lostways

I'll fan out research across three independent streams, then synthesize into a design doc. Let me launch them in parallel.

• Agent Explore the codebase at /mnt/f/lostways/ (UE 5.7 C++ project, module "Lostways", prefix "LW"). I need a thorough technic… 109.5s 10.9 KB

• Bash find /mnt/f/lostways -type f -name "*.h" -o -name "*.cpp" | grep -iE "(terrain|procedural)" | head -20 2.3s 524 B

I'll conduct a thorough exploration of the terrain generation system in this UE5.7 C++ project. Let me start by mapping the codebase structure and locating the terrain-related code.

Perfect! Found the main terrain class. Let me read both the header and implementation files to understand the terrain architecture.

• Read /mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Private/LWProceduralTerrain.cpp 285ms 48.2 KB

• Read /mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Public/LWProceduralTerrain.h 274ms 32.0 KB

Let me continue reading the implementation file to see the mesh building and terrain sampling functions:

• Read error /mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Private/LWProceduralTerrain.cpp 346ms 204 B

Let me search for key functions in the cpp file:

• Bash grep -n "CreateMeshSection\|RebuildFromSeed\|TriHeight\|FlatH\|PlaceSpawnOnLand\|BuildTerrainData" /mnt/f/lostways/Sourc… 42ms 3.1 KB

• Read /mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Private/LWProceduralTerrain.cpp 18ms 5.4 KB

Now let me look at the specific sections related to mesh creation and terrain sampling:

• Agent Research the technical options for RUNTIME terrain manipulation in Unreal Engine 5.7, for a multiplayer game. IMPORTANT … 185.4s 20.5 KB

• Read /mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Private/LWProceduralTerrain.cpp 17ms 14.9 KB

Now let me search for ApplyBuild and mesh creation calls:

• Bash grep -n "ApplyBuild\|CreateMeshSection" /mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Private/LWProceduralTerrain.cpp | head -20 42ms 1.4 KB

Let me check the ApplyBuild function and the collision setup:

I'll research this systematically. Let me load the tools I need and start querying authoritative UE docs plus community techniques in parallel.

• ToolSearch select:mcp__ue-docs__search_docs,WebSearch,WebFetch 3ms 166 B

• Read /mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Private/LWProceduralTerrain.cpp 13ms 6.3 KB

• Bash find /mnt/f/lostways -type f \( -name "LWMapGenerator.h" -o -name "LWMapGenerator.cpp" \) 2.1s 114 B

Now let me look at the LWMapGenerator to understand how height sampling works:

Let me fan out the research across multiple parallel queries to UE docs and the web.

• mcp__ue-docs__search_docs ProceduralMeshComponent UpdateMeshSection vs CreateMeshSection performance update vertices runtime 18.4s 12.9 KB

• mcp__ue-docs__search_docs ProceduralMeshComponent collision update ContainsPhysicsTriMeshData CookedTriMeshData async cooking 19.8s 9.9 KB

• Read /mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Public/LWMapGenerator.h 20ms 7.5 KB

• mcp__ue-docs__search_docs Geometry Script Dynamic Mesh runtime mesh deformation UDynamicMesh GeometryScriptLibrary packaged build 20.4s 9.1 KB

• mcp__ue-docs__search_docs Landscape runtime edit layers sculpt heightmap programmatically edit layer 21.1s 9.5 KB

Now let me look at the terrain carving section more carefully and find PlaceSpawnOnLand:

• Read /mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Private/LWProceduralTerrain.cpp 13ms 4.6 KB

• Bash grep -n "PlaceSpawnOnLand" /mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Private/LWProceduralTerrain.cpp 28ms 187 B

• Agent Research how survival/base-building games handle TERRAIN ADAPTATION when players build bases on uneven ground. This is f… 730.7s 16.4 KB

• Bash find /mnt/f/lostways -type f -name "LWMapTypes.h" 2.2s 51 B

Now let me look at the LWMapTypes to understand FLWWorld structure:

I'll research terrain adaptation patterns in survival/base-building games. Let me load the web tools first.

• ToolSearch select:WebSearch,WebFetch 4ms 100 B

This is a substantial multi-game research task. I'll fan out parallel research agents grouped by terraforming approach, then synthesize. Let me dispatch subagents to research clusters of games concurrently.

• Read /mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Public/LWMapTypes.h 26ms 11.2 KB

• Read /mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Public/LWMapTypes.h 19ms 2.7 KB

Now let me search for how other systems read terrain height (PlaceSpawnOnLand shows TriHeight usage). Let me check if there's a general sampling interface:

• Bash grep -rn "SampleHeight\|GetTerrainHeight\|SampleBiome" /mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways --include="*.h" --include="*.cpp"… 76ms 531 B

• Read /mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Private/LWProceduralTerrain.cpp 13ms 2.2 KB

Now let me search for replication settings on the terrain actor:

• Bash grep -n "bReplicates\|GetIsReplicated\|SetReplicates" /mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Private/LWProceduralTerrain.cpp 38ms 31 B

• Agent Research how these survival/base-building games handle TERRAIN ADAPTATION for building bases on uneven ground, focusing … 358.9s 17.4 KB

• Bash grep -n "Replicate\|NetMode" /mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Private/LWProceduralTerrain.cpp | head -10 43ms 176 B

Let me check the header for any replication declarations:

• Bash grep -n "UPROPERTY\|bReplicates\|Replicat" /mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Public/LWProceduralTerrain.h | head -30 38ms 2.7 KB

I'll research terrain adaptation across these five games. Let me start by loading the web tools and fanning out searches.

• ToolSearch select:WebSearch,WebFetch 2ms 100 B

• Bash grep -A 5 "^UCLASS" /mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Public/LWProceduralTerrain.h 35ms 93 B

Let me search more specifically for the class declaration:

Good authoritative data. Now let me gather community techniques and check the actual codebase to ground recommendations in their real architecture.

• WebSearch Unreal Engine ProceduralMeshComponent UpdateMeshSection runtime terrain deformation performance collision cook 6.5s 3.7 KB

I'll fan out one research agent per game so they run concurrently. Each agent has WebSearch/WebFetch and will return a cited writeup.

• WebSearch UE5 runtime terrain editing multiplayer replication deterministic brush vs height deltas survival game foundation flatte… 6.3s 2.7 KB

Now let me look for where road carving happens in detail and look at how RefreshGroundCover works:

• Bash grep -n "RefreshGroundCover\|MakeBuildInputs" /mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Private/LWProceduralTerrain.cpp | head -10 43ms 727 B

• WebSearch survival game building foundation auto-level terrain stilts pillars no terrain deformation Valheim Rust Conan 7.6s 2.5 KB

• Agent Research how these survival/base-building games handle TERRAIN ADAPTATION for building bases on uneven ground, focusing … 336.0s 17.6 KB

Perfect. Now let me look at mesh section creation to understand if sections can be rebuilt independently:

• Read /mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Private/LWProceduralTerrain.cpp 27ms 7.8 KB

• mcp__ue-docs__search_docs ProceduralMeshComponent CalculateTangentsForMesh normals recompute KismetProceduralMeshLibrary 8.7s 4.8 KB

• Bash grep -n "ClearAllMeshSections\|CreateMeshSection" /mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Private/LWProceduralTerrain.cpp 37ms 617 B

Perfect! Now let me check the MakeBuildInputs to see what tuning data is passed:

• Read /mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Private/LWProceduralTerrain.cpp 17ms 8.0 KB

• ToolSearch select:WebSearch,WebFetch 3ms 100 B

I'll research terrain adaptation in these four survival/base-building games. Let me load the web tools first.

Excellent! Now let me check if there's any mention of persistent terrain deltas or editable terrain:

• Agent Research how VALHEIM handles TERRAIN ADAPTATION and TERRAFORMING for base-building on uneven ground. Use WebSearch and W… 256.0s 18.3 KB

• Bash grep -rn "delta\|Delta\|editable\|Editable\|modify.*terrain\|carve.*delta\|persistent" /mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways -… 52ms 1.4 KB

I'll fan out research across the four games in parallel. Let me launch dedicated research agents for each game, since each requires multiple independent web searches.

Let me look at the CarveDelta in the MapGenerator:

• Bash grep -n "CarveDelta" /mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Private/LWMapGenerator.cpp | head -10 49ms 183 B

• ToolSearch select:WebSearch,WebFetch 2ms 100 B

I'll load the web tools and research Valheim's terrain adaptation and terraforming mechanics.

• Read /mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Private/LWMapGenerator.cpp 13ms 3.3 KB

Let me look at their actual PMC terrain code to ground the recommendation, and fetch the gradientspace article (the authoritative community deep-dive on runtime mesh + collision cost) plus the vorixo low-bandwidth procgen replication article.

• Agent Research how these survival/base-building games handle TERRAIN ADAPTATION for building on uneven ground: The Forest, Son… 606.1s 16.7 KB

I'll research these topics in parallel with targeted searches.

• WebSearch Valheim hoe level ground raise ground terraforming mechanics reference height 10.7s 2.4 KB

• Bash grep -n "bUseAsyncCooking\|SetCollisionEnabled\|QueryAndPhysics" /mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Private/LWProceduralTer… 42ms 697 B

• WebSearch Valheim structural integrity system wood stone iron support color blue green yellow red max distance 7.7s 2.0 KB

Perfect! Now I have a comprehensive understanding. Let me search for how terrain collision works:

• WebSearch Valheim terrain modification lag FPS drop save bloat instance.db zone TerrainModifier 11.2s 3.2 KB

• Bash ls Source/Lostways/Public Source/Lostways/Private 2>/dev/null && echo "---GREP PMC---" && grep -rln "ProceduralMesh\|Cre… 65ms 896 B

• Agent Research how ENSHROUDED handles TERRAIN ADAPTATION and TERRAFORMING (voxel terraforming) for base-building. Use WebSearc… 100.1s 9.3 KB

• ToolSearch select:WebSearch,WebFetch 3ms 100 B

I'll research these terrain adaptation and structural-integrity systems. Let me load the web tools first.

I'll fan out the research across parallel searches. Let me start with the major topic areas concurrently.

• WebSearch The Forest Sons of the Forest custom building log foundation supports stilts slope building system 8.9s 2.9 KB

• WebSearch Conan Exiles stability structural integrity system pillars cantilever distance collapse 7.5s 2.2 KB

• Agent Research how the game RUST (Facepunch Studios survival game) handles terrain adaptation and base building on uneven grou… 176.5s 17.2 KB

I'll research Enshrouded's terrain adaptation and terraforming. Let me load the web tools first.

• ToolSearch select:WebSearch,WebFetch 2ms 100 B

• WebFetch http://www.gradientspace.com/tutorials/2020/10/23/runtime-mesh-generation-in-ue426 6.1s 1.5 KB

• WebSearch Smalland Survive the Wilds building system foundations uneven terrain supports snapping 12.7s 3.3 KB

• WebFetch https://vorixo.github.io/devtricks/procgen/ 7.0s 1.4 KB

• WebSearch Medieval Engineers structural integrity stress simulation collapse load-bearing supports 8.1s 3.1 KB

Let me run parallel searches on the key topics.

• WebSearch Enshrouded voxel size terrain editing flame altar build zone radius limit 6.2s 2.6 KB

• WebSearch Enshrouded terraforming voxel terrain how it works build hammer pickaxe 6.7s 2.5 KB

I'll research how Rust handles terrain adaptation and base building. Let me load the web tools first.

• ToolSearch select:WebSearch,WebFetch 2ms 100 B

• WebSearch Enshrouded building no structural integrity floating bases foundations slopes 5.8s 2.4 KB

I'll research this systematically with parallel searches.

• Agent Research how 7 DAYS TO DIE handles TERRAIN ADAPTATION and TERRAFORMING (voxel world) for base-building on uneven ground.… 182.8s 11.6 KB

• WebSearch Rust game terraforming terrain deformation can you dig building on uneven ground 5.5s 2.0 KB

• WebSearch Rust building foundation steps high foundation low foundation triangle square slope hill 7.3s 2.2 KB

• WebFetch https://valheim.fandom.com/wiki/Hoe 2.7s 215 B

Good results. Let me fetch the detailed sources and search for the remaining topics (foundations/supports on slopes, snapping/grid, pickaxe digging, stamina costs).

• Agent Research how the game CONAN EXILES (Funcom survival game) handles terrain adaptation and base building on uneven ground.… 224.3s 16.8 KB

I'll research this systematically with parallel searches across the topic areas.

• ToolSearch select:WebSearch,WebFetch 4ms 100 B

• WebSearch 7 Days to Die structural integrity stability system collapse overhang max blocks 11.2s 2.4 KB

I'll load the web tools and research how 7 Days to Die handles terrain adaptation and terraforming.

Let me read their actual terrain implementation to ground the recommendation in how their heightfield/sections are actually structured.

• WebSearch 7 Days to Die voxel terrain terraforming digging mining flatten ground 9.7s 2.3 KB

• Read /mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Public/LWProceduralTerrain.h 260ms 32.0 KB

I'll load the web tools and research Conan Exiles' terrain adaptation and building systems.

• WebFetch https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2404764203 8.8s 1.3 KB

• Agent Research how MEDIEVAL DYNASTY handles TERRAIN ADAPTATION for base/building placement on uneven ground. Use WebSearch and… 143.6s 12.3 KB

• ToolSearch select:WebSearch,WebFetch 3ms 100 B

• WebSearch Valheim building on slope wood pole stone pole core wood iron beam foundation supports flat footprint snapping 11.6s 2.6 KB

Let me fetch the key sources for concrete details and run additional searches on snapping/material brushes and multiplayer.

• WebSearch Conan Exiles building stability foundations pillars structural integrity system 9.4s 2.4 KB

This is extremely useful. I now understand their exact architecture. Let me grab the key mesh-build details from the .cpp to know section count and whether they keep a CPU-side height array, plus confirm one UE fact about CreateMeshSection collision flag.

I'll research this thoroughly. Let me start with parallel searches on the key topics.

• WebSearch Conan Exiles building on slopes foundations fence foundations pillars uneven ground guide 9.9s 2.3 KB

• WebFetch error https://supercraft.host/wiki/enshrouded/base_building_guide/ 4.3s 22 B

Let me fetch the authoritative sources in parallel.

Good initial results. Let me fetch the detailed wiki pages and guides for the most important topics, especially the stability deep dives.

• Bash grep -n "CreateMeshSection\|UpdateMeshSection\|bCreateCollision\|SetVertexBuffer\|CalculateTangents\|FlatH\|NumSections\… 48ms 4.1 KB

• ToolSearch select:WebSearch,WebFetch 2ms 100 B

I'll load the web tools and research Medieval Dynasty's terrain/building system.

• WebFetch https://enshrouded.wiki.gg/wiki/Flame_Altar 7.3s 1.2 KB

• WebFetch https://wiki.facepunch.com/rust/Terrain 9.0s 1.4 KB

• WebSearch Enshrouded terrain paint material brush snapping grid blocks placement ghost preview smoothing 8.3s 1.9 KB

• Agent Research how the game SATISFACTORY (Coffee Stain Studios factory builder) handles terrain adaptation and building on une… 122.0s 13.0 KB

I'll research this systematically with parallel searches.

• WebFetch https://sonsoftheforest.wiki.gg/wiki/Custom_Buildings 6.9s 1.3 KB

• WebFetch https://www.corrosionhour.com/how-to-build-in-rust/ 8.3s 1.4 KB

• WebSearch Medieval Dynasty flatten terrain tool level ground mod 8.5s 2.7 KB

• Agent Research how NIGHTINGALE (the survival/crafting game by Inflexion Games) handles TERRAIN ADAPTATION and TERRAFORMING for… 177.1s 13.0 KB

• WebSearch Medieval Dynasty building placement uneven terrain slope no terraforming 9.3s 2.4 KB

• WebSearch Medieval Dynasty building floating on slope foundation stilts placement guide 8.4s 2.3 KB

• WebFetch https://conanexiles.fandom.com/wiki/Building 2.0s 215 B

I'll load the web tools first, then research Nightingale's terrain/building systems.

Let me fetch the detailed wiki pages and guides.

I'll load the web tools first, then research Satisfactory's terrain/foundation systems.

• ToolSearch select:WebSearch,WebFetch 9ms 100 B

• ToolSearch select:WebSearch,WebFetch 4ms 100 B

• WebFetch https://medievalengineerswiki.com/w/Structural_Integrity 7.2s 1.4 KB

• WebFetch https://7daystodie.fandom.com/wiki/Structural_Integrity 1.4s 215 B

Let me start with broad searches on Nightingale's building and terrain systems.

Now let me research. I'll run several searches in parallel to cover the topics.

• WebFetch https://smalland-survive-the-wilds.fandom.com/wiki/Base_Structures 1.6s 215 B

• WebSearch Satisfactory foundation sizes 1m 2m 4m 8m height increments ramps pillars wiki 7.2s 2.1 KB

• WebFetch https://wiki.7d2d.net/hosting/community/terrain-leveling-and-construction-techniques/ 6.2s 1.3 KB

• WebSearch Nightingale game building on uneven terrain foundations pillars slopes 7.6s 2.4 KB

Let me fetch the key sources for detailed technical info.

• WebSearch Satisfactory foundations terrain clipping no terraforming flatten ground guide 7.1s 2.0 KB

Let me fetch the detailed wiki pages on Building structural integrity and the terrain modification storage discussion, plus the BetterTerrain GitHub for technical storage details.

• WebSearch Nightingale terraforming flatten terrain base building mechanics 8.3s 2.6 KB

Let me fetch the terrain materials wiki, the deltacalculator terraform guide, and the TheGamer building guide for snapping/material details.

• Agent Research how the game GROUNDED (Obsidian Entertainment backyard survival game) handles terrain adaptation and base build… 190.1s 16.7 KB

• WebFetch https://valheim.fandom.com/wiki/Building 1.3s 215 B

• WebFetch https://enshrouded.wiki.gg/wiki/Terrain_Materials 5.0s 1.2 KB

Good details. Note placement validity is blue (not green) in Rust. Let me get the foundation freehand guide, stability mechanic, and the Fandom building wiki.

I'll load the web tools first.

• WebFetch https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=909543602 6.6s 1.7 KB

• WebFetch https://www.deltacalculator.com/enshrouded/terraform/ 3.9s 1.3 KB

• ToolSearch select:WebSearch,WebFetch 2ms 100 B

This is rich. Let me fetch the key sources to get concrete mechanics and numbers.

• WebFetch https://github.com/74oshua/BetterTerrain 4.3s 1.4 KB

• WebFetch https://conanexiles.fandom.com/wiki/Building 2.2s 215 B

Now let me research Grounded's building system. I'll start with parallel searches.

Perfect! Now I have all the information I need. Let me create a comprehensive technical report.

## Technical Map: Lostways Procedural Terrain Generation and Rendering

Based on my thorough exploration of the codebase, here is the complete technical architecture:

### 1. TERRAIN ACTOR CLASS

**Main Class:** `ALWProceduralTerrain` (Actor)
- **Header:** `/mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Public/LWProceduralTerrain.h`
- **Implementation:** `/mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Private/LWProceduralTerrain.cpp`
- **Not Replicated** - class declaration is simply `UCLASS()` with no replication specifier
- **Generation is server-authoritative** (see line 3424 in cpp: `if (GetNetMode() == NM_Client...`)

**Component Structure:**
- `Mesh` (UProceduralMeshComponent) - main terrain, root component
  - `WaterMesh` (UProceduralMeshComponent) - water surface, child of Mesh, no collision
  - `RoadMesh` (UProceduralMeshComponent) - road surfaces, child of Mesh, no collision (terrain provides collision)
- Building/furniture/foliage HISM (UHierarchicalInstancedStaticMeshComponent) components created dynamically

All components use `bUseAsyncCooking = true` (line 422, 427, 432) for off-thread collision cooking.

