Wilderness Overhaul

[Daniel87]

collision detection wont work because locations are constructed after the terrain. You'd need to use the location data to work out where the buildings are in each block. That will be computationally expensive but would work. As you may be able to tell I don't think it's worth it, but if you want to try there's many examples of going through the block data in DFU code.

Can you maybe point me in the right direction as to how I could access the location data?
Also I have no idea how I would virtually test for possible collision when I don't have the actual collider yet.

EDIT:
Okay, I looked into how city blocks are generated and to be honest, this is too much of a pain. Either the locations can be loaded before the nature or I will just not implement this. It's really not worth sinking more time into this for such a small immersion feature.

[l3lessed]

What would happen if the generation process was reversed? Would this break the game in some form to generate the buildings before terrain generation so it can be checked easily by modders? Or, I take it, the terrain generation needs buildings created first to properly generate flat terrain for buildings?

[Midknightprince]

Hotdog we gonna get mountain ponds !

[Daniel87]

What would happen if the generation process was reversed? Would this break the game in some form to generate the buildings before terrain generation so it can be checked easily by modders? Or, I take it, the terrain generation needs buildings created first to properly generate flat terrain for buildings?

With the quick and dirty fix I did to the StreamingWorld.cs, first the terrain would be created, then the locations loaded and finally the nature billboards placed.
It worked for me but I didn't benchmark it or anything, as I was knee deep into writing and testing the collision detection. In the end I discarded that tweak to the StreamingWorld.cs and commented out the whole collision detection thing for a later point in time, when I finished the rest of the mod and can put all my focus on this one.

Yesterday I reworked all of my code (>3000 lines already) to simplify it a little bit, get rid of some variables and make tweaking and testing easier.
I also changed my whole system of generating nature. Instead of randomly placing "spawn cells" for forests, I borrowed the perlin noise and weight function from ITerrainTexturing.cs and use this one instead to be able to create bigger, connected forests. And oh boy, does it look great! Forests can be pretty dense in Woodland now close to the ocean and quite sparse going increasing in altitude.
Definitely worth rewriting my code. I also included the Mod settings now, so you can tweak things like Vegetation Clearing Distance from towns and completely disable it.

As always, some screenshots in the end:

Spoiler!

Stay safe everyone!

[King of Worms]

This is awesome progress, I really like this project and Im looking forward to it

[pango]

Agreed, looks fantastic!

Got a question though, dungeons have never been easy to find just by traveling around, do better wilderness makes it harder or easier? (more trees... but could also mean it's easier to spot glades).

[Midknightprince]

Agreed, looks fantastic!

Got a question though, dungeons have never been easy to find just by traveling around, do better wilderness makes it harder or easier? (more trees... but could also mean it's easier to spot glades).

You're gonna be able to see it better I'm thinking..
With a few trees around them in Unity they're still hard to spot (even with roads) from a distance, but a clearing....and then after awhile you get used to that, and I bet the keeps and such'll start to stand out, it's the labs and caves that'll be the real test..OOOOO I can't wait !

[Daniel87]

Agreed, looks fantastic!

Got a question though, dungeons have never been easy to find just by traveling around, do better wilderness makes it harder or easier? (more trees... but could also mean it's easier to spot glades).

Actually I have no idea haha.
I am always so focused on the console log and the natures look, that I didnt really check the locations much.
I guess from above they are easier to spot due to the huge area surrounding them that is a perfect square and free of trees, but didnt really pay attention to it tbh.

I really hope I can find a way to get the nature billboards also growing in at least dungeon exterior locations. It looks so weird to have fort ruins that appear like a british garden with a perfectly square rectangle of grass and a couple of trees, while it is surrounded by dense forest. Especially in the jungle this looks so fake.

[King of Worms]

Yes also the main quest dungeons exteriors are so sad to watch. Scourg Barrow for example is a huge square, flat and empty, with a building in the middle.

And same with Direnni tower, shedungent etc. So underwhelming when u get there

[Daniel87]

Anyone helping me to get the locations loaded before the nature in StreamingWorld.cs and get it approved by Interkarma will get to see this change to a more immersive experience when arriving there