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Best regards to the creator!
A huge thank you for your support and encouragement ..!
You may have seen my explanation in the last thread .. I really don’t understand what’s happening ...
As I mentioned, the museum’s direction itself was enthusiast, but as I understand it, they don’t have the authority to sign something about copyrighted materials like logos because they’re part of a larger public administration ..
But honestly, I’m tired .. you’re right .. I’ll start a new project from scratch, using the same engine but with completely new maps, along with new GUI and logos ..
It will take some time, but at least this way there won’t be any copyrighted material whatsoever ...
I still hope we’ll get a response, we wrote 2-3 times the last month ...
But let’s think positive .. : since I’ll be creating new maps from scratch, do you have any ideas or preferences for locations ? :)
Warmest regards, and thank you again for your encouragements ! :)
1: a chain of islands that can be controlled by user, and new islands that can rise or fall.
2: an open plains area for the user to create eruptions in
3: an empty sea for the user to create submarine volcanoes
4: a real life place (example: Cascades Mountain Range)
but these are my ideas and you don't have to do these, they are just some examples to help you out a bit.
P.S: i love the way this game looks, i really want to try it. thanks for everything you do.
1. Holuhraun Lava Field (Iceland)
- Last Eruption: 2014-2015
- Details: Part of the Bárðarbunga volcanic system, Holuhraun produced one of the largest lava flows in modern history during its last eruption. This field is located in the Highlands of Iceland and features vast lava plains.
- Game Ideas: Expansive plains of cooling lava, ash-filled skies, and the icy surroundings of the Vatnajökull glacier could make for dramatic contrast.
2. Mount Etna Volcanic Field (Italy)
- Last Eruption: Ongoing (2024)
- Detail: One of the most active volcanoes in the world, Mount Etna constantly produces lava flows, eruptions, and new volcanic vents.
3. Kīlauea Lava Fields (Hawaii, USA)
- Last Eruption: Ongoing (2024)
- Details: Kīlauea is one of the most active volcanoes on Earth, constantly producing new lava flows that shape the landscape. It has been erupting on and off for decades, with its recent eruptions creating new lava fields.
- Game Ideas: Jungle-covered lava fields, glowing lava lakes, and paths of molten rock heading toward the ocean would make exciting level designs.
4. Fagradalsfjall Lava Field (Iceland)
- Last Eruption: 2023
- Details: Fagradalsfjall, located on the Reykjanes Peninsula, saw its first eruption in over 800 years in 2021, and it has erupted multiple times since then. The lava field is still cooling, and the region is a hotspot for volcanic activity.
- Game Ideas: This setting could feature fresh, still-hot lava rivers, a mixture of barren and freshly formed terrain, and steam vents erupting from cracks in the earth.
5. Mauna Loa Lava Fields (Hawaii, USA)
- Last Eruption: 2022
- Details: Mauna Loa is the world’s largest active volcano and erupts less frequently than Kīlauea, but its eruptions produce extensive lava flows that cover large areas of the island.
- Game Ideas: A sprawling landscape of hardened lava tubes, craters
6. Nyiragongo Lava Field (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
- Last Eruption: 2021
- Details: Known for its large lava lake and extremely fluid lava, Nyiragongo is one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world. Its 2021 eruption caused extensive damage in the nearby city of Goma.
- Game Ideas: Fast-flowing lava that moves like rivers, a city threatened by impending lava flows, and the challenge of escaping from its path.
7. Cumbre Vieja Volcanic Field (La Palma, Canary Islands)
- Last Eruption: 2021
- Details: The Cumbre Vieja eruption in 2021 covered parts of La Palma in lava, destroying homes and reshaping the landscape.
- Game Ideas: A volcanic island setting with active lava rivers running down to the coast, creating a challenging environment with both ocean and lava hazards.
8. Lanzarote Volcanic Field (Spain)
- Last Eruption: 1824 (Timanfaya region)
- Details: Though it's not erupting now, Lanzarote's volcanic landscapes are dramatic and unique, featuring black lava fields, cones, and craters. It's a well-known tourist destination for its striking terrain.
- Game Idea: Mars-like terrain of cooled lava, craters to navigate
Thank you so much !! so many great ideas !
