It'll affect the climate of certain areas. Although it wasn't necessary, we do like our detail. And possibly man made structures that have to take into account of wind
That is most excellent.
Looking at the map, it appears strongly influenced by Earth's geography (which I believe y'all mention at one point). Is terrain going to follow similarly to Earth, with mountain ranges, rivers, etc, or will it be placed with artistic creativity?
I apologize for all the seeming interrogation, I'm just very curious about this project!
Looking at the map, it appears strongly influenced by Earth's geography (which I believe y'all mention at one point). Is terrain going to follow similarly to Earth, with mountain ranges, rivers, etc, or will it be placed with artistic creativity?
I apologize for all the seeming interrogation, I'm just very curious about this project!
So far we are taking heavy inspiration from earth and its formations. You'll see that at the blog and the second entry. But we use that for more of a set of rules and then we be creative within those boundaries. We know how rivers work so we create a river that makes the most sense but it isn't an actual river that we recreated. So basically, we do what would actually happen or do what we think would happen
Currently it's private unless you're applying to be a builder or contribute to the server but we'll be setting something public up soon, I believe. When we do I'll update the thread and message you
I'd love to help build! Then again, I'm just some random minecrafter from the forum... So, yeah.
So far we are taking heavy inspiration from earth and its formations. You'll see that at the blog and the second entry. But we use that for more of a set of rules and then we be creative within those boundaries. We know how rivers work so we create a river that makes the most sense but it isn't an actual river that we recreated. So basically, we do what would actually happen or do what we think would happen
That's what I gathered from reading it earlier. It's the same method I'd take to this sort of project.
Hey, I am one of the builders on the Aerna server, have been for a good while.
Here is an Imgur gallery of a random assortment of Aerna I and II builds. This should give you a taster for what we are capable of without giving anything away in regards to Aerna III.
This project really looks like it's going places, I look forward to seeing what happens in the future!
I'm admittedly not the best builder, but I would be interested in helping with server administration and quest/mechanics scripting. Not sure what youre going to use for quests, but I do have a lot of experience with quest scripting with Citizens.
This project really looks like it's going places, I look forward to seeing what happens in the future!
I'm admittedly not the best builder, but I would be interested in helping with server administration and quest/mechanics scripting. Not sure what youre going to use for quests, but I do have a lot of experience with quest scripting with Citizens.
We could always use a few more hands. Go ahead and message me and we can figure things out from there
This is really amazing, detailed and well thought out!
I was wondering if you were looking for builders at all? If so, I was wondering if I could take a shot at helping. I won't say i'm the best builder, but I will say that I do know how to build.
I'm Ein, terraformer extraordinaire! I did a vast majority of the terraforming on Aerna I, parts of Aerna II and likely nothing on Aerna III. Much like the way of the blue collar worker, Lassen has replaced me with machines. Back in my day we had to terraform mountains by hand, uphill both ways!
I serve as moral compass for the team as well as the server's crotchety old man. I also can't forget my most important job as the head of the Aerna Avian Husbandry Club, AAHC for short.
On a more serious note, thankfully due to advancements in MC terraforming/metadata the need for hand terraforming large scale is gone, which is a god send because doing 2k+ long mountain ranges while keeping things interesting and engaging to look at is pretty damn mind numbing. So without a doubt looking forward into the third iteration of Aerna. The team is a lot more focused on the task at hand this time, and there is a clear and finite goal in mind.
And now, one of my absolute favorite pictures from Aerna II.
Hey, I'm UnSpook, one of the builders on Aerna. Most of the work I do focuses on the pseudo Asian culture as well as I'm the one currently trying (and if I'm being honest, failing) at creating the server texture pack, which is set to be a custom blend of JS Legacy and Conquest. It's really refreshing to be back working on this project, considering that I started playing on the original Aerna nearly 3 years ago. Einz is right, the team is coming back with a seriously renewed vigor which is fantastic to see, and there are so many different facets of development occurring right now and the new map isn't even complete. And since everyones posting screenshots, here are some of my favorite.
So with the overall world how did you combine hand design with procedural placement? Doesn't seem that map could have been done entirely with either. I'm particularly interested in mountain ranges as I'd like to have a mountain/plain system in my Climate Control mod.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Geographicraft (formerly Climate Control) - Control climate, ocean, and land sizes; stop chunk walls; put modded biomes into Default worlds, and more!
