Friday Facts #413 - Gleba

[jackthesmack]

Does your lead artist have trypo-fetish?
As someone who is suffering from trypophobia — base game nests are already somewhat uncomfortable to look at, but it's manageable.
Even some item icons in the past were triggering it. I'm thankful that they were updated.
But looking at this planet outright makes me panic and causes my whole body to itch.
I hope you will consider not causing anxiety in such an otherwise relaxing game for the folks like me (Roughly 14% of people worldwide ) before finalizing flora artwork.

It's a game. You are meant to face your fears.

[jackthesmack]

Wouldn't it be great if the rain actually did something, rather than just looked nice. Like filling up lakes so you have to contend with flooding (unless you pump it out), or water collectors which only fill when it's raining. Or even hazards like acid rain which damage things if you don't protect it (or you).
Z

I don't think it needs to be that complicated. The effects could just be simple modifiers to existing gameplay or graphics, not full fledged systems. Here are some examples sorted by impact to gameplay, depending on if the weather should be purely visual or if it should actually be a big factor in gameplay.

No gameplay impact: sound effects and splashes when walking, driving, or engaging in combat. Water rolls off certain machines or visual puddles form.
Small gameplay impact: Movement speed is affected. Flamethrower turret flames don't last as long. Laser weapons have decreased effectiveness.
Big gameplay impact: Belts are slower, trains can't brake as fast.

[The Phoenixian]

Somehow, the only thing I can think of looking at this planet is "Antarctica thawed." Certainly it brings me to think of what a continent of lichen and shallow seas where what once was cold might seem.

I wonder if this world too once froze over, and the only things hardy enough to survive the cold, the fungi algae and lichens that could survive on rock or the heat of the world beneath the ice, ended up blooming into their own ecology to fill all the vacant niches once the thaw came.

[bobucles]

An ooey gooey planet! Gross!

I wonder how much of the planet is actually solid ground. On our planet, many underground regions are filled with thin tendrils of mycelium that stretch for miles. Consider an alien world where these tendrils grow so thick, so massive, that they are no longer in the ground. They ARE the ground. Anything could be underneath. It could be bedrock, it could be a geotherm, heck it could be an entire ocean. How spooky would it be to be walking across a 10 foot thick fungal creep in the middle of the ocean? No matter how much it rains it would never flood, because the water just sinks into the ocean.

Most worlds don't care about pollution. You arrive, you pillage, life as an industrial mogul is great. But with a world as vibrant and living as this one, it might make sense for pollution management to be a core mechanic. For example take a factory anchored on a floating platform in the middle of the ocean. Maybe releasing infinite pollution isn't a smart idea? The platform would wither, die, and everything would sink into the depths. Oops.

Or maybe another fungus enjoys breathing smoke a little TOO much. So when it gets dirty it grows, expands, and starts covering everything in thick vines. Machinery would get clogged and grind to a standstill, belts might get filled with overgrowth, what a mess to clean up.

Perhaps that overgrowth is a special resource? Now players have a tricky job of nurturing it, finding a balance of how much pollution and overgrowth they're willing to play with to increase yield.

[jimmyiowa]

I hope with all the improvements they showed and the direction they are going with 5 added planets, they expand on the tutorial and/or definitely have a story mode of some sort (not just someone making a story mod) with clear and defined goals in addition to the free play.

I would love to see some reason behind everything going on, why we initially crash landed on Nauvis, the added planets we need to explore before the final planet.

Great job so far, 2.0 and it's expansion are looking to be amazing, and just as much of a feat, if not more so than the original core game.

[numzero]

I wonder if there will be some atmospheric or post-processing effects that will change the mood depending on pollution levels. Considering how you did dust and nebulas in space, I suppose it's possible to add smog over your base and all the surroundings when you pollute heavily.

Adding smog is possible in 1.1 already, pollution-visuals does just that, albeit with no animation.

[Akontio]

Wouldn't it be great if the rain actually did something, rather than just looked nice. Like filling up lakes so you have to contend with flooding (unless you pump it out), or water collectors which only fill when it's raining. Or even hazards like acid rain which damage things if you don't protect it (or you).

I don't think it needs to be that complicated. The effects could just be simple modifiers to existing gameplay or graphics, not full fledged systems. Here are some examples sorted by impact to gameplay, depending on if the weather should be purely visual or if it should actually be a big factor in gameplay.

