More Terrains / Terrain Features / Bonus Ressources [IMPLEMENTED]

[ConjurerDragon]

Ok now we have "Peanuts" as well.
(Graphics are from DoaNE.)
...

Then we just have to add Jimmy Carter as FF...

 

[raystuttgart]

Ok guys, here comes the next new Terrain: Wetlands
(Graphics are modified versions from @orlanth 's graphic pack.)

 

[orlanth]

Glad to see some of the Infinite Terrains Pack in use! (Original credits to the free seamless textures from http://spiralgraphics.biz/packs/terrain_civilization/index.htm that I used to remap to a civ4 dds template).

 

[raystuttgart]

Glad to see some of the Infinite Terrains Pack in use!

Thanks for collecting, preparing and posting them.

When I took a look at them I was almost tempted to add several more "Rare Terrains"...
(River Canyon - near Moutains, Inundation - near Large Rivers, Scrublands between Desert and Prairie, ...)

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Problems with those:

They are too specific and only look good if hand placed by a map maker.
A Map Script would be lost to place them at the right position.

They would also only be "atmosperhic"(flavour and immersion) and have little value for gameplay.
Terrains should be handled with care, because adding too many different may impact performance.

----

Summary:

It is a pitty, but we simply should not create such highly specific Terrains.
(We can not add a new Terrain, every time we want to have a few specific Plots ingame.)

 

[raystuttgart]

Ok, here we go, the next new Terrain: Shallow Coast.
(It has movement rules involved - they are not as strict as "Lakes" / "Large Rivers" though - only the really "big ships" can not enter it.)

Button is a modified version from @Zeta Nexus
Terrain Graphics is a modified version of a graphic from the pack of @orlanth

 

[raystuttgart]

Ok, the next small puzzle piece is done: Terrain Feature "Swamp"
3D graphics from: Ressource Mod
Button: created myself

You may find some Beavers (Premium Fur) there.
But otherwise it is a very nasty place. (Low Yields, slow Movement, ...)

Most players will thus usually try to drain the Wetland (which also removes the Swamp).
"Swamps" themselves can not be "chopped" -> they can only be removed by draining the Wetland.

 

[ConjurerDragon]

Is the plant pictured in the swamps reed and if so can it be harvested to build roofs with it?
The most prominently connected icon to the Netherlands centurylong fight against the sea and for gaining more land is the windmill. Which exists in the game but only as a bonus to food. Could it be required to keep the squares of a city dry which had before drained by a pioneer?

 

[raystuttgart]

Could it be required to keep the squares of a city dry ...

No, please forget stuff like that.

Too complex and impossible to teach AI.
Too specific for gameplay and thus not worth the effort to implement. (It is a complicated mechanic.)
It would also ruin performance because the game simply does not know what the squares were before.
...

 

[Nightinggale]

Could it be required to keep the squares of a city dry which had before drained by a pioneer?

I like the idea, but it's too complex to implement compared to what we gain from adding it. If anything, the buildinfo to change the terrain should require a building, but then again performance comes into question, this time CvUnit::canBuild.

 

[raystuttgart]

I am currently experimenting with a "Terrain Feature" for "Desert" ...
What I currently came up with is: "Barrel Cactus Fields"
(Button from "Ressource Mod" - 3D graphics as well but slightly modified.)

Why a Terrain Feature you may ask?
Why not a Bonus Ressource instead?

Simple answer:
Terrain Features can do more than Bonus Ressources can.

1. Terrain Features can have additional Bonus Ressource(s) on top.
2. Terrain Features impact Movement, Combat, ... and Bonus Ressources do not.
3. Terrain Features can be impacted by Pioneer Actions (e.g. Chop) but Bonus Ressources can not.
...

I hope it is good enough for a first try of a beginner graphical modder ...
Maybe once we have support again from a really skilled graphical modder, he can further improve this.

 

[ConjurerDragon]

Looks like the creatures from Critters, just waiting until the poor settlers are distracted...

 

[raystuttgart]

Looks like the creatures from Critters ...

Do not spoiler my hidden features before I unleash them on the players !

 

[ConjurerDragon]

Do not spoiler my hidden features before I unleash them on the players !

Ooops - I meant to say that they look like perfectly normal healthy melons growing in the middle of the desert. Completely normal and not at all suspicious....

 

[raystuttgart]

Just to avoid misunderstandings.
This is not just "eye candy" what I am doing here.

There are actually 2 big Overhaul Concepts involved.
(And I am currently just setting up Terrains, Terrain Features, Bonus Ressources I want to use for it ...)

