Difference between revisions of "Terraform"

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All [[Unit_classes#Constructor|construction units]], [[Commander]]s and [[Caretaker]]s can modify the terrain in Zero-K. '''Terraforming''' costs [[Energy]], [[Metal]] and time.
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All [[Unit classes#Constructor|construction units]], [[Commander]]s and [[Caretaker]]s can modify the terrain in Zero-K by paying [[Metal]] and [[Energy]]. Terraform has many shapes and applications but not all are needed all the time. This page is roughly sorted from the most common forms of terraform to the most complex.
  
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{{TOC right}}
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<div style="float:right;"><youtube>//www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pSigOsGJeo</youtube></div>
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[[File:Intro_terraform.png]]
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[[File:Intro terraform.png]]
  
 +
== Terraform Presets ==
 +
The quickest way to terraform is with a preset height command. These are hotkeys that raise/lower the terrain by some amount, or level it to a particular height. The default presets are as follows.
  
 +
[[File:TerraPresetsSmall.png]]
 +
{{:Terraform hotkeys}}
 +
To select a preset ensure that you have a constructor selected and press the hotkey. The cursor should turn into a terraform icon. Release the hotkey then click and drag the mouse to draw a shape. A single click will create a spike or hole, while a dragged line creates a wall/trench. The selected constructors will then work on terraform in that shape, with height being determined by the preset.
  
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== Terraform Types ==
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Heights and hotkeys can be tweaked via Terraform Preset Hotkeys section of Hotkeys/Construction in the in-game menu ({{key press|F10}}).
  
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There are 5 terraform commands found under the 'Special' tab on the command panel:
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== Raising and Lowering Structures ==
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<div style="float:right;"><youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pSigOsGJeo</youtube></div>
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[[File:RaiseStructure.png|thumb]]
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* https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ZeroK-RTS/Zero-K/master/LuaUI/Images/commands/ramp.png —Ramp
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Many structures benefit from being raised on a spike or sunk into a hole. This terraform has to be completed before the building is constructed. To select the height of a structure, first select it from the build options (so that the ghost is on the mouse cursor), then do one or both of the following.
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* https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ZeroK-RTS/Zero-K/master/LuaUI/Images/commands/level.png —Level
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* Press {{Key press|B}} to enable pre-terraforming, then press {{Key press|C}} and {{Key press|V}} to adjust the height up and down.
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* https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ZeroK-RTS/Zero-K/master/LuaUI/Images/commands/raise.png —Raise
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* Hold {{Key press|Alt}} and scroll the mouse wheel to adjust the height up and down.
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* https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ZeroK-RTS/Zero-K/master/LuaUI/Images/commands/smooth.png —Smooth
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The height of the structure is indicated by a green rectangle. Once the height is set, place the structure. A terraform command will be queued for selected constructors in front of the structure command.
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* https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ZeroK-RTS/Zero-K/master/LuaUI/Images/commands/restore.png —Restore
 
  
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'''Right-click''' at any time during the terraform will cancel the command.
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The height you last set for each structure type is remembered by the interface, even between games. This system can also be used to place structures in areas that would otherwise be too steep. The hotkeys for height changing can be set in the Terraform Structure Placement section of Hotkeys/Construction in the in-game menu ({{key press|F10}}).
  
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== Interface: Lasso Selection ==
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{{See|Structure Placement}}
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'''Level''', '''Raise''', '''Smooth''' and '''Restore''' have the same interface for selecting the effected area. They differ in what they do to the terrain.
 
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https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ZeroK-RTS/Zero-K/master/LuaUI/Images/commands/level.png https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ZeroK-RTS/Zero-K/master/LuaUI/Images/commands/raise.png https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ZeroK-RTS/Zero-K/master/LuaUI/Images/commands/smooth.png https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ZeroK-RTS/Zero-K/master/LuaUI/Images/commands/restore.png
 
  
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'''Left-click''' on the ground and hold the mouse to start drawing a line.  Drawing the area selects the area to be terraformed. If the end of the line is close to the start when the left mouse button is released the area inside the loop will be terraformed (like lasso selection), if the ends are far away the drawn line will be terraformed (good for making walls).
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= Full Terraform Commands =
  
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[[File:Lasso_terraform.jpg]]
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The full terraform commands can be found at the bottom of the 'Special' tab in the command menu. There are five types.
  
