First, a disclaimer: I'm approaching this from an RPG perspective, but there is no reason why this stuff wouldn't be valid in any media, and input therefore welcome from any perspective. I'm posting this in hopes of sharing and gaining pointers on how to describe environmental conditions to players A ) effectively, and B ) correctly. Deescribing the physical setting is after all of great importance in promoting immersion, and also usually the thing that is the most reliant on gamemaster input. It has to be believable and consistent - if there's a break from the expected features of that environment, the GM had better be aware of it and have something in mind for a cause should a player say "That's weird! How the hell could that have come about?" Now, these situations are bound to crop up and then you just improvise, but it does make your life a lot easier if you don't get blindsided by that sort of question very often. Although at best such improvisation can bear magnificent fruit, but at worst it makes the whole table doubt the sensibility of the setting (or even the GM) to the point where no one has fun. Now, there's nothing like shared conceptions of environments to correct the problem, and it's helpful to have a meaningful point of reference. And the ultimate point of reference is, of course, reality. This is where it gets tricky since no one can be an expert in every environment. Fortunately we all have our pet peeves about misrepresentations of familiar environments and an internet to share them with others! Born and raised in the north of Finland, I encounter misconceptions about near-Arctic environments on a regular basis. Here are some things about Arctic winter I'd like to see corrected in media: - Icicles are not a sign of extreme or long-term cold. To me, icicles are a sign of it having been warm enough for water to flow on an icy surface. That doesn't signify cold,, it signifies those annoying times of the year when the bloody weather can't decide if it wants to be summer or winter. - Sunshine (and starshine) is cold. Without cloud cover to keep the heat in, the temperature drops to its lowest. - Snow is not cold. It is, in fact, a pretty good insulator, which makes igloos and snow caves nice shelters. Also, related to the previous point, snowflakes mean the cold isn't that bad. The bigger the snowflakes, the closer you are to 0 degrees Celsius. Now that I've got that off my chest I can concentrate on actually productive pointers. - In cold conditions wet is bad. Whereas snow is a nifty insulator, liquid water (and water vapour) conduct heat wonderfully. Not only does this mean that you should always try to stay cool enough not to sweat badly, but that the farther you are from 0 degrees Celsius, the easier it is to stay warm. The coldest I've ever been was during my stint in Glasgow, Scotland, at a few degrees above zero and humidity typically high for the British Isles. Brr, I shiver at the mere thought! - Winter can make you quicker. In other words, a pair of skis is your friend. On level terrain a practiced skier can maintain a jogging pace with minimal effort. Also, when bodies of water get iced over, they are the most level terrain around. Mind thin ice, though, that's a real killer (see point above)! - While the winter sky is dark for most of the day, the surroundings aren't. In the middle of a snowy landscape you are surrounded by countless crystals that will reflect any light over and over again, giving the area a nice glow. Great for both seeing and being seen. There you go, at least for starters. The problem with these things is that one tends to take them for granted. So, how do things go in your neck of the woods (or plains or desert or mountains or...)?

Updated 24 November 2013 (23:37)

If air or ice are good insulators depends on a situation. Ice is a nice insulator as long as it's not affected by warm temperatures (like human skin) - or it melts and water as you point out, isn't a good insulator. Air is a very good insulator. It's used in windows between two screens of glass to insulate. But it's a gas, so in open environment it will exchange heat quickly due to microscopic movement of atoms (entropy) and macroscopic wind (convection). I have to go to work, but it's a nice topic! Oh, and snowflakes aren't a good insulator because of ice, they are because of air! Just like any other fluffy thing.

Updated 25 November 2013 (09:52)

Heat can be another condition that some people misunderstand. I live in the US, in Texas. The humidity in central Texas can get pretty high (frequently in the 90% range and higher), and in the middle of summer when the temps get to 43C, you feel exhausted as soon as you walk out the door. It just saps the energy out of you, and the inclination to do anything at all -- even walk to the car! -- is daunting. Glassed-in areas without artificial climate control can get much hotter -- hot enough to cook eggs just sitting on a plate. Shade, water, and moving air all help tremendously. As a point of reference, Austin, TX is about the same latitude as Cairo, Egypt. The relative climates aren't identical, but it gives a general idea of the power of the sun.

