Add Rivers and Waterfalls

[Chuck Wilder]

A suggestion to add more realistic river graphics on the map was made by Astuur in the Graphics Forum (https://wl.widelands.org/forum/post/4677/)

"We have neither mountains nor rivers in the map. ... It might be different and more complicated with the rivers, because they need to be fishable and may at some time in the future carry rowing boats, footbridges or even wider bridges. I am not sure that immovables is the best approach here.
Created as immovables, we may have some bolders above the waterline, that would show some water current as a first step.That should be easy.
Again we need a different set for all the worlds, and all orientations.
A different idea is to create a set of banks and middle-of-the-stream tiles as terrain types, but I unsure whether WL can accomodate them in the current form."

Graphics to indicate water movement such as rapids or whirlpools might be added as immovables.

In the same vein, animated waterfalls might be added to the map to add visual interest.

[Chuck Wilder (chuckw20)]

kapputnik made an attempt to introduce river graphics into the map editor (see forum post https://wl.widelands.org/forum/post/12378/).

His effort identified the obstacles currently faced in
1) creating the graphics,
2) positioning them on a map and
3) adapting them to terrain elevations on a map.

Ideally, creating and placing rivers by map makers should be as easy as "drawing" them with a tool like terrain.

Perhaps if rivers could be plotted in the Editor like roads in the game this could be achieved.

[kaputtnik (franku)]

> Perhaps if rivers could be plotted in the Editor like roads in the game this could be achieved.

Yes, this comes in my mind too. A nice to have:

1. select the graphic; while moving the mouse a shadow of this graphic follows the mouse so you could imagine where it is placed; after click the real graphic is set
2. a function to flip the graphic clockwise. In that case there has to be e.g. only one graphic for rivercorners. A rightclick flips the corner clockwise about 90 degrees to get each direction you want the river flows.

About Waterfalls: I think this not easy to animate because of the direction the water has to fall. With the actual technic you have to make an animation for waterfalls in each possible cardinal direction.

[SirVer (sirver)]

Right now, Widelands only has two concepts: fields (nodes) and edges (roads). Where would these graphics be painted?

It sounds like they should be painted on the edges - but probably make the triangles they pass through also unwalkable. How can a river then be crossed?

[Chuck Wilder (chuckw20)]

I agree that it seems logical to paint the rivers on the edges like roads. It could eventually lead to supporting river traffic.

Perhaps, instead of "bridges" we allow mapmakers to specify fords (wading crossings) here and there along the river? Might that be possible, or are we still faced with the unwalkable restriction?

[Chuck Wilder (chuckw20)]

To help consolidate the discussions on rivers and bridges that are taking place here and in the Graphics Forum - New Immovables thread, I have established a "Rivers and Bridges" thread in the Graphics Forum. Please direct further discussion (i.e. brainstorming) there. https://wl.widelands.org/forum/topic/1648/

[GunChleoc (gunchleoc)]

Migrated to https://github.com/widelands/widelands/issues/2020