### 2. HEIGHTFIELD PRODUCTION

**Authoritative Height Source:** `ULWMapGenerator::GenerateWorldTuned()` (lines 1299-1310 in cpp)

**Single Height Function:** `TriHeight()` (lines 86-97 in cpp)
```cpp
float TriHeight(const TArray<float>& H, int32 G, int32 X0, int32 Y0, int32 X1, int32 Y1, float TX, float TY)
```
- Performs **triangle-based height interpolation** on the heightmap grid
- Input heightmap `H` is normalized `[-1, 1]`
- Supports both raw `World.Heightmap` and carved `FlatH` heightmap
- Matches the triangulation scheme: tri0=(I0,I2,I1), tri1=(I1,I2,I3) with diagonal from (X0,Y1) to (X1,Y0)
- Used by: foliage placement, spawn placement, road carving validation

**Grid Resolution & World Extent:**
- Default grid: `GridSize = 512` (512 × 512 vertices) - line 123 in header
- Can be overridden per placed instance in GeneratedWorld.umap
- Physical mesh extent: `TerrainSizeMeters = 40000.0f` (line 138)
- Vertex spacing: `Spacing = ExtentCm / (G-1)` (line 1319) = ~78.1 m at 512 resolution
- Generated world: `WorldSizeKm = 40.0f` (line 133) - the noise wavelengths are tuned for this
- World height scale: `HeightScaleCm = 50000.0f` (line 142) - normalized [-1,1] maps to ±500m

**Single Mesh Section:** Everything builds into section 0 of `Mesh`, all at once
- Line 2952: `Mesh->CreateMeshSection(0, R.Vertices, R.Triangles, R.Normals, ...)`

### 3. MESH SECTION BUILDING & REBUILD CAPABILITY

**Build Pipeline (Deterministic per seed):**

1. **MakeBuildInputs()** (line 1168) - snapshots actor tunables into `FLWBuildInputs` struct (game thread)
2. **BuildTerrainData()** (line 1287) - worker thread, returns `FLWTerrainBuildResult` containing all mesh buffers
   - Calls `ULWMapGenerator::GenerateWorldTuned()` to generate full world
   - Performs road bench-carving into `FlatH` (lines 1348-1350, 1447-1527)
   - Performs settlement pad flattening (lines 1529-1587)
   - Builds vertex positions, normals, UVs, vertex colors, tangents
   - Builds water and road surface meshes
   - Builds foliage instancing transforms
3. **ApplyBuild()** (line 2936) - game thread, consumes `FLWTerrainBuildResult`
   - Line 2951: `Mesh->ClearAllMeshSections()`
   - Line 2952: `Mesh->CreateMeshSection(0, ...)`
   - Applies materials
   - Spawns buildings/furniture/foliage as HISM components

**Key Methods:**
- `RebuildFromSeed(int64 Seed)` (line 1271) - synchronous, blocking
- `RequestRebuild(int64 Seed)` (line 3503) - async, shows loading screen, runs BuildTerrainData on UE::Tasks worker thread

**Rebuild Determinism:** YES - fully deterministic from seed
- No per-section partial rebuild capability - always full mesh rebuild
- PRNG call order is preserved (line 1284), so identical seed always produces identical mesh

### 4. COLLISION SETUP

**Terrain Collision (Mesh component):**
- Line 2952: `CreateMeshSection(0, ..., /*bCreateCollision*/ true)`
- Uses ProceduralMeshComponent's built-in collision cooking
- `Mesh->bUseAsyncCooking = true` (line 422) - cooks collision off-thread

**Water & Road Collision:**
- Line 426: `WaterMesh->SetCollisionEnabled(ECollisionEnabled::NoCollision)`
- Line 431: `RoadMesh->SetCollisionEnabled(ECollisionEnabled::NoCollision)`
- Terrain provides all collision; water/roads are visual only

**Building Collision:**
- Building HISM components: `H->SetCollisionEnabled(ECollisionEnabled::QueryAndPhysics)` (line 3034)
- Buildings claim space deterministically before foliage placement

### 5. HOW OTHER SYSTEMS READ TERRAIN HEIGHT

**Authoritative Read Interface:**

1. **TriHeight()** for precise height on mesh triangles (used by foliage/spawn placement)
   - Requires grid-space coordinates (0..G-1) and triangle UV
   - Usage: line 1764 (spawn), line 2003+ (foliage placement)

2. **SampleBiome()** (line 3402) - public interface for biome lookup
   ```cpp
   bool SampleBiome(const FVector& WorldPos, ELWBiome& OutBiome) const
   ```
   - Converts world position to grid cell, looks up cached biome
   - Used by ambience manager and player controller

**Road Carving (Already Implemented):**
- Roads are **not** separate from terrain height - they carve the mesh geometry directly
- **Bench-cutting algorithm** (lines 1447-1527 in cpp):
  - `FlatH` array stores the actual height the mesh renders (starts as copy of `World.Heightmap`)
  - Per-road: rasterize corridor with distance-weighted blending
  - Multiple roads blend their bed heights (weighted average)
  - Feathering: `smoothstep` from inner width to outer width (line 1506)
  - Settlement pads also flatten into `FlatH` (lines 1529-1587)
  - Result: planar bench across the road, feathered back to natural terrain

- **Road Carving Details:**
  - Real carriageway widths (motorway=28m, a_road=11m, b_road=8m, lane=5.5m) after `RoadWidthScale` applied
  - Centreline bed profile is box-smoothed twice over ±6 points (~165m, ~2 cells)
  - All vertices within the corridor blend toward the road bed height
  - No post-processing carving - carving is baked into the mesh at build time

**Foliage/Spawn Placement Height Reading:**
- Uses `TriHeight(FlatH, ...)` to get mesh-exact height for flush placement
- Falls back to raw `World.Heightmap` if `FlatH` size mismatch (line 3461)
- Checks `GroundIsWet()` (line 104) before placing on wet ground

**Ground Cover Height Reading:**
- Runtime system `RefreshGroundCover()` (line 3603) pre-caches world data:
  - `GcHeight` - raw heightmap
  - `GcBiome` - per-cell biome
  - `GcEcosystem` - per-cell ecosystem
  - `GcRoadMask` - road proximity [0,1] per cell
  - `GcClumpMask` - precomputed grass clump noise [0,255]
- Runs at camera position, ~0.2m spacing, ~90m radius
- Skips placement on road cells (dithered) and water cells

### 6. REPLICATION MODEL

**NOT Replicated:**
- `ALWProceduralTerrain` has no replication specifier - terrain is **local only**
- Each client generates identical mesh from the same seed independently
- Server-authoritative generation determinism verified at line 1283-1285

**Spawn Placement is Server-Only:**
- `PlaceSpawnOnLand()` (line 3421) returns early on clients: `if (GetNetMode() == NM_Client...)`
- Server moves PlayerStart to the first major settlement's height
- Spawn position replicates to late-joiners via the relocated APlayerStart

**Foliage/Buildings are Local Deterministic:**
- Built deterministically on every peer from seed
- Positions match across network via shared PRNG order and world structure
- No replication needed - identical output on all machines

### 7. EXISTING NOTION OF PERSISTENT TERRAIN DELTAS

**None Currently Implemented.** However, the architecture supports this:

**Existing Road Carving Pattern (Not Persistent):**
- `FlatH` array (line 1348) is a temporary in `BuildTerrainData()` 
- Road bench-cutting modifies it in-place (line 1607)
- River carving happens at generation time in `ULWMapGenerator` via `CarveDelta` (line 350 in LWMapGenerator.cpp)
- After build, carved heights are baked into mesh vertices; original `World.Heightmap` stays unchanged

**To Add Persistent Terrain Deltas:**
The architecture already has the pieces:
1. Maintain a separate `DeltaH` array (per-vertex height modifications)
2. At rebuild: blend `DeltaH` onto `FlatH` after road/settlement carving
3. Serialize/replicate `DeltaH` deltas (e.g., per-sector for streaming)
4. On base-building flatten: modify `DeltaH` locally, rebuild mesh section(s), replicate delta
5. Pattern: mesh section 0 = terrain base (always rebuild from seed), later sections could be carved overlays

Currently, all carving is **transient, non-persistent** - rebuild from seed restores original terrain.

### 8. KEY BUILD PARAMETERS & TUNING

**Passed via FLWBuildInputs (all in MakeBuildInputs, line 1168+):**
- `GridSize`, `WorldSizeKm`, `TerrainSizeMeters`, `HeightScaleCm`
- `IslandCount`, `KeepLakeDepth`, `RiverThreshold`
- Road parameters: `RoadWidthScale`, `RoadEdgeCore`, `RoadWanderScale`
- Settlement: `SettlementCount`, `SettlementSpacingM`
- Foliage: all density multipliers (tree/shrub/grass/flower/rock/log per biome)
- Per-biome settings (FLWBiomeSettings) - plants/debris/effects tuning

**Result Determinism Guarantee:**
- `R->bValid` flag must be true (line 2938)
- World heightmap/biome must match grid size (line 1313-1315)
- Same seed + same FLWBuildInputs = byte-identical mesh output
- PRNG call order is sacred (line 1284)

---

### File Structure Summary

| File | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| `/mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Public/LWProceduralTerrain.h` | Actor class definition, public API |
| `/mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Private/LWProceduralTerrain.cpp` (3836 lines) | Build pipeline, ApplyBuild, foliage/spawn placement, ground cover, road carving |
| `/mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Public/LWMapGenerator.h` | World generation interface |
| `/mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Private/LWMapGenerator.cpp` | Heightmap/biome/POI/road generation, river carving |
| `/mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Public/LWMapTypes.h` | FLWWorld, FLWPath, FLWBiome, terrain data structs |

### Key Takeaways for Base-Building

1. **Mesh is monolithic** - single section, must rebuild whole to apply changes
2. **Road carving is already there** - use `FlatH` pattern as reference for flattening
3. **Determinism is critical** - pervasive PRNG ordering preserved by design
4. **No runtime height edits currently** - all modifications must happen during `BuildTerrainData`
5. **Ground cover caches terrain data** - if you modify heights, must invalidate `Gc*` caches and call `RefreshGroundCover()`
6. **Collision cooks asynchronously** - `bUseAsyncCooking = true` means collision is ready later, not immediately
7. **Spawn/foliage use `TriHeight(FlatH, ...)`** - any runtime terrain edits must update FlatH or maintain separate delta layer

• WebFetch https://www.corrosionhour.com/rust-foundation-freehand-placement/ 4.3s 1.4 KB

• WebFetch https://steamcommunity.com/app/892970/discussions/0/4416425017207699849/?l=english 7.0s 1.4 KB

• WebSearch Conan Exiles stability 100 building piece loses stability per piece foundation ceiling cantilever pillar guide 6.0s 1.9 KB

The official wiki (wiki.gg) and fandom both have the structural integrity page. Let me fetch the official wiki version and the gamerant/xgaming guides.

• WebSearch Rust structural integrity stability system building blocks collapse distance from foundation 5.8s 2.5 KB

• WebFetch https://medieval-dynasty.fandom.com/wiki/Buildings 321ms 215 B

• WebFetch https://www.thegamer.com/enshrouded-how-to-build-structures-guide/ 5.3s 1.3 KB

Good initial coverage. Let me fetch the most detailed sources and search for more specifics on slope rules, snapping, and realm/procedural aspects.

• WebSearch Sons of the Forest terraforming dig terrain excavation zipline can you deform terrain 7.7s 2.1 KB

• WebFetch https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/2942496178840977208/ 8.1s 1.4 KB

• WebSearch Grounded building stems walls floors support beam grass plank pebblet 7.7s 2.6 KB

• WebSearch Grounded game foundations floors slopes uneven terrain building guide 7.1s 2.9 KB

The Fandom wikis returned 403. Let me try alternate sources: the wiki.gg Conan wiki, Steam guides for stability numbers, and more searches for terraforming and Medieval Engineers technical details.

• WebFetch https://7daystodie.wiki.gg/wiki/Structural_Integrity 7.0s 1.3 KB

• WebSearch Medieval Engineers structural integrity how it works compression tension stress mass distance fracture deformation 10.0s 2.7 KB

• WebFetch https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/3446961485763731456/ 3.5s 1.2 KB

• WebSearch Grounded foundation snapping grid red green preview placement terraforming 5.2s 2.5 KB

• WebFetch https://theforest.fandom.com/wiki/Custom_Foundation 2.3s 215 B

Let me fetch the official wiki Foundations page and search for more specific topics like nudge, zoop, and grid.

• WebFetch https://techraptor.net/gaming/guides/nightingale-building-guide 2.5s 215 B

• WebFetch https://gamerant.com/7-days-to-die-structural-support-guide/ 8.8s 1.4 KB

• WebFetch https://dotesports.com/nightingale/news/how-to-adjust-the-height-of-buildings-and-structures-in-nightingale 2.2s 215 B

• WebFetch https://satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Foundations 9.7s 1.5 KB

The Steam guide gave good data. The fandom wiki is blocked. Let me get the official Conan Exiles wiki pages and more specific sources on slopes, foundations, and stability numbers.

• WebSearch Satisfactory zoop mass placement nudge vertical foundation keybind soft clearance height offset 9.0s 2.0 KB

I have strong coverage. Let me get the remaining gaps: multiplayer sync/save bloat/griefing, smoothing tool specifics, and confirm voxel size from a second source.

Both blocked. Let me try the Steam discussions and other sources, plus more targeted searches.

• WebSearch Enshrouded co-op griefing terraforming multiplayer save file size voxel edits sync performance 8.6s 2.4 KB

• WebFetch https://www.conanexiles.com/wp-content/wiki/2693562384.html 2.0s 215 B

Let me fetch the Stability wiki, the Fandom Building wiki, and the Gamerant stability tips.

• WebSearch Enshrouded smoothing terrain tool surface tool flatten how to smooth voxel edges 8.0s 2.4 KB

Let me get the structural integrity numbers (wiki Building page was 403) via alternate sources, and find stamina costs and the optterrain patch notes.

• WebFetch error https://nito.lettersandscience.net/guides/470-conan-exiles.html 1.4s 12 B

Let me fetch the key wiki pages and the Steam discussion on the support system for technical detail.

• WebFetch https://steamcommunity.com/app/1928980/discussions/0/4348858679329688157/ 7.7s 1.4 KB

• WebFetch https://rust.fandom.com/wiki/Stability 1.4s 215 B

Let me get the wiki Buildings page (try direct), the suggestion/mod thread, and a guide for snapping/grid details.

• WebFetch https://grounded.fandom.com/wiki/Base_Building 1.6s 215 B

• WebFetch https://rust.fandom.com/wiki/Building 1.5s 215 B

• WebFetch https://www.zleague.gg/theportal/finding-the-perfect-spot-nightingale-terrain-and-base-building-woes/ 6.0s 1.2 KB

• WebFetch https://gamerant.com/valheim-structure-stability-guide/ 7.7s 1.3 KB

• WebSearch Valheim optterrain command patch notes Hearth and Home new terrain modification system network instances 8.3s 2.4 KB

• WebFetch https://medieval-dynasty.fandom.com/wiki/Buildings 1.5s 215 B

• WebSearch Valheim hoe raise ground maximum height cap meters wood stake pole stamina cost terraforming limit 7.8s 2.3 KB

• WebFetch https://gamerant.com/rust-building-stability-beginner-tips/ 8.6s 1.5 KB

Now let me get the official wiki data with the full mass/load table, plus blocks/frames/shapes and snapping/grid info.

Let me fetch the official Conan Exiles wiki (non-Fandom), the Medieval Engineers SI overhaul dev page, and Steam discussion for stability numbers.

• WebFetch https://grounded.fandom.com/wiki/Advanced_Building 1.5s 215 B

Let me try the Steam discussion threads and search for more specific stability numbers and slope rules.

• WebSearch 7 Days to Die wiki mass max load block values table wood cobblestone concrete steel structural 8.5s 2.6 KB

• WebSearch Medieval Dynasty building placement green preview snapping roads grid how to place house 9.3s 2.5 KB

• WebFetch https://www.conanexiles.com/wp-content/wiki/2693562384.html 1.3s 215 B

• WebSearch 7 Days to Die wood frame block upgrade shapes wedge ramp triangle pillar building rotation snapping 8.0s 2.6 KB

• WebFetch https://medieval-dynasty-suggestions.com/posts/56/ability-to-flatten-terrain-with-a-shovel-pickaxe 6.2s 1.1 KB

• WebFetch https://steamcommunity.com/app/962130/discussions/0/5635717345356488720/ 8.4s 1.4 KB

• WebFetch https://steamcommunity.com/app/440900/discussions/0/3223871682614074246/ 4.5s 779 B

• WebSearch Conan Exiles stability number foundation 100 loses per tile ceiling 4 pieces collapse value 7.6s 2.0 KB

Let me fetch the Build Gun page for nudge/zoop details and search for structural integrity/floating foundations.

• WebFetch https://support.keenswh.com/medievalengineers/topic/structural-integrity 8.4s 1.2 KB

• WebFetch https://steamcommunity.com/app/440900/discussions/0/3223871682614074246/ 3.6s 511 B

• WebFetch https://satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Build_Gun 7.8s 1.4 KB

• WebSearch Nightingale wiki foundation building pieces structural support realm card 6.5s 2.5 KB

Let me search for more specifics: official wiki, height adjustment limits, structural integrity, and procedural realm building.

• WebSearch Satisfactory foundations float in air no structural integrity collapse stability place floating 6.2s 2.7 KB

• WebSearch Nightingale building "raise foundation" height limit pillars auto support legs slope 6.1s 2.8 KB

• WebSearch Nightingale base building persistent realm save multiplayer hosting estate cairn 6.8s 2.5 KB

I have strong data on most points. Let me fetch the PC Gamer patch article (terrain overhaul + hoe buff details), the Heightmap Unlimited Nexus mod (confirms the 8m cap), and search for the wood-iron structural integrity exact numbers.

Let me fetch the full data tables and the frame/building guides for the remaining details.

The fandom wiki has the canonical numbers but blocks WebFetch with 403. Let me try Google cache / alternate approaches and fetch the Funcom forum advanced building techniques + Conan Fanatics guide which loaded earlier.

• WebSearch Rust max slope buildable foundation steep terrain "blue" valid placement pillars under floor 9.8s 2.4 KB

Important finding: pillars were removed as a standalone stability tool. Let me get the Facepunch Structural Integrity devblog and the rust-archive Fandom (which loaded for the search). Let me also search foundation steps/heights specifically and the rustclash wiki.

• WebFetch https://xgamingserver.com/blog/7-days-to-die-base-building-guide/ 10.2s 1.7 KB

• WebFetch https://rust.facepunch.com/news/devblog-35 4.8s 1.4 KB

Several sources are blocked. Let me try the wiki.gg Conan wiki, a detailed Conan stability guide, and the Medieval Engineers wiki via alternate URL and Google cache approach.

• WebFetch https://www.nexusmods.com/valheim/mods/359 1.5s 215 B

• WebFetch https://www.pcgamer.com/valheim-patch-overhauls-terrain-buffs-hoe/ 2.1s 940 B

The fandom wiki is blocking. Let me try grounded.wiki.gg and the structural integrity details, plus the terraforming concept thread.

