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I think it's a bit odd that desert biomes have no weather effects apart from the sky going dark. I think it would be cool if there were sandstorms that greatly reduce visibility while there is downfall.

Oh no it is raining sand blocks! But seriously something like this would eat up too much processing power.

That's not what I meant at all and I'm insulted that you would even think so. I shouldn't even need to explain what I meant but I will anyway. So far we have rain and snow, but we could also have sand *particles* flying through the air as a third weather effect. Not sand blocks!

Quote from ThankOurTroops

That's not what I meant at all and I'm insulted that you would even think so. I shouldn't even need to explain what I meant but I will anyway. So far we have rain and snow, but we could also have sand *particles* flying through the air as a third weather effect. Not sand blocks!

Relax it was a joke I knew what you meant. My response is still the same though because the sand will have to vary in color and have different "cloud" formations. To look even halfway decent as a weather effect. I imagine it would look similar to a sand colored version of the smoke from a TNT detonation but bigger and all over the place. As big as the rain and snow animations are there isn't any variety to them.

Quote from Phoenix_Haze

Relax it was a joke I knew what you meant. My response is still the same though because the sand will have to vary in color and have different "cloud" formations. To look even halfway decent as a weather effect. I imagine it would look similar to a sand colored version of the smoke from a TNT detonation but bigger and all over the place. As big as the rain and snow animations are there isn't any variety to them.

It wouldn't have to vary in color, it would just be the current color of sand. There also wouldn't need to be any particular shape or variety. Just sand particles, that's it. If the game can handle rain and snow, why not sand?

Quote from Apathy

On Topic. Your suggestions never fail to impress me, considering you've only suggested 2 things. As little this suggest Is and how It severs little to no point, It's one of those small aspects to the game which people tend to dislike. Since I like rain and Snow, I wouldn't mind sandstorms long as they dont' cause any actual damage to the map. The desert Is quite boring and could use this.

The sandstorms wouldn't affect the map in any way, they would just be an annoyance, like rain. I also submitted other suggestions in the PC section a while ago for new food items. Those being pumpkin pie, mutton, and calamari. The funny thing is, the first person who replied said "we already have too many food options." And now we have pumpkin pie. I don't take credit though, I'm sure they were already working on it before I suggested it.

With rain, it's loud and annoying. Snow cuts off visibility and covers things, which can also be annoying. Deserts get a free pass when there's downfall which seems boring and too easy. There's no downside apart from darkened skies. With sandstorms, it would be difficult to see and there would be howling winds. To me, that seems much better and more realistic.

I also suggested a corrupted fire resistance potion called a Potion of Combustion. http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/2465926-potion-of-combustion/ Turns out, someone made something similar in the PC version using command blocks.

When you mentioned it being like snow/rain... I'm actually kind of for it.

But if it does happen.... it should happen at different times than rain/snow. In fact... If it were to really be added... I'd like any aspect of weather be more random.... and sectional (as opposed to the entire world raining or not etc)

The problem I have with it is this. When sandstorms occur in real life they blow sideways and don't always effect the entire desert region they occur in. They vary in color size and shape depending on the storm. With rain and snow they fall from the sky. Where does the sandstorm spawn from?

While I know nothing about programming code I imagine a sandstorm would be a nightmare to code. There's just too many variables to it. Rain and snow are simple starts in the sky and falls to the ground, and follows the shape of the biome region.

Quote from Phoenix_Haze

The problem I have with it is this. When sandstorms occur in real life they blow sideways and don't always effect the entire desert region they occur in. They vary in color size and shape depending on the storm. With rain and snow they fall from the sky. Where does the sandstorm spawn from?

While I know nothing about programming code I imagine a sandstorm would be a nightmare to code. There's just too many variables to it. Rain and snow are simple starts in the sky and falls to the ground, and follows the shape of the biome region.

I imagine that from a programming perspective we wouldn't worry about the multitudes of colors or different cloud formations that can varry in a real sand storm... just like the game doesn't go into that much detail with rain and snow.

I imagine that the sand particles follow around the contours of the desert region in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise fashion and offers a low light condition that Zombies and Skeletons can survive in and creates enough hissing noise to mask the sound of that creeper right behind you that you couldn't see approaching you from a mere 10 blocks away.

I was thinking (optionally) that during the sand storm, 10-25 sand blocks could be removed semi-randomly from the surface landscape when the storm starts, and be deposited somewhat haphazardly when the storm ends...but that might be more annoying than it is worth.

I wouldn't mind random blocks doing that....

But.. it would have to be able to just.. be found a few blocks later or something. I often build houses in the desert so I'd hate to have the flat laid out sand I went out of my way to do be completely disfigured and require 10+ mins of work. So... I'm more for the optional part you said

Quote from Junokaii

I wouldn't mind random blocks doing that....

But.. it would have to be able to just.. be found a few blocks later or something. I often build houses in the desert so I'd hate to have the flat laid out sand I went out of my way to do be completely disfigured and require 10+ mins of work. So... I'm more for the optional part you said

Maybe use the 'Village' boundary algorithm used for villager movement to determine an area that is safe from being molested by sand storms...

Sandstorms don't really have a purpose though - I mean, weather doesn't affect anything. It just makes it more realistic. In my opinion, weather is just a pain because it's hard to see things and it's very distracting.

Even though it doesn't NEED to be added, it isn't at all a bad idea.

Support.

I think a Sandstorm would be a neat idea. It makes no sense to me that when your in a Plains Biome and it's raining, or if your in a Spruce forest, it's snowing, but in a Desert Biome, there's nothing.

Support

Quote from Ryker61

I think a Sandstorm would be a neat idea. It makes no sense to me that when your in a Plains Biome and it's raining, or if your in a Spruce forest, it's snowing, but in a Desert Biome, there's nothing.

That is exactly what lead me to think of this. Sometimes the most subtle things can make the biggest difference. Although I really don't like the idea of sand blocks moving around. It would make a huge mess and be extremely annoying. Just obscured vision and howling winds would be plenty.

The whole idea isn't bad. It would be nice to have something affecting the desert biome as well. It doesn't make since to have rain and snow everywhere and then nothing for the desert. I also agree with the biome shift for the desert after a sandstorm but instead of block disappearing and reappearing, maybe do something like with the snow biome or maybe shifts in some of the hills in the desert. I know that seems too much with the whole idea of complete shifts in the terrain but it would be a bit more realistic.