Need tips on how to flatten

[MaLiBaRu]

Hello there fellow astroneers,

Recently discovered this game and I really happy that I did, great gem!

But one thing that drives me crazy in this game is to have decent flat surface! Why the increasing curves? angles? WHY? -_-

My frustration aside, I watched videos about have a flat surface and learned that the best way is to establish a base next to purple gateway things(?) via use of leveling block. I have been trying to flatten my home base but no success. Whatever land I am on is 1 or 2 degrees or more angled and when I expand my base, edges start to elevate so much and you know... it triggers a bit :D

Any tips that I missed?

2nd is, if I establish a shelter next to the gateways, will it also have a landing pad same as the home base's?

[Geauxboy]

Yes, the gateways are the best place for a perfectly (well, almost) flat area.

One problem that people do is to start flattening an area and then stop for whatever reason. When they start back up, they are not starting from the original origin spot because now you are "resetting" the flat spot from the original one you started first.

But, no matter what you do, the land will start to rise above when you get far enough away. That's is just the way the game is written in a voxel sort of way. Then you just need to learn how to smooth out those areas to make it a more seamless transition from your flat land to the regular land.

[Leost]

Originally posted by Geauxboy:

Yes, the gateways are the best place for a perfectly (well, almost) flat area.

One problem that people do is to start flattening an area and then stop for whatever reason. When they start back up, they are not starting from the original origin spot because now you are "resetting" the flat spot from the original one you started first.

But, no matter what you do, the land will start to rise above when you get far enough away. That's is just the way the game is written in a voxel sort of way. Then you just need to learn how to smooth out those areas to make it a more seamless transition from your flat land to the regular land.

Yeah....no. You end up being too high because you are making the terrain "flat" with respect to where you start flattening, not with respect to the planet. It has nothing to do with voxels.

We need a tool that will retain the starting height with respect to the center of the planet your on. That would let us have smooth terrain, but not really "flat" terrain, and it is actually what most people want. Even Desolo which is the smallest planet we go to is big enough that a constant height surface will feel quite flat and won't have the problems you run into with the current flattening tool.

[MaLiBaRu]

Well, thanks for the answers. I tried to limit the area I flat around my main home base so that elevation will be a less of a problem. For other bases around the solar system, I luckily set up my all my outposts close to gateways so I can move them there easily.

Thats a thing that I'll accept as it is \o/

[Mharr]

As to why, it's because the game takes place on comically small planets which are modelled as complete spheres.

[Yrol Akiyama]

Leost wrote:
"We need a tool that will retain the starting height with respect to
the center of the planet your on."

Precisely, a tool which ADJUSTS the height of the terrain above the core of
the planet constantly, so it is kept at the initial Height/Altitude.

Ideally, we could specifically MARK the spot we want as reference or enter some number.

However, i fear such a feature would be too hardcore for the devs,
This ain't stationeers after all ;oP

( Disclaimer: I do NOT want this to be like stationeers,
i LOVE the less, ermm... stressful and more playful and cute way that is Astroneers )

[Shermyth]

Originally posted by Leost:

Originally posted by Geauxboy:

We need a tool that will retain the starting height with respect to the center of the planet your on. That would let us have smooth terrain, but not really "flat" terrain, and it is actually what most people want. Even Desolo which is the smallest planet we go to is big enough that a constant height surface will feel quite flat and won't have the problems you run into with the current flattening tool.

Oh, you mean the Alignment mod? Use it in flattening mode and it follows the curve of the planet.

[NightOwl]

Learn to let go. If it's flat-ish, it's flat enough. Geometric perfection isn't the point of the game.

[Yrol Akiyama]

NightOwl. i know precisely what you mean, however....

Honestly, have you LOOKED at some youtube videos?
Or at minecraft videos...

Clearly, as with every game, the point of the game is what the player makes it :o)
You personal one may differ, so may mine but we are hardly, at all, ever
the measurement for others.

[Philtre]

Originally posted by MaLiBaRu:

2nd is, if I establish a shelter next to the gateways, will it also have a landing pad same as the home base's?

I don't think this got answered, but no: the crafted shelter does not come with a landing pad, regardless of where you put it. But you can also craft a separate landing pad and put it wherever you like.

[Drinkcup]

just quit the game, most everyone else did. You will NEVER have a decent, common sense way to make flat or trimmed neat surfaces ever in this game, ever. I dont care what anyone says about using the stupid straightener block thing, it's pure junk.

just quit the game, bc asking for a way to make flat surfaces is far, far beyond this game and always will be.

[NereidAlbel]

Drill + Paver on the large rover gives you smooth terrain, and if you level out properly, it'll be a smooth strip that matches the curve of the planet.

[Mharr]

Pity the levelling controls for rovers are an absolute disaster really. Some sort of upgrade that locks them relative to the horizon would make that option amazing.

[NereidAlbel]

Yeah, auto-level would be a lot nicer than fiddling around until you get it just right.

[Gargoyle Girl]

You want to use the alignment mod to help you adjust for a 'flat' area. It adjusts to the curvature of the planet and the area you start flattening from, so it creates essentially flat area that follow the curve of the planet, so don't just got straight up into the sky.

Start at your feet, do a not-to-wide circle around yourself, move a bit, repeat. WATCH THE GROUND. Due to how the planets are crafted (if you've been playing for long enough, you remember sometimes seeing planets in the sky in quarters; this is part of how they're constructed) sometimes the 'chunks' will shift very slightly, throwing things off a bit. But you can usually get a large, flat area if you're diligent enough about it.