RTG plus - All the beautiful terrain of RTG, plus varied and beautiful trees and forests.
Thanks so much! Be sure to check back soon, we're going to be doing a large update on the thread with a lot more screenshots of the different architectures throughout the world.
Convert these shapes into a general structure in World machine. It's easy to make realistic mountains with lots of lines for each spur in World Machine, but I spent a lot of time developing procedural generations that would turn a single line (the fault lines) into entire mountain ranges.
Can your method cope with pixelated boundaries, and, if so would you be willing to share it? The minecraft world generator can divide the world into regions like basins and plates, so I've got that already.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Geographicraft (formerly Climate Control) - Control climate, ocean, and land sizes; stop chunk walls; put modded biomes into Default worlds, and more!
RTG plus - All the beautiful terrain of RTG, plus varied and beautiful trees and forests.
I would really like to see alpha/beta uploads off the map lets just say every two weeks for example so people can look around for theirself and dont have to wait a couple of years (because it will sound a little bit rough but its probably true people will lose interrest and stop following this project most people really dont have that much patience) i believe you will get al lot of attention on youtube (including videos from a channel owned by me and a few friends) if you do this and it wil attract a LOT of people
Don't worry, we have it under control haha. We're going to do a major update soon with all the cultures/majority of the architecture styles of the world soon and we're going to be updating the terrain screenshots section.
This is pretty impressive. I like the work that you've done to replicate accurate geographical details, it certainly shows up on the map that you've made. The landscaping and terraforming is very nice as well, and adds to the atmospheres you're trying to nail down. The only constructive criticism I can offer is toward the actual builds themselves, which, while still fairly good quality, could be a little bit better:
Taking a look at the screenshots in the OP, I would add some variation to the blocks used in the palette of each town/village. Areas of one solid texture greater than 3 x 3 should be avoided, as they do not capture the eye as effectively as places where blocks of similar textures and colors are mixed. While this isn't distinctly "realistic", it ultimately lends itself to the feeling of realism that comes with noticing imperfections in a surface.
I notice that there are some places (such as the bridge in the second to last picture) where there is stone above wooden framing, which wouldn't be that viable in medieval structures. The weight would collapse it eventually.
I like the way that many of the houses have distinctive log frames. Keep it up!
You might want to expand the types of houses seen in each village or area. Many medieval towns had separate areas for the lower, middle, and upper classes, and each of these had a separate style. As an example, lower class houses often had thatch roofs that were caked in mud to harden. Also, I'm not sure if each of the buildings has its own purpose (tavern, blacksmith, tailor), but most of them look very similar. Try exploring different building shapes that reflect the life and needs of the person living within them.
From the looks of it, you guys have attempted diagonal buildings. From personal experience, it's tough as nails, so good on you.
Roads inside and out of towns weren't often lit. Each separate torch requires replacing and maintenance, so I would place them only where you need them.
The roads themselves are the real distraction here. Again, I'll go back to the 3 x 3 guideline: large areas of a solid texture detract from realism greatly. Also, medieval roads often didn't have curbs on the edges. For the most part, ancient roads were just composites of gravel and dirt that had been dug up and placed where they wanted the road to be.
Some of the building styles you're exploring for different cultures are really cool. Though I think that you may want to extend and customize the color scheme of your texture pack so that the colors don't "pop" so much from the landscape. On the same boat, many villages are a human-made representation of the surrounding landscape. For this reason, it's a good idea to pick out the surrounding types of wood/stone and utilize them in the builds.
Not really a build-related criticism, but it's a little abrasive to entitle your project "the most detailed world". It may be the largest, but there are many servers with tremendous attention to detail, though I hate to draw comparisons.
There could be some other constructive comments I could give you, but the screenshots don't reveal much. I would love to see some interiors! Here's an example of an upper-class and lower-class house side-by-side on the server I currently work on (the right house is mine):
Most of the criticisms I mentioned above are addressed in the above screencap (even these have some guilty errors), if you want visual reference at what I'm getting at. I would really try to lock down the quality of building that you want on your server before moving on, because I guarantee you that it will evolve. And when it evolves, you begin to look back at your old builds and think, "I've gotta redo that". Easier just to heighten the detail first and move forward from there.