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If you are using '''Smooth''' or '''Restore''' the command will be given when you release the mouse. If you are using '''Level''' or '''Raise''' you will have to chose either which height to level to or how much to raise the land. This is done by moving the mouse up/down then clicking when it looks like it is at the desired height.
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=== Ramp ===
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[[File:RampLevelRaise.png|thumb]]
 +
[[File:ramp.png]]
  
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[[File:Setheight_terraform.jpg]]
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'''Ramp''' creates a slope between two points. It is not drawn as a shape in the same way as each of the other commands. To make a simple ramp do the following.
  
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== Effects of Terraform and Modifiers ==
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* '''Left-click''' and hold the mouse where you want the ramp to start.
 +
* '''Drag''' the mouse to where you want to end the ramp, and '''release'''.
 +
* Move the mouse to set ramp width, then '''Left-click''' again.
  
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Here are the effects of '''Level''', '''Raise''', '''Smooth''' and '''Restore'''. The modifiers {{Key press|Alt}} and {{Key press|Ctrl}} can be held during the Height Choosing phase of the '''Level''' and '''Raise''' commands for more height choosing control.
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The colour of the ramp indicates what will be able to climb it: green for vehicles, yellow for bots, and red for spider-only. Ramps can be made between any points in space, not just the ground. More advanced ramps are covered below.
  
 
=== Level ===
 
=== Level ===
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[[File:level.png]]
  
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[[File:Level.sized_terraform.jpg]]
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'''Level''' sets terrain in an area to exactly the same height. The result will always be flat.
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'''Level''' will move the terrain in the area to exactly the same height, the result terrain will be flat. For example a hill could be flattened.
 
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* Hold {{Key press|Alt}} to snap to either the starting height, just below water level (so that ships can't pass) or the level just below water level that land units cannot pass (23 deep).
 
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* Hold {{Key press|Ctrl}} and move the mouse to select the height to be levelled to from terrain by mousing over the terrain.
 
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* Tap {{Key press|Space}} to cycle through only raise or only level. This limits the terraform to either take away or add terrain instead of a mix of both. Can be toggled during Lasso stage.
 
  
 
=== Raise ===
 
=== Raise ===
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[[File:SmoothRestore.png|thumb]]
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[[File:raise.png]]
  
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[[File:Raise.sized_terraform.jpg]]
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'''Raise''' raises or lowers the terrain in an area by the same amount. The relative height of the terrain within the area is not changed.
  
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'''Raise''' raises or lowers the terrain in the area by the same amount, the relative height of the terrain within the area is not changed.
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=== Restore ===
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[[File:restore.png]]
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* Hold {{Key press|Alt}} to snap to heights by steps of 15. A 15 high (or deep) wall (or trench) will be impassable to vehicles but passable to bots. A 18 high wall will be impassable to most common bots. A 30 high wall will be impassable to everything except spiders.
 
  
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* Press {{Key press|Ctrl}} to reset the height to 0.
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'''Restore''' reverts the height of the terrain to what it was at the start of the game.  
  
 
=== Smooth ===
 
=== Smooth ===
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[[File:smooth.png]]
  
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[[File:Smooth1.sized_terraform.jpg|360px]] [[File:Smooth2.sized_terraform.jpg|360px]]
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'''Smooth''' flattens sharp edges of the terrain. Hills and cliffs are blunted. Smooth is useful for joining ramps together.
  
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'''Smooth''' flattens sharp edges of the terrain. Cliffs become less sharp.
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== Height Selection ==
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[[File:Setheight terraform.jpg|thumb]]
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The height of full '''Level''' and '''Raise''' commands is selected by moving the mouse up or down after the shape is set. '''Restore''' and '''Smooth''' do not have height selection, while '''Ramp''' commands are issued in a different way.
  
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=== Restore ===
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'''Level''' height selection has the following modifiers.
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* Hold {{Key press|Alt}} to snap to either the starting height, just below water level (so that ships can't pass) or the level just below water level that land units cannot pass (23 deep).
 +
* Hold {{Key press|Ctrl}} and move the mouse to select the height to be leveled to from terrain by mousing over the terrain.
  