Let’s recap :)
"An open plains area for the user to create eruptions in"
=> Yes, this could be great way to look at newly formed volcanic structures and how they develop on the surface .. we could even add a time slider to jump through years and observe rock color changes :)
"An empty sea for the user to create submarine volcanoes"
=> This would be great !
underwater lava is very satisfying to watch :)
The technical issue I have with this is that water simulation significantly increases the computation time .. => a map like this would require more recent hardware to handle high res ..
"Craters of the Moon"
Yes, great idea ! I’m not too familiar with volcanic activity on the Moon .. I know there are shield volcanoes and lava channels ..
I'll try to learn more about this ..
(engine supports infinite zoom => it would allow to show the entire moon from space, and zoom on specific areas :)
"Kilauea, Svartsengi, Vesuvius, Sakurajima"
Yes beautiful landscapes !
for the maps, Google Maps data is free, but the precision might not be sufficient .. I'll have a look ..
for recent eruption there are per-year satellite maps that would allow before / after comparison !
"Mt. Vesuvius, Campi Flegrei"
These would offer stunning views .. I wouldn't simulate an eruption here, but perhaps we could focus on the potential danger ...
Campi Flegrei is incredibly dangerous (!) ..
"Jungle-covered lava fields, glowing lava lakes, and paths of molten rock heading toward the ocean would make exciting level designs."
Yes, indeed ! .. unfortunately the engine isn’t that powerful .. it handles lava surfaces, cooling lava, and underwater lava well, but it struggles with cliffs, vegetation, or collapsing terrain .. That would require a huge amount of work !
"Fagradalsfjall Lava Field"
This would be amazing ! (if only for the name alone ! ^^ nobody outside Iceland is able to pronounce it ^^)
"Nyiragongo Lava Lake (Democratic Republic of the Congo)"
Yes ! seeing the lava lake would be incredible !!
"Lanzarote Volcanic Field"
Yes the ground colors there are stunning !
Thank you again for all these good ideas !
Apologies for the delayed response, I've been quite busy these days..
(I’m currently working on releasing the tool that was used to design Volcano Sim’s terrains and textures)
(it's useful to create tiling grain textures using fast erosion .. you can have a look if you know someone that would be interested)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXYOrju-plk
(I initially planned to release it a year after Volcano Simulator ... no comment ..)
So I’ve reserved a new name on Steam and cleaned up the simulator project !
I’ll try to create one of the locations you suggested and I'll get back to you !
A huge thank you again for your messages ! :)
You’re fantastic, it (really) helps me not being depressed by the situation ..
All the best,
sounds fantastic! Thanks for the response to all of you!
Geologist Mode:
1. Role and Objective
In Geologist Mode, players assume the role of a volcanologist or geologist tasked with monitoring and studying volcanic activity. The primary goal is to gather data, analyze patterns, and ultimately predict volcanic eruptions. Success means protecting nearby communities by issuing timely warnings, coordinating evacuation efforts, and minimizing damage.
2. Tools and Equipment
Players will have access to a variety of scientific tools and equipment, each serving a different purpose in monitoring the volcano’s activity. These tools can be upgraded over time for better accuracy, faster data collection, or wider coverage.
Seismometers: Placed around the volcano to detect and record ground movements caused by magma shifting beneath the surface. Players can analyze seismic data to identify patterns that indicate an imminent eruption.
Thermal Cameras: Used to detect heat signatures on the volcano's surface. Sudden changes in surface temperature, such as areas of increased heat, can be an early sign of rising magma.
Gas Sensors: Measure the levels of volcanic gases (like sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and water vapor) being emitted. Rising gas emissions usually indicate magma is rising to the surface.
GPS Stations: Use satellite technology to track small shifts in the earth’s surface around the volcano. These shifts often precede an eruption and can be critical in providing advanced warning.
3. Volcanic Phases and Player Actions
In Geologist Mode, the volcano would go through several distinct phases, and each would require specific actions from the player:
Dormant Phase: The volcano is quiet, but the player still gathers baseline data. During this phase, the player can focus on deploying and maintaining equipment, calibrating sensors, and building a network of monitoring stations.
Unrest Phase: Small earthquakes and minor gas emissions may start to occur. The player must increase data collection, placing additional equipment, and running more frequent analyses. If signs of increased activity appear, they may want to issue early alerts to nearby settlements (e.g., "prepare for evacuation").
