Continental Drift

[Quizer9O8]

Since we will get the ability to see how the climates change on our customized planets why not the feature continental drift?

[Xriqxa]

Because that's about the most complex and RAM-occupying thing ever. Don't expect to see this feature for another year. :-/

[tuto99]

Because that's about the most complex and RAM-occupying thing ever. Don't expect to see this feature for another year. :-/

And how do you know this, exactly?

[Xriqxa]

Imagine how laggy the average computer would be if it had to handle all those 3d animations while working with nearly IRL-equivalent physics. And HD surfaces/objects.

[tuto99]

Imagine how laggy the average computer would be if it had to handle all those 3d animations while working with nearly IRL-equivalent physics. And HD surfaces/objects.

It wouldn't hurt if the idea could be tested for implementation, don't you think?

[Dan Dixon]

Since we will get the ability to see how the climates change on our customized planets why not the feature continental drift?

That would be awesome, but nothing we have planned at the moment. Getting both collisions and climate working as well as one might expect is about as much complexity as we can handle right now.

Because that's about the most complex and RAM-occupying thing ever. Don't expect to see this feature for another year. :-/

Be careful about making up dates and times. Your claim of a year is total speculation.

[gabriel.dac]

you guys are asking too much, imo. Also, remember the name of the game is UNIVERSE sandbox. It is not Earth sandbox or geology sandbox

[Vince77]

you guys are asking too much, imo. Also, remember the name of the game is UNIVERSE sandbox. It is not Earth sandbox or geology sandbox

I've heard somewhere that the universe was everything...

[Dan Dixon]

It's a totally solid idea.

Instead of making all kinds of assumptions about why it won't happen or criticizing the idea... how would you imagine this would work? What kinds of controls would you have? What would the feature do?

[pac0master]

how would you imagine this would work? What kinds of controls would you have? What would the feature do?

If it was an implemented, I think there should be an option to know the speed and the rotation of the core of each planets,

Being able to change the Heat, the Speed and the Rotation of the Core might allow predetermined division of continental plate aka Tectonic plates. to move on a calculated speed.



It might be interesting since you are using Heightmaps and Normal maps (I think). Affecting the shader maps ( by some ways that I don't know) will allow visible growth of mountains and/or the destruction of small continents.



Of course, Any large impact would be capable of messing with the actual core rotation etc...

[blotz]

Ooh and ram  them together and make nountains

[Quizer9O8]

how would you imagine this would work? What kinds of controls would you have? What would the feature do?

If it was an implemented, I think there should be an option to know the speed and the rotation of the core of each planets,

Being able to change the Heat, the Speed and the Rotation of the Core might allow predetermined division of continental plate aka Tectonic plates. to move on a calculated speed.



It might be interesting since you are using Heightmaps and Normal maps (I think). Affecting the shader maps ( by some ways that I don't know) will allow visible growth of mountains and/or the destruction of small continents.



Of course, Any large impact would be capable of messing with the actual core rotation etc...

To be honest i don't think this would take a big toll to simulate this process, It would take million of years before you will see the smallest change.

btw since we're talking about this topic i've come with another suggestion, when you create your planet out of a planetary proto disk or increase the molten factor to the max, it wil decrease over the million years and if your planet gets filled with water from comets or whatever it will first become a massive ocean. After a million years small pocket of lands will appear created by volcanism and plates pushing each other.

[pac0master]

Yeah, it would be quite awesome.

But the thing atm is that the mountains don't seems to be high, The planet is almost flat at the surface,   the difference between the Sea level and the top of a mountain is barely noticable with the camera view. (landed ofc)

I'm pretty sure it ain't an obstacle for development as it most likely help for the modeling of polygons but it break a bit the immersion.

[Hati Hroovitnisson]

Would it not be necessary to simulate the convection in the planet's mantle that drives this? in 3D it seems like quite the challenge to even visualize, let alone program! but where you simulate plumes hitting the planets surface you can then use that to break the surface into "plates". But it seems like a lot of work for something you won't see much of.

Definitely good for a newly formed planetary crust, maybe.

[blotz]

here

[Estwald]

Meh, it seems like some of these suggestions are way too deep. It's UNIVERSE sandbox, not earth sandbox.