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[[File:Restore1.sized_terraform.jpg|360px]] [[File:Restore2.sized_terraform.jpg|360px]]
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'''Raise''' height selection has the following modifiers.
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* Hold {{Key press|Alt}} to snap to heights by steps of 6. A 6 high (or deep) wall (or trench) will be impassable to vehicles but passable to bots. An 18 high wall will be impassable to bots.
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'''Restore''' reverts the height of the terrain to what it was at the start of the game.
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* Press {{Key press|Ctrl}} to reset the height to 0.
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* Tap {{Key press|Space}} to cycle through ''only raise'' or ''only level''. This limits the terraform to either take away or to add terrain instead of a mix of both. Toggle during Lasso stage.
 
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== Advanced Area Selection ==
 
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For easier terraforming, {{Key press|Alt}} and/or {{Key press|Ctrl}} can be used to modify the way the lasso command is given.
 
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* Hold {{Key press|Alt}} while clicking to terraform a rectangular area.{{clear}}[[File:Square_terraform.jpg]]
 
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* Hold {{Key press|Alt}} and click on a building or unit to create a wall around that unit.{{clear}}[[File:Autowall.sized_terraform.jpg]]
 
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* Hold {{Key combo|Alt|Ctrl}} while clicking to create a hollow rectangle of terraform.{{clear}}[[File:Ring.sized_terraform.jpg]]
 
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* Hold {{Key press|Ctrl}} at any time during line drawing to create a straight section of line. Straight and non-straight lines can be mixed by pressing and releasing {{Key press|Ctrl}}.{{clear}}[[File:Loopy.sized_terraform.jpg]]
 
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== Terraforming Under Buildings In One Click ==
 
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The default option of terraforming the ground under buildings is to press the {{Key press|B}} key after choosing the structure, changing the height of the project with {{Key press|C}} and {{Key press|V}} afterwards. By far the simplest way to use this kind of terraforming is to press {{Key press|Alt}} key while placing a structure and adjust the height of the structure by scrolling with the mouse wheel, but this option should first be enabled in the settings.
 
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[[File:terraform_structure.gif]]
 
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Structure terrforming controls can be changed in the [[Ingame Menu|game menu]]: <samp>Settings &rarr; Interface &rarr; Building placement</samp>. Tick the "<samp>Alt mouse wheel to set height</samp>" to enable the easier construction option.
 
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{{See|Structure Placement}}
 
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== Terraforming Presets ==
 
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There are terraforming presets that allow to create terraforming with a specific height and can be configured in the game menu (Hotkeys/Construction section). Default hotkeys include:
 
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{{:Terraform hotkeys}}
 
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== Ramp ==
 
  
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The ramp command interface is different from that of the other terraform commands.
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Additionally, pressing {{Key press|Space}} at any time during a '''Ramp''', '''Level''', '''Restore''' or '''Smooth''' command toggles through 'Only Raise' and 'Only Lower'. This tells the command to avoid removing terrain or to avoid adding it.
  
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First select the '''Ramp''' command from the command menu.
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== Drawing Shapes ==
 +
[[File:Lasso terraform.jpg|thumb]]
 +
The first step of a '''Level''', '''Raise''', '''Smooth''' or '''Restore''' command is to draw a shape.
  
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https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ZeroK-RTS/Zero-K/master/LuaUI/Images/commands/ramp.png
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[[File:level.png]] [[File:raise.png]] [[File:smooth.png]] [[File:restore.png]]
  
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=== Simple Ramp ===
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The simplest shapes are the line and the blob. '''Left-click''' on the ground and hold the mouse to start drawing a line.
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This is a simple way to make a ramp between 2 points on the ground. It uses exactly the same interface as advanced ramp but it can be unclear how to make a simple ramp just from the explanation of the full features of advanced ramp.
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* If the two ends of the line meet, then the area enclosed by the line will be terraformed.
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* Otherwise, the line is thickened and used as the terraform area.
 +
'''Left-click''' without holding draws a point, which is then thickened into a 2x2 box like a line terraform.
  
