Azura's Coast Progress

That is legitimately gorgeous. 

Just great, just don't forget about the played :P We still want to be able to climb and walk up it with ease. 

Yeah remember to make paths, if a player could get up in the first place

It looks better than the original, which texture are you going to use for the rocks that stick up out of the water? Also, there are some pictures to use as reference images when landscaping - I don't know where they are right now but the idea is to follow closely to them using the assets provided. Edit: Zilav posted them.

Something is really off in those screenshots.

I'm not sure that basalt can be mixed with other smaller rock types at the same place. Searched for "basalt" pictures and confirmed that it is always only basalt in different forms and shapes, not basalt and some other rocks (there can be bigger solid rock formations though).

[External image]

The closest mixed type I saw is basalt plus cracked basalt boulders.

[External image]

I don't know if we follow any real world science in Skywind or just making it look good with available assets, even if it is not geologically correct.

agree with zilav, we can have other rock types but the basalt has to be dominant.

You see those pointed rocks that come out of the water, I think they'd look best if kept in the water :P

Yeah I just mean they shouldn't be coming out of land, at least not with that texture.

Wait WHAT? Why are you starting all over again? 

I'm afraid I must agree with eloth. Looks great, but too chaotic. I don't think you should start over though, just remove some of the chaos. Unless starting over would be easier?

What'd be really good is to start with a blank region - nothing on it but map locations/architecture, that way you don't have to keep deleting things that get in the way, also it'd be good if it only had a single texture on the whole region - that'd make life 10x easier when it comes to blending textures.

"Things"? What things? 

hey, found this on reddit:

http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/586/cache/litlanesfoss-waterfall-iceland_58698_990x742.jpg

maybe you could create something like this as well to break up the pillar formations a bit? just an idea. :) keep up the awesome work!

Yeah I know, that's what I've been dealing with. darkraven, that's been a concept for a long time already - we've all seen it :P

The new assets look awesome!

New assets look good, but the transition between basalt and other ground elements is a little jarring. Might actually need a transitioning piece for that purpose to have basalt formations gradually fade into regular map, or other rock/cliff patterns. The way the basalt is stacked looks more natural and in-line with real-life geological references. I may encourage new textures as well to have some ground keep the hexagonal shapes to give the illusion of basalt without proper assets in some areas, which may lend itself to a more cohesive landscape. See example; 

[External image]

This is headed in a better direction already. 

To be honest, there's not meant to be much of a transition as most basalt areas solely consist of it, but yeah, ground textures are very important, I've been having lots of luck with sand as I've been able to blend 3 textures together to virtually make tiling non-existant and also make the sand non-blinding.

emm, basalt near telvani cities is bad idea. Trees cant grow up there.

Yeah, that's very true.

Iniquity

emm, basalt near telvani cities is bad idea. Trees cant grow up there.

Magically induced mushroom-cities can ;)

I don't think you need to be too precious about adding in a bit of flora. True, azura's coast doesn't have much, but it's a great way to break up the seam between ground and basalt. Not lots of course, just a few tufts of something here and there (not sure what plantlife you find near the coast, maybe some googling would be handy). If you don't have much flora maybe it'd be worth asking a couple of modellers to do a bit for you? Maybe just a couple of weed type things. :)

Oh! Just saw dev chat and had a thought- if you wanna stay clear of plants perhaps a couple of modellers could do little shell/pebble piles for you? That might work.

Pyramidal basalt will be really conventional if community will insert it in too many locations.
May be worth if shore will be some less unusual, but different - such as common pebbles. It can be interesting too.



Geology/biology have many interesting features except basalt:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Tafoni (may be some trypophobic)
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ViewFromLoveValleyG%C3%B6reme.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Mushroom_rocks
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Stromatolites


 

> Heh, don't click on Tafoni if you have Trypophobia.
= Do you think that condition is so abundant? Because i think that objects like honeycombs are very decorative and inevitable everywhere IRL. Should i edit prev post?

Another group of interesting formations.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Soil_polygons - can use if like polygons.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Tessellated_Pavement
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Unique_hardpan_formations-Blackrock_Beach.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mauritius_23.08.2009_10-38-56.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mauritius_23.08.2009_10-41-42.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Limestone_pavements - more good for Solsheim i think.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Karren_am_D%C3%BCrrensteinplateau.jpg
 

alysander

> Heh, don't click on Tafoni if you have Trypophobia.
= Do you think that condition is so abundant? Because i think that objects like honeycombs are very decorative and inevitable everywhere IRL. Should i edit prev post?

One of my roommates is trypophobic. And I've read that it's fairly common in China.

Cats/eagles/snakes (i.e. hazard for primate animals), this trypophobic stuff, leopard's pelt, eyes' iris - I can only feel how it instinctively took my attention, but not related to any emotions. I will be more selective in textures.

LASentry

Yeah I know, that's what I've been dealing with. darkraven, that's been a concept for a long time already - we've all seen it :P

Ahhh sorry, my bad :) just stumbled across it, didn't realize.

Carry on :P