Terraining - Forest, Icy River, and Cave

[Jindo]

This is a tutorial on how to terrain scenes of dungeons, forests and icy wastelands.

Part 1: Starting

All you need to get started is your world editor (expansion).

Part 2: Beginning the Forest

http://img185.imageshack.us/my.php?image=jpggm00019lw.jpg

Click that and see what you will be acheiving.

Start off with your map, any size and imediatly cover a part of the map with hills using the raise/lower tools at the bottom of the terrain pallette.

When you have done that, simply add some trees around the place, add quite a lot but dont mass up on them or it will look quite a mess.

Now for the finale of the forest, use the dirt terrain and place a dirt path which winds through the hill.

Now be amazed at your miraculous masterpiece!

TIP: It is always a good idea to put high hills/trees in the background so that it doesn't suddenly turn into sky!

---

Part 3: A River of Ice

http://img208.imageshack.us/my.php?image=jpgsr00026sv.jpg

That is a picture of an icy wasteland done with Icecrown Glacier. Need something like this? follow this part.

Use the Depp Water tool and create a fairly large river with going from one side to the other.

Now, add some icy things found in the doodad pallette, look in environment, props and trees/destructibles.

If you like, put crystal shards and floating ice things in the river.

Always have something like bones stuck into the ground, it looks effective.

Now, you've basically finished that, add some critters if you feel like it.

TIP: Critters can make a BIG change to the map, i have penguins floating in the river, partly 'cos it looks funny, but it is VERY effective.

---

Part 4: A Cave

http://img129.imageshack.us/my.php?image=jpgdg00037lf.jpg

Click that and see what a cave would look good as.

---

Basically you may use either Dungeon or Outland tilesets, i prefer dungeon 'cos it looks for dungeon-like.

Anyway, that's all you need for terrain now go straight to the doodad pallette and add things like stalectmites and craters. It is always a good-idea to add Fire (found in Cinematic) to the craters, it makes them look for dangerous.

Now, add dust also found in cinematic, it looks like some of the ceiling is falling down which is the kind of thing you would expect in a cave.

Now you've finished! Congratulations!

TIP: (as once suggested by Alexander in TLS thread) Caves look like caves more when you add the Underground Dome in.

My suggestion to that: if it is too small than make it larger in the doodad editor in the object editor.

---

Good luck all with your maps and enjoy the tutorial!

~Jindo

 

[Ragnar]

Nice tutorial!

But uhh....What is the underground dome? I put it in my map once to find out, and nothing happened.

 

[Jindo]

under the doodad palette, you put it in.

If you see nothing then press C and zoom, you should see a cave-like wall.

~Jindo

 

[Sargon]

Dude, the hills that the trees are on in the first picture are absurd. Have you ever seen anything in real life that remotely looks like that?

 

[Jindo]

There are a few hilly forests around my area, but im in the UK so forests in the USA and other locations are gonna look different to the forest shown above.

Anyway, in warcraft, the terrain doesn't have to look just like the real thing, you try your best to combine fantasy with nature and you end up with things like the screenshot above.

~Jindo

 

[N-a-z-g-u-l]

easier description of the underground dome:

it's a dome where you can build sth in. it's very big, so the camera is in the dome first, you can scroll to the border and you will see a wall... i think you can only see the wall from the inside, from the outside its transparent

 

[AgentPaper]

That foreswt needs some serious smoothing, nothing in real life OR fantasy looks anything like that. And you said to put hills in the background, then didn't?

 

[Rad]

Bringing up the past again Agent Paper?

Anyways, yes needs smoothing, some more tiles, and environmental effects (Bushes, flowers, logs, mushrooms, etc)

 

[skinny77]

There are a few hilly forests around my area, but im in the UK so forests in the USA and other locations are gonna look different to the forest shown above.

I also live in the UK. However, no offence, but every wood and forest in the UK I have been to looks nothing like yours. You don't have enough doodads as well. But the other two are great!

GO PENGUINS! YEAH!

 

[mixmax2]

ugh sorry man but your forest looks plain and insanely unnatural, it looks like u just used the raise tool, and a bunch of tree doodads, forest have alot of greenery and arent really that open : /

the river of ice is pretty damn cool and believable, but thats about it . . .

 

[bLu3_eYeS]

This is a tutorial on how to terrain scenes of dungeons, forests and icy wastelands.

Part 1: Starting

All you need to get started is your world editor (expansion).

Part 2: Beginning the Forest

Click that and see what you will be acheiving.

Start off with your map, any size and imediatly cover a part of the map with hills using the raise/lower tools at the bottom of the terrain pallette.

When you have done that, simply add some trees around the place, add quite a lot but dont mass up on them or it will look quite a mess.

Now for the finale of the forest, use the dirt terrain and place a dirt path which winds through the hill.

Now be amazed at your miraculous masterpiece!

TIP: It is always a good idea to put high hills/trees in the background so that it doesn't suddenly turn into sky!

---

Part 3: A River of Ice

That is a picture of an icy wasteland done with Icecrown Glacier. Need something like this? follow this part.

Use the Depp Water tool and create a fairly large river with going from one side to the other.

Now, add some icy things found in the doodad pallette, look in environment, props and trees/destructibles.

If you like, put crystal shards and floating ice things in the river.

Always have something like bones stuck into the ground, it looks effective.

Now, you've basically finished that, add some critters if you feel like it.

TIP: Critters can make a BIG change to the map, i have penguins floating in the river, partly 'cos it looks funny, but it is VERY effective.

---

Part 4: A Cave

Click that and see what a cave would look good as.

---

Basically you may use either Dungeon or Outland tilesets, i prefer dungeon 'cos it looks for dungeon-like.

Anyway, that's all you need for terrain now go straight to the doodad pallette and add things like stalectmites and craters. It is always a good-idea to add Fire (found in Cinematic) to the craters, it makes them look for dangerous.

Now, add dust also found in cinematic, it looks like some of the ceiling is falling down which is the kind of thing you would expect in a cave.

Now you've finished! Congratulations!

TIP: (as once suggested by Alexander in TLS thread) Caves look like caves more when you add the Underground Dome in.

My suggestion to that: if it is too small than make it larger in the doodad editor in the object editor.

---

Good luck all with your maps and enjoy the tutorial!

~Jindo

Sorry for posting , i know this is a old tutorial but i think it will look better if you put