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In short:
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The modifiers {{Key press|Alt}} and {{Key press|Ctrl}} can be used to draw different shapes.
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* '''Left-click''' the start of the ramp
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* Hold {{Key press|Alt}} then '''Left-click and drag''' to terraform filled a rectangular area.
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* '''Left-click''' the end of the ramp
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* Hold {{Key combo|Alt|Ctrl}} then '''Left-click and drag''' to terraform hollow rectangle.
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* '''Left-click''' again
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* Hold {{Key combo|Alt|Ctrl}} then '''Left-click''' on a building or unit to create a wall around that unit.
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* Hold {{Key press|Ctrl}} at any time during line drawing to create a straight section of line. Straight and non-straight lines can be mixed by pressing and releasing {{Key press|Ctrl}}.
  
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=== Advanced Ramp ===
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All shape drawing modifiers can be used with terraform presets. For example, to quickly wall off a structure you could press {{Key combo|Alt|M}} then hold {{Key combo|Alt|Ctrl}} and '''Left-click''' the structure.  
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Using the full ramp interface you can make a ramp between any 2 arbitrary points above or below the terrain and chose the width of this ramp.
 
  
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'''Left-click''' on the ground to set the start of the ramp. '''If''' you want to choose the height of the start of the ramp hold the click and move the mouse up or down. A little green line will appear out of the ground to indicate the height. The default height is the ground height, release the mouse to select the height.
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== Advanced Ramp ==
 +
[[File:Ramp1.sized terraform.jpg|thumb]]
 +
The full '''Ramp''' can make a slope between any two points above or below the terrain. Here is the process.
 +
* Hold {{Key press|Ctrl}} and '''Left-click and drag''' to set the start height, then '''release'''. If you want to start at the height of the terrain, then just '''Left-click'''.
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* '''Move''' the mouse to where you want to end the ramp, without holding any buttons.
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* '''Left-click and drag''' to set the end height, then '''release'''.
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* '''Move''' the mouse to set the width, then '''Left-click''' to issue the command.
  
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* Hold {{Key press|Alt}} when choosing the start height to snap to the original ground height or just below water level(helpful for getting hovers out of the water).{{clear}}[[File:Ramp1.sized_terraform.jpg|480px]]
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A few modifiers are available.
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* '''Left-lick''' on the ground to set the end of the ramp. As with the start of the ramp, you can hold the mouse and move to choose the height.  
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* Hold {{Key press|Alt}} instead of {{Key press|Ctrl}} for the first click to snap the height to just below water level, which is helpful for getting hovercraft out of the water.
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* Hold {{Key press|Alt}} when choosing the end height to snap the gradient of the ramp to either upwards bot pathable, upwards vehicle pathable, flat, downwards vehicle pathable, downwards  bot pathable, the original ground height or just below water level.{{clear}}[[File:Ramp2.sized_terraform.jpg|480px]]
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* Hold {{Key press|Alt}} when setting the height of the end of the ramp to snap to useful heights and gradients. These are the maximum bot pathable slopes, the maximum vehicle pathable slopes, flat, the original ground height, and just below water level.
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* Move the mouse up/down (not held down) and click to set the width of the ramp. Then '''left-click''' to build it.{{clear}}[[File:Ramp3.sized_terraform.jpg|480px]]
 
  
 
The ramp colour indicates whether all units will be able to use it, if vehicles/tanks will not be able to use it and if only spiders can use it.
 
The ramp colour indicates whether all units will be able to use it, if vehicles/tanks will not be able to use it and if only spiders can use it.
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<gallery mode="packed" widths="240px" heights="280px">
 
<gallery mode="packed" widths="240px" heights="280px">
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File:Ramp_green_terraform.jpg|Green: Every land unit can use.
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File:Ramp green terraform.jpg|Green: Every land unit can use.
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File:Ramp_yellow_terraform.jpg|Yellow: Too steep for vehicles.
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File:Ramp yellow terraform.jpg|Yellow: Too steep for vehicles.
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File:Ramp_red_terraform.jpg|Red: Only spiders can climb.
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File:Ramp red terraform.jpg|Red: Only spiders can climb.
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
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Optional: Tap {{Key press|Space}} to cycle through ''only raise'' or ''only level''. This limits the terraform to either take away or add terrain instead of a mix of both. Can be toggled at any stage during the ramp command.
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= Construction Cost =
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== Cost ==
 
  
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Terraform by default costs 1 metal, energy and build power to raise or lower 1 heightmap grid, each vertex of the blue grid maps onto a point on the heightmap grid. Due to the sloped sides it will be costly to make a very high spire. Equal volumes of terraform will have the same cost regardless of shape. Cost can be changed with the "terraform cost multiplier" [[Setting_Up_a_Game#Advanced_Options|ModOption]].
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A few factors determine terraform cost so it is difficult to estimate precisely. Here are some common shapes that all cost around 300 metal and energy.
  
