Wet feet

The test terrain was dry until now. It isn’t any more: a river now winds across the meadow and into a small lake, and rain has left puddles in the grass.

A river and a lake

Both are built with Unreal Engine’s own water system and cut into the land, so the banks slope down into a real bed instead of water lying flat on the grass. We tried a few looks and kept the murky one: greenish brown, not see-through, the kind of water you would think twice about drinking. Grass no longer grows on the bottom, and trees keep their distance from the shore.

Puddles

A puddle is too small for a full water body, so these are painted onto the ground: a dark, still middle, a thin band of mud and darker, damp earth around it. Each one sits in a dip, where water would actually collect, and the grass around it thins out instead of growing straight through the water.

Wading

Step into the river, the lake or a puddle and your footsteps splash. They keep their speed and loudness as on any other surface, so a sprint through the shallows is loud. The grassy shore right next to the water still sounds like grass.

Not yet

You can only wade for now. Swimming, being slowed down by deep water and drinking from the lake or the river are not in yet.