Video game level design - terrain boundaries
Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2010 1:49 pm
Hey all,
I've been trying to throw together a heightmap for a semi-open world fantasy game I'm developing in Unity, and am having a really tough time coming up with a design, but maybe I'm being way too anal about it.
I've studied the worlds of games like Zelda: Twilight Princess, Mercenaries 2, Just Cause 2, Oblivion, Risen, Divinity 2: Ego Draconis, Sacred 2, zones in WoW, and more.
My problem is, I can't figure out how I want to define the boundaries of the game world. Some games use high canyon walls, others just use the ocean. Some use mountain ranges, and some just use invisible boundaries.
I also think I just have difficulty visualizing if I like the way I have a terrain set up without populating it with things like roads, grass, doodads and villages, but I'm afraid to invest the time and wind up not liking my terrain anymore afterward.
Does anyone have any good examples of terrains designed with l3dt used in games, with clever use of boundaries?
I've been trying to throw together a heightmap for a semi-open world fantasy game I'm developing in Unity, and am having a really tough time coming up with a design, but maybe I'm being way too anal about it.
I've studied the worlds of games like Zelda: Twilight Princess, Mercenaries 2, Just Cause 2, Oblivion, Risen, Divinity 2: Ego Draconis, Sacred 2, zones in WoW, and more.
My problem is, I can't figure out how I want to define the boundaries of the game world. Some games use high canyon walls, others just use the ocean. Some use mountain ranges, and some just use invisible boundaries.
I also think I just have difficulty visualizing if I like the way I have a terrain set up without populating it with things like roads, grass, doodads and villages, but I'm afraid to invest the time and wind up not liking my terrain anymore afterward.
Does anyone have any good examples of terrains designed with l3dt used in games, with clever use of boundaries?