Eruption Phase: In this high-pressure phase, magma rises, and the volcano starts to erupt. Players must work quickly to update predictions in real-time, communicate with authorities, and decide which areas to prioritize for evacuation. Players could also offer strategic advice, such as suggesting evacuation routes based on lava flow predictions.
Post-Eruption Phase: Once the eruption subsides, the player can assess the damage and monitor the aftermath. They may need to track new hazards (e.g., secondary explosions, ashfall, or lahars) and help plan for recovery efforts. Players also get feedback on how accurate their predictions were and how well they handled the crisis.
4. Progression and Rewards
As players progress in Geologist Mode, they can unlock new locations, advanced tools, and more challenging volcanic situations. They might move from smaller, relatively predictable volcanoes to massive, unpredictable ones like Yellowstone or Krakatoa.
Possible progression features:
Unlock New Tools: As players successfully predict eruptions, they can unlock better monitoring equipment, allowing more accurate predictions or faster data collection.
Research and Innovation: Players could invest in research, discovering new techniques to predict eruptions more accurately.
That said, I fully understand that many of these ideas may not be feasible due to time, budget, or technical constraints. Would love to hear feedback what you guys think!
(btw i would be perfectly fine with just the normal God mode, just an idea i had)
BEST WISHES
ARTANIS
1- mars
Olympus Mons - a large volcano formed form hot spots except no tectonic plates to move over the hot spot so the volcano grew and grew in one spot until it was 21 km tall and as wide a France (yes for real). i hope we can have something like this in-game
2-Titan
titan the moon of Saturn, has a subterranean ocean under its surface of ice, where water can erupt forming Cryo volcanoes, but Cryo volcanoes form with water so viscosity is EXTREMELY low.
(and Cryo volcanoes are thought to have volcanoes under them, volcano inception :D)
Sorry for the very late reply, I’ve been very busy these weeks ..!
Thank you for all the amazing ideas ..!!
@Artanis Thanks !! => yes, that would definitely turn the app into a real game !
The original application is/was more of an educational/exploratory xp, designed for museum visitors to try, explore, discover landscapes .. => visual and fun but has a relatively short playtime ..
=> The Reunion app will evolve but will stay quite close to the original .. but for the new app, everything is possible :)
=> The "Geologist" mode is definitely doable (under some limitations ..! ^^)
Measuring terrain elevation to predict where/when an eruption might occur is a great idea ! Ideally, this would require some kind of "underground" simulation to mimic lava moving through rock .. not easy, but feasible, in combination with the existing surface simulation !
A full gameplay mode with evacuation, buildings, roads, vehicles, would be a bit trickier ^^ it would need almost a full SimCity simulation ^^
But why not ^^ the existing engine already have mechanics to carry objects inside moving lava ..
Thermal cameras are already implemented, and gas sensors is an excellent idea !
It would be great to have different scenarios where players need to predict the next eruption as accurately as possible, with different types of volcanoes !
and why not a gameplay where players could start with a limited budget and gradually unlock material, sensors, a volcano observatory, etc.. It would also be great to add possibility of chemical analysis of the lava, connected to the underground simulation ..
Everything is possible, but will definitely take more time than a "simple" god-mode ^^ I’ll update this channel as soon as I start experimenting with new game mechanics !
@sir_brady Yes, I’d love to cover volcanoes on other Solar System planets !! Simulating eruptions on Olympus Mons in fast-forward would be great !
(I think its formation started back when Mars still had oceans !)
And simulating underwater volcanoes on Titan or Enceladus would be just fantastic !! :D
but to handle planetary deformation due to tidal forces correctly would require a full simulation of fluids on/in a sphere (!)
I don’t have that right now .. it would require a massive number of particles and approximations using spherical layers to optimize ... maybe using shape-matching algorithms ?
I think it’s possible, but quite challenging to achieve in real-time ..
.. maybe a 3rd app "Exoplanets Volcanoes" ! ^^
I’m incredibly enthousiast, I am trying to free up some time to work on all of this ...!
@ronnierose75 As I mentioned in a previous conversation, after a year of total nothingness, we might perhaps finally have some hint of news ..! \o/
I’ll keep you informed of course (and I’ll try to give out some Steam keys for your incredible patience ..!)
All the best,