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Atmosphere, Weather & Visual Effects Overhaul

[p]Welcome back to Vieneo, pilots.
This update introduces our most comprehensive environmental upgrade yet—rebuilding the skies from the ground up (literally). With a deep focus on scientific realism and immersion, we’ve revamped nearly every aspect of the planet’s atmospheric simulation and how you experience it from the cockpit and beyond.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]🌠 Airglow: The Night Sky Comes Alive[/h3][p][/p][p]Airglow is no longer just a pretty haze—it's now a physically-based phenomenon derived from Vieneo's unique atmospheric chemistry and pressure profile. You'll notice it:[/p]
  • [p]Emerging around 6 km altitude and peaking at the atmospheric scale height (~7.4 km)[/p]
  • [p]Displaying a soft greenish-blue luminescence, tuned to ionization bands influenced by solar angle[/p]
  • [p]Modulated in brightness based on the sun’s position beneath the horizon for stunning night flights[/p]
[p]On Vieneo, our higher atmospheric pressure and increased ionospheric activity make this effect more intense and visible than Earth's faint bands.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]⚡ Electrified Skies: St. Elmo’s Fire & Lightning Reimagined[/h3][p]Our electrical discharge systems just got a massive upgrade—visually, audibly, and behaviorally.[/p][p]🟢 St. Elmo’s Fire[/p]
  • [p]+40% increased occurrence, owing to higher corona onset potential from Vieneo's dense atmosphere and trace SO₂ content[/p]
  • [p]Now appears more bluish-green in low visibility, with a soft corona flicker near static discharge points[/p]
  • [p]Behavior scales with turbulence, airspeed, and charge accumulation—pilots flying in storms will notice![/p]
[p]⚡ Lightning, Now with Chain Reactions[/p]
  • [p]Lightning is now chained, branching realistically between multiple points of potential across storm cells[/p]
  • [p]Color grading reflects real atmospheric ionization:[/p]
    • [p]Core: White-hot (#FFFFFF)[/p]
    • [p]Channel: Violet-blue nitrogen glow (#C8C8FF)[/p]
    • [p]Corona: Pale blue-green (#99FFFF)[/p]
  • [p]Lightning strikes are no longer just aesthetic—they cast shadows, illuminate terrain, and sync to audio thunder with proper Doppler offset[/p]
[hr][/hr][h3]🎧 Sound Engine Overhaul: New Audio, Smarter Occlusion[/h3][p]This update includes a ground-up redesign of our environmental soundscape, reflecting how sound behaves in Vieneo's dense atmosphere (2.6 bar):[/p]
  • [p]Rain, hail, and snow now feature frequency-adjusted EQ curves to reflect transmission through glass, hull plating, and cockpit materials[/p]
  • [p]Occlusion and Doppler effects dynamically adapt to surface materials and player motion[/p]
  • [p]Subsurface rumbles and muffled turbulence—especially in storm zones—add realism for ground vehicles and bunkered positions[/p]
  • [p]You can feel the heaviness of the atmosphere now[/p]
[hr][/hr][h3]☁️ Dynamic Weather System: Science in Motion[/h3][p]A complete rework of planetary weather introduces realism-driven precipitation and wind patterns using real meteorological dynamics:[/p]
  • [p]Rossby waves and seasonal ITCZ drift influence jet streams, doldrums, and pressure zones[/p]
  • [p]Weather cells are driven by overlaid global grayscale maps:[/p]
    • [p]Vapor content[/p]
    • [p]Surface pressure[/p]
    • [p]Convection activity[/p]
  • [p]Moisture and lift potentials determine rainfall dynamically—no two days on Vieneo are the same[/p]
  • [p]Precipitation radar is now available on the Player Portal (ground-based only for now—airborne units coming soon)[/p]
[hr][/hr][h3]🌞 Light, Clouds, and the Sun[/h3][p]The sun on Vieneo now behaves like a true light source filtered through miles of alien sky:[/p]
  • [p]Sunlight color has been tuned to Vieneo’s G-type primary—a golden hue with a wider scattering spectrum[/p]
  • [p]Cloud decks attenuate light based on depth and density, including color bleeding and indirect bounce[/p]
  • [p]Azimuthal and zenith transitions (sunset/sunrise) now blend in layered atmospheric tones from violet to burnt orange[/p]
  • [p]The entire lighting model responds to solar scalar (sun elevation), with smoother fade between daylight and night[/p]
[hr][/hr][h3]🛰️ Radar Infrastructure and Surface Ops[/h3][p][/p][p]In-universe developments are also accelerating:[/p]
  • [p]Players can now purchase radar installations for settlements or research sites[/p]
  • [p]Each radar includes a full 3D Doppler reflectivity volume, cost-scaled to beam width and maintenance[/p]
  • [p]Expect more upgrades as the atmospheric science economy deepens—radar coverage will matter for commerce, routing, and safety[/p]
[hr][/hr][h3]🔧 More Behind the Scenes[/h3]
  • [p]Improved rendering pipeline performance with deferred light falloff from flashes and explosions[/p]
  • [p]Ground fog and low visibility dynamically respond to dew point, terrain, and time of day[/p]
  • [p]New debug layers for visualizing pressure contours, cloud densities, and convection zones (dev mode only)[/p]
  • [p]Preparing the engine for airborne radar, colonist insurance pricing, and long-range weather prediction tools[/p]
[hr][/hr][h3]🚀 This Is Only the Beginning[/h3][p]This update represents over 200 hours of engineering, testing, and tuning. We’re proud of what’s here—and even more excited about what’s coming.[/p][p]Fly safe,
— The Rise Development Team[/p]