The Fountain of Youth - Terrain & Level design showcase

[FeelsGoodMan]

I have already posted many screenshots of this map in the map development thread, but the terrain has changed a lot and the pictures are for the most outdated.

Also with the new stuff going on in the Terrain & Level design forum I thought I would post some stuff myself as well.

Sorry for including the game UI, but this map looks best in game which is why it's there. Some zones are heavily affected by fog and modified unit sight, other regions has dynamically changing night and day cycles etc. All of that is hard to capture in the world editor. I also create weather with triggers instead of having it set in regions so you won't see the weather in the editor.

The whole map starts out as a linear map without many places to go but opens up to a huge open world as you progress the game.

Forest

Cave of the Ancients

Stamford Village and Countryside

Windcrest City

Fallen city of Esterridge

Crystal Caverns

Ashcloud Volcano

Elven Forest
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I have really gone crazy with the doodads and stuff here. I think maybe 30-40% of all doodads and objects in the entire map are in this forest. It is the starting zone, and I have really tried to captivate the player by completely immersing them in this wondrous enchanted elven forest. The tall trees turns transparent when units are behind them, and 70-80% of the foliage/doodads are animated. Butterflies and fireflies are flying around. The water even have raindrops.
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Spoiler

Cave of the Ancients
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The Cave of the Ancients isn't as doodad ridden as the forest, but the eerie atmosphere makes it just as note worthy. It is the second region you come to, and you are surrounded by impenetrable darkness. Strange creatures are lurking about.
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Spoiler

Stamford Village and Countryside
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This is the third area you come to and in my opinion, the second best looking place. It's a seemingly beautiful and tranquil place, but danger is always right around the corner.
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Spoiler

Windcrest City
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This is the human city. It has a slum area, millitary area, mages quarters, business area and stray cats running around. The city market is open 24/7 and you can always buy the most fresh meat and foods there. Beware of thugs like in any other big city. Depending on your in game choices this can be the fourth place you get to.
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Spoiler

Fallen City of Esterridge
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This is Windcrest's neighboring city Esterridge. It has been seized by undead forces and now acts as the undeads headquarters in this province. Depending on your in game choices this can be the fourth place you get to.
(Sorry for the lack of better screenshots here).
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Spoiler

Crystal Caverns
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These caverns aren't 100% complete, but I am slowly getting there. This secret ridden cave has a deep rooted and dark secret. Explore and discover what hides within. This is the fifth place you get to.
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Spoiler

Ashcloud Volcano
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Intense and fiery hot, Ashcloud Volcano is the final place you get to. Magma is pouring down from the peak and forms a huge river. The very air almost burns your lungs when you breathe.
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Spoiler

Thanks for taking the time to check out the screenshots. To get this far has taken almost a year but I am still as motivated, if not even more, when I started. I can't wait till I'm finished and can release it for play!


Feedback from good terrainers will be much appreciated!

 

[deepstrasz]

The spam is real

Spoiler

Maybe, try more rock types instead of one? You could ask someone to retexture if they prove to be too different.
Try choosing other rocks for the crystal cavern zones where crystals are and whatnot.

Spoiler

"No, I'm a hologram and therefore not alive in the first place."

 

[FeelsGoodMan]

The spam is real

Spoiler

Maybe, try more rock types instead of one? You could ask someone to retexture if they prove to be too different.
Try choosing other rocks for the crystal cavern zones where crystals are and whatnot.

It looks really spammy in that picture, but in game when you're wandering about in the dark you will hardly notice it.

I still have something in mind though as I'm not too happy with these rocks myself.

Spoiler

"No, I'm a hologram and therefore not alive in the first place."

If the hologram is reflecting the persona of a sentient machine, is it then alive?

 

[deepstrasz]

If the hologram is reflecting the persona of a sentient machine, is it then alive?

Technically yes, theoretically no. Or the other way around? xD

But if you want to call computers organisms, then I guess even my keyboard is alive, at least when the PC is on.

 

[FeelsGoodMan]

But if you want to call computers organisms

Are you saying only biological life can be considered alive?

Wikipedia says "the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death." so I guess you're right both in the technical and theoretical term.

Sentience and life =/= the same thing then.

 

[deepstrasz]

Sentience and life =/= the same thing then.

Yep. Your mind is sentient but it is not "alive" (by) itself.

 

[FeelsGoodMan]

The spam is real

Spoiler

Maybe, try more rock types instead of one? You could ask someone to retexture if they prove to be too different.
Try choosing other rocks for the crystal cavern zones where crystals are and whatnot.

Here, I think you will find this a bit more easy on the eyes;

Spoiler

 

[Strydhaizer]

I like the Elven Forest alot, it looks great, it remind me of my Ashenvale Forest I did 6 years ago lol. It has a nice touch of details here in there, no unnecessary objects, love it. Stamford Village will look much better if you remove Cloudwolf's Village skin of those houses and replace it with the wooden village skin in the Skin section, or just stay with the default ones. I can't check the rest of the images because the browser is loading all these images all at once and it doesn't load on my device for some reason, I really wish I could check the rest tho but I judging the images that loaded on mine I'm confident that the rest looks good too. Good job!

 

[FeelsGoodMan]

I like the Elven Forest alot, it looks great, it remind me of my Ashenvale Forest I did 6 years ago lol. It has a nice touch of details here in there, no unnecessary objects, love it.

Thanks, I'm glad you like it

Stamford Village will look much better if you remove Cloudwolf's Village skin of those houses and replace it with the wooden village skin in the Skin section, or just stay with the default ones.

Where can I find the skin you're talking about? I tried searching for it but didn't find it.

I can't check the rest of the images because the browser is loading all these images all at once and it doesn't load on my device for some reason, I really wish I could check the rest tho but I judging the images that loaded on mine I'm confident that the rest looks good too. Good job!

If you try refreshing the page more images should load, and the old images should be saved in your cache. Images do really load slow on this website

 

[Strydhaizer]

This. CityBuildingsNew.

It's old and low quality but this will probably fit with the style of your terrain, if it doesn't then maybe just stick to the default skin.

 

[FeelsGoodMan]

This. CityBuildingsNew.

It's old and low quality but this will probably fit with the style of your terrain, if it doesn't then maybe just stick to the default skin.

Yeah it doesn't look that good when I tried it.

I am using the same buildings in a big city too (can be found in the screenshots) so if I change that texture the buildings in the city looks really weird, and for now the default skin doesn't look that nice in the city. I might find another building model to use in the city though. I have a really nice one in mind

 

[Med. MapGuy]

Where did you get those large boulders / mountain models?

 

[FeelsGoodMan]

Where did you get those large boulders / mountain models?

Can you screenshot which ones you mean?

 

[Med. MapGuy]

Oh, I did some digging on your wonderful terrain galleries and found links to them. Amazing work, man! Truly an inspiration.

 

[Strydhaizer]

Can you screenshot which ones you mean?

I think he's talking about that boulder made by _tobyfat from his Ruins Pack.

 

[Med. MapGuy]

Yep those packs... I gotta say, the quality of terraining these days is truly astonishing.

 

[FeelsGoodMan]

Yep those packs... I gotta say, the quality of terraining these days is truly astonishing.

Thanks, I'm happy to hear that