VeenlichtNews / Devlog
DevlogDevlog 07: How water finds a way
A short video look at the water simulation, from the first jam prototype to the grid that runs every polder in the game.
We get asked about the water more than anything else, so this devlog is a video. Sven walks through the height-field grid, how seepage is calculated between ticks, why pumps move actual volume, and what we learned from the many, many versions where everything flooded in forty seconds.
A short written summary for those who prefer text:
- The map is divided into 2 × 2 m cells, each with ground height, water depth and soil saturation
- Water moves between neighbours every simulation tick (8 per second at normal speed)
- Dike segments are cells with extra height and a saturation threshold
- Rain and wind add or push water per cell; pumps remove a fixed volume per tick from their basin
The full video is also available in 1080p for download on the media page.