1. Health Overhaul (to make Health more interesting and challenging)
2. Natural Environment Overhaul* (to give Natural Environment more gameplay impact)

*aka "Natural Wonders Concept" (now heavily expanded though)

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e.g., these Terrain Features "Swamps" / "Barrel Cactus" now do not allow anymore to found Cities on them.
(They first need to be removed or you simply settle next to them.)

They also slow down Movement quite a lot.
And they e.g. also impact Combat.

Spoiler :

But that is just the simple "basic stuff" ...
A lot more can be done.

Other stuff (e.g. Turn Damage to Units on the Plots) is possible as well but I will not do it for those two.
But I will probably not do it - feels just tedious without gameplay value.

Other Terrain Features like "Sandstorm" will get "Turn Damage" though.

---

Additionally "Enviroment" will get additional modifiers - which can be positive or negative:
(This affects Terrains, Terrain Features and Bonus Ressources)

• City Health
  
• City Culture
  
• City Happiness
• City Liberty Bells
• City Crosses
• City Hammers
  
• City Growth
• City Defense
• City Live Stock Breeding
• City Domestic Market
• Gives more Trade with closest Native Village
• Gives more Missioning with closest Native Village
  
• ...

Also already preparing "Natural Wonders Concept".

So we e.g. might e.g. get a Bonus Ressource "Tropbical Bird" that will give no additional Yields, but boost e.g. Happiness and Culture in the City.
Lots of nice possibilities for a modder ...

---

This might sound strange to some of you but this concept will finally tie the Natural Environment of a City together with the things that happen inside the City.
Well, a lot of that stuff is currently "creative brainstorming" and "experimental prototyping" ...

 

[raystuttgart]

What I wanted to tell:

Expand your Horizon!
Let all limits drop.

The times when Terrains, Terrain Features and Bonus Ressources were more or less just intended for "Yield" is over !
Now we can use the Natural Environment for whatever we want.

-----

Want a "Terrains / Terrain Features / Bonus Ressources" that spawns "Critters" ?
Why not. They look cute.

Want a "Terrains / Terrain Features / Bonus Ressources" that causes "negative Health" ?
Sure. give me the booze and the cigars.

Want a "Terrains / Terrain Features / Bonus Ressources" that creates "Religous Upheaval" ?
Hallelujah.

Want a "Terrains / Terrain Features / Bonus Ressources" that creates "Culture" ?
Yes, Sir. Take me to the theater.

...

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But again, this is just about "possibilities".
(Don't panic yet - I will use this cautiously. )

-----

There is only one thing I promise:

When I am done, the Natural Environment of WTP will have a lot more to offer than just a few boring Yields ...
A lot more game impact, a lot more flavour, a lot more surprise, ...

 

[raystuttgart]

It is working !!!

Now I can unleash Stormfronts, Fogs, Sandstorms ... at the players. "Buhahaha!" <Evil Villain Laugh>
But I guess I should tune it down just a bit ...

By the way:
Do not worry, they have been configured to not be spawned on Cities / Improvements.
(Because e.g. Sandstorms also cause turn damage to Units on Plots. Both impact visibility and movement.)

 

[Nightinggale]

(Because e.g. Sandstorms also cause turn damage to Units on Plots. Both impact visibility and movement.)

Good thing that I improved updating visibility when adding/removing features. The develop (hence also plains branch) usually use at least 90% less CPU time to update visibility compared to WTP 2.9. Having land features doing the same as water weather features mean this performance boost is far more important. Also the same fix also fixes the plots staying visible after the unit leaves bug. I wouldn't want to have that one on land.

 

[raystuttgart]

@Nightinggale

I am currently just experimenting / prototyping
I will not implement such "Storm Monsters" in the mod, do not worry.

 

[raystuttgart]

Ok, the next small part is done.

Now we have Terrain Feature "Coral Reefs".
(They also impact Movement and Defense - but they also spawn Food Ressources for Fishing Boats)

Credits:
3D graphics: from @orlanth 's graphic pack.
2D button: created myself.

Generally they are quite safe places for your Fishing Boats.
They are however also pretty annoying for your Big Ships - partially impassible / pretty hard to navigate through.
(I purposely tried to make it hard to see how a Ship can navigat through it - you need to try it ingame.)

So again:

A Coral Reef is visually confusing. But I did that on purpose.
(It is an intended gameplay effect to work like a "maze" for "Big Ships".)

For players that want to "play easy" without "maze effect":
Mouse Over Help will always tell the truth ...

 

[modmod]

Advised to rename topic to something like "New terrains/ terrain features/ bonus resources".

About fog:
We did talked about that (and other temporary vs. constant ones) in the health overhaul.
Why fog forbids to make a city there?
In a foggy area there are still a grassland or forrest or whatever.

About Natural Environment:
I did missed it. Where is that topic?