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As a general guideline, assuming the base value for terraforming cost, creating a 15 deep wall (or trench) will cost roughly 19 resources per 'segment'.
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[[File:Terraform300Cost2.png]]
  
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Building a "skydust" (i.e. [[Stardust]] on a pillar) costs about 50 resources for a 50 height pillar, or 85 resources for 100 height.
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Large terraform shapes are split up into segments which track cost and progress independently. The cost of a segment has three parts:
 +
* A small base cost, paid before any terrain is moved.
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* A relatively high cost on height added or subtracted around the edge of the shape, capped at a height of 14.
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* A cost per volume added or subtracted. The volume cost is paid for the buttress that builds up around large height differences as well.
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The costs are balanced to make a wide range of interesting terraform shapes balanced and cost effective. The perimeter cost keeps bulky areas reasonably priced compared to thin walls, and the height cap on thin walls allows short vehicle-blocking walls to be relatively expensive for the volume they move. The main cost of thin high spires or deep holes is the volume cost for all the buttressing.
  
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== Terraform blocking ==
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== Combat Construction ==
  
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By placing troops or structures near the terraforming projects of your opponent you can deny their construction indefinitely. Use this to stop the enemy from building mountain ranges in your backyard or to defend your own creations from being deconstructed by enemy builders.
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Terraform takes 20× longer if you can see an enemy unit or structure near the terraform construction point. The area around the point is always large enough to cover the whole segment. This prevents most uses of terraform in close quarters combat (burying enemies etc), but still allows walls and holes to be dug for damage mitigation in long range exchanges. A tanky structure, such as a [[Razor]], can be placed on a wall to stop enemies tearing it down with constructors, although it will only block weapon-based deformation under its footprint.
  
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[[Image:Tera_block.png]]  
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[[Image:Tera block.png]]
  
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== Tips ==
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= Tips =
  
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You can protect non-combat structures not sensitive to terrain such as [[Cornea|cloak]]/[[Aegis|shield generators]], [[Caretaker|nanoturrets]], [[Gunship Plant]]s and [[Missile Silo]]s with walls or holes.
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You can protect structures that don't care whether they are underground, such as [[Cornea|cloak]]/[[Aegis|shield generators]], [[Caretaker|nanoturrets]], [[Gunship Plant]]s and [[Missile Silo]]s, with walls or holes.
  
 
Buildings cannot be moved vertically once placed. If you want to put a [[Fusion Reactor|Fusion]] in a hole for safety the hole will have to be built before the Fusion.
 
Buildings cannot be moved vertically once placed. If you want to put a [[Fusion Reactor|Fusion]] in a hole for safety the hole will have to be built before the Fusion.
  
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[[Big Bertha]]s, [[Crab]]s and [[Ogre]]s are very good at knocking down walls. [[Quake]] missiles are the ultimate solution against landscape designers.
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[[Big Bertha]]s, [[Crab]]s and [[Ogre]]s are very good at knocking down walls. [[Quake]] missiles are the ultimate solution against landscape designers, and are even able to move buildings vertically.
  
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[[File:Crabesmooth.sized_terraform.jpg]]
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[[File:Crabesmooth.sized terraform.jpg]]
  
 
You can use terraforming to make a trench or wall underwater to stop amphibious bots.
 
You can use terraforming to make a trench or wall underwater to stop amphibious bots.
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Terraform ramp can be used with [[Newton]]s [[Newton Firezones|to fire units at the enemy]]!
 
Terraform ramp can be used with [[Newton]]s [[Newton Firezones|to fire units at the enemy]]!
  
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[[File:Newtonramp.sized_terraform.jpg]]
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[[File:Newtonramp.sized terraform.jpg]]
  
  
  
 
{{Navbox manual}}
 
{{Navbox manual}}

Latest revision as of 18:01, 14 February 2024

All construction units, Commanders and Caretakers can modify the terrain in Zero-K by paying Metal and Energy. Terraform has many shapes and applications but not all are needed all the time. This page is roughly sorted from the most common forms of terraform to the most complex.

