Jump to content

Flexible ocean model


Recommended Posts

Hi, all. I've seen planet modding come a long way, and I'm glad to see what new features are going to be available for planet modders to tinker with. However, oceans have as much attention given to them as an afterthought (due to KSP being about space and rockets before anything else) which makes them pretty useless and a heap of wasted potential that modders can only hope to take advantage of. I'll lay down my list of features that in my opinion, KSP2 could do well to provide mechanics for:

  1. Deformable
    Mountain lakes, inland lakes below sea level, rivers on mountainsides and even waterfalls (don't need any added physics, but could use a relevant "steep speed multiplier" parameter which can make for faster moving texture for the greater the steep angle. This overall would require, at minimum, its own heightmap.
    I can imagine Rask and Rusk being roche lobes. If someone were to make roche lobes in current KSP, they would have to not have an ocean node as it cannot be deformed.
     
  2. Per-region colors and physics
    For a planet which has a significant body (or multiple) of any number of these: [Water; Lava; Quicksand; Brine; whatever else]. Ocean emissive is consequently an absolute must. What is lava if it cannot glow? There's also the sad situation where the green of reefs in or through shallow water can only exist in ScaledSpace because coloring the terrain itself green is weird and no one wants to do that.
    Liquid density per region would be a must as well. Water and lava can't have the same density.
    If this distinction could also be made for resource placement, this would be great as well.
     
  3. Pelagic zones
    Regions defined by altitude or pressure ranges below sea level. This is mainly a means toward more science opportunities and has nothing going on in cosmetics/visuals. Currently there is only one science experiment (in a mod with its own plugin) that cares if you are shallow or not when in the splashed situation -- the DMagic Orbital Science: Bathymetry experiment.
     
  4. Proper splash physics
    In KSP1, bringing anything for a splashdown is tricky business and is akin to landing a fighter plane on an aircraft carrier and catching the capture cable with your hind wheels but you have no nose wheel. You're likely to break your cockpit off or worse. I don't know all what's missing in this department, but at minimum, some sort of hydroplane physics would be very welcome.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/7/2022 at 5:35 AM, kerbiloid said:

We have asteroids.

The KSP water is not an actual liquid as well as ground isn't solid. They are polygons.

What if temporarily make ground liquid for a moment, on the class E arrival.

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

Sounds very difficult to code, as well as unnecessary for a game mostly about space.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, TheSameKerbal77 said:

Sounds very difficult to code, as well as unnecessary for a game mostly about space.

Temporarily make the land textures blue and move them up and down, then return to the initial positions and view.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...