[TERRAIN] Revisiting space terrains

[pepper2000]

With all the good work doing into designing space maps, I am thinking about what kind of terrains we want. Because terrain changes mess up maps and save games, I want to add as much as possible at once. And I want a set of terrains that will support creative ideas. So, here is a list of changes/additions I am considering.

- I want to represent the major moons of Jupiter and Saturn on the map somehow. Maybe as terrain features rather than terrains.
- I might collapse all star terrains into "Star", and types of stars (e.g. Red Dwarf, Sun-like, Red Giant, Neutron, ...) would be terrain features. I could add a couple more, such as White Dwarf and Blue Supergiant.
- Also an Exoplanet terrain, which several features that could go on it (Rogue Planet, Super Earth, Mini Neptune, ...).
- Differentiate between Inner Solar System and Outer Solar System tiles.
- More extragalactic terrains and features, representing galaxies, galaxy groups and clusters, superclusters, and voids.

Before I do any of this, I'd like to know what TPEHEP and other space map designers would find most valuable for inclusion.

 

[Dancing Hoskuld]

The question I have is can we use the same terrains on the different planets? Is not an ice field over an ocean the same if it is on a moon or minor planet eg Pluto or Europa?

If you have terrain feature as the distinguishing feature between start type do you want the ability to change the star type just by removing the terrain feature?

I did start to include many of the terrains from other space mods. Which include nebulae and some others.

 

[pepper2000]

Yes, I intend to do some recycling of artwork. It's not hard to do a new terrain if no new artwork is needed, but as mentioned before I want to plan it all out at once.

I've toyed the with the idea of allowing for "terraforming" in space, such as creating new stars on the map at Artificial Stars. So far I haven't done that.

Where are these other terrains you refer to? I took one from Final Frontier but otherwise have been basing designs off the BTS terrains.

 

[Dancing Hoskuld]

There are a couple of Mars mods out there and I think the Babylon 5 mod has some terrains. Final Frontier is where I got most of the terrains for space if I remember correctly.

 

[TPEHEP]

I believe that there is no need to become attached to the name of the planet. I believe that we need the types of areas, rather than types of planets - "basaltic plains", "methane tundra", etc. The reason is that if you use only the "planetary" territory - it turns dull and ugly, as if mixed - is illogical and poorly applicable.

There is also no need for such tiles as "terraformed moon", "terraformed Mars" and other "terraformed Nubira" . Suffice it to a single tile "terraformed environment." Because with the advent of Venus, Jupiter and the others, we begin to produce unnecessarily essence.

Personally for me, very much would help new types of seas - leaden sea, lava sea, for example - and a similar rivers. I would also like to see the "dry canals" - they would have been useful for tiles Earth.

PS - To create a new map in the "Earth" are generated tiles "terraforming the moon." They are certainly very steep, but impassable and also visually indistinguishable from the plains

 

[pepper2000]

Thanks for the suggestions. I like that idea, and I will think about some more generic planetary terrains. I still want to distinguish the various lines of buildings by terrain (Uranus, Neptune, etc.), but that should be very doable. And I don't think it will be too hard to do a palette swap and get lava rivers and seas, methane, etc.

 

[TPEHEP]

I still want to distinguish the various lines of buildings by terrain

I think it is better not to become attached to the planet (Mars, Jupiter, etc.), but to the landscape (landscape "minor cold planet", "satellite", "asteroid with atmosphere", "terra" instead of specifying "the moon" or "Mars"). Accordingly, the improvement of "extraterrestrial mine" on landscapes such as "hill", "small planet." "Extractor" on the "plain", "gas giant" and so on. So the system is more flexible and does not require (but retains the ability) to create unique buildings specially devised for the last planet "Big Blue teapot"

 

[pepper2000]

That sounds like a good plan. It might be a while before I have time to work on terrains, so if you want to take a stab at it, feel free to do so and I will try to merge them into the modmod. I want to make sure that the existing line of planetary buildings will function on the new terrains, but that won't be a problem.

Now I'm getting excited thinking about what we can do. For instance, artificial moons, planets, and stars that advanced workers could "terraform" into space. Or subsurface oceans and methane lakes on icy moons.

 

[TPEHEP]

so if you want to take a stab at it, feel free to do so and I will try to merge them into the modmod.

I'm with pleasure, but the problem is that my English is "mе understanded of thou". I'm using a translator. But if you can clearly set the task, I carry it out

 

[pepper2000]

Sounds great. I'll do whatever language work is needed when merging files.