The swamp design is awful

[bestscreenname]

I'll start by saying, I love the biome itself and the creatures but the design is downright awful. I have no idea where they got the visual aids for the swamp but I live in a swamp filled state, have visited several other swamp filled states and I've never ever seen one filled with giant boulders every 2 feet and mangroves growing on top of a single boulder. Mangroves grow through several rocks, not on top of one giant boulder. Also, the rocks themselves are all wrong. Swamps don't have whitewashed quarry boulders. Ditch the 90% of the boulders and maybe it will look right, since you guys say you are going for "realism". Just my 2 cents.

[MikRi]

hmm yeah, i have to agree that swamps need lot of work, comparing to snow biome that is perfection <3

[We are all dogs in gods hot car]

you make a problem about realism when there are sabertooths and rexes living on the same island? when there is a dragon & a big ass spider boss? it's a game, they can try to make it's realism as good as possible, but it will never be perfect.

[bestscreenname]

No, I don't make a problem about realism. The devs have stated countless times that they are going for "realism" with the environments.

[Dastorn]

I designed a swamp in the Dev Kit using the same assets, and I did not use boulders within the swamp. It does improve the look and feel.

However, my real issue with the current swamp is the water is clear outside of the duckweed looking scum floating on the water's surface. The water should have a muddy tint to it. I live on the Suwannee River and all the tannic acid from the leaves gives the water a brownish tint that really makes you think twice about swimming in it given how dark it is.

My second suggestion would be to make the landscape texture a mucky mud look. In the map I created in the Dev Kit, I used the standard grass material and the wet black sand material in the water and around the water's edge. The black sand really gives it contrast, makes it look nasty, and just flat out makes it unique.

I also used the hammock oak trees and the live oaks in addition to the cypress trees. That's a real southern Florida/Georgia swamp for ya. I'll post some pictures if I can ever get the updates to the Dev Kit downloaded again... My internet is not exactly the best.

[Rezonus]

to be honest the new biomes aren't even finished from what I have seen. There are just places where you can tell 'that doesn't fit in here'

[Rosstafa]

I think it looks great, though I agree the rocks aren't quite right. They do help give you yoru bearings a little, but it would be cool if they looked a little more muddy and fit in better.

[bestscreenname]

Further east it's been looking okay although I haven't explored it fully but the old lake on the most western side of the swamp is just bad. I also wasn't aware these weren't finished, if that is really the case than I guess there's some hope here. Although what I have seen of the snow biome is fairly decent, besides the abrupt biome change border.

And Dastorn sounds like they have a great and true swamp made, I'd love to see images of that.

[Rosstafa]

+1 On making the water muddy.

[Akiel]

agree...

[-GITech-]

+1

[mmille14]

Originally posted by bestscreenname:

Further east it's been looking okay although I haven't explored it fully but the old lake on the most western side of the swamp is just bad. I also wasn't aware these weren't finished, if that is really the case than I guess there's some hope here. Although what I have seen of the snow biome is fairly decent, besides the abrupt biome change border.

And Dastorn sounds like they have a great and true swamp made, I'd love to see images of that.

I don't mind the abrupt biome change too much. I think it's fine given this is a created/artificial ARK for who knows what purpose. The Island is more like the Hunger Games arena than an actual location under a dome. Now, within each biome the ecosystem should be realistic. By the way, since it's an ARK I wonder where we are traveling to?

[Kovax]

I believe they used two types of swamps. One that you are used to. Like in Louisiana and something with the Amazon.

[cheaser101]

i love the new bioms

[Dastorn]

The "amazon" area is a mangrove swamp. Personally I think the visuals there could be improved as well. I also used mangroves on my map but I ran into a problem with aesthetics, as I think that they do not have enough assets to pull off the proper theme for a mangrove swamp. Perhaps additional types of mangrove trees would help, but I think they also need to create a river delta where the river branches off into seperate streams. Those streams they can line with mangroves to give that "tree cave" look. :)

[Dastorn]

For those of you who wanted to see what I designed, I created a post here

http://steamcommunity.com/app/346110/discussions/0/483366528912594352/