Overview

In Lightning Rod, players manipulate the weather. Whether they want blistering hot sunshine or a swirling maelstrom is totally up to them. Players can choose to intensely balance air currents and flows, or attempt to create a second ice age - whatever their heart desires.

Core Mechanics

Players are initially presented with a 3-D representation of Earth, and are guided through manipulating air currents in order to direct air flow around the planet. When players mix a certain direction of air with a heat node, it creates an effect. These effects can range from creating a swirling tornado, to just dispersing heat over an area. Where player strategies develop is through the balancing of these nodes with air currents in order to avoid situations like cyclones and tornadoes. Players can direct air currents through rain nodes, dispersing rain over an area if it is too hot. In addition to this, if a player disperses a rain node over a cold area, it creates snow. If a player does either of these too much, it can cause snowstorms and flooding, damaging populations in a certain area. Some scenarios require players to keep consistent weather patterns over a length of time, while others require players to create a specific weather pattern. Wind patterns and heat pockets shift constantly, forcing players to constantly manipulate weather patterns in order to complete their objectives.

Wind Mechanics

The wind in Lightning Rod sometimes takes on a mind of its own. Because it is constantly moving and shifting, players need to keep track of which directions a strong win is moving. If a strong wind moves into a pocket a player is trying to manipulate, it may cause unintended side effects. These side effects could range from a giant storm to a simple raincloud over a dry country. In order to fully take advantage of the wind, players need to micromanage the assets they have moved, as failing to keep track of them will lead to disastrous side effects.

Players create and manipulate storms and weather effects. Much to the displeasure of the population.