What I'm noticing about your stuff, Maxsvard, is that you've got a... very 'clean' style of terraining. I've seen terrains exactly like that in another game of which I can't quite figure the name right now. What I reckon you should do is add some noise to the terrain and fill up those 'open spots' you're leaving with some doodads, even if just small amounts of them. You do have a knack of making 'open spaces'... not look horrible, since I feel they tend to do so most of the time, but I also think there's some room for improvement there.
I do have to say I just plain like what you did with those viking 'launch bays', though. That's an original concept, it works well and you've pulled it off exactly right.
Your terrain seems a bit 'static'. It could use some more foliage, one or two focal points, and I reckon you could up the water level in that canyon. You need to smooth the edges of cliffs made with the raise tool, and fiddle with textures more. In general, but specifically for that little pond in your fourth screenshot. Think about it - if there'd be a little pool/oasis with water and trees growing next to it, would it be completely sandy in such an area? If it were, the water would seep into the ground. You need to either use a bit of desert grass to 'indicate' stuff is actually growing near it, not just loose trees, or you need to use a rocky bottom that explains why that pool of (in that case probably rainwater) isn't seeping away.
In response to ralme's terrain, like others have somewhat said, you're overdoing it. The place is just littered with redundant doodads. It doesn't look original, but more like constant copy/paste. I don't mean that as harsh as it sounds, the basis is quite good, but you need more focal points, height variation and less 'similar doodads'. If you want to do something with pillars, try and make one or two raised 'paths' where the pillars act as a 'fence' on the side of it.
Is the foliage tool you are talking about the thing where it automatically generates random shrubs and such?
Normally I reckon it is, but I'm simply talking about the object named 'foliage' in the doodad layer that automatically places random kinds of shrub when you click it down. Hence why I put 'tool' between marks, I wasn't sure whether I should word it that way.
I hope to finally get started on something nifty within one or two days.
I like that a lot more. I reckon there's room for one more 'big' eyepeeler, but it's definitely an improvement. You could also do with some more shrub and bushes instead of trees. Try the foliage 'tool'. Also, I'll probably cook something up as well soonish.
You seem to somewhat suffer from what I like to call "the jungle syndrome". As in - your map seems filled with doodads but they are all over the place. Not that this is necessarily bad (in fact, it's a lot better than my own 'orderly' way of terraining in some cases), it's just an observation. However, definitely in your second picture, I reckon it worked out in a bad way. That 'path' misses a focal point. It needs a boulder surrounded by flowers. Or temple ruins. Or even some rain pools on the road. Or anything really, just make it look 'interesting' rather than "just plants all over the place". Currently, when I look at that road, I see it and go "oh look, it's a road... and a lot of trees". If you want to capture my attention, I need to go "oh look, it's a road... and hey, there's a bend there and [Focal point X] in the corner. That's cool!".
Also, I really like what you've done with the water. Most terrainers I've seen use the simple raise/lower tools to 'dredge out rivers', but you actually used cliffs. This can somewhat limit the possibility to make three cliff-layers of terrain work in your map, but it worked out really well for you.
But like Benjamin said, all in all definitely not bad. Your waterfall worked out really well, even though the side also misses focal points. If you're interested enough to improve your practice map, I'd definitely be interested in seeing some more screenshots.
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@Maxsvard: Go
What I'm noticing about your stuff, Maxsvard, is that you've got a... very 'clean' style of terraining. I've seen terrains exactly like that in another game of which I can't quite figure the name right now. What I reckon you should do is add some noise to the terrain and fill up those 'open spots' you're leaving with some doodads, even if just small amounts of them. You do have a knack of making 'open spaces'... not look horrible, since I feel they tend to do so most of the time, but I also think there's some room for improvement there.
I do have to say I just plain like what you did with those viking 'launch bays', though. That's an original concept, it works well and you've pulled it off exactly right.
@Tradnan: Go
Your terrain seems a bit 'static'. It could use some more foliage, one or two focal points, and I reckon you could up the water level in that canyon. You need to smooth the edges of cliffs made with the raise tool, and fiddle with textures more. In general, but specifically for that little pond in your fourth screenshot. Think about it - if there'd be a little pool/oasis with water and trees growing next to it, would it be completely sandy in such an area? If it were, the water would seep into the ground. You need to either use a bit of desert grass to 'indicate' stuff is actually growing near it, not just loose trees, or you need to use a rocky bottom that explains why that pool of (in that case probably rainwater) isn't seeping away.
@ralme360: Go
In response to ralme's terrain, like others have somewhat said, you're overdoing it. The place is just littered with redundant doodads. It doesn't look original, but more like constant copy/paste. I don't mean that as harsh as it sounds, the basis is quite good, but you need more focal points, height variation and less 'similar doodads'. If you want to do something with pillars, try and make one or two raised 'paths' where the pillars act as a 'fence' on the side of it.
Normally I reckon it is, but I'm simply talking about the object named 'foliage' in the doodad layer that automatically places random kinds of shrub when you click it down. Hence why I put 'tool' between marks, I wasn't sure whether I should word it that way.
I hope to finally get started on something nifty within one or two days.
@Tradnan: Go
I like that a lot more. I reckon there's room for one more 'big' eyepeeler, but it's definitely an improvement. You could also do with some more shrub and bushes instead of trees. Try the foliage 'tool'. Also, I'll probably cook something up as well soonish.
You seem to somewhat suffer from what I like to call "the jungle syndrome". As in - your map seems filled with doodads but they are all over the place. Not that this is necessarily bad (in fact, it's a lot better than my own 'orderly' way of terraining in some cases), it's just an observation. However, definitely in your second picture, I reckon it worked out in a bad way. That 'path' misses a focal point. It needs a boulder surrounded by flowers. Or temple ruins. Or even some rain pools on the road. Or anything really, just make it look 'interesting' rather than "just plants all over the place". Currently, when I look at that road, I see it and go "oh look, it's a road... and a lot of trees". If you want to capture my attention, I need to go "oh look, it's a road... and hey, there's a bend there and [Focal point X] in the corner. That's cool!".
Also, I really like what you've done with the water. Most terrainers I've seen use the simple raise/lower tools to 'dredge out rivers', but you actually used cliffs. This can somewhat limit the possibility to make three cliff-layers of terrain work in your map, but it worked out really well for you.
But like Benjamin said, all in all definitely not bad. Your waterfall worked out really well, even though the side also misses focal points. If you're interested enough to improve your practice map, I'd definitely be interested in seeing some more screenshots.