• WebFetch https://7daystodie.fandom.com/wiki/Wood_Frames 1.3s 215 B

• WebSearch Conan Exiles "stability" foundation 100% ceiling tiles build out before collapse number reddit guide 7.1s 1.2 KB

• WebSearch Rust foundation steps half height "high external" foundation step up hill stacking floors triangle 7.5s 2.7 KB

• WebSearch Grounded "structural integrity" setting building support beam max distance unsupported floor wiki.gg 4.6s 2.4 KB

• WebFetch https://lordsofgaming.net/2020/08/an-extensive-guide-to-building-in-grounded/ 9.4s 1.3 KB

• WebSearch Medieval Dynasty no snap to grid building rotation 15 degree alignment buildings 7.7s 2.4 KB

• WebFetch https://conanfanatics.com/conan-exiles-building/ 8.1s 1.4 KB

• WebFetch https://valheim.fandom.com/wiki/Wood_iron_structures 1.5s 215 B

Wiki is 403-blocking WebFetch. Let me get the grid/snapping confirmation, the slope/uneven Steam threads via search snippets, and check the rotation snap suggestion. I'll also search for concrete numbers on stilt height limits and the "rocks/bushes" detail.

I have strong coverage. Let me get the official dev statement on no-terraforming and confirm the ramp angle, plus pillars details.

• WebFetch https://www.medievalengineerswiki.com/index.php?title=Structural_Integrity 8.2s 1.4 KB

• WebFetch https://www.windowscentral.com/grounded-guide-list-building-parts-utilities-and-more 6.7s 960 B

• WebFetch https://forums.funcom.com/t/advanced-building-techniques/89432 7.9s 1.4 KB

• WebSearch Satisfactory ramp angle degrees foundation incline 4m ramp slope guide 8.2s 1.6 KB

• WebSearch Medieval Dynasty stilt foundation height limit logs slope too steep cannot place building 7.7s 2.6 KB

• WebFetch https://satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Pillars 6.7s 907 B

Strong coverage. Let me fetch the official wikis and the multiplayer overview for authoritative detail.

• WebFetch https://notesread.com/medieval-dynasty-construction-guide/ 6.6s 1.2 KB

• WebFetch https://techraptor.net/gaming/guides/sons-of-forest-building-guide 1.3s 215 B

Let me get the structural integrity exact numbers from the build height guide and techraptor, plus the official patch notes via techraptor/screenrant.

• WebFetch https://nightingale.wiki.gg/wiki/Buildings 8.2s 1.3 KB

• WebFetch https://techraptor.net/gaming/guides/valheim-building-guide 1.9s 215 B

• WebFetch https://techraptor.net/gaming/news/valheim-patch-01503-released-includes-new-terrain-modification-system 2.5s 215 B

• WebSearch Valheim wood core wood max build distance 6 blocks horizontal vertical stone 7 tall stability integrity values 10.8s 2.2 KB

Let me get the Max Load wiki table, the Steam terraforming discussion, and the change block shapes / snapping guide.

• WebFetch https://nightingale.fandom.com/wiki/Building 1.9s 215 B

• WebFetch https://playnightingale.com/news/multiplayer-overview/ 7.8s 1.4 KB

Strong details. Let me get the Rustafied Building 3.0 article (which documents the half-height/freehand foundation system in depth), the corrosionhour finding-flat-spots, and the rust-archive Fandom Building wiki for pillar/foundation specifics.

Let me fetch the wiki.gg Base Building page (more reliable than fandom), the Pebblet Foundation page, and the terraforming concept thread.

• WebFetch https://7daystodie.fandom.com/wiki/Max_Load 1.5s 215 B

The "game engine does not allow terraforming" is a key dev-stated claim. Let me confirm the developer source for that and get the rocks/bushes field-clearing workaround and the maritime/dev statement. Let me search for the dev quote and the field-clearing trick, plus check the techraptor guide.

Let me delegate the harder-to-source topics to parallel agents with broader search latitude, while I continue fetching accessible sources. The deep-dive stability numbers for Conan and the SI mechanics for Medieval Engineers need persistence.

• WebFetch https://www.rustafied.com/updates/2017/12/5/building-30-what-you-need-to-know 8.1s 1.4 KB

• WebSearch Medieval Dynasty developer "terraforming will not" engine does not allow flatten terrain Render Cube 7.1s 2.0 KB

• WebSearch Conan Exiles stability mechanics each ceiling reduces stability foundation gives 100 pillar resets stability tutorial 11.1s 2.3 KB

Good detail on advanced techniques. Now let me nail down the exact stability numbers from the fandom wiki (which has them) by trying Google's text cache approach and additional searches, plus the GameFAQs thread.

• WebFetch https://gamerant.com/7-days-to-die-how-change-block-shapes/ 9.3s 1.4 KB

• WebSearch "Conan Exiles" stability "foundation" "starts at" OR "100" decreases value pillar fence foundation tiles wiki 8.3s 1.8 KB

• WebFetch https://grounded.wiki.gg/wiki/Base_Building_(Grounded) 6.4s 1.3 KB

• WebSearch Medieval Dynasty clear rocks bushes place field then delete to flatten building spot workaround 7.1s 2.0 KB

• WebFetch https://eip.gg/sotf/guides/how-to-build-a-house-you-can-sleep-in/ 1.5s 215 B

• WebFetch https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/118063-terraforming-concept-in-grounded/ 2.2s 215 B

• WebFetch https://www.corrosionhour.com/finding-flat-spots-rust/ 8.0s 1.5 KB

• WebFetch https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/217654-conan-exiles/77853822 3.2s 215 B

• WebFetch https://rust-archive.fandom.com/wiki/Building 1.5s 215 B

• WebFetch https://techraptor.net/gaming/guides/medieval-dynasty-building-guide 1.3s 215 B

• WebFetch https://survivalgameguide.com/2023/05/29/how-to-build-in-smalland-survive-the-wilds/ 6.9s 1.2 KB

Let me get the "Build Limit" detail (relevant to save bloat/piece limits) and confirm the structural integrity / no-terraforming points from a couple more sources, plus the height-adjust limits.

• WebSearch Nightingale "build limit" realm structures maximum pieces per realm 4.2s 2.0 KB

The Building stability wiki page is the authoritative source. Let me fetch it directly (fandom returned content earlier for the Hoe-related search but 403'd on direct fetch; let me retry the stability page).

Key finding: building integrity is OFF by default and only active in Custom Mode. Let me get the Pebblet Foundation page (foundation auto-leveling behavior) and the GamesRadar grass floor guide, plus search for foundation auto-leveling on slopes.

• WebFetch https://www.gamerguides.com/nightingale/guide/crafting/tilesets/how-to-build-your-first-base-in-nightingale 1.4s 215 B

• WebSearch Grounded foundation auto-level flat surface uneven ground build base on slope hill scaffold elevate 9.9s 3.1 KB

• WebSearch Rust pillars building block support floors ceilings overhangs structural integrity uses 8.1s 2.0 KB

• WebFetch https://guides.gamepressure.com/valheim/guide.asp?ID=58030 1.9s 741 B

I have strong, well-sourced material. The "field clears bushes/rocks but does NOT flatten terrain height" is an important nuance — let me confirm by fetching one clarifying thread, plus the dev terraforming statement thread.

• WebSearch Rust "foundation steps" block triangle square low foundation height meters access doorway 8.1s 2.4 KB

• WebFetch https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/3112542578512427621/ 5.7s 812 B

• WebFetch https://www.gamesradar.com/grounded-grass-floor-craft-build/ 4.6s 687 B

• WebFetch https://grounded.wiki.gg/wiki/Pebblet_Foundation 3.5s 958 B

• WebFetch https://7daystodie.wiki.gg/wiki/Building_Materials 6.1s 1.2 KB

• WebFetch https://www.conanexiles.com/wp-content/wiki/2693562384.html 1.5s 215 B

• WebFetch https://valheim.fandom.com/wiki/Building_stability 215 B

• WebFetch https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/4070650515255677736/ 4.5s 896 B

I have enough material. Let me do one more search to nail down the "high foundation" vs "low foundation" distinction and the foundation step block specifically, plus pillar usage for supporting elevated floors.

Fandom is 403'ing now. Let me try the wiki.gg equivalents for Max Load and the terraforming Steam discussion, plus the official wiki.gg building materials table.

• WebSearch Conan Exiles stability decreases per ceiling tile pillar provides stability how many tiles cantilever reddit 6.0s 1.1 KB

Key fact: foundation side sockets have "100 attach cost" — meaning a foundation hung on a side loses 100% stability (disallowing it). Let me get the official conanexiles.com building piece basics page (try with a different approach) and the pillar/foundation distance Steam thread reworded, plus search for exact decrement per tile.

• WebFetch https://steamcommunity.com/app/251570/discussions/0/558751812715393536/ 11.4s 1.3 KB

Fandom keeps 403'ing on direct fetch. Let me try the gamepressure redirect and the Steam build-height guide for the exact stability percentages.

I have a good base. The most valuable remaining gaps are the precise Conan stability numbers and the Medieval Engineers SI mechanics. Let me get the official Conan wiki (wiki.gg) and a detailed Conan stability tutorial transcript, plus the EIP/Sons building details. Let me fetch the wiki.gg Conan page and a known detailed source.

Excellent — the "Realms Rebuilt" Q&A is exactly the kind of authoritative dev post I need. Let me fetch it and the Build Limit wiki page for the structural/terrain specifics.

I have comprehensive coverage. Here are my findings.

---

# Enshrouded: Terrain Adaptation & Voxel Terraforming — Research Findings

Enshrouded (Keen Games) is built on a fully destructible/constructible **voxel engine**. Terrain and player builds share the same voxel substrate, so terraforming and base-building are the same system.

## 1. Terraforming Model

**Voxel granularity:** Each voxel is **0.5 meters** (a half-meter cube). The maximum build volume is **320 × 320 × 320 blocks = 160 m × 160 m × 160 m**. ([zleague.gg](https://www.zleague.gg/theportal/enshrouded-deciphering-base-size-in-meters-or-voxels/), [bisecthosting.com](https://help.bisecthosting.com/hc/en-us/articles/41520916622107-How-to-Quickly-Terraform-in-Enshrouded))

**Tools (three primary, distinct roles):**
- **Pickaxe** — mines/excavates terrain (left-click) and yields raw materials (stone, dirt) used to refill terrain elsewhere. It both removes voxels and harvests them. ([deltacalculator.com](https://www.deltacalculator.com/enshrouded/terraform/))
- **Construction Hammer** — the main add/remove terrain tool. Press **TAB → ALT** to reach the "Terrain" section; **left-click adds** a voxel chunk of the selected material, **right-click removes** a chunk the size of the selected block. Block size is selectable. ([deltacalculator.com](https://www.deltacalculator.com/enshrouded/terraform/), [tryhardguides.com](https://tryhardguides.com/enshrouded-unveils-voxel-based-building-and-terraforming-in-latest-gameplay-video/))
- **Rake** — flattens/levels uneven terrain to ground level (hold left-click); crafted after unlocking the Blacksmith. It is the closest thing to a flatten/smooth brush. ([deltacalculator.com](https://www.deltacalculator.com/enshrouded/terraform/))

**Raise/lower/flatten:** Raise = hammer add or refilling with dirt blocks; lower = pickaxe/hammer remove; flatten = rake. A typical hole-fill workflow is: mine dirt blocks → place via hammer Terrain mode → rake flat → repeat for depth. ([deltacalculator.com](https://www.deltacalculator.com/enshrouded/terraform/))

**Smoothing — a known weakness:** There is **no true smoothing/blend brush**. The rake only flattens to a plane; it does not blend new terrain into surrounding natural slopes. This is an active, repeated community feature request. ([Steam discussion](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1203620/discussions/0/4142816460198566424/), [featureupvote](https://enshrouded.featureupvote.com/suggestions/613336/smoothing-tool-for-the-rake-terrain-tool))

**Voxel material types:** Terrain materials are extensive and region-keyed — Stone, Limestone, Granite, Sandstone, Shell Limestone, Ice, Snow, Moss, plus dirt/soil variants (Springlands, Revelwood, Nomad Highlands, Veilwater Basin Dirt, Farm Soil, Fertilised Farm Soil), region-specific Rubble, road blocks (Dirt, Granite Rubble, Limestone, Rocky Stone, Smooth Stone, Field Stones), and craftable Terrain Materials (Blackmire Stone, Revelwood Stone). Many are crafted at a Workbench from regional dirt + base stone. Placed components auto-blend visually into surroundings. ([Terrain Materials wiki](https://enshrouded.wiki.gg/wiki/Terrain_Materials))

**Limit — Flame Altar gates all terraforming:** "You can only shape the land around your flame altar." Edits inside the altar zone are **permanent** (until the altar is extinguished); edits **outside reset after 30 minutes or on server restart**. ([Flame Altar wiki](https://enshrouded.wiki.gg/wiki/Flame_Altar), [bisecthosting.com](https://help.bisecthosting.com/hc/en-us/articles/41520916622107-How-to-Quickly-Terraform-in-Enshrouded))

**Performance/save implications:** The voxel engine tracks granular per-voxel changes; every excavation/terraform must be calculated and synced to nearby players. Saving is voxel-heavy — world saves >50 MB can cause auto-save "hiccups," HDDs are too slow (NVMe SSD recommended), and server performance is bound to **single-core CPU frequency**. ([freakhosting.com](https://help.freakhosting.com/games/enshrouded/performance-optimization))

## 2. Foundations & Supports on Slopes

- Voxel blocks and **foundation blocks** serve as the building footprint. A 4 m foundation costs ~256 blocks, reduced by overlapping pieces. ([thegamer.com](https://www.thegamer.com/enshrouded-how-to-build-structures-guide/))
- **Flat footprint on a slope:** done by terraforming — players "dig out pristine square basements with purely hammer and square foundation blocks," i.e., **carve into the slope with pickaxe/hammer and/or fill** with foundation/terrain blocks. Both carve and fill are valid. ([Steam basement-building](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1203620/discussions/0/4206993388788283637/), [thegamer.com](https://www.thegamer.com/enshrouded-how-to-build-structures-guide/))
- **Floating/cantilevered builds are fully allowed** — you can build entire floating islands/sky cities. The Flame Altar must sit on ground, but you can dig out the ground beneath it to leave a floating base. ([Steam floating-cities](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1203620/discussions/0/6644556627476766392/), [zleague.gg](https://www.zleague.gg/theportal/enshrouded-tower-castle-building-brilliance-or-floating-fails/))

## 3. Structural Integrity

**There is no structural-integrity / stability / collapse system at all.** Building is unconstrained — floating buildings and floating islands are explicitly possible with no support requirement. A structural-support system is an outstanding community feature request, not a shipped feature. ([Steam structural-integrity](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1203620/discussions/0/6273018183378642039/), [featureupvote](https://enshrouded.featureupvote.com/suggestions/526970/building-that-requires-structural-supports))

## 4. Snapping & Grid

- Building components **snap to the voxel grid automatically**. ([thegamer.com](https://www.thegamer.com/enshrouded-how-to-build-structures-guide/))
- **Press X to toggle snapping off** for free placement/fine adjustment. ([thegamer.com](https://www.thegamer.com/enshrouded-how-to-build-structures-guide/))
- **Material switching:** hold **Ctrl + scroll**. **Shapes menu:** hold **ALT** → "More shapes…" (foundations, walls, roofs, plus single-block options at the top). ([thegamer.com](https://www.thegamer.com/enshrouded-how-to-build-structures-guide/))
- **Ghost/preview & terrain conforming:** placed components render a preview and are auto-**trimmed/blended** where they intersect terrain or other pieces (no clipping). **Voxel blueprints** let players stamp prefab shapes instead of stacking individual blocks. ([thegamer.com](https://www.thegamer.com/enshrouded-how-to-build-structures-guide/), [tryhardguides.com](https://tryhardguides.com/enshrouded-unveils-voxel-based-building-and-terraforming-in-latest-gameplay-video/))

## 5. Player-Experience Tradeoffs

- **Save bloat:** Single voxel world save file; voxel edits accumulate. Saves >50 MB cause auto-save hiccups; the format demands SSD/NVMe because per-voxel granularity is I/O-heavy. ([freakhosting.com](https://help.freakhosting.com/games/enshrouded/performance-optimization), [GHOSTCAP transfer guide](https://www.ghostcap.com/transfer-enshrouded-save))
- **Multiplayer sync cost:** Every terraform/excavation is calculated and synchronized to every nearby player; the server bottleneck is **single-core CPU clock**, so heavy concurrent terraforming stresses one thread. A hybrid save model has the server "shadow-save" inventory to validate against cheating; abrupt disconnects can fail to commit and cause rollback. ([freakhosting.com](https://help.freakhosting.com/games/enshrouded/performance-optimization))
- **Griefing:** No dedicated anti-grief system surfaced; the natural mitigation is the **Flame Altar zone** — only players with access to a base's altar zone make permanent terrain changes there, and edits outside any altar auto-reset in 30 min, limiting persistent vandalism of the open world. ([Flame Altar wiki](https://enshrouded.wiki.gg/wiki/Flame_Altar))

## Flame Altar zone sizes (for build-radius gating reference)

| Level | Volume (voxels) | Upgrade cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 40×40×40 | — |
| 2 | 80×80×80 | 1 Shroud Core |
| 3 | 120×120×120 | 5 Shroud Core |
| 4 | 160×160×160 (= 80 m³ at 0.5 m/voxel) | 5 Shroud Nexus |

([Flame Altar wiki](https://enshrouded.wiki.gg/wiki/Flame_Altar), [bisecthosting.com](https://help.bisecthosting.com/hc/en-us/articles/41520916622107-How-to-Quickly-Terraform-in-Enshrouded))

---

### Key takeaways for a UE/procgen design
1. **0.5 m voxels** are the unit of both terrain and structure — one substrate.
2. **No structural integrity** — deliberately permissive; floating/cantilevered builds are a feature, not a bug.
3. **Build-zone gating (Flame Altar)** is the central design lever: it bounds permanent terraforming, auto-resets the open world, and doubles as the anti-grief mechanism.
4. **Voxel saves are I/O-heavy** (NVMe-required, single-core-bound multiplayer sync) — the main scaling cost of full voxel terraforming.
5. Flatten exists (rake) but **true smoothing/blending is missing** — a notable gap if you want natural-looking carved slopes.

• WebFetch https://playnightingale.com/news/nightingale-realms-rebuilt-building-q-a 7.9s 1.6 KB

• WebSearch Valheim building stability percentage blue 100% green yellow red 0% HorizontalLoss VerticalLoss wood iron pole 50m 8.8s 2.4 KB

• WebFetch https://conanexiles.wiki.gg/wiki/Building 3.2s 218 B

• WebFetch https://www.gamepressure.com/valheim/building/zde2ae 7.2s 1.3 KB

• WebSearch "Sons of the Forest" custom building snapping ghost preview freeform log placement holding logs structures 10.7s 3.3 KB

• WebFetch https://www.pcgamesn.com/nightingale/realms-rebuilt-build-cap 8.4s 1.3 KB

• WebSearch Medieval Engineers structural integrity blocks deform sag crack before collapse mass distance from support arches buttre… 18.1s 2.9 KB

Let me try the fandom wiki through a Bing cache or text-mode mirror, and search reddit specifically for cantilever numbers.