But, the position of continents does influence tidal friction between the earth and moon (Right now, we have a big pacific ocean, so tidal waves have a long distance to travel, which makes tidal friction stronger). When an ocean is bigger, the tide bulge travels faster than the moon, so the moon tries to pull that bulge back, which also pulls back the rotation of the earth. That's why astronomers don't know how close the moon was to earth 4 billion years ago, it's too unpredictable. So if US ever does get continental drift on planets, the distance between coasts could be used to simulate tidal friction (The moon's rotation slowing down until tidal locking, and getting farther away from earth, while the earth's rotation also slows down) Although, these things would require the time to pass really fast

[Quizer9O8]

Meh, it seems like some of these suggestions are way too deep. It's UNIVERSE sandbox, not earth sandbox.

But, the position of continents does influence tidal friction between the earth and moon (Right now, we have a big pacific ocean, so tidal waves have a long distance to travel, which makes tidal friction stronger). When an ocean is bigger, the tide bulge travels faster than the moon, so the moon tries to pull that bulge back, which also pulls back the rotation of the earth. That's why astronomers don't know how close the moon was to earth 4 billion years ago, it's too unpredictable. So if US ever does get continental drift on planets, the distance between coasts could be used to simulate tidal friction (The moon's rotation slowing down until tidal locking, and getting farther away from earth, while the earth's rotation also slows down) Although, these things would require the time to pass really fast

We can get there and like you said '' It's UNIVERSE sandbox '' means everything in it right.

[A . M . O]

A simple idea , why dont you make simulation of gas clouds making stars or proto discs making proto planets?

[FenX2014]

A simple idea , why dont you make simulation of gas clouds making stars or proto discs making proto planets?

It is already in the game

[A . M . O]

Oops!

[A . M . O]

Oops!

i didnt played the alpha , and have some guys(crytivo studios) making an game that continetal drift will be perfect! ask them that!

[A . M . O]

The name is the universim ,

[A . M . O]

before say anything , watch the kickstarter trailer

[Hati Hroovitnisson]

Meh, it seems like some of these suggestions are way too deep. It's UNIVERSE sandbox, not earth sandbox.

But, the position of continents does influence tidal friction between the earth and moon (Right now, we have a big pacific ocean, so tidal waves have a long distance to travel, which makes tidal friction stronger). When an ocean is bigger, the tide bulge travels faster than the moon, so the moon tries to pull that bulge back, which also pulls back the rotation of the earth. That's why astronomers don't know how close the moon was to earth 4 billion years ago, it's too unpredictable. So if US ever does get continental drift on planets, the distance between coasts could be used to simulate tidal friction (The moon's rotation slowing down until tidal locking, and getting farther away from earth, while the earth's rotation also slows down) Although, these things would require the time to pass really fast

To be fair, planets are by far the most interesting object you'll be dealing with in a universe sandbox. You might as well include all elements of their complex behavior. Maybe not all of them in great detail, but simulating surface effects of chunks of planetary crust by putting the texture and elevation map on a conveyor would by most people's standards be convincing, as long as you found a good way to raise the elevation map where two plates collide, and convincingly generate height map data in diverging plate margins you should be all gravy.

It sounds simpler than it is, but these guys have managed to simulate a climate. Modelling a rock conveyor is within this scope.

[jjj344]

I would say this would be a good idea and I also read about the UniverseSim game and that game is like a Open World Game where you get to control your own civilizations. Maybe US2 and UniverseSim could team up to make the ultimate Universe game if it's possible and it doesn't require a gaming computer to run. If so, oh well.

[Geers]

It's a totally solid idea.

Instead of making all kinds of assumptions about why it won't happen or criticizing the idea... how would you imagine this would work? What kinds of controls would you have? What would the feature do?

If I can grab New Zealand and crash it into Antarctica, the world will be a happier place.

[DaniheltheMage]

Maybe the continents would be randomly divided and have random preset movements. I think simulating it would lag your game a lot. Also, there could be a control to move continents as you please, like Geers said, about crashing New Zealand into Antarctica.

[Notre]

Why not the Planet Expansion Theory? 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJfBSc6e7QQ

Food for thought.

[Geers]

LIES. THE EARTH IS FLAT. AND ALSO HOLLOW. SPACE NAZIS LIVE INSIDE THE EARTH, RULED BY MAGIC-OCCULT ROBOHITLER.

[Xriqxa]

Why not the Planet Expansion Theory? 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJfBSc6e7QQ

Food for thought.

he sounds tired and hungover