New dirt blocks reaction to explosion

I don't like the way the maps are ruined and this excessive use of bedrock that unallows the players to reach the deepest part of the map. Because when a game is very intense, the map gets ruined very quickly and it usually ends with a votemap. And it's kinda boring.

So I wondered if it could be possible to modify dirt blocks parameters so that they never get destroyed by explosion or by any other thing that would make them disappear, except from the shovel of builders and knights' sword. And instead of getting them destroyed, they would simple be moved away to a close block slot.
I made two pictures to illustrate my point :

White boxes : dirt blocks
Blue circle : center of explosion
Blue boxes : moved dirt blocks after the explosion

Before the explosion


After the explosion


This way, I feel the map could become more dynamic and interesting, and shouldn't get ruined too quickly.

Now the question is : would those new dirt blocks appear with full health ? Half health ? Or less ?

PS : The dirt blocks would react this way only if the explosion comes from the top.

 

I think this is a great idea, having bombs act on dirt like a kind of negative diagonal gravity. The physics system is already there, so it seems like it would be doable (I'm not knowledgeable of coding though), and the moving dirt could cause collision/crushing damage and knock-back to players nearby, so that players wouldn't get trapped in blocks and glitch out.

 

Thx dude !

Good point about the anti-glitching feature that would possibly cause damage.

 

I think this would causes way to much stress on the server. Having to process blocks being deleted + moved + the explosion itself + everything else would just add to the stress on the server already.

+ I don't like the idea of it because I prefer permanent destruction of objects rather than pushing them around.

 

Only the devs can really tell if something is too much stress or not. Reading you we could think the server lags everytime several blocks disappear or appear; yet that kind of thing happens a lot at the beginning of a game when people are digging/mining/building, and there's no lag at all.

And if you don't like it, it'd be helpful to say why.

 

It works pretty well with that simple example, but a problem could be if you hit a block midair, or more hill formed ground. How should it behave then?

One simple way would to have physics objects be spawned at an explosion that creates blocks of dirt where they land...

 

If the devs feel they can make this feature using physics, well that's brilliant.

However it might not be necessary : the blocks hit by the explosion will simply disappear and spawn back on the sides.
Then I guess there should be a script checking if the sides are clear. And in case one side or both are already filled up by other blocks on too many levels above the explosion, the 'moved blocks' won't spawn back (3 or 4 lines above the explosion should be working as I guess it would remain realistic).
And if a side or both are empty but have no block directly under the explosion (like midair blocks), I guess another script will look for the first blocks downwards and will spawn the 'moved block' above them.

For the second case, it might look weird to see blocks getting literally teleported due to high distance between the altitude of explosion and the ground level, where the blocks will spawn. The physic might make it look better for this case. Otherwise they can add smoke effects that will simulate the movements of the dirt.

 

I don't see this working in the game, in it's current state. More physics would cause more load on the server/people's clients.

Heck, we lag when people spam lanterns and such, imagine if every explosion triggered a physics event. The game probably wouldn't be able to handle it.

 

Yea that's why I described how it could work without physic right above.

 

Even still, it would likely cause a lot of bloat once bomb ballistas and kegs start rolling out almost non-stop

 

What would cause lag exactly ? The fact that blocks would disappear and appear quickly ? Here's what I said to Duplolas how said the same thing :

 

When a large structure collapses, it puts stress on the server more than anything else (pretty sure). Making it so explosions cause blocks to move around causes the server to have to process the explosion, the position of the newly moved blocks, the deleted blocks, and anything else that goes along with it.

However, I am not sure whether or not this would be enough stress to cause a noticeable impact upon the game.

Also, on the topic of how it would actually work.

If you place a keg in a tunnel, what would happen with these mechanics?

If blocks moved like you suggest, wouldn't putting a keg in a tunnel you are making move dirt, blocking the tunnel you are trying to make?

 

Why would you bring a keg inside a tunnel ?

But yeah, bombs and kegs will surely clog tunnels, and IMO that's the fun part.

 

Breaking doors?

 

Why wouldn't you bring a keg inside a tunnel? It's safer, faster and funnier.

I'm indifferent towards the idea, not very useful but could be fun tho, as long as it only moves when exploding above and only drags blocks from bellow to the sides, this way if a keg explodes in a tunnel you don't get a hill on the surface.