Dynamic weather

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Dynamic weather is a gameplay feature in the Battlefield series appearing in Battlefield 4 through Levolution, and formally introduced in Battlefield 1. It involves the constant changing of weather systems on maps, and the various effects it has on gameplay. Several technical hurdles had to be cleared in order to accomplish an in-game weather system that appears photorealistic, can be easily configured by developers, and operates at 1080p resolution at 60 frames per second, while leaving enough computing resources for core gameplay.

Non-dynamic weather

Battlefield 2142 features many maps in the European theater with light snow.

Rain appears in the Battlefield 3 map Grand Bazaar.

Volumetric clouds appear in the Battlefield 3 campaign mission Going Hunting, and in the map Giants of Karelia from Battlefield 4.

Battlefield 4

Main article: Levolution

Dynamic weather is first seen in Battlefield 4 as Levolution events which activate at certain points during a match. It is featured on Paracel Storm in the form of a raging storm and Gulf of Oman as a large sandstorm. Gameplay is radically changed as vision is greatly impaired, making it more difficult to perform long-range, air-to-air, and air-to-ground combat. Objects on the map react to the weather in a natural way, an example being the trees on Paracel Storm shaking violently during the storm.

Weather also appears in Operation Locker in the form of a snowstorm outside of the prison. Your soldier's vision also adjusts as he enters back inside.

Battlefield Hardline

Main article: Levolution

Dynamic weather in Battlefield Hardline functions in a similar manner to Battlefield 4 in the form of Levolution. It is featured on Dust Bowl as a massive sandstorm and Riptide as a raging tropical storm.

Battlefield 1

Monte Grappa under two different weather conditions.

Dynamic weather plays a much larger role in Battlefield 1, being featured on every map and occurring at random. It can affect gameplay in many different ways:

• Clouds converging on a map, creating overcast skies.
• Dense fog may blanket a map, greatly reducing visibility and limiting long range and air combat. This can make close-quarter combat in the open a feasible tactic for a limited time. It is possible to fly above the fog to regain some visibility.
• Rain does not affect how far a ground player may see but can be distracting and may distort vision. It can also make it more difficult to notice movement at a distance. Rain also collects on soldiers' gear and vehicles, and can cause mud to form in low areas. Mud can also collect on gear, and be washed off by rain.
• Sandstorms greatly impair player vision and hearing, and make it extremely difficult to pilot any air vehicles.

The dynamic weather engine featured in Battlefield 1 was first used in Mirror's Edge Catalyst and the Need for Speed series, and will be used for future titles using Frostbite 3. The engine allows for unified interactions between the sky, sun, and clouds, allowing manipulation of time of day. It also provides for more consistent lighting, improved appearance of volumetric clouds, and correct views from the air as seen in the spawn screen.

Objects on the map may have dynamic interactions with the weather. For example, windmills may spin faster in a more windy weather.

Trivia

• In Battlefield 4, more Levolution-based weather events were planned for the China Rising expansion, but were cut before release:
  • Guilin Peaks would have featured creeping fog.
  • Altai Range would have had a snowstorm. No traces of this effect remain.
  • Silk Road was to have a sandstorm, but various heat effects remain in the release map.