• WebSearch reddit conanexiles how does stability work ceiling tiles from foundation before collapse pillar 6.4s 1.2 KB

• WebSearch Conan Exiles ceiling extend 6 tiles foundation stability pillar support spacing build over water platform 8.8s 2.1 KB

That scaffold search drifted to real-world scaffolding. Let me get the Lords of Gaming clay/stone foundations page and a YouTube-guide-backed source, plus the "How Grounded Does Base Building Right" analysis and the floors/stairs Windows Central guide for slope handling.

• WebFetch https://lordsofgaming.net/2020/08/how-to-get-clay-and-stone-floors-and-foundations-in-grounded/ 9.5s 1.3 KB

• WebSearch Grounded base building floors snap height pillars scaffold uneven ground clip into terrain free placement turn off snapp… 8.5s 2.3 KB

• WebFetch https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/wiki/is-there-a-floor-in-grounded/ 6.7s 1.2 KB

Let me get the exact stability percentages and loss values from ScalaCube and game8, plus the official patch notes content via screenrant.

I have the material table now. Let me get the terrain/terraforming and digging/cave-in details plus the terrain voxel distinction. Let me search for those specifics.

• WebSearch 7 Days to Die terrain voxel vs block stability terrain blocks unstable cave-in digging collapse SI 7.4s 2.3 KB

• WebSearch 7 Days to Die terrain blocks support 0 dirt destroyed structural integrity foundation hill leveling guide 7.9s 2.5 KB

I have strong coverage. Let me do two final searches to confirm slope/snapping/ghost-preview specifics and whether terraforming was ever added (game has had updates through 2024-2026).

• WebSearch Nightingale building snapping green red placement ghost preview foundation snap grid free placement 7.2s 2.1 KB

• WebFetch https://scalacube.com/blog/valheim/valheim-structural-stability-guide 7.2s 1.1 KB

• WebSearch Nightingale terraforming added update 2025 terrain tool flatten shovel 7.2s 2.6 KB

• WebFetch https://game8.co/games/Valheim/archives/320943 7.2s 1.1 KB

I have a solid picture. The key confirmed number: "You cannot add to any piece that has a stability of 20 or less." Let me get the ceiling tile placement limit thread and the pillar bug thread for the cantilever specifics, plus confirm terraforming = no.

• WebFetch https://screenrant.com/valheim-terrain-update-modification-draugr-spawn-fix/ 4.3s 934 B

• WebFetch https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/217654-conan-exiles/77653473 2.6s 215 B

• WebSearch Conan Exiles no terraforming cannot flatten terrain landscape fixed build foundations level 7.4s 1.6 KB

Let me get the Stem Scaffold details (wiki.gg), the snapping toggle Steam thread, and the "How Grounded Does Base Building Right" analysis for the design tradeoffs angle.

• WebFetch https://grounded.wiki.gg/wiki/Stem_Scaffold 6.4s 1.1 KB

Let me delegate the two hardest-to-source deep dives to parallel research agents (Conan exact numbers, Medieval Engineers mechanics) and grab the official The Forest wiki + Sons foundations details myself.

• WebFetch https://steamcommunity.com/app/962130/discussions/0/4755222397151613482/ 6.4s 1.1 KB

I have strong coverage. Let me fetch two more for the cave-in/digging persistence and multiplayer/griefing aspects, plus terrain smoothing mechanics.

Let me confirm the developer stance on terraforming from the destructible terrain discussion thread, which appears to contain a dev/community statement.

• WebFetch https://steamcommunity.com/app/1928980/discussions/0/4145068260009904286/ 10.4s 1.3 KB

• WebSearch Grounded base building design "no terraforming" foundations vs Valheim freedom simplicity backyard fixed terrain review 7.9s 1.9 KB

• WebFetch https://steamcommunity.com/app/251570/discussions/0/618460171321722773 8.8s 1.3 KB

I have enough detail. One key technical confirmation I want: the exact stability percentage thresholds and loss values come from the Valheim wiki's "Building stability" page, which I can reach via Google cache or the gamerant detailed page. Let me get the precise percentage thresholds from gamerant and confirm wood-iron 50m / the loss-factor math.

• WebSearch 7 Days to Die terrain edits persist save multiplayer server griefing block damage settings landclaim 9.5s 2.7 KB

I now have everything I need. Critical findings about their actual architecture:

- The terrain is built as a **single mesh section (section 0)** of a 512×512 vertex grid (~262k verts, ~522k tris), built async off the game thread, with `bUseAsyncCooking = true` and collision enabled on the ground mesh only.
- They already keep a CPU-side height array (`FlatH`) and use **analytic normals** (computed from height derivatives, line 2422-2423) — they deliberately dropped `CalculateTangentsForMesh` because it dominated build cost.
- World seed is replicated; every machine regenerates deterministically — **nothing about terrain is networked**.

I have enough authoritative material. Here is the report.

---

# Runtime Terrain Manipulation in UE 5.7 for a PMC Heightfield Multiplayer Game — Findings Report

## Context grounding (your actual codebase)

Read of `Source/Lostways/Private/LWProceduralTerrain.cpp` and `.h` confirms the architecture the recommendations must fit:

- Terrain is **one `UProceduralMeshComponent` section** (`Mesh->CreateMeshSection(0, …, bCreateCollision=true)`, line 2952), a `GridSize`×`GridSize` vertex grid (default **512×512 = ~262k verts, ~522k tris**) spanning 40 km / 40,000 cm.
- You already maintain a **CPU-side height array** (`FlatH`, the carved render heights) and store it (`R.FlatH`, `GcHeight`) for ground-cover sampling — so the "edit layer" prerequisite already exists.
- Normals are **analytic** (height-derivative finite differences, lines 2422-2423); you deliberately removed `UKismetProceduralMeshLibrary::CalculateTangentsForMesh` because it dominated build cost (comment at line 2414, 2523).
- `bUseAsyncCooking = true` is already set on the ground mesh (line 422).
- **Determinism is the whole networking model**: header line 5-6 — "Generation is deterministic … every machine builds the identical mesh locally from the replicated world seed — nothing to network." Water/road sections have `bCreateCollision=false`; only the ground section has collision.

This means options 1 and 5 are natural fits; options 2/3/4 are larger architectural pivots.

---

## Approach 1 — Edit the PMC heightfield directly (CPU height array + delta layer + `UpdateMeshSection`)

**How it works for you specifically.** You already have `FlatH`. Add a parallel sparse **edit/delta layer** (`TMap<int32 vertIdx, float deltaCm>` or a small per-edit `FLWTerrainEdit` struct holding center, radius, target height, falloff). The effective height at a vertex is `BaseHeight(FlatH) + Delta`. A flatten brush iterates the grid cells inside the brush radius, computes `target = foundation plane Z`, and lerps each vertex toward target by a falloff (smoothstep of distance/radius). Then you rebuild the affected vertex positions + normals and call `UpdateMeshSection`.

**`UpdateMeshSection` vs `CreateMeshSection` — authoritative facts (UE docs).** The official BlueprintAPI entry: *"Updates a section of this procedural mesh component. This is faster than CreateMeshSection, but does not let you change topology. Collision info is also updated."* (`UProceduralMeshComponent::UpdateMeshSection`, [dev.epicgames.com](https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/unreal-engine/BlueprintAPI/Components/ProceduralMesh/UpdateMeshSection)). For a flatten brush you never change topology (vertex count and triangle indices are fixed for a heightfield), so `UpdateMeshSection` is exactly the right call — it only re-uploads vertex buffers, not a full section rebuild. Signature you'd use (C++): `UpdateMeshSection_LinearColor(int32 SectionIndex, const TArray<FVector>& Vertices, const TArray<FVector>& Normals, const TArray<FVector2D>& UV0, const TArray<FLinearColor>& VertexColors, const TArray<FProcMeshTangent>& Tangents)`.

**The real cost is NOT the vertex upload — it's collision cooking.** The gradientspace runtime-mesh deep-dive ([gradientspace.com](http://www.gradientspace.com/tutorials/2020/10/23/runtime-mesh-generation-in-ue426)) confirms PMC physics uses a cooked tri-mesh (`bUseComplexAsSimpleCollision`), and that the cook is the expensive part — which is why `bUseAsyncCooking` exists (it runs the cook on a background thread; UE docs `bUseAsyncCooking`: *"Controls whether the physics cooking should be done off the game thread"*). `UpdateMeshSection` re-cooks collision for the section. **At 522k tris, re-cooking the entire single section on every brush stroke is the bottleneck**, even async.

**Critical mitigation: split the terrain into multiple sections.** Right now you have one giant section, so any edit re-cooks the whole 522k-tri collision body. Refactor `ApplyBuild` to emit the ground as a **grid of N×N sections** (e.g. 8×8 = 64 sections of ~8k tris each). Then a flatten brush touches only the 1-4 sections under the foundation, and `UpdateMeshSection` on those re-cooks only ~8-32k tris. This is the single most important change to make option 1 viable. (Section seams need shared edge vertices; since it's a regular grid this is straightforward — duplicate the boundary row/column heights.)

**Collision update.** `UpdateMeshSection` updates collision automatically per the doc. Keep `bUseAsyncCooking=true` so the cook is off-thread; the documented trade-off (gradientspace) is a 1-2 frame window where fast objects can clip through stale collision — irrelevant for a stationary player placing a foundation. You can also gate edits to only re-cook on brush *release*, not every drag frame.

**Normal recomputation.** Do NOT use `CalculateTangentsForMesh` — you already proved it dominates cost. Reuse your existing **analytic finite-difference normal** (lines 2422-2423): after editing heights, recompute normals only for the edited vertices plus a 1-ring border (so seams stay smooth). This is O(edited verts), trivially fast.

**Slope detection for stilts** falls out for free: you already compute `TerrainNormal(FlatH, …)` and check `.Z < MinNz` (line 1761). Sample the same normal/slope under each foundation corner to decide stilts vs flatten.

**Pros:** Minimal new tech; fits your existing CPU-height + analytic-normal + async-cook pipeline; `UpdateMeshSection` is purpose-built for this; deterministic-friendly. **Cons:** Single-section layout must be refactored to multi-section first; collision re-cook is the perf ceiling; heightfield can't do overhangs/caves (fine for "flatten ground").

**Multiplayer:** See unified replication section below — option 1 pairs best with **replicating brush edit-ops** and re-deriving the delta layer on every client (matches your existing "deterministic, nothing to network" philosophy).

---

## Approach 2 — Geometry Script / Dynamic Mesh (`UDynamicMesh`, `UDynamicMeshComponent`, `UGeometryScriptLibrary`)

**Runtime viability (UE docs, authoritative).** Yes, it runs at runtime in packaged builds. UE Geometry Scripting guide: *"`UDynamicMeshComponent` … supports updates to the mesh geometry — vertex attributes, and creating and modifying the entire mesh topology. You can perform these updates in-editor **and at runtime**."* ([dev.epicgames.com](https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/unreal-engine/geometry-scripting-users-guide-in-unreal-engine)). Important caveat from the same doc: *"Raytracing is supported; however, **Nanite and Lumen are not**."*

**Efficient partial updates exist** and are better than PMC's section model. `UDynamicMeshComponent` has `FastNotifyTriangleVerticesUpdated(const TSet<int32>& Triangles, …)` and `NotifyVertexAttributesUpdated()` — the docs state the latter *"is more efficient than doing a full Notify Mesh Updated"* but warn it's *invalid if triangulation/MaterialIDs/attribute-overlay topology changed* ([UDynamicMeshComponent docs](https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/unreal-engine/API/Runtime/GeometryFramework/UDynamicMeshComponent)). For a pure height edit (positions + normals, no topology change) this is exactly the fast path — finer-grained than PMC's whole-section update.

**Collision controls** are richer than PMC: `bDeferCollisionUpdates`, `SetTransientDeferCollisionUpdates(bool)`, `bUseAsyncCooking`, `UpdateCollision(bool bOnlyIfPending)`, `bEnableComplexCollision`, `CollisionType` (`ECollisionTraceFlag`). You can batch many edits then trigger one collision cook.

**Pros:** Best-in-class partial-update + deferred-collision API; same `FDynamicMesh3` you'd want if you ever need boolean cuts (digging, doorways); serializable component (can be saved). **Cons:** **No Nanite/Lumen** — if your terrain material/lighting relies on either, this is disqualifying. Converting your whole generation pipeline from PMC buffers to `FDynamicMesh3` is a significant rewrite of `ApplyBuild`. Heavier than PMC for the simple "flatten a patch" need.

**Verdict:** Overkill *unless* you also want digging/booleans/overhangs later. If you do, it's the better long-term substrate than PMC — but check the Nanite/Lumen dependency first.

**Multiplayer:** Same options as PMC (deterministic re-derive of edits is cleanest). `UDynamicMesh` itself is not auto-replicated; you replicate the edit ops, not the mesh.

---

## Approach 3 — UE Landscape runtime edit (Edit Layers / sculpt)

**Why it doesn't apply to you (and the docs confirm the blocker).** Your header already states the reason: *"UE Landscapes can only be imported in-editor, so for seed-driven terrain at runtime we build a procedural mesh instead."* UE's Landscape Edit Layers ([dev.epicgames.com](https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/unreal-engine/landscape-edit-layers-in-unreal-engine)) and Sculpt Mode are **editor tools** — the heightmap/weightmap edit-layer stack and sculpt strokes are authoring workflows, not a runtime gameplay API. There is no first-party, supported way to spawn or sculpt an `ALandscape` from a runtime seed.

**The runtime-Landscape-edit capability that exists is third-party**, not engine: e.g. *Errant Landscape* ([errantphoton.com](https://www.errantphoton.com/)) advertises a module to modify the standard Landscape heightmap/weightmaps/collision at runtime in multiplayer, with stamp brushes. That confirms it's *possible* but requires a paid plugin and a switch away from your PMC pipeline.

**Would switching to Landscape be worth it?** Generally **no** for your project:
- You'd lose runtime seed-driven generation (the editor-only creation constraint is the whole reason you're on PMC).
- Landscape gives Nanite Landscape, virtual heightfield mesh, automatic LOD, and great material blending — genuinely better terrain rendering — but the runtime-generate + runtime-edit combination is exactly what Landscape is worst at.
- The only scenario where switching wins: if you abandon runtime generation and **bake worlds offline into Landscape assets**. That contradicts your seed-driven design.

**Verdict:** Not applicable; do not switch.

---

## Approach 4 — Voxel (Voxel Plugin / custom)

**When it matters.** Voxels (dual-contouring/marching-cubes density fields) are the right tool only when you need what a heightfield *cannot represent*: **caves, overhangs, tunnels, arbitrary digging/carving, true 3D destruction**. For "flatten a patch of ground and detect slope for stilts," a heightfield is strictly simpler and cheaper.

**Cost.** Voxel Plugin / custom voxel terrain is a major architectural commitment: meshing (Marching Cubes/Surface Nets), LOD octrees, chunk streaming, and much heavier collision. It would replace your entire `LWProceduralTerrain` pipeline. Replication of voxel edits is also heavier (per-voxel density deltas).

**Verdict:** **Overkill** for foundation-flattening. Revisit only if the design adds underground bases / digging / mining (your `memory.md` notes Enshrouded-style digging as a *contrast*, i.e. explicitly not your current direction). Keep it on the "future, only if caves" shelf.

---

## Approach 5 — "Fake it": don't edit terrain; bed a foundation mesh + procedural stilts (RECOMMENDED first step)

**How games actually do it.** Valheim is the canonical reference: foundations can sit on terrain, and where ground is uneven players use **stilts/pillars** for support rather than perfectly leveling everything ([techraptor.net Valheim building guide](https://techraptor.net/gaming/guides/valheim-building-guide)). Many survival/base games avoid real terrain edits entirely by:
- Spawning a **foundation/platform static mesh** with a downward **dirt skirt/apron** that visually beds into the slope, hiding the gap between the flat platform top and the bumpy ground.
- Casting line traces down at the foundation's corners/footprint; where the gap to terrain exceeds a threshold, **procedurally spawn pillar/stilt meshes** down to the hit point (the downhill side). This is pure actor spawning — zero terrain mutation.
- Optional **dirt-apron decals** or a skirt mesh to blend the seam.

**Why this is the strong first move for your project.** It needs **no PMC edits, no re-cook, and no terrain replication at all** — it's just spawning meshes, which your deterministic pipeline already does everywhere (foliage HISMs, buildings, fences). You already have the slope/normal sampling (`TerrainNormal`, `.Z` check) and ground-height sampling (`TriHeight`/`FlatH`/`GcHeight`) to drive corner traces. It dovetails perfectly with the "detect steep slopes that need stilts/supports" requirement you stated — that's literally this approach.

**Pros:** Zero terrain-edit cost; no collision re-cook; trivially multiplayer-safe (foundations are replicated *actors* with a transform, like any placed building — or deterministically derived); reversible; matches your existing spawn patterns. **Cons:** Ground still pokes through if a foundation spans a big bump (mitigate with skirts + a small flatten only directly under the pad); not "true" terrain leveling, so a player who wants a manicured flat lawn won't get it.

**Multiplayer:** Easiest of all — a placed foundation is a normal replicated actor (server spawns, replicates transform + which stilts). No height-buffer sync needed.

---

## Multiplayer replication — the three models (applies to options 1, 2, 4)

For a P2P listen-server, server-authoritative game, there are three ways to keep terrain edits consistent. Your codebase already commits to the **deterministic-regeneration** philosophy (seed replicated, mesh rebuilt identically per client — confirmed in `LWProceduralTerrain.h` and the vorixo low-bandwidth procgen pattern, [vorixo.github.io/devtricks/procgen](https://vorixo.github.io/devtricks/procgen/), which replicates *only the seed* and regenerates deterministically rather than shipping mesh/actor data).

**A. Replicate the edit OPERATIONS (brush ops) — RECOMMENDED.** Replicate a small list/array of `FLWTerrainEdit{ centerXY, radius, targetZ, falloffType }` (a few floats each). Each client applies the same deterministic flatten math to its local `FlatH`+delta layer and calls `UpdateMeshSection` on the affected sections. This is the natural extension of your existing model: tiny bandwidth, server-authoritative (server validates placement, appends to the replicated array via a `UPROPERTY(Replicated)` `TArray` with a RepNotify that re-applies), and **persistence is trivial** — save the edit-op list (kilobytes), replay on load. Floating-point determinism is a non-issue here because you're not summing across machines independently of a shared input; everyone applies the *same* ops to the *same* base buffer in the same order.

**B. Replicate raw height deltas.** Replicate the actual per-vertex `deltaCm` for edited cells. More robust against any determinism worries, but **much higher bandwidth** (hundreds of vertices per edit) and a bigger save file. Only choose this if your brush math ever becomes non-deterministic across platforms. For a flatten brush it's unnecessary overhead.

**C. Server-authoritative full regeneration.** Server regenerates and ships the mesh — your codebase explicitly rejects this ("nothing to network"), and the community consensus (vorixo) calls replicating generated mesh/actors a "terrible idea." Don't.

**Recommended pattern:** server holds the authoritative `TArray<FLWTerrainEdit>` as a replicated property; OnRep on clients applies new ops to the delta layer and `UpdateMeshSection`s the touched sections. Late-joiners get the full array via normal property replication and replay it once during their deterministic build (apply edits right after `ApplyBuild`, before first present). Save = serialize the edit array + seed.

