Terra Firma

Games

terrain simulation sandbox

SHOW HN2023

229points
79comments
#230of 3,109 in 2023
Top 8%of 2023 by points

How HN took it

MixedNo clear lean

15 positive, 16 neutral or asking, 0 mixed, 3 critical, out of 34 comments about the project. Thread score +0.39.

Idea: 11 for, 0 againstPerformance: 2 for, 1 againstExecution: 1 for, 1 againstDesign: 0 for, 1 against

The thread, comment by comment

Each row is a top-level comment and its replies, in HN's order. Select a cell to open that comment on HN.

positive neutral or mixed critical about another commenter or something else the maker

What HN said

What people liked

  • Relaxing sandbox, a zen-like toy

    From 3 comments
    • My favorite aspect of this game is that it’s not actually a game, and more like a zen garden. Adding more game elements would ruin that aspect.
      ModernMech on HN
    • Evokes the same "staring at a lava lamp" feeling as Weather Sandbox [0]. I yearn for a Sim Earth replacement and seeing folks work on simulation sandboxes like this give me hope.…
      iFred on HN
    • What a cool toy! Thank you for sharing this.
      h2odragon on HN
  • Impressive water and erosion simulation

    From 2 comments
    • I've myself tried to create a small simulation of water and erosion, and although very fun I found it extremely hard to implement. (so well done to you!) Is it a grid based…
      alex_duf on HN
    • What a cool toy! Thank you for sharing this.
      h2odragon on HN
  • Works on integrated graphics and under Proton

    From 2 comments
    • Very neat simulation. As a note, you said it requires a dedicated graphics card but it does seem to work fine on my laptop's integrated graphics (AMD 4500U) and performance was…
      opencl on HN
    • Works fine under proton for me - have you turned on the steam option to use a compatibility layer for games that haven't been tested?
      danielheath on HN

Objections

  • Rivers look too straight and lack meanders

    From 2 comments
    • Is it only sandbox mode, or does it have some scenarios with an objective? The river look too straight. I expected more meanders.
      gus_massa on HN
    • I think the water is missing momentum? It seems to always to prefer to create 90 degree bends and straight lines. Or maybe that's just an artifact of the terrain mesh being axis…
      waiseristy on HN
  • Needs objectives or gamification

    From 1 comment
    • I like poking around with these sorts of sandboxes, but in order to gamify it, you might need some objectives, limitations and planning goals, eg: - you have a limited amount of…
      greggsy on HN
  • Trees do not render properly under Proton

    From 1 comment
    • It runs with that option but trees don't render properly so it's not perfect.
      calebegg on HN

Requests

  • Heightmap or map export

    From 3 comments
    • Actually if this had a good export feature, this could be a very useful tool for other level designers to start crafting their imaginary worlds in a way that those worlds make…
      gampleman on HN
    • Plenty of us prefer open ended sandboxes/simulators like Minecraft, C:S, flight sims. Following game designer gets boring fast, setting own goals is always fun Speaking of CS, I…
      throwaway290 on HN
    • Add some way to export heightmaps or topographical maps, and this will be useful for RPG scenario writers (so much better than the standard "macaroni throw" method of island…
      DocTomoe on HN
  • Linux or Steam Deck support

    From 1 comment
    • It looks really cool and I'd love to play it but I don't have a Windows PC. Any chance you have plans to make it available on Linux/Steam Deck?
      calebegg on HN
  • Different rock types and topsoil layers

    From 2 comments
    • Yes. Plus different rocks types, since how different rocks respond to erosion is an important factor in why the world looks the way it does.
      mehwoot on HN
    • Any plans on dealing with topsoil vs bedrock? Seeing water only on the surface above what looks like an impermeable layer looks odd to me, unless I'm misreading the video.
      bradbeattie on HN
  • Populous-style scenarios

    From 2 comments
    • I understand this would be a magnitude more work, but I'd pay money for these mechanics in a snes style populous remake
      gmadsen on HN
    • Check out Populous or Powermonger for games with levels and an objective.
      kleiba on HN

Questions

  • Is there a scenario or objective mode?

    From 1 comment
    • Is it only sandbox mode, or does it have some scenarios with an objective? The river look too straight. I expected more meanders.
      gus_massa on HN
  • Is it grid based and how is water computed?

    From 1 comment
    • I've myself tried to create a small simulation of water and erosion, and although very fun I found it extremely hard to implement. (so well done to you!) Is it a grid based…
      alex_duf on HN
  • Does it work on GeForce Now?

    From 1 comment
    • Do you as a dev have to do anything to make it available on GeForce Now?
      antihero on HN

Alternatives named

  • From Dust

    From 2 comments
    • From Dust played with the idea of terrain manipulation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk4hRWD6BT8 I played it on the Xbox 360, but it's on Steam as well.…
      ThomW on HN
    • Look at From Dust[1] for something like this with gameplay, more recent than Populous (Xbox 360 generation). [1] https://www.ubisoft.com/en-gb/game/from-dust
      speps on HN
  • Populous

    From 2 comments
    • Populous was a game (series of games) where you could raise and lower mountains for various reasons, this mechanism could be used in a game like that. Actually I do remember a…
      Cthulhu_ on HN
    • Check out Populous or Powermonger for games with levels and an objective.
      kleiba on HN
  • Cities: Skylines

    From 1 comment
    • Cities: Skylines. Though exporting for Transport Fever 2 would also be nice.
      Svip on HN
  • Timberborn

    From 1 comment
    • How about Timberborn? The whole game revolves around water management.
      princesse on HN
  • Wetrix

    From 1 comment
    • I’m reminded of Wetrix on the N64. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wetrix
      knolan on HN

Category, keywords, summaries and labels on this page were made by AI (Thread Reader v2) and not checked by hand. Each point links to the comments it came from.

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