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[AncientEnemy]

Right now it seems like temperature is a big drain on performance, for really not that much reward. I personally get 20-30 more FPS turning off temp and that's just on a 2x2 map, i'd think the increase would be even greater over a larger area.

Temperature doesn't really do alot. It -is- really cool that creatures actually have body temperature and all that, and does add another aspect of 'goddamn this game simulates everything!', but for regular gameplay it doesn't make much of a difference.

What I'd hope for is a option for simplified temperature. Basically the TEMPERATURE:NO setting with a few changes to effectively simulate the few ways that temperature actually affects gameplay.

magma sets things on fire/melts by touch
water freezes/unfreezes/evaporates during certain months in a given biome
fire spreads to adjacent burnable squares
not much else comes to mind

it seems like adding a couple new functions could by and large replace the currently intensive temperature system without much difference being apparent to the player (although the comprehensive system could be left in place)

[LegoLord]

magma sets things on fire/melts by touch

If the object does not have the appropriate temp values (for magma specifically - it could do a quick check on contact).

[Capntastic]

I think oversimplifying such things is opposite of the striking realism Toady's going for.

[LegoLord]

I think oversimplifying such things is opposite of the striking realism Toady's going for.

Well, he is suggesting it as an option that can be used to improve FPS in a place where real temperature is not necessary.

[BurnedToast]

There really should be a simplified weather option that just makes it randomly rain/snow with a chance based on your biome.

The weather calculations can make a lot of neat effects like fog and such that you can see in adventure mode... unfortunately the only thing it does for dwarf mode afaik is rain/snow and it's a huge processor hit just for that, considering as far as the player can tell it is random.

Temperature is a little different, in that it's something that can change a lot and has a huge effect on your game. Weather, not so much.

[Footkerchief]

This would be a nice option.  I'd like to get the benefit of turning off temperature flows while still burning shit with magma.

[SirHoneyBadger]

I suspect weather is one of those things that will slowly but steadily become more and more important, as the game draws closer to it's envisioned state.

[profit]

I hope this does become a reality... It pisses me off when dwarves suffocate in magma because I cant spare 50% of my FPS to leave the temperature tracking on.

[AncientEnemy]

I think oversimplifying such things is opposite of the striking realism Toady's going for.

i just think there's no gain to be had by something being simulated with extreme precision behind the scenes when the same thing could be simulated with just as much realism by a much simpler system.

i mean the grand majority of the time the only interaction the player has with temperature at all is ice or magma, and yet for those to work temperature must be constantly processed, when really the only part that matters (what the player can interact with) is that magma burns something when it touches it and that ice freezes and unfreezes at the appropriate times. an event-based temperature system could be just as accurate but virtually processing-free.

and like i said, the original temperature system would still be available, possibly for future use when it becomes more relevant or processing power becomes less so.

[G-Flex]

You're assuming temperature will always be simplistic and won't affect much. This isn't true: Even in the next version, temperatures of body parts, extracts, etc. will matter a lot more, and in the further future, especially when the "fire and lighting" arc stuff gets started, it'll continue to matter in more ways.

[Footkerchief]

Oh come on, he just said this:

and like i said, the original temperature system would still be available, possibly for future use when it becomes more relevant or processing power becomes less so.

[G-Flex]

Okay, I admit I must have skimmed that part.

However, temperature probably matters more than you'd think in the current version. I'm not sure exactly how all of it is calculated, but I've seen different parts of a river freeze depending on what's around it, and below/above ground temperatures obviously vary too (water not freezing below-ground and such).

[Granite26]

That said, it does seem reasonable to have magma and fire burn creatures independantly of the temperature tracking.

[Silverionmox]

That said, it does seem reasonable to have magma and fire burn creatures independantly of the temperature tracking.

Much like dragon's fire burns creatures, even when temperature is off.