---

## Recommendation ranking for a PMC-based game

1. **Approach 5 (fake-it: bedded foundation mesh + procedural stilts + skirt/decal).** Do this first. Zero terrain-edit risk, no re-cook, multiplayer-trivial, reuses your existing slope/height sampling and spawn patterns, and directly delivers the "stilts on steep slopes" requirement. Ships fastest.

2. **Approach 1 (PMC `UpdateMeshSection` + CPU delta layer + analytic normals), AFTER refactoring the ground into a grid of mesh sections.** The correct path for *actual* ground leveling. Pairs with **replication model A (replicate brush ops)**. Blocker to fix first: your single 522k-tri section makes every edit re-cook the whole collision body — split into ~64 sections so edits re-cook only the touched ones. Keep `bUseAsyncCooking`, reuse analytic normals, never call `CalculateTangentsForMesh`.

3. **Approach 2 (Geometry Script / `UDynamicMeshComponent`).** Choose over #2 *only if* you also want digging/boolean cuts/overhangs later AND you can live **without Nanite/Lumen** on terrain. Best partial-update + deferred-collision API (`FastNotifyTriangleVerticesUpdated`, `bDeferCollisionUpdates`), but a real rewrite of `ApplyBuild`.

4. **Approach 4 (Voxel).** Only if the design adds caves/tunnels/true digging. Otherwise overkill — replaces the whole pipeline.

5. **Approach 3 (Landscape runtime edit).** Not applicable — Landscape can't be runtime-generated from a seed (your stated reason for PMC), runtime edit needs a paid plugin, and switching forfeits seed-driven generation. Don't.

**Pragmatic combined plan:** ship #5 now (foundations bed + auto-stilt on slope, using existing `TerrainNormal`/`TriHeight`), then add a *small local flatten directly under the pad* via #1 (sectioned PMC + `UpdateMeshSection`) with brush-op replication (model A) when you want true leveling — the two compose cleanly (flatten the pad footprint, stilt the overhang).

### Sources
- UE docs — `UProceduralMeshComponent::UpdateMeshSection` ("faster than CreateMeshSection… does not let you change topology. Collision info is also updated"): https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/unreal-engine/BlueprintAPI/Components/ProceduralMesh/UpdateMeshSection
- UE docs — Geometry Scripting Users Guide (runtime edits; "Nanite and Lumen are not" supported): https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/unreal-engine/geometry-scripting-users-guide-in-unreal-engine
- UE docs — `UDynamicMeshComponent` (`FastNotifyTriangleVerticesUpdated`, `bDeferCollisionUpdates`, `bUseAsyncCooking`, `UpdateCollision`, `NotifyVertexAttributesUpdated`): https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/unreal-engine/API/Runtime/GeometryFramework/UDynamicMeshComponent
- UE docs — Landscape Edit Layers (editor-only non-destructive layer workflow): https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/unreal-engine/landscape-edit-layers-in-unreal-engine
- gradientspace — Runtime Mesh Generation in UE (PMC vs SMC draw path, async collision cook cost): http://www.gradientspace.com/tutorials/2020/10/23/runtime-mesh-generation-in-ue426
- vorixo Devtricks — Multiplayer low-bandwidth procedural generation (replicate the seed, regenerate deterministically; don't replicate mesh/actors): https://vorixo.github.io/devtricks/procgen/
- Errant Photon — runtime Landscape edit plugin (confirms it's third-party): https://www.errantphoton.com/
- TechRaptor — Valheim Building Guide (stilts/pillars for uneven ground): https://techraptor.net/gaming/guides/valheim-building-guide

### Key codebase files
- `/mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Public/LWProceduralTerrain.h` — terrain actor, deterministic-seed networking model (lines 5-6), GridSize=512.
- `/mnt/f/lostways/Source/Lostways/Private/LWProceduralTerrain.cpp` — `CreateMeshSection(0, …, bCreateCollision=true)` single ground section (line 2952), `bUseAsyncCooking=true` (line 422), CPU height array `FlatH` (line 1348+), analytic normals (lines 2422-2423, with the "no CalculateTangentsForMesh" note at 2414/2523), `TerrainNormal` slope check (line 1761).

• WebFetch https://gamerant.com/valheim-structure-stability-guide/ 5.4s 959 B

Terraforming confirmed as absent (the wiki "Modify Terrain" page refers to the dev kit/admin world editing, not in-game player terraforming — and forum threads explicitly request it as missing). Let me confirm that distinction and grab the terraform-wish thread.

• WebSearch Valheim hoe pathen path flatten dirt road paving pickaxe dig 2m grid stamina cost ground modification 10.4s 2.5 KB

• WebFetch https://forums.funcom.com/t/i-wish-conan-exiles-had-terraform/270917 7.2s 1.2 KB

• Agent Research the EXACT, technical mechanics of Conan Exiles' building STABILITY / structural integrity system. I need concre… 369.5s 8.6 KB

• WebSearch Conan Exiles fence foundation use pillar foundation over water lake build platform stability sink 9.5s 2.2 KB

I have enough to write a well-cited, technical report. Let me do one final confirming search on the "build anywhere / floors float at any height / no terraforming" point and the half-segment snapping/pillar height adjustment.

• WebSearch Grounded floors snap every half wall height stack pillars raise lower foundation level uneven ground build anywhere 8.4s 2.3 KB

• ToolSearch select:WebSearch,WebFetch 4ms 100 B

I'll research Conan Exiles' building stability system. Let me start by loading the web tools and running parallel searches.

Now let me run several parallel searches to find concrete information.

• WebSearch Conan Exiles building stability system mechanics foundation pillar ceiling numbers 8.2s 2.0 KB

• WebSearch Conan Exiles stability percentage minimum 20 attach cost ceiling tiles cantilever how many 7.1s 2.1 KB

• WebSearch Conan Exiles stability foundation 100 pillar reset stability collapse 0 chain destroy 8.0s 2.2 KB

I have comprehensive coverage. Let me compute the standard ramp angle (8m×4m ramp = arctan(4/8) ≈ 26.57°; 8m×2m = arctan(2/8) ≈ 14°; 8m×1m ≈ 7.1°) and confirm the no-terraforming official position. I have enough to write the report.

---

# Satisfactory: Terrain Adaptation & Foundation-Based Building — Research Findings

## 1. TERRAFORMING MODEL — No terraforming; foundations clip into terrain

**There is no terraforming in Satisfactory. The terrain is fixed and cannot be deformed, raised, lowered, or excavated by the player.** The developers have explicitly stated they have no intention of adding it, because the map was authored in a way that could not accommodate terraforming "without basically reworking how the terrain functions from the ground up."
- https://questions.satisfactorygame.com/post/658e0ebb3c42b84b3d957908
- https://steamcommunity.com/app/526870/discussions/0/4325125547793166152/

**The standard way players "flatten" ground is to clip foundations INTO the terrain.** Foundations ignore the terrain mesh — they sink into hills/slopes and overlap the ground rather than deforming it, producing a flat buildable top surface while the hillside simply pokes through (or is hidden) underneath. The known visual side-effect is that terrain or grass can clip through the top of a foundation if it's placed too low on a slope; the only fix is to build the foundation higher.
- https://satisfactory.fandom.com/wiki/Foundations
- https://questions.satisfactorygame.com/post/5f0b18a66f3c82fe950b8fa6

So the model is: **place a first foundation on the ground, then extend additional foundations off of it; because foundations snap to each other (not to terrain), the grid stays perfectly level and subsequent tiles cut straight through any rising terrain.** This clipping is the dominant, intended flattening method.
- https://satisfactory.fandom.com/wiki/Foundations

## 2. FOUNDATIONS GRID & HEIGHT INCREMENTS (main focus)

**Footprint sizes.** The standard foundation tile is **8m × 8m**. Half foundations are **8m × 4m**. (There are also smaller frame/foundation variants down the tech tree, but the 8×8m tile is the core building block.)
- https://satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Foundations

**Height increments.** Foundations come in **1m, 2m, and 4m** tall variants. By choosing the height, you "step up" terrain in fixed vertical increments — a 4m foundation lifts the build platform 4m above its base, letting you stair-step a flat factory floor up a hillside. Notably, **all three heights (1m/2m/4m) cost the same materials** (5 Concrete + a variant component), so taller foundations are "free" lift.
- https://satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Foundations
- https://satisfactory.fandom.com/wiki/Foundations

**Ramps / inclined foundations.** Ramps share the **8m × 8m** footprint and come in **1m, 2m, and 4m** rise heights (matching foundation heights). Because rise is over an 8m run, the incline angles are approximately:
- 1m ramp → ~7.1° (arctan 1/8)
- 2m ramp → ~14.0° (arctan 2/8)
- 4m ramp → ~26.6° (arctan 4/8, the steepest standard ramp).

There are also **Double Ramps (8m × 8m, rising 2m/4m/8m), Inverted Ramps, Ramp Corners (down) in 4m/2m/1m, and Quarter Pipes (8m × 8m × 4m)** — the inverted ramps and quarter pipes being largely decorative. For reference on slope limits when carrying rail: a ramp chain on flat foundations tops out around a **1:3.375** grade (28m rise over 94.5m), and steeper grades (down to ~1:2.25 with beam supports) are achievable by mixing 2m and 4m ramps.
- https://satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Foundations
- https://satisfactory.fandom.com/wiki/Foundations

**Pillars / legs.** Pillars exist and are placed under elevated foundations to make floating builds *look* supported. **Big Pillars are 4m × 4m × 4m** (Big Pillar Support = 8m × 8m × 4m); **Small Pillars are 2m × 2m × 4m** (Small Pillar Support = 4m × 4m × 2m). Critically, **pillars are decorative, not structural** — they attach to foundations/walkways/railways but provide no actual load-bearing function (see §3). They're how players visually bridge gaps or "hold up" elevated platforms over uneven ground.
- https://satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Pillars

**"Zoop" mass-placement.** Zoop lets you place a row/stack of up to **10 identical pieces at once in a single dimension** (flat or vertical). Activated by tapping **[R]** to cycle build modes, or hold **[R]** for the radial menu → Zoop. It works for Foundations, Ramps, Walls, Roofs, Fences, Walkways, Pillars, Beams, and stackable supports. **Vertical Zoop** stacks foundations/ramps/walls/pillars directly on top of each other (up to 10) — useful for quickly building tall foundation stacks up a slope.
- https://satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Build_Gun
- https://steamcommunity.com/app/526870/discussions/0/3203744999879239270/

**Nudge / vertical offset controls.** After locking the placement hologram with **[H]**, you can nudge it off-grid:
- **Arrow keys (Up/Down/Left/Right)** = horizontal nudge
- **[Page Up] / [Page Down]** = vertical nudge
- Default increment **1 meter per step**; **hold [Ctrl]** for **0.5m** steps
- **No distance limit** on nudging.

This is how players fine-tune a foundation's height to bury it deeper into (or lift it out of) a hill independent of the grid.
- https://satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Build_Gun

**Soft clearance.** Foundations have a "soft clearance" zone (hologram turns **yellow**) that warns of overlap but still allows placement, versus "hard clearance" (**red**) which blocks it — this lets foundations clip into terrain and into each other within tolerance.
- https://satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Build_Gun

**Global build / world grid.** Holding **[Ctrl]** while placing a cardinally-oriented foundation aligns it to the **world grid**, which snaps to the **nearest 800cm (8m) in the horizontal (X/Z) plane and nearest 100cm (1m) vertically**. This gives a consistent global grid so separate factory blocks line up. Note a historical quirk: **before Update 1.0, 1m foundations snapped to the world grid with a 0.5m offset** relative to 2m/4m foundations (so a 1m foundation could only cleanly snap to another 1m foundation); this was corrected in 1.0.
- https://satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Foundations

## 3. SLOPE / STEEPNESS RULES — No structural integrity, no collapse

**Satisfactory has NO structural-integrity or collapse system.** There are no slope/steepness limits that cause failure, and nothing ever falls down. The developers prototyped structural integrity but **deliberately dropped it**, reasoning that gravity "doesn't add much to gameplay" and that subjecting every building to physics would hurt framerate.
- https://steamcommunity.com/app/526870/discussions/0/2451595019857168098/

**Foundations (and any building) can float freely in mid-air.** Once placed, a piece stays exactly where it is until manually dismantled — **you can even remove all supports beneath a structure and it will hang in the air unsupported.** Pillars are purely cosmetic for this reason. This is the core trade-off enabling clip-into-terrain flattening: foundations don't need ground contact at all.
- https://questions.satisfactorygame.com/post/5ed674d76f3c82fe950b2ddc
- https://satisfactory.fandom.com/wiki/Foundations
- https://satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Pillars

## 4. SNAPPING & GRID

**Edge-to-edge & stacking snap.** The first foundation is placed on the ground; **additional foundations snap to the edges of existing foundations** (and stack on top of each other), which is what lets them be placed higher than the terrain. Foundations snap to each other rather than to the ground, keeping the build plane level.
- https://satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Foundations
- https://satisfactory.fandom.com/wiki/Foundations

**Rotation snapping.** Foundations rotate in **45° increments** before placement (90° on foundations). When a foundation is on top of another foundation, holding **[Ctrl]** enables **fine 5° rotation steps (9 steps per 45°)**; the Build Gun page also cites **10° Ctrl-rotation increments** — fine rotation is available for off-axis alignment either way.
- https://satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Foundations
- https://satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Build_Gun

**Ghost/preview validity (clearance colors).** The placement hologram is color-coded: **blue = valid**, **yellow = soft clearance (overlap warning, still placeable)**, **red = hard clearance (blocked)**. Colors are customizable in settings. This preview is the player's real-time feedback for how deep a foundation is clipping into terrain or neighbors.
- https://satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Build_Gun

**Build/dismantle range.** Construction and dismantle range is **100 meters (= 12.5 foundation lengths)**.
- https://satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Build_Gun

## 5. PLAYER-EXPERIENCE TRADEOFFS — Simplicity via clipping vs. terraforming freedom

Satisfactory's design deliberately trades terrain-editing realism for **building simplicity and freedom**:

- **No terraforming + no physics = total placement freedom.** Because terrain can't be edited and buildings have no structural rules, the player never fights gravity or soil — they just drop foundations wherever and at whatever height they want, clipping them into hills to carve out instant flat ground. The cost-free choice of 1m/2m/4m heights plus 1m (or 0.5m Ctrl) vertical nudge gives fine control over exactly how the foundation cuts into a slope.
  - https://questions.satisfactorygame.com/post/658e0ebb3c42b84b3d957908
  - https://satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Build_Gun

- **The clip-into-terrain method is the intended workflow, not a hack.** The wiki and dev Q&A frame "place the first foundation on the ground, then extend/raise additional foundations" as the standard answer to uneven ground — the grid system, edge snapping, and soft-clearance tolerance all exist to make clipping foundations into hills the smooth, dominant flattening technique.
  - https://satisfactory.fandom.com/wiki/Foundations
  - https://satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Foundations

- **The downside players accept:** terrain clips visibly through foundations on slopes (grass/rock poking through the floor), and "floating" structures look unrealistic — but the community workaround is purely cosmetic (add decorative pillars/supports), and players widely accept the visual artifacts as the price of a fast, frustration-free, grid-snapped build system over a sandbox terraformer.
  - https://questions.satisfactorygame.com/post/5f0b18a66f3c82fe950b8fa6
  - https://satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Pillars

---

### Quick-reference table (all measurements with sources)

| Spec | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Standard foundation footprint | 8m × 8m | wiki.gg/Foundations |
| Half foundation | 8m × 4m | wiki.gg/Foundations |
| Foundation heights | 1m / 2m / 4m (same material cost) | wiki.gg/Foundations |
| Ramp footprint / rises | 8m × 8m; 1m/2m/4m rise (~7°/14°/27°) | wiki.gg/Foundations |
| Double ramp rises | 2m / 4m / 8m | wiki.gg/Foundations |
| Quarter pipe | 8m × 8m × 4m | wiki.gg/Foundations |
| Big pillar / small pillar | 4×4×4m / 2×2×4m (decorative only) | wiki.gg/Pillars |
| Zoop max | 10 pieces, 1 dimension (incl. vertical) | wiki.gg/Build_Gun |
| Nudge keys | H lock; arrows = horiz; PgUp/PgDn = vert | wiki.gg/Build_Gun |
| Nudge increment | 1m default / 0.5m with Ctrl; no limit | wiki.gg/Build_Gun |
| World grid snap | 800cm (8m) horizontal, 100cm (1m) vertical (hold Ctrl) | wiki.gg/Foundations |
| Hologram colors | blue valid / yellow soft / red hard | wiki.gg/Build_Gun |
| Build/dismantle range | 100m (12.5 foundations) | wiki.gg/Build_Gun |
| Structural integrity | None — buildings float freely, devs dropped it | Steam discussion; Q&A |
| Terraforming | None — terrain fixed, foundations clip in | Q&A; Steam discussion |

**Relevance to Lostways/openworld-coop:** Satisfactory's model is the canonical example of "fixed terrain + grid foundations that clip into hills + no structural physics" — if the skeleton ever needs a base-building/foundation system, this is the simplest proven pattern (snap-to-grid foundations, fixed height increments, vertical nudge, clip-into-terrain flattening, no collapse simulation).

**Sources:**
- https://satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Foundations
- https://satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Build_Gun
- https://satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Pillars
- https://satisfactory.fandom.com/wiki/Foundations
- https://questions.satisfactorygame.com/post/658e0ebb3c42b84b3d957908
- https://questions.satisfactorygame.com/post/5f0b18a66f3c82fe950b8fa6
- https://questions.satisfactorygame.com/post/5ed674d76f3c82fe950b2ddc
- https://steamcommunity.com/app/526870/discussions/0/4325125547793166152/
- https://steamcommunity.com/app/526870/discussions/0/2451595019857168098/
- https://steamcommunity.com/app/526870/discussions/0/3203744999879239270/

• Agent Research the technical mechanics of Medieval Engineers' STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY simulation — this is a canonical "realistic… 187.6s 14.7 KB

Let me get the Pathen and Gerrard World pages for the pathen/level details and the Useful Paths mod which documents the underlying smoothing mechanic.

• WebFetch https://theforest.fandom.com/wiki/Custom_Foundation 1.4s 215 B

I now have comprehensive coverage. Let me get one more confirmation on fence foundation purpose/snapping and the wedge foundation (for slopes), then synthesize.

• ToolSearch select:WebSearch,WebFetch 3ms 100 B

• WebFetch https://gerrard.world/2021/03/04/valheim-hoe/ 4.6s 1.2 KB

• WebFetch https://www.gamerguides.com/sons-of-the-forest/guide/crafting/building/how-to-build-freeform-structures-in-sons-of-the-f… 215 B

• WebFetch https://steamcommunity.com/app/440900/discussions/0/133256240742648973/ 1.7s 574 B

I'll research Medieval Engineers' Structural Integrity simulation. Let me load the web tools and start searching.

The official conanexiles.com wiki HTML page and the Fandom wiki look promising. Let me fetch the key sources in parallel.

I'll fan out the research across parallel searches, then fetch the most relevant sources. Let me start with broad searches covering the different facets.

• WebSearch Medieval Engineers structural integrity view N key color blue red tension compression 13.1s 4.3 KB

• WebSearch Medieval Engineers structural integrity how it works stress propagation blocks 12.7s 2.7 KB

Steam discussion pages don't render content to WebFetch. I have enough from the sources that did load. Let me do one final targeted search to lock down fence-foundation mechanics and snapping increments.