43C is pretty high without even considering humidity. Brain melts at 40C. Of course humans have a constant temperature of body sustained e.g. by sweating, but it's an exhausting process.

And as we talk about sweating, it reminds me of something.

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/thermal-conductivity-d_429.html

You can see here. that ice (0C) is 4 times weaker isolator than water, which is ~25 times weaker isolator than air. I explained air already, and it's similar with water (the diffusion part mostly), but a liquid also evaporates, vapor steals energy and that's basically how a fridge works. Humans are walking refrigerators, because we sweat to cool ourselves; If you wear too many clothes and are sweating, well, you actually avoid boiling your brain because of that. The problem is if you run, your body gets hot, and then you stop: suddenly your body temperature drops, and you still have a lot of sweat on you (that maybe accumulated in your now wet clothes) - that's dangerous.

Updated 25 November 2013 (15:02)

Posted by EtherlordIf air or ice are good insulators depends on a situation.Ice is a nice insulator as long as it's not affected by warm temperatures (like human skin) - or it melts and water as you point out, isn't a good insulator.Air is a very good insulator. It's used in windows between two screens of glass to insulate. But it's a gas, so in open environment it will exchange heat quickly due to microscopic movement of atoms (entropy) and macroscopic wind (convection).I have to go to work, but it's a nice topic!Oh, and snowflakes aren't a good insulator because of ice, they are because of air! Just like any other fluffy thing.

Yep, could've been a bit more consistent about my approach - I started out with the intention of keeping things on the level of raw sensory perception, as opposed to the particulars of physics, but then I had to go and veer off into heat conduction territory.

Illustrates a good point, though: this air-and-insulation issue is something you just take for granted in these parts. It didn't really occur to me as I was writing. Hence this thread!

The humidity in central Texas can get pretty high (frequently in the 90% range and higher), and in the middle of summer when the temps get to 43C, you feel exhausted as soon as you walk out the door.

Kitharis, how would you describe the prototypical summer day in Austin, Texas? What are your impressions when you open that door and step outside?

I learned that temperature, without accounting for the humidity, or lack thereof, is not a fair comparison. I live in the state of Pennsylvania in the US, at 40 degrees north latitude. A hot August day here might typically be 90 deg F with high humidity. Almost oppressive, near impossible to breathe. My area has a lot of cloud cover so the heat has little chance to escape at night. A recent trip to Tucson, Arizona (in the US as well) was quite different. In early May the temperatures were around 95 deg F. But almost no humidity. I was able to breathe just fine in this climate. Tucson is about 31 degrees north latitude and with little cloud cover the nights cool down fairly well. I was able to withstand a higher temperature at a lower humidity. I can say that I felt it, rather than just go by what I have read. One word of caution....when in an area with high temperatures and low humidity, drink plenty of water. Stay hydrated or you will find out quickly how that combination can sneak up on you.

Updated 26 November 2013 (05:42)

And, since you mention it, I think a GM covering the environment during a campaign is often quite interesting and fun. Some parties don't prepare themselves for the surroundings, a GM overlooking that might miss out on an interesting twist. (Although it might upset some players too if the GM micromanages that stuff often.)

The mircromanaging might be needed or not depending on the players. Three of my players are or were Army, another was the son of an Army Colonel, another was in the Navy, and the rest of us pay attention to their stories. All our DMs have to say is, "The weather here is like spring in Germany" or "winter in Colorado," and the characters do what they need to do for the weather patterns. If you have some seasoned players, see how they react to real-world-type situations in the game world!

Posted by KitharisThe mircromanaging might be needed or not depending on the players. Three of my players are or were Army, another was the son of an Army Colonel, another was in the Navy, and the rest of us pay attention to their stories. All our DMs have to say is, "The weather here is like spring in Germany" or "winter in Colorado," and the characters do what they need to do for the weather patterns.If you have some seasoned players, see how they react to real-world-type situations in the game world!

Uhhhh... The spring in Germany...

Hard to explain the weather here, it does get to 110f / 43c sometimes in August, then in February it can get to -40f/-40c fairly easily. Part of tornado alley as well. Humidity is fluctuates alot but usually much drier in winter. Rain can fall from nearly cloudless skies, I've seen it lightly snow in July, lots and lots and lots of wind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kvjeJGyCsc

no it's not the Serengeti and its not my video

Updated 27 November 2013 (10:51)