players caught up in them.

Crops

The growth rate of crops is affected by seasons. However, the exact crops that can grow in a season still depends on the biome's climate classification, as it does on Nations. As an example, below is how the seasonal growing cycle in boreal climates (e.g. taigas) might look like. Of course, the usual caveats apply - even this table is incomplete, liable to change, etc.

Across all climates, a limited number of crops can be farmed during winter (and to some degree, the tropical dry season). Autumn and winter coincide with the tropical wet season, while the tropical dry season coincides with spring and summer, allowing for trade between towns in different climates.

Will weather have effects on movecraft or just people?

Finally, ccnet winter update

super cool!

should put it in nations

I remember a server that had this, all I can say is that I am all for this, granted it would make the game somewhat harder, it does make it more fun and challenging.
cant wait to see what else is going to end up coming.

Do the crops that are underground get affected by the weather and seasons? Imo they shouldn't. But if we're going to talk about weather and closed spaces, we can't avoid talking about greenhouses. Also another great thing would be that the crops don't die, they just stop growing or recede because replanting is hell.

Potat farming is valid 

Great plugin, would be revolutionary seeing that in nations

great plugin but i think seasons should have like a week lenght