• WebFetch https://www.conanexiles.com/wp-content/wiki/2693562384.html 2.8s 215 B

• WebSearch Conan Exiles fence foundation half height vertical wall snap increment quarter raise foundation align slope 7.5s 1.7 KB

• WebFetch https://conanexiles.fandom.com/wiki/Building 1.4s 215 B

I now have comprehensive, well-sourced findings. Here is my synthesis.

---

# Medieval Dynasty — Terrain Adaptation for Building Placement

**Bottom line up front:** Your hypothesis is confirmed. Medieval Dynasty has **NO terrain deformation/terraforming whatsoever** — no flatten, level, raise, or lower tool. The entire system is placement-and-foundation-based: the game adapts the *building* to the ground (auto-switching to wooden stilt foundations on slopes), never the ground to the building. There is a hard slope-tolerance cutoff beyond which placement is simply refused.

## 1. Terraforming model — does NOT exist (confirmed)

- **No terrain deformation at all.** There is no flatten/level/excavate/raise tool in the base game. The community's single most-repeated complaint is literally "Why is there NO terraforming or a flattening system??????" ([Steam: Terrain is too uneven to place](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/2942496178840977208/)).
- A long-standing community feedback post explicitly requests "Ability to flatten terrain with a shovel/pickaxe" — i.e., it is a *requested* feature, not an existing one ([Medieval Dynasty Suggestions #56](https://medieval-dynasty-suggestions.com/posts/56/ability-to-flatten-terrain-with-a-shovel-pickaxe)).
- **Dev position is non-committal, not "engine-impossible."** I could *not* substantiate the "the engine does not allow terraforming" claim from a primary source (one third-party search summary asserted it, but no dev quote backs it). The actual on-record dev comment (Goldi:AI) is: *"I could use a feature like that, but I do not know if it can be implemented or rather, what it would take"* — and they point players to "additional foundations" as the intended workaround instead ([Steam: Terrain Modification (Terraforming) PLEASE!](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/4070650515255677736/)). So treat "the engine can't do it" as **unverified community lore**, not a confirmed fact.
- **The only "compensation" the game offers** for uneven ground is the automatic wood/stilt foundation system (see §2). That's it — there is no ground modification.

**Important nuance on the "field trick":** Players can place a farm field over a spot to clear rocks/bushes, then delete the field with the hammer in destruct mode — the obstacles stay gone ([Steam: clear/level terrain](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/3112542578512427621/); [Steam: Building on ground](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/3841053719671754427/)). But this **only removes objects; it does NOT change terrain height**: *"the game allows removal of mineable rocks and trees/stumps, but this does not flatten ground height—it only clears the objects themselves. The terrain elevation remains unchanged"* ([Steam: clear/level terrain](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/3112542578512427621/)). So it's an obstacle-clearing trick, not a terraforming trick.

## 2. Foundations & supports on slopes — automatic stone↔stilt switch

This is the core mechanic and the most relevant part for your skeleton:

- **The building auto-adapts its foundation to the ground; it does not float freely or clip arbitrarily.** The game samples the terrain under the building footprint and picks a foundation type automatically — the player has **no manual choice**:
  - **Flat/even ground → stone foundation** (costs stone).
  - **Sloped/uneven ground → wooden log foundation on stilts** (costs logs instead of stone).
  ([Steam: simple house with wood foundation?](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/3446961485763731456/)).
- **The trigger is corner-elevation difference, and it is sensitive.** One player built 5 houses; 4 got stone foundations, the 5th showed exposed logs because *one back corner* sat on a subtle slope: *"The ground elevation is the only reason, it may just be at a corner… if you see those logs"* ([Steam: simple house with wood foundation?](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/3446961485763731456/)). Even minor corner elevation deltas flip it to stilts.
- **How it "settles":** the building stays level/horizontal, and the stilt legs (plus small plank steps on the downhill side) bridge the gap to the sloped ground — so you get a level structure with visible stilts/ramps filling the gap on the low side, rather than a tilted or clipping building ([Steam: simple house with wood foundation?](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/3446961485763731456/); [Steam: Terrain Modification (Terraforming) PLEASE!](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/4070650515255677736/) — *"buildings use stilts and ramps to accommodate gradients"*).
- **There is a slope limit beyond which even stilts won't save you** — placement is refused entirely (see §3).
- **No player-placeable foundation/height pieces exist.** Adjustable foundation height, taller foundations, and manual stilts/pillars are all *requested* features, not implemented ones ([Steam: Terrain uneven](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/3003297945129885417/); dev's own suggested workaround was to *add* "additional foundations" later — [Steam: Terraforming PLEASE!](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/4070650515255677736/)).

## 3. Slope/steepness rules — what makes placement invalid

- **A maximum buildable-slope tolerance exists and is strict.** Areas that look flat to the player still get rejected: *"Players describe finding 'seemingly flat' areas that still trigger the rejection message, suggesting the tolerance threshold is quite strict"* ([Steam: Terrain is too uneven to place](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/2942496178840977208/)). I found **no published numeric degree value** for the cutoff — the game exposes it only as the binary "too uneven to place" rejection, not a number.
- **Invalid-placement causes** (preview won't turn green / shows the error):
  1. Slope under the footprint exceeds tolerance ("terrain is too uneven to place").
  2. Obstacles/collision in the footprint — rocks, boulders, trees, stumps, existing roads, or other buildings ([Steam: Terrain Modification PLEASE!](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/4070650515255677736/); [TechRaptor building guide](https://techraptor.net/gaming/guides/medieval-dynasty-building-guide) — *"there must be no obstacles in the area"*).
  3. Overlap with another building's footprint.
- **Footprint size matters — bigger buildings are far stricter.** Small houses tolerate more unevenness (they get steps/stilts); large buildings fail much more readily: *"taller buildings like the tavern or the storage are a nightmare to place"* ([Steam: Terrain is too uneven to place](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/2942496178840977208/)). The validity check is effectively over the whole footprint, so a larger footprint is more likely to span a disqualifying elevation delta.

## 4. Snapping & grid — minimal; no grid, no snap

- **There is NO snap-to-grid and NO rotation snapping.** Both are *requested* QoL features that don't exist ([Medieval Dynasty Suggestions #55: Toggle building rotation snap to 15° increments and grid](https://medieval-dynasty-suggestions.com/posts/55/toggle-building-rotation-snap-to-15-degree-increments-and-grid); [Steam: Any way to build on a grid?](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/2952663522493053651/)).
- **Placement preview is a ghost blueprint with binary color feedback:** green = placeable, otherwise invalid/red. Players line up rows by nudging the preview left/right with keyboard strafe while watching for green, and counting steps for consistent spacing ([Steam: lining up buildings](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/3805027459316579210/); [Steam: Aligning to grid?](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/3494256256408175284/)).
- **No auto-snap to roads or other buildings.** Alignment is entirely manual; community techniques include using the on-screen **compass** to face exact N/E/S/W, and laying temporary 1-wide fields as visual alignment guides (fields don't count against the build limit), then deleting them ([Steam: Aligning to grid?](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/3494256256408175284/); [Steam: Any way to build on a grid?](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/2952663522493053651/)).

## 5. Player-experience tradeoffs & community reaction

- **Primary coping strategy: scout for naturally flat land.** Guides universally tell players to settle on a flat meadow with water/resource access, because uneven terrain makes large buildings and farm fields very hard to place ([Notes Read construction guide](https://notesread.com/medieval-dynasty-construction-guide/); [DualShockers: best settlement locations](https://www.dualshockers.com/medieval-dynasty-best-settlement-locations/)). Location choice is the *real* terrain-adaptation mechanic — the player adapts, not the ground.
- **Secondary: lean on the auto-stilt system** for mild slopes (accept visible stilts/ramps and the extra log cost) and use the field-clear trick for rocks/bushes ([Steam: simple house with wood foundation?](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/3446961485763731456/); [Steam: clear/level terrain](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/3112542578512427621/)).
- **Complaints are substantial and persistent:**
  - "Biggest pit fall of this game is the restrictive archaic building" — players hit placement walls when expanding a village (place one building, then can't fit the next nearby) ([Steam: Biggest pit fall…](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/4038104984940954111/)).
  - At least one player **refunded after 62 minutes** specifically over placement restrictions ([Steam: Terrain is too uneven to place](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/2942496178840977208/)).
  - Dedicated threads beg for it: "Terrain Modification (Terraforming) PLEASE!" ([Steam](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/4070650515255677736/)), plus a hillside-building advocacy thread ([Steam: LETS JOIN TOGETHER FOR HILLSIDE BUILDING!](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/6118730946101975447/)).
- **Mods partially fill the gap** (e.g., rails-based soil graders / landscaping planners on Steam Workshop that flatten and fill with soil/stone/sand textures), but these are third-party and not part of the shipped game ([WebSearch: flatten terrain mod summary](https://medieval-dynasty-suggestions.com/posts/56/ability-to-flatten-terrain-with-a-shovel-pickaxe)). *(Note: I couldn't open the wiki or specific Workshop pages directly — fandom.com and several Steam thread pages returned HTTP 403 to the fetcher — so the mod specifics are from search-snippet level, not first-party confirmation.)*

---

## Takeaways relevant to your skeleton's procgen/building system

1. **The "no terraforming, adapt the building instead" model is the proven AAA-indie pattern here.** If you want to avoid runtime terrain editing on your PMC terrain, Medieval Dynasty validates that an **auto-stilt/foundation-fill** approach is shippable.
2. **Sample corner elevations under the footprint** and: (a) reject if max delta exceeds a tolerance, (b) below that, generate stilt geometry to fill the gap and keep the building level. Their threshold is intentionally tight; bigger footprints fail more, which is just the footprint spanning more elevation variance.
3. **Binary green/red ghost preview** with no grid/rotation snap is what they ship — but note the community *hates* the lack of snapping; adding even simple grid/angle snap would be a cheap differentiator.

**Caveats on sourcing:** No official numeric slope-degree cutoff is published anywhere I could find — the game only exposes it as the "too uneven to place" rejection. The "game engine cannot do terraforming" claim is community lore, contradicted by the actual dev quote (uncertainty, not impossibility). The Fandom wiki and some Steam pages blocked direct fetching (HTTP 403), so a few details rest on search-result summaries rather than fetched primary text.

• WebFetch https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2734895497 5.7s 977 B

Both 403'd. Let me try the Steam Community guide, Steam discussion threads, and a YouTube tutorial (which often have detailed descriptions), plus search for more specific numbers.

• WebSearch Conan Exiles stability ceiling loses 10 percent per tile pillar fresh 100 foundation StructureIntegrity multiplier serve… 8.0s 2.4 KB

• WebFetch https://steamcommunity.com/app/440900/discussions/0/1743355067126385824/ 4.9s 710 B

Let me search for more specific facets and fetch the key authoritative sources.

• WebSearch Medieval Engineers maximum span cantilever blocks arch buttress support beam fracture 8.0s 2.6 KB

• WebSearch Medieval Engineers 0.6 0.7 structural integrity rework changes update deformation collapse physics 8.1s 3.0 KB

Good progress. I have the 20% per tile figure. Let me fetch the Steam discussion threads and the GameFAQs board which discuss the per-tile loss and pillar mechanics, plus search for the foundation stacking and chain-collapse details.

• WebFetch https://steamcommunity.com/app/440900/discussions/0/3223871682614074246/ 3.9s 612 B

The two Keen support pages and the wiki are the richest. Let me fetch them in detail, plus the dev blog and the most detailed Steam thread.

• WebSearch Conan Exiles repair hammer stability color green yellow red percentage collapse chain destroy connected pieces 6.7s 2.2 KB

• WebFetch https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/217654-conan-exiles/77853822 2.8s 215 B

I now have comprehensive, well-sourced material. Here is my structured writeup.

---

# How Rust Handles Terrain Adaptation & Base Building on Uneven Ground

A core takeaway up front: Rust's design philosophy is **fixed terrain + a discrete-block building kit that snaps onto and clips into the unmodifiable ground**, rather than any kind of terraforming. Adaptation to slopes is achieved entirely through *foundation geometry* (square/triangle), *half-height snapping*, and a *structural-integrity (stability) system* — not by deforming the world.

---

## 1. TERRAFORMING MODEL — confirmed "no terraforming"

- **Players cannot deform, dig, or modify terrain.** Rust's official wiki describes terrain as a single fixed mesh: "the ground you walk on, the barrier stopping you from falling into the void… a single piece that flows throughout the entire map and combines multiple layers" (Alpha, Ground Splat, Biome, Topology). None of these layers are player-editable; building does not deform terrain — collision/passage is handled by prefab "Terrain Trigger volume" prefabs, not by carving the ground. (https://wiki.facepunch.com/rust/Terrain)
- Terraforming (shovels/pickaxes to dig, underground bunkers, etc.) exists only as long-standing **player feature requests**, never shipped. (https://rust.nolt.io/6332 ; https://steamcommunity.com/app/252490/discussions/3/611703999966217504/)
- Because terrain is fixed, **building works *around* the terrain**: you place a kit of modular building blocks (foundations, walls, floors/ceilings, roofs, stairs) that snap to a grid and clip into the ground. Foundations are "the base building block component… the platform on which you place all other building components," placeable "on almost any surface" but not by reshaping it. (https://www.corrosionhour.com/how-to-build-in-rust/)

---

## 2. FOUNDATIONS & SUPPORTS ON SLOPES (main focus)

### Foundation shapes (geometry)
- Two foundation footprints exist: **square** and **triangle**. "Using combinations of triangle and square will allow you to build complex base footprints." Triangles fill the 45°/odd gaps that squares can't, and let you wrap around irregular flat patches. (https://www.corrosionhour.com/how-to-build-in-rust/)
- Caveat on mixing geometry: "a triangle foundation placed too close to a square foundation may be technically allowed but will not let you place walls, as the wall structures are considered double-walling." (https://www.corrosionhour.com/how-to-build-in-rust/)

### How foundations conform to terrain (sink / float / auto-level)
- Foundations **do not auto-level the ground and do not deform it.** Instead each foundation is itself a flat block whose "feet" (corner posts) **sink/clip into the terrain**. On a slope, the high side sits closer to flush and the low side's feet bury deeper, with the top surface always rendered flat/level. (https://www.corrosionhour.com/finding-flat-spots-rust/)
- A flat top is what you're checking for during placement: "When you hit a location that is dead flat, the line the terrain creates will be parallel to the lines on the foundation silhouette." Sloped ground shows a non-parallel terrain line cutting through the ghost. (https://www.corrosionhour.com/finding-flat-spots-rust/)

### Foundation height-step approach & half-height snapping
- **The key uneven-ground mechanic ("Building 3.0," Dec 2017): foundations can be snapped at half height.** "Foundations can now be snapped at half height… both square and triangle foundations will snap at different levels to each other, provided the height is not too high or low off the ground." This is the primary tool for stepping a base up uneven terrain. (https://www.rustafied.com/updates/2017/12/5/building-30-what-you-need-to-know ; https://www.corrosionhour.com/rust-foundation-freehand-placement/)
- Side-by-side, "you can place foundations at an extra half height from one another" — i.e. each adjacent foundation can be offset by **half a foundation's height**, so you climb a hill in half-step increments. (https://www.corrosionhour.com/how-to-build-in-rust/)
- **Freehand placement** extends this: you can freely change a foundation's elevation (not just snapped half-steps) to "create double layers of ceilings" and floor-stacked / multi-TC bases, and to nudge adjacent foundations slightly higher/lower so two floor tiles sit very close. (https://www.corrosionhour.com/rust-foundation-freehand-placement/)

### "High" vs "low" vs "regular" foundations
- These are **not separate items** — Rust ships one square foundation and one triangle foundation. "High/low foundation" refers to **how high off the ground a foundation is placed** (an elevation technique), achieved via half-height snapping/freehand placement.
  - A **"high foundation"** is one placed deliberately raised off the ground ("slightly off the ground," elevated for protection / honeycombing). (https://www.corrosionhour.com/how-to-build-in-rust/)
  - The **"high foundation test"** is literally used to read slope: "when you can't place a high foundation, it means your ground is either sloped down or not flat enough." (https://www.corrosionhour.com/finding-flat-spots-rust/)
  - A **"low foundation"** is placed near-flush to reinforce/honeycomb the base. (https://www.corrosionhour.com/how-to-build-in-rust/)

### Stepping UP a hill
- You stack/step foundations: place the first foundation on the highest reliably-flat spot, then snap neighbors at half-height offsets following the rising ground. "Ground can slope up from your flat location" and you keep stepping foundations up it; the limiting direction is *downhill* (see §3). "Once the first is down, others will usually snap without a problem." (https://www.corrosionhour.com/finding-flat-spots-rust/ ; https://steamcommunity.com/app/252490/discussions/0/133259956021722446/)

### Pillars — when/why, and the big caveat
- Pillars are a vertical support block. Classic role: "An easy way to add stability… add pillars before placing walls. Pillars can only be placed if there are no other objects in their path, and if there is a foundation underneath. When building pillars on the second floor or higher, there must be pillars placed below as well." They support floors/ceilings/overhangs that extend out from supported structure. (https://rust.fandom.com/wiki/Building via search; https://rust.fandom.com/wiki/Wood_Pillar_(Legacy))
- **Important update:** the dedicated stability-pillar workflow was largely deprecated. "In previous versions of Rust, players could use Pillars to improve base stability; these have since been removed," so support now comes from walls, door frames, and proper layout instead. (https://gamerant.com/rust-building-stability-beginner-tips/) The stability system itself was explicitly built "to allow people to build self-supporting floors without a pillar or wall under every floor block." (https://rust.fandom.com/wiki/Stability via search)
- **Foundation steps block (related):** historically a "foundation steps" piece gave access to a slightly raised doorway, aligned to a foundation edge and angling down into the ground. "With the introduction of the Build 4.0 system, the foundation steps block was removed; a new ramp block replicates this functionality," and a raised ramp against a raised foundation does not collapse if the foundation under it is destroyed. (https://wiki.rustclash.com/group=building-blocks via search; https://www.corrosionhour.com/how-to-build-in-rust/)

### Placement validity / what makes a placement invalid
A foundation ghost won't place (won't turn blue) when:
- **Terrain too steep** / not flat enough (see §3). (https://www.corrosionhour.com/how-to-build-in-rust/)
- **"Not in terrain" error:** on steep ground "all four feet of the foundation block must be firmly in the ground — if even one foot is not in-terrain you get the 'not in terrain' error." Common where terrain drops away (e.g. ice lakes, where terrain sits slightly below the ice surface → "prefab not in terrain"). (https://www.corrosionhour.com/finding-flat-spots-rust/)
- **Intersecting another object**, inside a **monument/cave claim**, or inside another player's **building privilege**. (https://www.corrosionhour.com/how-to-build-in-rust/)

---

## 3. SLOPE / STEEPNESS & STABILITY (structural integrity)

### Max buildable slope
- Rust enforces a **hard slope cap** but exposes it as a pass/fail check rather than a published angle: if the ground is too steep the foundation simply won't validate. On mountains "the mountain is too steep to place foundations on for the majority of the slope; with trial and error it's possible to find a sweet spot." (https://steamcommunity.com/app/252490/discussions/0/133259956021722446/)
- Asymmetry matters: **uphill is fine, downhill kills placement.** "Ground can slope up from your flat location, but down will stop you from being able to place foundations" — because downhill drop lifts a foot out of terrain → "not in terrain." (https://www.corrosionhour.com/finding-flat-spots-rust/)
- (No single official degree figure is published in these sources; the rule is "all four feet in terrain + not over a steepness threshold.")