No gameplay impact: sound effects and splashes when walking, driving, or engaging in combat. Water rolls off certain machines or visual puddles form.
Small gameplay impact: Movement speed is affected. Flamethrower turret flames don't last as long. Laser weapons have decreased effectiveness.
Big gameplay impact: Belts are slower, trains can't brake as fast.

Although I'm sure this planet will have its own gimmick it would be nice to see a planet where the weather has, as you said, a big gameplay impact. I know there is already a planet with constant storming but that seems to be much more at the players benefit. Specifically the flooding concept he mentioned sounds interesting ill admit.

Though, now that I think about it, if the last planet ends up being Artic, and that image back in last December was an in-game screenshot. We COULD actually see something related to weather fully affecting gameplay, maybe even to the same degree as you described with slower belts and rougher train brakes considering the snow.

[FuryoftheStars]

Though, now that I think about it, if the last planet ends up being Artic, and that image back in last December was an in-game screenshot. We COULD actually see something related to weather fully affecting gameplay, maybe even to the same degree as you described with slower belts and rougher train brakes considering the snow.

Hmm, I could've sworn I read somewhere that the snow at least was all done after the fact (ie, not actual in game content) or as a similar special one-off specifically for that picture, but I can't seem to find it right now.

[mmmPI]

Hmm, I could've sworn I read somewhere that the snow at least was all done after the fact (ie, not actual in game content) or as a similar special one-off specifically for that picture, but I can't seem to find it right now.

I think i remember someone posted on the forum about Earendel saying so on Discord.

[CyberCider]

Hmm, I could've sworn I read somewhere that the snow at least was all done after the fact (ie, not actual in game content) or as a similar special one-off specifically for that picture, but I can't seem to find it right now.

Funnily enough, I remember the complete opposite. I heard somewhere that Earendel said something along the lines of “Only the tree was made specifically for this image”. Somebody here is definitely misremembering, though. I remember it being discussed on discord, so when I have the time I will search and try to find a screenshot.

[FuryoftheStars]

Hmm, I could've sworn I read somewhere that the snow at least was all done after the fact (ie, not actual in game content) or as a similar special one-off specifically for that picture, but I can't seem to find it right now.

I think i remember someone posted on the forum about Earendel saying so on Discord.

Funnily enough, I remember the complete opposite. I heard somewhere that Earendel said something along the lines of “Only the tree was made specifically for this image”. Somebody here is definitely misremembering, though. I remember it being discussed on discord, so when I have the time I will search and try to find a screenshot.

Ah, found it:

That looks incredible!

Creating a snow covered version for that many entities is quite a lot of work for a Christmas card.

So I guess this screenshot wasn't taken on Nauvis

It wasn't, it was hand painted by Earendel according to a redditor, (a website without proper search functionality).

[Dmytrozern]

Adding smog is possible in 1.1 already, pollution-visuals does just that, albeit with no animation.

Beautiful. Thank you!

[mmmPI]

Ah, found it:

That is not the source i thought of, which i couldn't find anyway, it was a screenshot.

It could be that it was hand painted for the picture as a concept art planned for the last planet, that would be water-based and snow planet at the same time depending on the weather or region. From seeing all those FFF i think even wildest guess could be outmatched sometimes

[FuryoftheStars]

Ah, found it:

That is not the source i thought of, which i couldn't find anyway, it was a screenshot.

It could be that it was hand painted for the picture as a concept art planned for the last planet, that would be water-based and snow planet at the same time depending on the weather or region. From seeing all those FFF i think even wildest guess could be outmatched sometimes

You're not wrong, but the poster (here with the pic) was making a comment on if it "was an in-game screenshot". That is what I was responding to.

[mrudat]

I'd like to have random, infrequent rain and/or thunder on Nauvis instead of the weather constantly being partly cloudy.

If we get a snow planet, occasional snow would be awesome, too.

[PrinceDest1ny]

I hate this planet. Not because it's bad art, or the concept is wrong.

It's because I'm heavily trypophobic

And the entire planet is just holes.

Seriously why. I almost had a panic attack looking at the nests now I have to look at an entire planet... Concrete is going to be my first priority.

[Terrahertz]

Instantly reminded me of this https://youtu.be/ADrBo7u3tR4?si=mK69z7AucSa3IO_G&t=124

[mmmPI]

hahaha, gleeba it is ! i knew it, i can understand how this video cannot be forgotten and stays in memory for long to be reactivated randomly later c)

[picklock]

Nice planet. I hope to see it soon in my playthrouhgs.

[adambyte]

Wow, I'm hearing a ton of Terraria in that music. I love it!