The future of Blockland

[Jorgur]

It is virtually impossible to have a good Dogfight without terrain. Air plane combat usually requires very much space, unlimited if possible. This is something the terrain feature handles with ease, but building decent terrain with bricks is a hopeless task. Even if you somehow make a gigantic landscape out of bricks, the enormous brick count will cause most people to lag.

So yeah, enjoy dogfighting across an endless plate.

[Ad Bot]

[shafin25]

It is virtually impossible to have a good Dogfight without terrain. Air plane combat usually requires very much space, unlimited if possible. This is something the terrain feature handles with ease, but building decent terrain with bricks is a hopeless task. Even if you somehow make a gigantic landscape out of bricks, the enormous brick count will cause most people to lag.

So yeah, enjoy dogfighting across an endless plate.

Or you can put the occasional mountain and stuff while having plate as your main immensive ground.
Dogfighting doesn't have to have tons of terrain going everywhere

[Squideey]

For bolstering gameplay over eye-candy, you sure advocate the idea that it's IMPERATIVE that there's a bunch of terrain in the background while you're raping each other with planes.

[Lalam24]

the update will FORCE blockland's creativity.

using a map is complete lack of being creative

There's a difference between forcing creativity and promoting a redundant, insufficient use of bricks.  Brick terrain isn't user friendly (depending on the size, it'll almost definitely create some sort of lag -- have you ever walked on brick terrain? Err, jumped from block to block in it?), looks absolutely hideous, and will almost definitely exceed a specific brickcount.  This is, in no way, an effective way of changing the game.  It's a step backward, not a step forward.  I've yet to hear many solid arguments that actually state the benefit of losing terrain/interiors.. or, rather, ones that aren't easily contradicted by the above statements.

Here's a quote justifying my argument entirely:

I think it's funny that some individuals actually prefer shadows over game compatability in general.

I understand why Kompressor would want the feature, considering the amount of effort he put into making them work appropriately.  But, the bias of one's creation aside, they do not benefit the game as much as terrain.  This is a fact, not an opinion.. or some silly bias I'm here to display out of anger.  The appearance of shadows will not allow for users to do more.  It isn't some magical entity that'll now enlighten users of a better world -- they're literally shadows casted from bricks.  You establish a primitive nature to something if the quality is effected by its appearance.  A fool makes a house of gold; a genius makes one of steel.

Terrain is such an incredibly large portion of the game, regardless of how "ugly" it looks.  The intent is to allow for environments that can be played in with no end, allowing for users to build differently to adapt to each individual location; why anybody would even consider ridding of this for brick shadows is beyond my level of comprehension.

I've been with the community since 2004, and have most likely logged more active playtime than the majority of the players here.  This isn't a way of boasting, but stating that I've witnessed the ups and downs of this game.  Sure, I haven't always provided too much input, but now I think it's the time to listen, and listen well.  You will significantly hinder the game if you push this through, shooting the value of it down dramatically.  You will rid of a fanbase that has followed you for years now.  This is something that should be thrown in on the side, something, of which, shouldn't jeopardize the game in any way.

You've done a good job, Komp.  Now do a better job by figuring out how to keep the game as it were.

[Thorax]

There's a difference between forcing creativity and promoting a redundant, insufficient use of bricks.  Brick terrain isn't user friendly (depending on the size, it'll almost definitely create some sort of lag -- have you ever walked on brick terrain? Err, jumped from block to block in it?), looks absolutely hideous, and will almost definitely exceed a specific brickcount.  This is, in no way, an effective way of changing the game.  It's a step backward, not a step forward.  I've yet to hear many solid arguments that actually state the benefit of losing terrain/interiors.. or, rather, ones that aren't easily contradicted by the above statements.

Seeing as Blockland is a game about building, any update that has the ability to promote that I would consider a step forward. Removing terrain/interiors can give rise to higher brick counts which promotes building, meaning it is a step forward.


Now, with this in mind, I'll go back through your post:

There's a difference between forcing creativity and promoting a redundant, insufficient use of bricks.

It really depends on the user, but seeing as most of the community is unable to build a simple house effectively, I'll side with you on this one.

Brick terrain isn't user friendly (depending on the size, it'll almost definitely create some sort of lag -- have you ever walked on brick terrain?

Debatable.

Err, jumped from block to block in it?, looks absolutely hideous, and will almost definitely exceed a specific brickcount.  

Example 2. Also, there aren't a whole lot of servers that having large areas for the players to explore, most are limited to a small space.

