Topic: Terraforming how is it and how should it be

I have some trouble with the actual teraforming on testserver.
I like to know if the terraforming implemented on testserver is how the Devs like to have it, or if there are several bugs still waiting for fix, therefore some questions that might sound ridiculous but are meant serious.

Is it intended that plants prevent terraforming to a certain degree (unless terraforming is able to do enough damage to them, they prevent the terrain partly from moving.)

Is it intended, that you need to constant change between rise/lower and smooth in order to get best results?

Is it intended, that your not allowed to terraform with "purpose" a tile beeing that steep that bots could not cross, but that you get this sometimes by "accident"? Meaning it is possible, just not easy to achieve

Is it intended, that your not allowed to be above/below certain high difference between your bot and tile, but have no tool to measure it so you always need to check, what terraforming can be done from what point when building ramps?

Is it intendet, that if you pick highest point on the cliff and select lower it has no effect, but smooth would reduce the high?

In my opinion, terraforming should be far more intuitive than it is now, the beacon terraforming was that easy, as I would like to have terraforming now, but I guess it is not easy to implement beacon based terraforming in a way, that intermediate steps are always conform to new rule so we have to live with new system.

For QoL I would like to have the possibility to set beside size also a switch for rise and smooth every 5th cycle, as I think best effort atm is reached by having two agents on same tile, with one of both smoothing 1 cycle and the other rising 5 cycles, which is nasty wehn you like to the same task solo.

And to be honest I still like to be able to terraform steeper than today. The today solution will lead to flatten islands in my opinion I like to still have some hills around.

Re: Terraforming how is it and how should it be

I did a bit of terraforming, and after a while figuring out how it works, i had no issues getting to what i wanted.

flat islands is not possible if you are not babysitting every terraformed "flat" spot every day, due to the rather quick erosion just turning it back to what it was before outside your base.

with a symbiont mk2 and 5 TF modules i could terraform a rather high hill with a 100% flat plateau for turrets in a reasonable time.
The only thing i found really anoying, is that its not visible where the terrain will change back, and where not.
I would suggest Terraformed tiles get a a sand/dirt texture painted over, and those not moving back due to buildings are turning into sandstone/dry dirt.

*Disclaimer: This post can contain strong sarcasm or cynical remarks. keep that in mind!
Whining - It's amazing how fast your trivial concerns will disappear

3 (edited by Burial 2014-09-13 11:14:58)

Re: Terraforming how is it and how should it be

Does the erosion take account the slope limit set by the developers? For example, if terraforming a base on artificial hill, will the erosion eventually turn the hill into an unpassable wall?

Re: Terraforming how is it and how should it be

Burial wrote:

Does the erosion take account the slope limit set by the developers? For example, if terraforming a base on artificial hill, will the erosion eventually turn the hill into an unpassable wall?

this was already answered by zoom somewhere.

he said it will work based on the limits, so the typical rock formations that you can see in some regions in america, are not possible to happen wink

*Disclaimer: This post can contain strong sarcasm or cynical remarks. keep that in mind!
Whining - It's amazing how fast your trivial concerns will disappear

5 (edited by Goffer 2014-09-13 14:01:52)

Re: Terraforming how is it and how should it be

Annihilator wrote:

flat islands is not possible if you are not babysitting every terraformed "flat" spot every day, due to the rather quick erosion just turning it back to what it was before outside your base.

Annihilator wrote:

he said it will work based on the limits, so the typical rock formations that you can see in some regions in america, are not possible to happen wink

So in the end, after you once terraformed a place, it should be passable terrain for light/assault bots forever (unless plants/walls block path).

Thats what I mean with flat island, after long term, you will have majority of islands complete open for light bots.
This won' mean its flat enough for buildings and HM, but indeed flat enough.

Re: Terraforming how is it and how should it be

errosion works in both directions. its erosion of player made changes.
if you level a mountain, it will grow back, if you fill a hole, it will appear again.

due to terraforming beein a feature not caring about contention of matter, there is no break in logic.
I would have prefered if they had sticked with the original lore, where the planets surface is always in motion doe to the tectonic activity of the planet, and meteorites from the planetary ring falling down.

*Disclaimer: This post can contain strong sarcasm or cynical remarks. keep that in mind!
Whining - It's amazing how fast your trivial concerns will disappear

Re: Terraforming how is it and how should it be

Is it a bug or intended that smooth affects size larger than shown area, while flatten affects area smaller?
The second issua is a pain if you like to build a flat area for your base

Re: Terraforming how is it and how should it be

flatten seems to be one tile +falloff
smoothing seems to be rather strong

*Disclaimer: This post can contain strong sarcasm or cynical remarks. keep that in mind!
Whining - It's amazing how fast your trivial concerns will disappear