A Storm Chasing GAME is starting to take off.

[Gavin Nichols]

so, i found something interesting i dont think anyone else has posted on yet. a couple of guys are working on a semi-simulation storm chasing game that has gotten very popular over the last year, here is a video of it:

Cinematic video of game

and a photo with a recreation of the "doghouse" with a wedge EF4:

What do you guys think of it? it is the most popular storm chasing game out there right now and has a LOT of features and a lot of potential.

 

[Jonathan Scrogham]

I myself play this game. It’s not the most realistic, but it is tons of fun.

 

[Jonathan Scrogham]

This will be the game to play until OUTBRK comes out. The bad things about this game are is that first, on Roblox, so the game engine is incredibly limited, so it can’t be too realistic. And half the people you play with are 7 year olds who don’t know anything about weather and scream about how great Into the Storm was, and how they want the Titus in the game. Because it is on Roblox, it will never be a true MMO, which is how storm chasing games should be. This game is small, you don’t really pick a target area, you just go after pretty much every storm. That being said, it is a lot of fun to play, it really doesn’t need to be realistic. This is much more of a casual game, not a grind like OUTBRK will be.

 

[Mark Gressman Jr]

I haven't played the game, but it seems interesting. I'd imagine any chasing game, especially if it was geared towards realism and the science of forecasting, would be a niche market.

I do have reservations that if one was made to appeal to the masses, there would be another massive influx of new chasers, a portion of which would be out there for what I perceive as the wrong reasons. Not trying sound elitist, especially since I'm new myself... I just worry about the issues that have come up in the past with chaser convergence and the various problems surrounding that. Its been rehashed here numerous times already, but without some form of self policing and adherence to community ethics, more people will most likely lead to more problems.

Although, maybe a game could be the way to subliminally indoctrinate ethics, and provide some historical background to those who would otherwise forgo making an effort to acquire those principles, lol. I'll be curious to see how OUTBRK turns out... might be fun when the weather is boring.

 

[Gavin Nichols]

This will be the game to play until OUTBRK comes out. The bad things about this game are is that first, on Roblox, so the game engine is incredibly limited, so it can’t be too realistic. And half the people you play with are 7 year olds who don’t know anything about weather and scream about how great Into the Storm was, and how they want the Titus in the game. Because it is on Roblox, it will never be a true MMO, which is how storm chasing games should be. This game is small, you don’t really pick a target area, you just go after pretty much every storm. That being said, it is a lot of fun to play, it really doesn’t need to be realistic. This is much more of a casual game, not a grind like OUTBRK will be.

you are correct, although With what they have, they done a pretty good job with it. and about those 7 year olds, half the time you're dieing laughing because they are constantly screaming their lungs out over a EF0. DONT ask how i know.

 

[Jeff Duda]

Couldn't really find a detailed explanation of gameplay other than the wiki description here, but it doesn't appear to me there's any kind of ranking or monetary system for building a chasing vehicle, paying for access to more advanced chasing areas, or improving/maintaining your vehicle in any way.

If you want to see a more realistic version of this game that also could foster increased chasing safety and ethics, as Mark noted, then add things like paying for gas and hotel to reach the target area, taking gas stops during the chase, paying for oil changes or lost windshields due to hail, random speeding tickets. Have a deer randomly fly across the road and risk crashing you and taking you out of the season.

You should get points for quality of intercept and be ranked throughout the year. But you'll also have a social credit score that is reflected in your style of chasing, and if your social credit score is too low, you will find other chasers having a reason to block you from getting better intercepts.

Finally, if you run out of money (which can be rolled over from past seasons and earned periodically through the season through either good acts like helping another chaser who is in a jam or from media sales from high quality intercepts) your season is over.

 

[Gavin Nichols]

Couldn't really find a detailed explanation of gameplay other than the wiki description here, but it doesn't appear to me there's any kind of ranking or monetary system for building a chasing vehicle, paying for access to more advanced chasing areas, or improving/maintaining your vehicle in any way.

If you want to see a more realistic version of this game that also could foster increased chasing safety and ethics, as Mark noted, then add things like paying for gas and hotel to reach the target area, taking gas stops during the chase, paying for oil changes or lost windshields due to hail, random speeding tickets. Have a deer randomly fly across the road and risk crashing you and taking you out of the season.

You should get points for quality of intercept and be ranked throughout the year. But you'll also have a social credit score that is reflected in your style of chasing, and if your social credit score is too low, you will find other chasers having a reason to block you from getting better intercepts.

Finally, if you run out of money (which can be rolled over from past seasons and earned periodically through the season through either good acts like helping another chaser who is in a jam or from media sales from high quality intercepts) your season is over.

Just to confirm a couple of things here and help with game play details: most of the stuff you noted is not added yet but is planned.

There is a fuel system in it, but its EXTREMELY scuffed because you can just buy a "gamepass" with real money that gives all of your cars infinite fuel. so you can just literally buy your way out of having a fuel system at all.
is there a vehicle and money system?: YES, you have to make money in the game via probe wind data, or wind data on your mesonet or intercept vehicle. and you can upgrade your vehicles to have the ability to carry the mesonets or have a lift kit to make it a bit faster on grass and dirt. vehicle damage is planned to be added.
the storm chaser and civilian roles are free, but for a price, you can be NWS and have the ability to do damage assessment and issue warnings while in the office. Or you can become an emergency personnel and rescue people from homes that have been struck by the tornado. if they die, you will be literally putting them in body-bags instead of a hospital.
a law enforcement role is planned to be added, so that will fix the no speeding ticket problem.
about the hail damage: it will be a feature, but as of now, its not available.
the game will punish you to an extent if you die by spawning you so far away from the storm the chase is basically over.
about the radar: Extremely basic, the only radar mode is some strange looking reflectivity.
about the tornadoes: Surprisingly detailed. tornadoes can recycle, have multiple vortexes, and MANY shapes and sizes. there is even an RFD that can blow you off the road. the only problem is that as SOON you hit winds of 90 MPH and above, your non-intercept vehicle will basically get sent 1000 feet in the air and brutally rag dolled. i dont remember 90 mph winds doing that....
"social credit": it is KIND OF a thing. some of the more experienced players will frown upon and harass people who chase aggressively.

So the game has a lot of things you noted planned, but are not implemented yet due to how complex and limited the roblox game engine is.

 

[Kevin H ll]

I see you guys have discovered Twisted. Pretty neat game, huh? It's the best there is right now.

Well, it's only gotten better since. Just a few weeks ago it got the biggest update in its history. Don't sleep on the fact that it's made on Roblox, as it's actually a very powerful game engine. In fact, it is made using the same software as Unity. I won't say anything else: just watch this for yourselves.