### What triggers needing extra support / pillars
- "Building on steep or slanted land can impact overall stability," so support (walls/door frames, historically pillars) is needed where floors/walls extend off the foundation or get high. (https://gamerant.com/rust-building-stability-beginner-tips/)

### Stability / structural-integrity system (collapse mechanic)
- **What it is:** introduced in **Devblog 35**, it's deliberately *not* a real physics weight sim — it's an anti-exploit system ("the opposite" of a weight system) to stop "building stairs to the moon" / sky bridges while still allowing self-supporting floors. "This system isn't going to ever be 100% true to life. You will be able to build some stuff that defies physics." (https://rust.facepunch.com/news/devblog-35)
- **How stability falls off:** "100% stability at ground level, gradually decreasing in increments based on height" — stability propagates from foundations (the source of stability) outward/upward, dropping the higher and further a block is from a supported foundation. (https://gamerant.com/rust-building-stability-beginner-tips/ ; https://rust.fandom.com/wiki/Stability via search)
- **Collapse condition:** "If stability reaches 0%, the structure will crumble and be destroyed." If a block would be placed at 0% stability "it will break instantly upon placement." A practical reinforcement threshold cited is ~15% support before a block needs more support. (https://gamerant.com/rust-building-stability-beginner-tips/ ; https://rust.fandom.com/wiki/Stability via search)
- **What provides support:** "If a wall or floor is not supported by other structures around, above, and below it, and it is off the ground, it will likely be unstable." Foundations = 100% anchor; walls, floors, door frames pass stability along; upgrading to stronger materials also helps. (https://gamerant.com/rust-building-stability-beginner-tips/)
- **Checking it:** stability % shows when "mousing over a building object at melee range" / hovering with a Hammer equipped; low-stability blocks turn the health-bar background **red**. (https://gamerant.com/rust-building-stability-beginner-tips/ ; https://rust.facepunch.com/news/devblog-35)

---

## 4. SNAPPING & GRID

- **Snapping:** building blocks snap to the edges/sockets of existing foundations on a regular grid; foundations additionally snap at **half-height increments** to neighbors, enabling stepped placement on uneven ground (both squares and triangles). (https://www.rustafied.com/updates/2017/12/5/building-30-what-you-need-to-know)
- **Freehand mode:** you can override snapping to place foundations at arbitrary elevation/rotation (used for floor-stacking, multi-TC); guides recommend lowering mouse sensitivity / crouching for precision. (https://www.corrosionhour.com/rust-foundation-freehand-placement/)
- **Ghost / preview validity color:** the placement preview floats as a **blue** ghost when valid — "the floating blue foundation indicates an area that you can safely place a foundation." A block you can't place won't "turn blue" (invalid). Low-stability blocks render with a **red** health-bar background after placement. (Note: Rust uses **blue = valid**, not the green/red convention of many other games.) (https://steamcommunity.com/app/252490/discussions/0/133259956021722446/ ; https://www.corrosionhour.com/how-to-build-in-rust/ ; https://rust.facepunch.com/news/devblog-35)
- **Auto-leveling on placement:** the foundation's *top face* is always level (it does not tilt to match the slope); leveling is achieved by the block clipping its feet into the terrain, not by editing terrain or tilting the block. (https://www.corrosionhour.com/finding-flat-spots-rust/)
- **Building identity from snapping:** "Buildings are now defined by any foundation that snaps with another, and any blocks connected to said foundations" (diagonal corner-touch does not unify), and a building defines its build-privilege radius (16 m at that devblog). (https://www.rustafied.com/updates/2017/12/5/building-30-what-you-need-to-know)

---

## 5. PLAYER-EXPERIENCE TRADEOFFS — foundation-step approach vs terraforming

- **Simplicity / readability:** because terrain is immutable and blocks snap to a grid with discrete half-height steps + blue/invalid ghost feedback, placement is fast and predictable, and bases across a server look consistent. The cost model is fixed (a foundation is a foundation regardless of slope), and raids/structural rules stay deterministic. (https://www.corrosionhour.com/how-to-build-in-rust/ ; https://www.rustafied.com/updates/2017/12/5/building-30-what-you-need-to-know)
- **Loss of freedom / friction:** you can't sculpt the world to fit your base, so **flat ground becomes a scarce, contested resource** ("flat locations are strategically valuable on populated servers"), and steep/dropping terrain produces "not in terrain" failures and trial-and-error placement on hillsides. (https://www.corrosionhour.com/finding-flat-spots-rust/ ; https://steamcommunity.com/app/252490/discussions/0/133259956021722446/)
- **Adaptation pushed onto the kit, not the ground:** half-height stepping, triangle infill, freehand elevation, and the stability system together let players *conform structures to* fixed terrain (and even build self-supporting / cantilevered shapes) — Facepunch explicitly chose a forgiving anti-exploit stability model over realism so creative building stays possible without terraforming. (https://rust.facepunch.com/news/devblog-35 ; https://rust.fandom.com/wiki/Stability via search)
- **Why this fits your skeleton:** the Rust model trades world-editing freedom for cheap, server-safe, deterministic placement. For a UE procgen world with fixed terrain, the analogous primitives are: a flat-topped foundation block that **clips into** the heightfield (no terrain edit), **half-height snap steps** for slopes, **triangle + square** footprints, a **valid/invalid placement ghost** keyed to a max-slope + "feet in ground" test, and an optional **stability falloff** from anchored foundations.

---

### Sources
- https://wiki.facepunch.com/rust/Terrain (official — terrain layers, no terraforming)
- https://rust.facepunch.com/news/devblog-35 (official devblog — structural integrity introduction)
- https://www.rustafied.com/updates/2017/12/5/building-30-what-you-need-to-know (half-height snapping, building identity, 16 m privilege)
- https://www.corrosionhour.com/how-to-build-in-rust/ (foundations, shapes, high/low, validity)
- https://www.corrosionhour.com/rust-foundation-freehand-placement/ (freehand placement, floor stacking)
- https://www.corrosionhour.com/finding-flat-spots-rust/ (slope test, "feet in terrain," not-in-terrain error, blue ghost)
- https://gamerant.com/rust-building-stability-beginner-tips/ (stability %, collapse at 0%, pillars removed)
- https://rust.fandom.com/wiki/Stability ; https://rust.fandom.com/wiki/Building ; https://rust.fandom.com/wiki/Wood_Pillar_(Legacy) (stability/pillar details, via search snippets — pages returned 403 to direct fetch)
- https://wiki.rustclash.com/group=building-blocks (foundation steps → ramp, Build 4.0; via search)
- https://steamcommunity.com/app/252490/discussions/0/133259956021722446/ (building on slopes, steep mountains)
- https://rust.nolt.io/6332 ; https://steamcommunity.com/app/252490/discussions/3/611703999966217504/ (terraforming only ever a feature request)

**Note on reliability:** A few Fandom pages (rust.fandom.com/wiki/Stability, /Building; rust-archive.fandom.com) returned HTTP 403 to direct fetch, so those specific claims rest on search-engine snippets of those pages rather than full-page reads; all are corroborated by at least one fully-fetched source above. No exact maximum slope *angle in degrees* is published in the official sources — Rust exposes the limit as a pass/fail placement check ("too steep" / "all four feet in terrain"), not a numeric angle.

• WebFetch https://support.keenswh.com/medievalengineers/topic/structural-integrity 7.7s 1.4 KB

• WebFetch https://support.keenswh.com/medievalengineers/topic/0-7-1-structural-integrity-feedback 5.5s 1.1 KB

Steam discussion pages are returning the age-gated landing page. Let me try the FextraLife wiki (usually accessible), the Construction Hammer Fandom page, and Google cache / old.reddit approaches. Let me also try fetching the conanexiles.com wiki via a Google cache or alternate approach.

I now have comprehensive coverage across all five topic areas with concrete numbers. Let me compile the findings.

---

# 7 Days to Die — Terrain Adaptation, Terraforming & Base-Building on Uneven Ground

Research findings with inline source URLs. Note: 7d2d.net "Terrain Leveling" guide and the fandom.com mirror intermittently returned HTTP 403; data below is corroborated against the official wiki.gg mirror, xgamingserver/gamerant guides, and Steam community threads.

## 1. TERRAFORMING MODEL (voxel world)

- **Fully destructible voxel terrain.** Every block in the world can be modified, allowing precise terrain shaping and construction — the world is a voxel grid where individual blocks are dug out or placed. (https://wiki.7d2d.net/hosting/community/terrain-leveling-and-construction-techniques/)
- **Digging/mining tools:** Shovel is the primary tool for dirt/sand/clay; the Auger is a power tool for rapid terrain removal; the Pickaxe breaks stone and ore veins (works on terrain but less efficiently). Right-clicking with the shovel can place the removed terrain block elsewhere — i.e., you can pick up and re-deposit terrain voxels. (https://wiki.7d2d.net/hosting/community/terrain-leveling-and-construction-techniques/)
- **Flattening technique:** Dig along the compass cardinal markers (N/S/E/W) and aim the shovel just below the ground horizon to "skim" the surface and create a smooth flat lane. Wood frames are used as rulers/guides/"flatteners" while excavating. (https://wiki.7d2d.net/hosting/community/terrain-leveling-and-construction-techniques/)
- **Terrain ("smooth") voxels vs. block voxels are a real distinction.** Terrain voxels are smoothed/marching-cubes-style — when terrain "flattens" it does NOT snap to the same cubic shape as a player building block, producing visual gaps where placed cubic blocks meet smoothed terrain. The voxel terrain adapts to surrounding terrain blocks, and if you can't place a block in a spot it's counted as "occupied" for structural-integrity purposes. (https://steamcommunity.com/app/251570/discussions/4/4765458943361747334/)
- **Placing below ground / leveling a hill:** You fill dips and level a hill by placing building frames into gaps and upgrading them; you can place blocks below the surface (the terrain column normally runs continuously down to bedrock). (https://xgamingserver.com/blog/7-days-to-die-base-building-guide/)
- **Explosives** can also be used to morph the environment. (https://steamcommunity.com/app/251570/discussions/0/558751812715393536/)

## 2. FOUNDATIONS & SUPPORTS ON SLOPES

- **Frame-based foundation method:** Place wooden frame shapes into the gaps on uneven ground, then upgrade them. The progression is **Wood Frame → Wood Block → Cobblestone → Concrete → Steel.** Recommended slope workflow: place frames at the lowest point, then build upward to get an even foundation. (https://wiki.7d2d.net/hosting/community/terrain-leveling-and-construction-techniques/, https://xgamingserver.com/blog/7-days-to-die-base-building-guide/)
- **Shapes for conforming to slopes:** Frames/blocks can be reshaped into cubes, ramps, wedges, triangles, stairs, pillars, plates, boards, bars, window frames, etc. — almost every building block supports this. Ramps and wedges fill triangular slope gaps and are also used to break zombie pathing. (https://gamerant.com/7-days-to-die-how-change-block-shapes/, https://7daystodie.fandom.com/wiki/Wood_Frames per search snippet)
- **Pillars/supports for a flat footprint on a slope:** the standard fix is to drop a supporting pillar/column down to the ground (terrain/bedrock) under the middle of any long unsupported span; this removes the integrity problem. (https://xgamingserver.com/blog/7-days-to-die-base-building-guide/)
- **Shape changes are free of structural/cost penalty** — a block costs the same resources and gives identical HP/integrity regardless of shape. (https://gamerant.com/7-days-to-die-how-change-block-shapes/)

## 3. STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY (the real system)

Three properties drive it: **Mass, Vertical Support, and Horizontal Support (a.k.a. Max Load).** (https://xgamingserver.com/blog/7-days-to-die-base-building-guide/)

**Vertical support (propagation to bedrock):**
- Blocks resting on the **bedrock layer are always vertically supported.** Support propagates upward: a block placed on a vertically-supported block is itself vertically supported. (https://7daystodie.wiki.gg/wiki/Structural_Integrity)
- **A vertically supported block is always stable and will NOT collapse regardless of material, shape, or the mass on top of it — vertical stability is effectively infinite.** You can stack ~250 stone/concrete/tungsten blocks on a single building block. (https://7daystodie.wiki.gg/wiki/Structural_Integrity, https://7daystodie.fandom.com/wiki/Structural_Integrity per search)
- The surface terrain column is normally continuous down to bedrock, so a block placed on undisturbed ground is almost always vertically supported. **If there's a hollow/gap anywhere in the column between your lowest block and bedrock, that breaks the vertical-support chain** and it becomes a (limited) supported block. (https://xgamingserver.com/blog/7-days-to-die-base-building-guide/, https://steamcommunity.com/app/251570/discussions/4/4765458943361747334/)

**Horizontal support / overhang (the collapse mechanic):**
- Formula: **Structural Integrity = floor(Max Load ÷ Mass).** This is the number of blocks that can hang off each side face. For non-vertically-supported blocks, the limit applies to the total attached load including the block's own mass. (https://7daystodie.fandom.com/wiki/Max_Load per search, https://7daystodie.wiki.gg/wiki/Structural_Integrity)
- **Max overhang ≈ 8 blocks for wood:** a wood face provides 40 horizontal support, wood block mass = 5, so 40 ÷ 5 = 8 wood blocks. A beam/platform longer than 8 blocks partially collapses when you step on the 9th block — any block farther than 8 from the base falls when loaded. (https://gamerant.com/7-days-to-die-structural-support-guide/, https://7daystodie.fandom.com/wiki/Structural_Integrity per search)

**Material values (HP / Mass / Max Load):**
| Material | Hit Points | Mass | Max Load | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood Frame (building block) | 50 | 5 | — | base frame |
| Wood Block | 500 | 5 | 40 | SI = 8 |
| Cobblestone | 1,500 | 10 | 90–120 | SI ≈ 6 |
| Brick | 1,200 | 10/13 | 65–120 | |
| Concrete | 5,000 | 10 | 120 | cantilevers further than wood despite weight |
| Steel | 10,000 | 20 | 300 | SI = 15 |

(https://xgamingserver.com/blog/7-days-to-die-base-building-guide/, https://7daystodie.wiki.gg/wiki/Building_Materials — note: sources disagree slightly on cobblestone/concrete max load, 90 vs 120; concrete and steel cantilever farther than wood because higher max load outweighs their higher mass.) (https://gamerant.com/7-days-to-die-structural-support-guide/)

**Collapse triggers:** long overhangs and big unsupported ceilings/spans are the usual cause of "random" cave-ins; the fix is a pillar to the ground. Upgrading the TOP of a structure before the bottom can cause collapse (heavier mass loaded on under-supported lower blocks). Dev/creative mode shows color-coded stability (green → yellow/orange → red = failure). (https://xgamingserver.com/blog/7-days-to-die-base-building-guide/, https://gamerant.com/7-days-to-die-structural-support-guide/)

## 4. SNAPPING & GRID

- Blocks snap to the **voxel grid** (the same grid the terrain uses); building uses a voxel grid-based support system requiring pillars connected to the ground. (https://gamerant.com/7-days-to-die-how-change-block-shapes/)
- **Shape selection:** hold the Reload key (R / X / Square) while holding a block to open a radial menu, then pick the Shapes interface to choose which shape is placed. (https://gamerant.com/7-days-to-die-how-change-block-shapes/)
- **Copy shape:** aim at an existing block while holding a building block, hold Reload, and select "Copy" to duplicate that block's shape/rotation. (https://gamerant.com/7-days-to-die-how-change-block-shapes/)
- A **ghost/preview** of the block is shown before placement (radial-menu/preview system). Rotation is supported per shape (ramps/wedges/stairs are rotated to orient them). (https://gamerant.com/7-days-to-die-how-change-block-shapes/)

## 5. PLAYER-EXPERIENCE TRADEOFFS

- **Digging cave-ins:** underground excavation can collapse if too large. Material + depth are the key variables. Dirt and gravel near the surface collapse quickly and need support beams (Minecraft-like) — spans ~3+ blocks wide near the surface are collapse-prone. Stone deep at bedrock is far more stable: players report tunnels 20+ wide and 60+ long in deep stone without collapse. Use wood pillars/frames as load-bearing supports ("extremely strong"). One caveat from players: structural integrity is considered "too broken" to reliably build large structures ON TOP of caves/tunnels, though the underground voids themselves follow more stable rules. (https://steamcommunity.com/app/251570/discussions/0/618460171321722773)
- **Persistence:** all terrain/voxel edits are saved to the world — large-scale terrain edits may cause temporary lag and the guide recommends frequent saves during big projects (implying edits persist to the save). (https://wiki.7d2d.net/hosting/community/terrain-leveling-and-construction-techniques/)
- **Multiplayer & griefing — Land Claim Block (LCB):** default protection zone is **41×41** blocks (configurable via `LandClaimSize`), extending infinitely up and down. `LandClaimCount` sets max claims per player. The LCB protects while the owner is online and for a configurable offline window — default **land-claim duration = 7 days** of offline protection before going inactive. (https://7daystodie.fandom.com/wiki/Land_Claim_Block per search, https://wiki.7d2d.net/game/server-settings-xml/)
- **Anti-grief damage modifiers:** `LandClaimOnlineDurabilityModifier` / `LandClaimOfflineDurabilityModifier` multiply block hardness inside a claim; **0 = infinite (blocks take no damage).** Recommended PvE anti-grief setup: `PlayerKillingMode = 0` and `LandClaimOfflineDurabilityModifier` raised to ~8 so griefers can't tunnel through offline bases. Land-claim decay can be set Slow (Linear), Fast (Exponential), or None (full protection until expiry). (https://wiki.7d2d.net/game/server-settings-xml/, https://steamcommunity.com/app/251570/discussions/0/1471966894860346104/)

---

### Relevance to your skeleton (procgen/PMC terrain)
The key transferable design idea is the **terrain-voxel vs. building-block split**: 7d2d keeps a smoothed (marching-cubes-style) terrain voxel field separate from cubic building blocks, accepting visible gaps where they meet, and feeds the terrain column into the same stability graph (terrain = vertical support down to bedrock). Foundations on slopes are solved by **frames + shape variants (ramp/wedge/triangle) + pillars to ground**, not by true continuous terrain morphing under a building. Your PMC terrain would need an analogous "is this column grounded to bedrock?" query to drive any stability/collapse system.

**Source caveats:** the canonical 7d2d.net terrain-leveling page and fandom.com mirror returned 403 on direct fetch during this research; numeric values were taken from the official wiki.gg mirror and corroborating guides (xgamingserver, gamerant). Two sources disagree on cobblestone/concrete Max Load (90 vs 120) — treat that single figure as approximate.

• WebFetch https://conanexiles.wiki.fextralife.com/Repair+Hammer 5.0s 639 B

• WebSearch Conan Exiles 3.0 Age of Sorcery building stability changes update patch notes 8.6s 3.1 KB

• WebSearch Conan Exiles building piece stability foundation provides 100 pillars provide stability up to height walls reduce ceilin… 8.9s 2.1 KB

The first support page is the proposal thread with the detailed mechanic description. Let me fetch the wiki, the dev blog, the detailed Steam threads, and the features page.

• WebFetch https://medievalengineerswiki.com/w/Structural_Integrity 6.4s 1.4 KB

• WebFetch https://blog.marekrosa.org/2019/02/medieval-engineers-update-071-major.html 4.9s 1.3 KB

I have comprehensive, well-sourced coverage. Here are my findings.