Otherwise, keep up the great work guys! Can't wait to see where this goes.
Hey thanks for the praise and the critique! Couple of points that I would like to reply to/explain
Taking a look at the screenshots in the OP, I would add some variation to the blocks used in the palette of each town/village. Areas of one solid texture greater than 3 x 3 should be avoided, as they do not capture the eye as effectively as places where blocks of similar textures and colors are mixed. While this isn't distinctly "realistic", it ultimately lends itself to the feeling of realism that comes with noticing imperfections in a surface.
teh palette: This server has many different cultures in it, each with their own building style and palette. We try not to mix up the palette too much so that each culture can be very different visually. Now that we have switched to Conquest texture pack, we have more options too. 3x3 and larger areas have their place, but for the most part I agree with you. However there is a balance between simplicity and detail. Too much simplicity, it looks childish. Too much detail and it starts to blob visually. Also, the size and scale of the world dictate the amount of detail. We usually try to go for "believably realistic" as opposed to just "realistic".
You might want to expand the types of houses seen in each village or area. Many medieval towns had separate areas for the lower, middle, and upper classes, and each of these had a separate style. As an example, lower class houses often had thatch roofs that were caked in mud to harden. Also, I'm not sure if each of the buildings has its own purpose (tavern, blacksmith, tailor), but most of them look very similar. Try exploring different building shapes that reflect the life and needs of the person living within them.
We do have a full range of houses with varying purposes. Most of the identifying of the building comes from looking at the signs or in the windows. Exploration is a huge part of our vision for the server. We also have a class system with different types of houses for each. The pictures you probably saw depict small villages, which are mostly 1 class of people.
3.
From the looks of it, you guys have attempted diagonal buildings. From personal experience, it's tough as nails, so good on you.
Yeah, we have attempted, and they are a pain. I blame it on the squareness of MC.
4.
Roads inside and out of towns weren't often lit. Each separate torch requires replacing and maintenance, so I would place them only where you need them.
The roads themselves are the real distraction here. Again, I'll go back to the 3 x 3 guideline: large areas of a solid texture detract from realism greatly. Also, medieval roads often didn't have curbs on the edges. For the most part, ancient roads were just composites of gravel and dirt that had been dug up and placed where they wanted the road to be.
Its important to remember that Aerna is not a strict representation of Medieval lifestyle. The roads in the towns of Tradlund (the wood/wool medieval style) are based off the roads of Amsterdam, where Lassen (the server owner) lives. However, we now have access to a brush that allows us to paint gravel/cobble/stone/conglomerate roads, which will greatly improve the look of the roads in terms of large streches of 1 material.
We place torches in places that they will highlight our hard work. After all, whats the point of all that detail if no one can see it?
5.
Some of the building styles you're exploring for different cultures are really cool. Though I think that you may want to extend and customize the color scheme of your texture pack so that the colors don't "pop" so much from the landscape. On the same boat, many villages are a human-made representation of the surrounding landscape. For this reason, it's a good idea to pick out the surrounding types of wood/stone and utilize them in the builds.
Thanks! we are in the process of modifying Conquest texture pack to fit our needs. We always wait to build until the terraforming is totally done so that the projects really feel like they are part of the land itself. For example, we spend hours flying around the map looking for places to found towns that make sense in terms of build area, ease of access, and abundance of resources. The town in the OP's post is located in a natural forest clearing that has a stream and also easy access to the sea and forest hunting grounds. It has no farms due to it being on a hillside that is unsuitable to farming, but the villagers make up for it by foraging and hunting.
To wrap it up, Thanks for the interest. Hearing from the community is always awesome, there are many talented builders out there. If you would like your build critiqued, just shoot me a private message.
That is most excellent.
Looking at the map, it appears strongly influenced by Earth's geography (which I believe y'all mention at one point). Is terrain going to follow similarly to Earth, with mountain ranges, rivers, etc, or will it be placed with artistic creativity?
I apologize for all the seeming interrogation, I'm just very curious about this project!