Intro terraform.png

Terraform Presets

The quickest way to terraform is with a preset height command. These are hotkeys that raise/lower the terrain by some amount, or level it to a particular height. The default presets are as follows.

TerraPresetsSmall.png

  • ‎Alt + V‎: Cheaply stops vehicles from passing, while letting bots pass.
  • ‎Alt + B‎: Cheaply stops bots and vehicles from passing.
  • ‎Alt + N‎: Protects small to medium sized units from direct fire while allowing nearby turrets to shoot. This allows indirect fire units like Rogue or Recluse to shoot at a Stinger with impunity.
  • ‎Alt + M‎: Raises to a height that blocks direct fire and most indirect fire too.
  • ‎Alt + G‎: Levels terrain to the height of the ground at the clicked location.
  • ‎Alt + H‎: Raises tall spire to give high ground advantage for units like Crab.
  • ‎Alt + J‎: Makes a deep hole, which can be useful for hiding in a pinch.

To select a preset ensure that you have a constructor selected and press the hotkey. The cursor should turn into a terraform icon. Release the hotkey then click and drag the mouse to draw a shape. A single click will create a spike or hole, while a dragged line creates a wall/trench. The selected constructors will then work on terraform in that shape, with height being determined by the preset.

Heights and hotkeys can be tweaked via Terraform Preset Hotkeys section of Hotkeys/Construction in the in-game menu (F10).

Raising and Lowering Structures

Error creating thumbnail: File missing

Many structures benefit from being raised on a spike or sunk into a hole. This terraform has to be completed before the building is constructed. To select the height of a structure, first select it from the build options (so that the ghost is on the mouse cursor), then do one or both of the following.

  • Press B to enable pre-terraforming, then press C and V to adjust the height up and down.
  • Hold Alt and scroll the mouse wheel to adjust the height up and down.

The height of the structure is indicated by a green rectangle. Once the height is set, place the structure. A terraform command will be queued for selected constructors in front of the structure command.

The height you last set for each structure type is remembered by the interface, even between games. This system can also be used to place structures in areas that would otherwise be too steep. The hotkeys for height changing can be set in the Terraform Structure Placement section of Hotkeys/Construction in the in-game menu (F10).

Further information: Structure Placement

Full Terraform Commands

The full terraform commands can be found at the bottom of the 'Special' tab in the command menu. There are five types.

Ramp

Error creating thumbnail: File missing

Ramp.png

Ramp creates a slope between two points. It is not drawn as a shape in the same way as each of the other commands. To make a simple ramp do the following.

  • Left-click and hold the mouse where you want the ramp to start.
  • Drag the mouse to where you want to end the ramp, and release.
  • Move the mouse to set ramp width, then Left-click again.

The colour of the ramp indicates what will be able to climb it: green for vehicles, yellow for bots, and red for spider-only. Ramps can be made between any points in space, not just the ground. More advanced ramps are covered below.

Level

Level.png

Level sets terrain in an area to exactly the same height. The result will always be flat.

Raise

Error creating thumbnail: File missing

Raise.png

Raise raises or lowers the terrain in an area by the same amount. The relative height of the terrain within the area is not changed.

Restore

Restore.png

Restore reverts the height of the terrain to what it was at the start of the game.

Smooth

Smooth.png

Smooth flattens sharp edges of the terrain. Hills and cliffs are blunted. Smooth is useful for joining ramps together.

Height Selection

Error creating thumbnail: File missing

The height of full Level and Raise commands is selected by moving the mouse up or down after the shape is set. Restore and Smooth do not have height selection, while Ramp commands are issued in a different way.

Level height selection has the following modifiers.

  • Hold Alt to snap to either the starting height, just below water level (so that ships can't pass) or the level just below water level that land units cannot pass (23 deep).
  • Hold Ctrl and move the mouse to select the height to be leveled to from terrain by mousing over the terrain.

Raise height selection has the following modifiers.

  • Hold Alt to snap to heights by steps of 6. A 6 high (or deep) wall (or trench) will be impassable to vehicles but passable to bots. An 18 high wall will be impassable to bots.
  • Press Ctrl to reset the height to 0.