This is, in no way, an effective way of changing the game.  It's a step backward, not a step forward.  I've yet to hear many solid arguments that actually state the benefit of losing terrain/interiors.. or, rather, ones that aren't easily contradicted by the above statements.

I've addressed the step forward argument.


I feel like many people don't seem to understand that after this update, Blockland will need to be RELEARNED. We won't be able to play the game the same way as we have before. If you don't like it, nobody is forcing you to stay here.

[Yosher]

This update shows they care more about graphics than gameplay.

"oh boo hoo interiors are ugly"

Are you stupid or just blind?

[Tom Gunn]

I'm not against this.
Besides, I've never really cared much for some of the map designs.

[FadedGlory]

I feel like many people don't seem to understand that after this update, Blockland will need to be RELEARNED. We won't be able to play the game the same way as we have before. If you don't like it, nobody is forcing you to stay here.

This isn't kindergarten. And there's a smart reason why people disagree with this update.

[Lamebro1]

As Komp said in the OP, interiors and terrain maps are pretty ugly in this day and age. Not to say we can't tolerate them, but I'd rather have much nicer looking builds made by myself thanks to the new lighting and shadows than better looking maps, made by other people who have different creative aims than what I have when building.

bottom line, I'd prefer more attractive builds and lose maps over keeping everything the same and releasing minor updates to things.

[Lalam24]

Seeing as Blockland is a game about building, any update that has the ability to promote that I would consider a step forward. Removing terrain/interiors can give rise to higher brick counts which promotes building, meaning it is a step forward.

Debatable.
Example 2. Also, there aren't a whole lot of servers that having large areas for the players to explore, most are limited to a small space.
I've addressed the step forward argument.


I feel like many people don't seem to understand that after this update, Blockland will need to be RELEARNED. We won't be able to play the game the same way as we have before. If you don't like it, nobody is forcing you to stay here.

This doesn't promote building what so ever.  You can argue that it forces people to build, yes, but that's individual insentive, NOT something physically produced from the game.

Both examples are TINY in comparison to what I'm referring to.  An ENTIRE environment you can explore without end -- can you replicate this with bricks?  No, you cannot.

Don't fix something that isn't broken.

[Ipquarx]

Well someone asked if there could be brick generated maps with blocks that cannot be broken, thus making cubescapes, and maybe if that was added we would be able to generate our own custom scape.

There are so many problems with that, I can't even begin to explain.

[Chrono]

There's a difference between forcing creativity and promoting a redundant, insufficient use of bricks.  Brick terrain isn't user friendly (depending on the size, it'll almost definitely create some sort of lag -- have you ever walked on brick terrain? Err, jumped from block to block in it?), looks absolutely hideous, and will almost definitely exceed a specific brickcount.  This is, in no way, an effective way of changing the game.  It's a step backward, not a step forward.  I've yet to hear many solid arguments that actually state the benefit of losing terrain/interiors.. or, rather, ones that aren't easily contradicted by the above statements.

Here's a quote justifying my argument entirely:

You seemed to have missed my post, and many others' posts (including Kompressors), that states when implementing new features (NOT JUST SHADOWS), making them work around interiors and terrains is a major hassle, and that's why it's been taking long to get new updates. Once they're removed, we should expect many, many more updates much quicker. Some things Kompressor mentioned looking at is improved vehicle physics, day cycles (going light and dark periodically), implementing our own methods of rendering the game (shaders), and I'm sure this list could go on.

Vehicle physics are poor because in the code, what do you know, has terrain and interior in it. Makes everything a mess to fix.
Shadows and day cycles were completely avoided because in terrains and interiors, lighting is just burned into them after a huge mess of calculation and lag. Doing that every second would not work. I'm sure getting terrain and interior shadows to show up on players and bricks would also take a lot of effort as well.

I don't remember what else was asked and answered.

tl;dr: Removing terrain and interiors is NOT just for shadows and shaders. They are in the way of making anything good come out.

I hope terrains and interiors rot in hell, and no, not just because I want people to be more creative and build. Because I know how much of a pain they are, to the devs and modders alike.

[WingZero]

To be honest, I support this update. Since the removal of terrains and interiors will open up a path to create even bigger and better updates, maybe in a later time Badspot and Kompressor would be able to implement terrains and interiors again while being compatible with the other updates soon to be developed.

[MrMcCakey]

Somebody in that thread said something about coding Blockland on a different engine. I didn't read the whole thread to see if kompressor had anything to say about it, but he and Badspot should consider that.

[Chrono]

Somebody in that thread said something about coding Blockland on a different engine. I didn't read the whole thread to see if kompressor had anything to say about it, but he and Badspot should consider that.

They said something along the lines of no.