My First Posted Terrain - Look good?

[Elevator_Hazard]

I was toying around with Ashenvale terrain until I had something I thought was decent, what do you guys think? I'm pretty new to terraining, but I've also had a little experience.

[TheCrystalBlade]

Nice, good use of doodads and textures.
Maybe some more tile variations?

[Elevator_Hazard]

You can't really see it from that angle, and come to think of it you can't see the different tiles under trees from most angles... I'll remember that. Thanks.

[Mefhisto]

Looks very nice. One think I doesn't like, those rocks on the cliff are like on-air.

-Mefhisto

[Karzvitch]

The map completely stops at the bottom of the picture (closest to us)

If you're going to do it like that, fill it in so the screenshot makes it look like it goes forever. Add some fog, too.

Looks Ok other than the little stuff I pointed out

[Wraithwynd]

Originally Posted by Karzvitch

The map completely stops at the bottom of the picture (closest to us)

If you're going to do it like that, fill it in so the screenshot makes it look like it goes forever. Add some fog, too.

Looks Ok other than the little stuff I pointed out

That is because you are standing in a field of freshly mowed hay that has already been raked into lines (behind you) and is drying in the sun.

The farmer who has just finished lining up the last row is taking a break and looking beyond the field he has labored in all day.

I think part of the problem with your critic types is that you look at an image and expect the whole story to be told to you. Look at the picture again, this time take time to think of possible "whys" that this picture looks this way. Think in a story fashion, make up a story that goes with the image.

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My suggestion. Rock Chunks. They are in the destructable section of the doodads.

Personally I like to take rock chunks and make customized "ramps" out of them - I do this so in game they can not be taken out and I do not have to make every rock chunk invunerable.

I have made several varieties tweaking the color, size and sometimes pathing.

For cliffs or steep inclines I place them back to front lowering the ones behind until the base line sinks below the front line of rock chunks.

These usually work rather well with customized water falls that have a wider range of size, you can make very thin "trickles" of water, or very tall/wide single falls. use the wide tall as your base water fall that sits slightly behind the rocks, then use the thinner shorter waterfalls to make steps of falling water off the rocks...

You can also try making customized rocks that have a much greater size, set those 'in' a hill with only some of the side showing. This adds a "texture" of rock that your terrain pallet does not have. The tall fat boulder usually works best of that. Say about half the size of your hill. The nice thing is that in game color/textures of the models for different maps already gives you variety of colors.

If you are using them for a game and desire pathing blocking once you place them in your map you can change the pathing to something larger say the arcane observatory to prevent fly overs, the avary, or lumbermill. Even the cathedral for larger chunks/rocks.

Rushes - the brown clumps - Make customized models - say three of them and tweak the color of the model to dark green, medium green and light green. Mix and match the clumps of grass blending the four colors together (with out the cattail model that comes with rushes) After you do that you can come back and add the real cattails - again you can modify the size of these models or have a wider range of size.

Going back to rock chunks. You can make a pathless rock chunk custom doodle. Some of them have a "flat top" place them then lower them to where only the tops are above the terrain, you can create "stepping stones" or placing them close together you can make a 'solid' sheet of stone.

Other models like arches can be customized to where you can 'smeer' them increasing the y and x (side to side, front to back) and decreasing the z (up and down) you can make a very flat doodad. No pathing for a slab of rock. indent your terrain slightly and smooth and place the arch in the middle, lower the arch until its just above the terrain slightly.

Again you can customize color to your hearts content.

[Tyre]

Looks really good :D

[Vulkarus]

Although I also am not a very experienced terrainer I have one thing to point out. In all reality there wouldn't be nearly as much grass there, the forest would choke out the light. Although, I'm not just saying this from a reality point of view. There is such a thing as too many doodads. other than that it's pretty good. Keep up the good work and improve a little while doing it!