I recently received the invite to fill in a survey about environmental settings. One of the questions ran:
Do you prefer realistic environmental settings that reflect what you might see in RL?
I guess most people would answer yes to that one - it would just feel wrong if it were a bright, sunny day and snowing, or if it were dark and foggy at the Tropics!
So, as a European who LIVES in an Alpine are and has been countless times to Mediterranean places please let me tell you a few things about the climate in those areas, as I understand that Friedsee and Alpine Meadow are supposed to be "Alpine" while Locus Amoenus and Colonia Nova are supposed to be "Mediterranean".
1. The Mediterranean is not the North Sea and it hardly ever snows there. It might happen once in many years but when it does, because of its milder climate, it goes away in a matter of hours - maybe a day or so if it has been really extraordinary. It can NEVER stay the whole winter. Seeing a Mediterranean village sprinkled with snow just feels wrong.
2. Mediterranean countries are not Scotland, nor Maine, nor Norway. Fog, simply, does NOT exist there.
3. Alpine areas can get fog but only with bad weather - that is, very low clouds. And only in Autumn/winter. Otherwise, if the weather is fine, it's all very bright and sunny. Even in winter. Even more so in winter, because the sun is reflected by the sea of fog on the plain, if you know what I mean.
I went to CDS this morning to do some EM work and I was appalled to find fog everywhere, again, even at Colonia Nova. If CDS is going to be Halloweenland fine, but not for me - I know I CAN change my settings but I don't want to have to every time I go home - so I will simply stay away. It's spring. We've had enough of winter darkness. I will NOT set foot on CDS again until that darn fog is gone.