[LE] Seems I suck at Landscaping...and navmesh?

[victoriae350]

I learn well by watching video tutorials and jumping into CK and trying stuff out. Unfortunately, as I learn how to build worlds and such, I've come to realize that my landscaping skills are rubbish. I'm not referring to the act of doing something (pull the land above the water, go to this menu to change your water type, etc) but the aesthetics. Like, I'm not joking when I say my world atm is literally just plains. I mean, the farm is located in a vast plain field as is the farming community two minutes away, and I attempted to make hills and started making a forest, but it looks terrible. I'm afraid of building more hills and such because they look so weird.

 

Does anyone have recommended tutorials (video or written) that walk you through how to not make something look like trash?

 

In addition, I assume if one is creating a new world, you have to nav mesh absolutely everything since it tells the NPC's where they can walk?

[agerweb]

Yes you have to navmesh everything I am afraid.

 

There is nothing about the aesthetics of skyrim world building as far as I am aware. I just spent a lot of time looking at other peoples worlds to stimulate ideas in my head for my worlds.

[Di0nysys]

Post some screenshots if u can, it would help visualize what you're describing. There isn't really a set formula for landscape design, it's something u learn with practice.

[victoriae350]

Sorry for the large file sizes. This is what i'm at right now. The farm took a good 1 and 1/2 days. Everything else I touched i applied little to because I was sure i wasn't doing stuff right.

Edited March 4, 2018 by victoriae350

[Di0nysys]

Glad you decided to post them, a few things come to mind;

When you're doing grass, instead of spreading one type of grass landscape across the entire landscape, instead try to sort out a base texture, then variation textures to break up the pattern. Sprinkle grass land textures in between so the growth pattern is more organic. Vary the types of grass you're using as well.

 

Another thing is that when u think of hills, typically if the elevation is vast, use landscape rock assets that fit the land texture you're using to cover up the cliff faces. If the elevation is small to medium, use cliff assets. And always as a rule, match up the asset your using to the ground texture.

When u make elevations in the land, go up in brush size to 9, make a few bumps and down, then make the brush smaller (3-5), and use the smooth tool the even out the elevation so the lands isn't sticking out too much, and it looks organic.

Finally, try to throw in more asset variety. I noticed you're only using 1 type of tree (PineForestTree01). Instead, use all 5 of them, and try to cluster these trees instead of sprinkling them all over your landscape. Combine cliff assets with trees on top of them, throw in some rocks here and there, etc.

If you have and are serious at getting better, checkout this GDC talk about the importance of spacing in level design. He puts far better than i can.

 

As for Navmesh, you can pretty much auto generate exterior navmesh using the Havok-based generation tool (tick use only landscape in the Havok Generation window). Have fun landscaping :)

[agerweb]

You also need to avoid large areas of flat space, ground should be undulating. And add some streams and/or rivers if the space is big enough.

[greyday01]

I sympathize. Creating natural spaces, either world spaces or caves is part of modding I find hardest. Trying to make areas aesthetically pleasing and still natural looking is hard for me. I've been stalled for months on my mod trying to clutter a 3 X 3 world space with trees, scrubs and flora because I find it so tedious. Interiors are much more fun because things are there for a reason not happenstance. How anyone does a large world space is hard to imagine.