So far we are taking heavy inspiration from earth and its formations. You'll see that at the blog and the second entry. But we use that for more of a set of rules and then we be creative within those boundaries. We know how rivers work so we create a river that makes the most sense but it isn't an actual river that we recreated. So basically, we do what would actually happen or do what we think would happen
I'd love to help build! Then again, I'm just some random minecrafter from the forum... So, yeah.
http://signaturecraft.us/signatures/eJwFwcEJgDAMAMB_psgAIrYbuIAPC4rPaAMGa5U0Rbq9d8GYEt4Ng5Hu9bhKB2OO2J6Kn6SEUbiHhZVmKu_Oqg1G3JgUV7HzqYYzSYaJ7WQF5zx4GMD9UZccuw~~.png
(¸.•´ (¸.•` ¤ Peachlicious*´¨)
That's what I gathered from reading it earlier. It's the same method I'd take to this sort of project.
Here is an Imgur gallery of a random assortment of Aerna I and II builds. This should give you a taster for what we are capable of without giving anything away in regards to Aerna III.
Enjoy. Some pics may be duplicates.
http://imgur.com/a/tvA2M#0
I'm admittedly not the best builder, but I would be interested in helping with server administration and quest/mechanics scripting. Not sure what youre going to use for quests, but I do have a lot of experience with quest scripting with Citizens.
We could always use a few more hands. Go ahead and message me and we can figure things out from there
I was wondering if you were looking for builders at all? If so, I was wondering if I could take a shot at helping. I won't say i'm the best builder, but I will say that I do know how to build.
I serve as moral compass for the team as well as the server's crotchety old man. I also can't forget my most important job as the head of the Aerna Avian Husbandry Club, AAHC for short.
On a more serious note, thankfully due to advancements in MC terraforming/metadata the need for hand terraforming large scale is gone, which is a god send because doing 2k+ long mountain ranges while keeping things interesting and engaging to look at is pretty damn mind numbing. So without a doubt looking forward into the third iteration of Aerna. The team is a lot more focused on the task at hand this time, and there is a clear and finite goal in mind.
And now, one of my absolute favorite pictures from Aerna II.
Please submit applications via private message.
Geographicraft (formerly Climate Control) - Control climate, ocean, and land sizes; stop chunk walls; put modded biomes into Default worlds, and more!
RTG plus - All the beautiful terrain of RTG, plus varied and beautiful trees and forests.
Thanks so much! Be sure to check back soon, we're going to be doing a large update on the thread with a lot more screenshots of the different architectures throughout the world.
Can your method cope with pixelated boundaries, and, if so would you be willing to share it? The minecraft world generator can divide the world into regions like basins and plates, so I've got that already.
Geographicraft (formerly Climate Control) - Control climate, ocean, and land sizes; stop chunk walls; put modded biomes into Default worlds, and more!
RTG plus - All the beautiful terrain of RTG, plus varied and beautiful trees and forests.
Don't worry, we have it under control haha. We're going to do a major update soon with all the cultures/majority of the architecture styles of the world soon and we're going to be updating the terrain screenshots section.
“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.”
Thank you very much! We appreciate it
Most of the criticisms I mentioned above are addressed in the above screencap (even these have some guilty errors), if you want visual reference at what I'm getting at. I would really try to lock down the quality of building that you want on your server before moving on, because I guarantee you that it will evolve. And when it evolves, you begin to look back at your old builds and think, "I've gotta redo that". Easier just to heighten the detail first and move forward from there.
Otherwise, keep up the great work guys! Can't wait to see where this goes.
teh palette: This server has many different cultures in it, each with their own building style and palette. We try not to mix up the palette too much so that each culture can be very different visually. Now that we have switched to Conquest texture pack, we have more options too.
3x3 and larger areas have their place, but for the most part I agree with you. However there is a balance between simplicity and detail. Too much simplicity, it looks childish. Too much detail and it starts to blob visually. Also, the size and scale of the world dictate the amount of detail. We usually try to go for "believably realistic" as opposed to just "realistic".
3.
4.
We place torches in places that they will highlight our hard work. After all, whats the point of all that detail if no one can see it?
5.
To wrap it up, Thanks for the interest. Hearing from the community is always awesome, there are many talented builders out there. If you would like your build critiqued, just shoot me a private message.