Things like the current time and weather are not merely cosmetic differences in The Division, the game’s developers have revealed.

These conditions can have tangible effects on gameplay, some of which were detailed in a new developer blog. According to senior game designer Fredrik Thylander, storms make it more difficult for both you and NPCs to see. Particularly bad storms can also impact how well aim assist works and reduce detection ranges for players and the AI.

The blog post goes on to note that player characters “will adjust themselves in order [to] avoid a face full of frost.” This wasn’t detailed any further, but presumably characters will adjust their clothing depending on the weather.

Another vague detail was that the time of day and weather will cause players to “experience civilians and wildlife differently.”

The current time also serves as a way of changing the feel of a given area. “A mission during the day has a totally different mood than a mission during the night,” said lead concept artist Tom Garden.

The Division is an ambitious title; it’s being developed by at least four different studios and has been delayed a number of times. At E3 in June, Ubisoft announced it’s now slated for release on March 8 for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. As you might guess, a DLC pass and collector’s edition will both be available. A beta is coming before launch, and is due out first on Xbox One.