New Planet Tech is KILLER of Exploration (all terrain is tiling/repeating/not procedural/random)

Here's what happens when your vaunted new ground heightmaps don't have enough vertical resolution. Each "layer" is a different gray value in the image used, probably an 8-bit one with 256 levels.
GroundHeightmapIssue.jpg
 
Here's what happens when your vaunted new ground heightmaps don't have enough vertical resolution. Each "layer" is a different gray value in the image used, probably an 8-bit one with 256 levels.
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It could be that, or it could be their algorithms attempting to simulate natural geological formations which we know form terraces like this. Fluvial terraces for example. I'd be very reluctant to call them out on examples like this.
 
It could be that, or it could be their algorithms attempting to simulate natural geological formations which we know form terraces like this. Fluvial terraces for example. I'd be very reluctant to call them out on examples like this.
Possibly, but that was an ice world with no atmosphere or geology.
 
Hi, please check the post in this other thread (you might have seen it already). Not the entire thread, just the post for this link:

Is this related to the issues you're referencing?
Probably, but whatever it is, it is not my hardware, as much as some would love to convince players who have problems :D And it's not like we have any other choice but to wait and see.
 
Somewhere, there's a bean counter going "look! it worked great, they're posting screenshots!", and meanwhile most planets look like they're printed in draft mode on a low end dot matrix printer, perfectly regular grids of a slightly different colour as you approach.
 
Somewhere, there's a bean counter going "look! it worked great, they're posting screenshots!", and meanwhile most planets look like they're printed in draft mode on a low end dot matrix printer, perfectly regular grids of a slightly different colour as you approach.
Yeah, thats what I feel in Horizons, lol.
 
My observations on the current iteration of planetary tech is that the terrain changes for each kilometer approaching / leaving the surface. Odd behavious indeed, but perfectly repeatable.

Of course, this does mean that one could, for example, find a body that looks terrible from a couple of kilometers up, screenshot it, and use this to 'prove' how 'broken' things are currently - it wouldn't be entirely wrong either, just disingenious - maybe the 'roadmap' due next week wil mention fixes for the tech.
 
My observations on the current iteration of planetary tech is that the terrain changes for each kilometer approaching / leaving the surface. Odd behavious indeed, but perfectly repeatable.

Of course, this does mean that one could, for example, find a body that looks terrible from a couple of kilometers up, screenshot it, and use this to 'prove' how 'broken' things are currently - it wouldn't be entirely wrong either, just disingenious - maybe the 'roadmap' due next week wil mention fixes for the tech.
Yeah, theres a lot of lods, and they work great, when they work. For example this one is not ok and looks like a bug.
 

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My observations on the current iteration of planetary tech is that the terrain changes for each kilometer approaching / leaving the surface. Odd behavious indeed, but perfectly repeatable.

Of course, this does mean that one could, for example, find a body that looks terrible from a couple of kilometers up, screenshot it, and use this to 'prove' how 'broken' things are currently - it wouldn't be entirely wrong either, just disingenious - maybe the 'roadmap' due next week wil mention fixes for the tech.
I also think it's out of whack at some places, as if the algorithm needs some tuning. I guess it's incredibly hard to get it right for billions of planets.
So far I've seen tons of amazing planets, a few legitimate boring ones and a few that didn't seem right.
Maybe also part of the generation itself is the missing bumps in craters and the repeating patterns. No clue actually.
I can imagine these things are bugging the tech team as well. :D
 
So far I've seen tons of amazing planets, a few legitimate boring ones and a few that didn't seem right.
So far I've only visited about 50 landables in Odyssey (too many other distractions) but have the same impression, some are "Wow!" (including no-atmo bodies) others "OK" a few where the surface doesn't match the impression gained from orbit.

I'm not complaining, Odyssey has made the urge to 'just look' strong again for my Colonia account and, like Horizons, there is sufficient variety to make the trip worthwhile.
 
So far I've only visited about 50 landables in Odyssey (too many other distractions) but have the same impression, some are "Wow!" (including no-atmo bodies) others "OK" a few where the surface doesn't match the impression gained from orbit.

I'm not complaining, Odyssey has made the urge to 'just look' strong again for my Colonia account and, like Horizons, there is sufficient variety to make the trip worthwhile.
Have the same experience some are just boring, some are great, most are in between.
 
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