How to make smooth rivers

[Andrewgosu]

Making Smooth Rivers

In a jungle

Frozen Throne required

Getting started

Make a map sized 32x32 using Sunken Ruins tileset. Set the initial cliff level to 3-4 and initial water level to shallow water.

Firstly, untick the Enforce Water Height Limits.

Step 1 – Making the base for the river



After creating the map, you see a map full of water. Select „Increase one” tool and raise the whole map map. This looks something wierd to do, but its not.

Step 2 – Making the river

Now, select lower tool and start carving the river itself. Lower the terrain until you see water popping out. Make a nice curved river.

TIP: use smooth tool on the shores to get rid of squariness.



If you dont use this tehnique and simply lower the terrain you get something like this. Pretty squared and not natural eh?



To recap:



Step 3 – Making some hills

For hills, use the raise tool. Make some medium sized hills around the river. The map isnt very big, so little hills are better than big ones. If you want to use this tehnique on a bigger map, Obiusly bigger mountains give a better effect.



Step 4 – Adding trees

Pick some Canopy and Ruins trees and use them on the little hills you created. Leave the shores untouched, because we need them for doodads.



Step 5 – Enviroment

To give the map a jungle like looking, select some eviromental doodads like bushes, cactails, rocks and lily pads and use them to create a jungle. Apply them to the forest, as well on the water itself. Shrub is one of my favorite doodad, when it comes to making jungles. Use it on the trees to achieve the jungle look. (Vines are also good).



Step 6 – Final Touch

As you can see, there is something missing. All the jungle rivers tend to be green instead of blue. Its because of their muddy base. Set the water tinting to dark green. Much better!





Also, I add some wild boars, running wild in the spooky jungle…Probably chased by those nasty murlocs.

TIP: Using rain weather effects gives the jungle more natural feeling.

Optional Step - Making the river uncrossable by ground units

To make it uncrossable, select the doodads and find pathing blocker (ground). Then apply it to the both shores of the river.





And you are all done!

[Chriz.]

I like the effect, it's a nice beginner's tutorial.

[Ignitedstar]

OOooooo. Nice!

Makes me wanna do that too.

[Whitehorn]

Green water with blue waves looks bad.

[Andrewgosu]

Originally Posted by Whitehorn

Green water with blue waves looks bad.

But it looks hell more better than blue water with blue waves in a jungle.

[darkwulfv]

I wouldn't worry about the waves. When water rides up the bank, whether its green or blue, it will look like that becuase of the foam. Plus, I highly doubt somone playing the game will go "Hmmm... Green water? Blue waves? Noob."
Nice tutorial anyways! +rep, and now im going to make a river myself!

[PitzerMike]

Hmm yes, this is really nice for beginners, approved. :)
Makes me want to do terrains too.

[Pheonix-IV]

The green water looks quite horrible and highly unrealistic. More suited to some sort of toxic sludge run-off.

[Andrewgosu]

Originally Posted by Pheonix-IV

The green water looks quite horrible and highly unrealistic. More suited to some sort of toxic sludge run-off.

Blaim blizzard. All jungle rivers are green or brown. Don't you watch national geographic?

[Anopob]

I guess...green water = totally toxic/dirty makes you scared of what's underneath. +rep for the nice tut...really taught me stuff to terrain.

[PurplePoot]

Ah, you forgot to mention that you need Enforce Water Height Limits turned off for this to work, so it may confuse some noobs

[Andrewgosu]

No, I mentioned that. "Firstly, untick the Enforce Water Height Limits."

[Saim]

Woah great tut. Thx!

[insane_bubble]

Nice totorial makes nice smooth rivers and they dont look half bad (persanoly i think blizzard should change the wave color when you change the water tint)

[alzidaney]

The smooth tool does wonders. Why doesnt this tutorial teach that? :D