Additionally, pressing Space at any time during a Ramp, Level, Restore or Smooth command toggles through 'Only Raise' and 'Only Lower'. This tells the command to avoid removing terrain or to avoid adding it.

Drawing Shapes

Error creating thumbnail: File missing

The first step of a Level, Raise, Smooth or Restore command is to draw a shape.

Level.png Raise.png Smooth.png Restore.png

The simplest shapes are the line and the blob. Left-click on the ground and hold the mouse to start drawing a line.

  • If the two ends of the line meet, then the area enclosed by the line will be terraformed.
  • Otherwise, the line is thickened and used as the terraform area.

Left-click without holding draws a point, which is then thickened into a 2x2 box like a line terraform.

The modifiers Alt and Ctrl can be used to draw different shapes.

  • Hold Alt then Left-click and drag to terraform filled a rectangular area.
  • Hold ‎Alt + Ctrl‎ then Left-click and drag to terraform hollow rectangle.
  • Hold ‎Alt + Ctrl‎ then Left-click on a building or unit to create a wall around that unit.
  • Hold Ctrl at any time during line drawing to create a straight section of line. Straight and non-straight lines can be mixed by pressing and releasing Ctrl.

All shape drawing modifiers can be used with terraform presets. For example, to quickly wall off a structure you could press ‎Alt + M‎ then hold ‎Alt + Ctrl‎ and Left-click the structure.

Advanced Ramp

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The full Ramp can make a slope between any two points above or below the terrain. Here is the process.

  • Hold Ctrl and Left-click and drag to set the start height, then release. If you want to start at the height of the terrain, then just Left-click.
  • Move the mouse to where you want to end the ramp, without holding any buttons.
  • Left-click and drag to set the end height, then release.
  • Move the mouse to set the width, then Left-click to issue the command.

A few modifiers are available.

  • Hold Alt instead of Ctrl for the first click to snap the height to just below water level, which is helpful for getting hovercraft out of the water.
  • Hold Alt when setting the height of the end of the ramp to snap to useful heights and gradients. These are the maximum bot pathable slopes, the maximum vehicle pathable slopes, flat, the original ground height, and just below water level.

The ramp colour indicates whether all units will be able to use it, if vehicles/tanks will not be able to use it and if only spiders can use it.

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    Green: Every land unit can use.

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    Yellow: Too steep for vehicles.

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    Red: Only spiders can climb.

Construction Cost

A few factors determine terraform cost so it is difficult to estimate precisely. Here are some common shapes that all cost around 300 metal and energy.

Terraform300Cost2.png

Large terraform shapes are split up into segments which track cost and progress independently. The cost of a segment has three parts:

  • A small base cost, paid before any terrain is moved.
  • A relatively high cost on height added or subtracted around the edge of the shape, capped at a height of 14.
  • A cost per volume added or subtracted. The volume cost is paid for the buttress that builds up around large height differences as well.

The costs are balanced to make a wide range of interesting terraform shapes balanced and cost effective. The perimeter cost keeps bulky areas reasonably priced compared to thin walls, and the height cap on thin walls allows short vehicle-blocking walls to be relatively expensive for the volume they move. The main cost of thin high spires or deep holes is the volume cost for all the buttressing.

Combat Construction

Terraform takes 20× longer if you can see an enemy unit or structure near the terraform construction point. The area around the point is always large enough to cover the whole segment. This prevents most uses of terraform in close quarters combat (burying enemies etc), but still allows walls and holes to be dug for damage mitigation in long range exchanges. A tanky structure, such as a Razor, can be placed on a wall to stop enemies tearing it down with constructors, although it will only block weapon-based deformation under its footprint.

Tera block.png

Tips

You can protect structures that don't care whether they are underground, such as cloak/shield generators, nanoturrets, Gunship Plants and Missile Silos, with walls or holes.

Buildings cannot be moved vertically once placed. If you want to put a Fusion in a hole for safety the hole will have to be built before the Fusion.

Big Berthas, Crabs and Ogres are very good at knocking down walls. Quake missiles are the ultimate solution against landscape designers, and are even able to move buildings vertically.

Crabesmooth.sized terraform.jpg

You can use terraforming to make a trench or wall underwater to stop amphibious bots.

Lobsters can throw units over low walls.

Terraform ramp can be used with Newtons to fire units at the enemy!

Newtonramp.sized terraform.jpg


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