---

# Nightingale (Inflexion Games) — Terrain Adaptation & Terraforming for Base-Building

**Source quality note:** Nightingale is a newer game (Early Access Feb 2024) with a thin but adequate documentation base. There is **no published dev deep-dive specifically on slope/terrain-conform math** (max slope angles, support-leg algorithms, snap-tolerance values are not officially documented). The hard numbers that *do* exist are about build-limits and the height-adjust input, plus an explicit dev decision against terraforming. I flag inference vs. documented fact below.

---

## 1. TERRAFORMING MODEL — **None. Deliberate design choice.**

- **Players cannot deform terrain at all** — no raise/lower/flatten/level tool, no shovel/rake/hoe. *"Currently, there is no terrain manipulation in Nightingale, and players must build up from highest to lowest point."* — [zleague.gg](https://www.zleague.gg/theportal/finding-the-perfect-spot-nightingale-terrain-and-base-building-woes/)
- This is **intentional, not an EA gap**. Community/dev consensus on the Steam "destructible terrain" thread: *"it seems like no, that's not a feature they want in the game… they decided terraforming wouldn't add much to the experience."* Devs acknowledged it's technically feasible (*"It's definitely possible but it's not the focus of the game"*) but chose to omit it. — [Steam discussion](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1928980/discussions/0/4145068260009904286/)
- Players have **requested** a minor terraforming tool (Enshrouded-style) but it has not been added. — [zleague.gg](https://www.zleague.gg/theportal/finding-the-perfect-spot-nightingale-terrain-and-base-building-woes/)
- **Procedural-generation relevance:** Realms are procedurally generated from Realm Cards (the "Realm Maker"/portal system). Because players can't reshape terrain, the *design answer to bad terrain is "re-roll the realm"* or relocate — community advice is to generate a new realm or build near coasts for flatter, more open ground. — [Steam: Nice flat locations](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1928980/discussions/0/4517758984073376591/), [zleague.gg](https://www.zleague.gg/theportal/finding-the-perfect-spot-nightingale-terrain-and-base-building-woes/)

**So: the building system absorbs uneven ground entirely through height-adjustable foundations + pillars, never through terrain edits.**

---

## 2. FOUNDATIONS & SUPPORTS ON SLOPES

- **Everything starts from a foundation.** *"Players need to place a Crude Foundation of either variety somewhere on the terrain first, as most other tiles require starting from a foundation."* Floor/wall/roof tiles build off it. — [TechRaptor (via search)](https://techraptor.net/gaming/guides/nightingale-building-guide), [zleague.gg](https://www.zleague.gg/theportal/finding-the-perfect-spot-nightingale-terrain-and-base-building-woes/)
- **Height-adjustable foundations are the primary slope solution.** The "raise foundation" mechanic is *"the game's primary tool for addressing slope problems."* You raise a foundation so its top sits level even where the ground beneath is uneven. — [zleague.gg](https://www.zleague.gg/theportal/finding-the-perfect-spot-nightingale-terrain-and-base-building-woes/)
- **Height-adjust input (documented, concrete):** **Hold `R` + scroll the middle mouse wheel** to raise/lower a piece. (Middle-mouse alone = rotate; holding R re-tasks it to vertical translation.) — Dotesports/Destructoid/Gamepur (via search), e.g. [Dotesports listing](https://dotesports.com/nightingale/news/how-to-adjust-the-height-of-buildings-and-structures-in-nightingale)
- **Practical uses of height-adjust:** *"raise your foundation slightly to keep things even"* on unsteady terrain; lower it to **dig a foundation partially into a hill**; and **stack foundations by adjusting height** to build elevated/sky bases with stairs up. — Dotesports (via search summary)
- **Pillars act as the support legs down to ground** for spans not over a foundation/wall. There is **no auto-generated support-leg system** found in any source — supports are **manually placed pillars/support beams**. *"Pillars are needed to support the parts of a roof not attached to any wall… without them, the center portion of the roof would collapse,"* and *"you can't build across large, open gaps without some kind of support beams."* — [search summary, multiple guides]
- **Free placement vs grid:** Pieces **snap** to each other on a piece-to-piece grid (foundation→wall→floor→roof). Height-adjust (R+scroll) is the free-translation escape valve for vertical offset. No documented toggle for full free-placement (the "G toggles snap/free" line in one search result was about *other* games, not Nightingale — do not treat as Nightingale fact).

---

## 3. SLOPE / STEEPNESS RULES & STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY

- **No documented numeric max-slope angle.** Sources describe the *symptom* ("steep hills" make spots unbuildable) but no degrees/threshold is published. — [zleague.gg](https://www.zleague.gg/theportal/finding-the-perfect-spot-nightingale-terrain-and-base-building-woes/)
- **Structural-integrity / collapse system exists and is "simple":** *"destroying a foundation or a supporting wall will automatically destroy anything that's above it."* It's a dependency/cascade model, not a stress-load simulation. — multiple guides (search summaries)
- **When a pillar/support is required:** any roof/ceiling span **not attached to a wall**, and **any span across a large open gap**, needs a pillar or support beam or it won't hold / will collapse. Two pillars alone **cannot** support a wall/window/door between them. — [Steam: Building Support Rules](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1928980/discussions/0/4348858679329688157/)
- **Construction-scaffold trick:** pillars can be placed temporarily to let you build 2nd/3rd floors, then **removed afterward** — upper floors often stay standing once attached to walls. — [Steam: Building Support Rules](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1928980/discussions/0/4348858679329688157/)
- **Support nuance:** an upper floor tile snapped to *another ceiling tile* loses support; **re-snapping it to wall contact restores support.** Upper-floor blocks can't attach to a foundation unless linked via **walls or stairs**. — [Steam: Building Support Rules](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1928980/discussions/0/4348858679329688157/)

---

## 4. SNAPPING & GRID / PREVIEW VALIDITY

- **Ghost-preview validity uses color:** pieces show a **red outline when they won't snap / lack support / are misaligned** (i.e., invalid placement); they snap/lock when valid. — [Steam: snapping threads](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1928980/discussions/0/4348858679320749378/), [Steam: Building Support Rules](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1928980/discussions/0/4348858679329688157/)
- **Snap behavior is piece-relative**, and you can **shift where an upper floor tile snaps** to force it to lock to a wall for proper support. — [Steam: Building Support Rules](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1928980/discussions/0/4348858679329688157/)
- **Environmental obstacles block placement:** stumps, rocks, and existing ruins/structures must be cleared or worked around — they invalidate snap. — [Steam: Building Support Rules](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1928980/discussions/0/4348858679329688157/), [zleague.gg](https://www.zleague.gg/theportal/finding-the-perfect-spot-nightingale-terrain-and-base-building-woes/)
- **No auto-flatten on place** and **no terrain-conform** behavior is documented anywhere — consistent with #1 (terrain is never modified). The foundation simply rests/raises; the *player* levels it via R+scroll.
- **Build menu** is opened with **`B`**. Known UX pain points reported: can't see through translucent (blue) preview blocks while snapping roofs; sometimes must reopen the build menu to retry placements. — [Nightingale Wiki (Buildings)](https://nightingale.wiki.gg/wiki/Buildings), [Steam: snapping threads](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1928980/discussions/0/4348858679320749378/)

---

## 5. PLAYER-EXPERIENCE TRADEOFFS

**Save bloat / performance (well-documented, concrete numbers — the "Realms Rebuilt" rework):**
- Builds are capped by **Realm Building Points**, a single aggregated budget with a **variable weight per structure based on its performance overhead**. — [Realms Rebuilt Building Q&A](https://playnightingale.com/news/nightingale-realms-rebuilt-building-q-a)
- **Cap = 30,000 points** (updated up from a previously communicated 20,000). Note: the earlier PCGamesN write-up cited 20,000; the official Q&A states the final figure is **30,000**. — [Realms Rebuilt Building Q&A (30,000)](https://playnightingale.com/news/nightingale-realms-rebuilt-building-q-a), [PCGamesN (20,000)](https://www.pcgamesn.com/nightingale/realms-rebuilt-build-cap)
- **Walls/roofs/floors cost very little**; **containers and crafting benches cost much more** (standalone entities with overhead). — [Realms Rebuilt Building Q&A](https://playnightingale.com/news/nightingale-realms-rebuilt-building-q-a)
- A single **composite structure now holds up to 1,500 pieces** (up from 300), via *"low-level optimization of how the structure data is represented."* — [Realms Rebuilt Building Q&A](https://playnightingale.com/news/nightingale-realms-rebuilt-building-q-a), [PCGamesN](https://www.pcgamesn.com/nightingale/realms-rebuilt-build-cap)
- **Old system (pre-rework):** 100 composite structures × 300 pieces each + 350 standalone — devs called it *"confusing"* and *"too much trial and error."* — [PCGamesN](https://www.pcgamesn.com/nightingale/realms-rebuilt-build-cap)
- **Pre-placed realm structures no longer count** against the player's budget (tracked separately). — [Realms Rebuilt Building Q&A](https://playnightingale.com/news/nightingale-realms-rebuilt-building-q-a)
- An **"Advanced Building Information" toggle** shows live cap usage, per-piece weighted cost, and each object's impact — a transparency tool for managing the budget. — [PCGamesN](https://www.pcgamesn.com/nightingale/realms-rebuilt-build-cap)
- The tileset wiki even publishes per-piece build-limit weights, e.g. *"Walls, Roofs, Stairs, Ceilings, Railings, Halfwalls = 1; Crude Wood Ramps & Plank = 2."* — [Nightingale Wiki (Buildings)](https://nightingale.wiki.gg/wiki/Buildings)

**Procedural / portaled realms & persistence:**
- Bases can be placed in **any** realm, but persistence requires an **Estate Cairn** (cost: **20 Rocks + 5 Stone Block**), which keeps that procedurally-generated realm **active even when no portal is open to it** — making it a persistent "Respite Realm." Each player sets **one** Respite Realm at a time. — [Realms Rebuilt search summary], [GameSpot Estate Cairn guide](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nightingale-fast-travel-estate-cairn-guide/1100-6521175/), [Multiplayer Overview](https://playnightingale.com/news/multiplayer-overview/)

**Multiplayer sync & griefing:**
- **Asynchronous, no dedicated server needed:** anyone who set a realm as their Respite Realm can return and play it whether or not partymates are online. — [Multiplayer Overview](https://playnightingale.com/news/multiplayer-overview/)
- **Griefing surface is explicit:** *"anyone can help build (…or destroy) other players' estates"* in a shared realm; **Public Realms** show all occupants and let strangers interact with structures, while **Private** realms restrict to invited party only. — [Multiplayer Overview](https://playnightingale.com/news/multiplayer-overview/)

---

## Bottom line for a UE5 procgen builder like Lostways

Nightingale's model maps cleanly onto a no-terraform engine like this skeleton's PMC terrain:
1. **Never deform terrain** — devs explicitly decided it "wouldn't add much" and isn't worth the cost. The whole slope problem is pushed into the build system.
2. **Height-adjustable foundations (free vertical offset via an input modifier) + manually-placed pillars as the "legs"** are the entire slope-adaptation toolkit. No auto-leg generation, no terrain-conform, no auto-flatten.
3. **Piece-to-piece snapping with red/valid preview coloring**, a **cascade collapse** dependency model (kill a support → everything above dies), and a **weighted point budget (30k)** to cap save/perf cost — with cheap structural pieces and expensive functional props.
4. **Persistence is anchored to a cheap beacon item (Estate Cairn)** that pins an otherwise-ephemeral procedural realm; multiplayer is async and accepts build/destroy griefing as a realm-privacy (public/private) tradeoff rather than a permission system.

**Documentation gaps (no official source found):** exact max-slope angle, snap tolerance values, height-adjust min/max range/step, and any structural-stress (vs. simple cascade) math. If you need those, they'd have to come from in-game measurement, not published docs.

• WebFetch https://steamcommunity.com/app/333950/discussions/0/1734343428036011252/ 5.7s 1.4 KB

I have good info on patch 3.0 (Stability Loss Multiplier setting + Ignore Building Stability cheat). Now let me get the detailed mechanics. The Fandom "Building" page is the most authoritative — let me try fetching it via Google cache and try the conanexiles.com official wiki via a Bing cache. Let me also fetch the GamerGuides/gamerant pages and search for the specific pillar height and chain-collapse mechanics.

• WebFetch https://gamerant.com/conan-exiles-base-build-tips/ 6.1s 925 B

• WebSearch "Conan Exiles" stability foundation each tile loses 20% four tiles pillar provides 100 wall foundation give stability ce… 7.1s 1.6 KB

• WebSearch old.reddit.com Conan Exiles stability explained how it works foundation pillar ceiling 20 percent 8.7s 1.2 KB

Good, building a solid picture. Let me fetch the original proposal thread (which has the best mechanic description), the features page, and search for YouTube/Reddit dev-diary details on collapse physics and the color overlay.

• WebFetch https://support.keenswh.com/medievalengineers/topic/structural-integrity 6.0s 1.3 KB

• WebFetch https://www.medievalengineers.com/features/ 6.7s 1.4 KB

• WebSearch Medieval Engineers blocks crack fracture deformation collapse physics fall tumble destruction 13.4s 3.0 KB

Now I have the "four ceilings per foundation" confirmation. The Fandom Building page is the authoritative source but 403s on WebFetch. Let me try fetching it via Google's cache and the Internet Archive Wayback Machine, plus the funcom forum thread on pillars and the official conanexiles.com wiki via wayback.

I have enough to write a thorough, well-sourced report. Here are my findings.

---

# Grounded: Terrain Adaptation & Base Building on Uneven Yard Terrain

A note on scope/quality of sources upfront: Grounded's building mechanics are **not formally specified in any single official document**. The official wikis (grounded.wiki.gg, grounded.fandom.com) list parts and stats but say almost nothing about span limits, slope angles, or auto-leveling math. Most concrete behavioral detail comes from community guides and Obsidian/Steam forum discussions. Where a number or rule is community-derived rather than official, I flag it. Several specifics you asked about (exact max slope angle, exact unsupported-span distance) **appear to be undocumented** — I say so explicitly below rather than invent figures.

## 1. Terraforming Model

**Confirmed: there is no terraforming.** Grounded gives players a fixed, hand-authored backyard. You cannot raise, lower, flatten, or sculpt the ground. Building is purely **additive** — you place pre-modeled construction pieces on top of the existing terrain. Community discussion explicitly frames "finding an even surface to build on" as one of the biggest problems precisely *because* you can't modify the ground; the solution offered is scaffolds and clay foundations rather than terrain editing ([lordsofgaming.net base-building guide](https://lordsofgaming.net/2020/08/an-extensive-guide-to-building-in-grounded/)). There is a player-submitted "Terraforming concept" feature request on the Obsidian forums ([forums.obsidian.net topic 118063](https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/118063-terraforming-concept-in-grounded/)) — its existence as a *request* corroborates that the shipped game has no terraforming (I was unable to fetch the thread body; it returned 403, so I can't quote dev responses from it).

The adaptation strategy is therefore "build up to meet a flat reference plane you define," not "reshape the world." ([gameslearningsociety.org "is there a floor in Grounded"](https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/wiki/is-there-a-floor-in-grounded/), which states Pebblet Foundations are "especially useful on uneven terrain").

## 2. Foundations & Supports on Slopes (main focus)

**The building-material system (stems → walls/floors):** The core progression is grass and weed stems. You chop grass into **Grass Planks** and gather **Weed Stems**; a basic Grass Floor costs 4 Grass Planks, and stairs cost 4 Grass Planks + 1 Weed Stem ([windowscentral first-base guide](https://www.windowscentral.com/grounded-guide-how-build-your-first-base); [gamesradar grass floor guide](https://www.gamesradar.com/grounded-grass-floor-craft-build/)). Walls come in tiers with increasing strength/load capacity: grass walls (weakest) → stem walls → brick walls (strongest) ([fandom Base Building summary](https://grounded.fandom.com/wiki/Base_Building); [Steam "what determines being supported"](https://steamcommunity.com/app/962130/discussions/0/5635717345356488720/)).

**Foundations vs floors:** These are distinct in Grounded.
- **Foundations** (Clay Foundation, then **Pebblet Foundation**, added in patch 0.2.1) are thicker ground-contact slabs meant to sit on the dirt and give you a flat building platform ([lordsofgaming clay/stone foundations](https://lordsofgaming.net/2020/08/how-to-get-clay-and-stone-floors-and-foundations-in-grounded/); Pebblet Foundation: 2 Clay + 3 Pebblets, 300 HP per [grounded.wiki.gg Pebblet_Foundation](https://grounded.wiki.gg/wiki/Pebblet_Foundation)).
- **Floors** (grass/bur/etc.) are thinner deck pieces typically used for upper stories or spans, and they need support rather than resting on ground themselves ([gamerant floors](https://gamerant.com/grounded-floors-how-to-make-craft-build-unlock-base-recipe/)).

**Do foundations auto-level on slopes?** There is **no documented "snap-to-flat" auto-leveling** for foundations the way some survival games auto-flatten. What the sources describe instead is the manual workflow: on uneven ground you start a foundation/floor from a valid spot on land, then **extend the flat building plane outward** so later pieces sit at the same height even where the ground falls away beneath them — "once you have a connecting point on the land, you can build over the top of any water surface, and even build out into the middle of nowhere, a foot off the ground" ([WebSearch summary of lordsofgaming/fandom on extending platforms](https://lordsofgaming.net/2020/08/an-extensive-guide-to-building-in-grounded/)). So the *flat plane is established by the first piece and propagated by snapping*, not by per-piece terrain conforming.

**Using stems/posts/scaffolds to elevate over uneven ground:** This is the intended slope solution. **Stem Scaffolds** are the elevation/support primitive — "A sturdy structure made from weed stem logs," 2 Weed Stems, 300 HP, with variants (Bracket, Triangle, Triangle Bracket) ([grounded.wiki.gg Stem_Scaffold](https://grounded.wiki.gg/wiki/Stem_Scaffold)). They are explicitly "designed to support other Base Building and Advanced Building structures and are stackable with each other. Walls can be placed on their sides, while other structures can be placed on top. Players can fall through scaffolding structures if no other support is built" ([gameslearningsociety](https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/wiki/is-there-a-floor-in-grounded/)). You stack scaffolds up from low ground to reach the height of your platform — they're a lattice support, not a walkable floor (hence "fall through"). For multi-story clay floors specifically, the guidance is to use **pillars** — minimum two, ideally one per corner (four+) for stability ([lordsofgaming base-building guide](https://lordsofgaming.net/2020/08/an-extensive-guide-to-building-in-grounded/)).

**Auto-support / support-beam system & unsupported span:** Grounded *does* have a support model, but it's load/contact-based, not a continuous "max meters of cantilever" rule:
- "Each structure requires a certain amount of support to be held up. This can be accomplished with structures such as foundations, floors and walls. **A structure cannot be placed if it is unsupported.**" ([grounded.wiki.gg Base_Building](https://grounded.wiki.gg/wiki/Base_Building_(Grounded)))
- "Stability can be increased by having more contact points between support structures and the ground." ([grounded.wiki.gg Base_Building](https://grounded.wiki.gg/wiki/Base_Building_(Grounded)))
- Floors get support **from below (foundations/scaffolds/pillars) or laterally from walls**: "Floors require adequate support. Use walls, foundations, or other structural elements" ([gameslearningsociety](https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/wiki/is-there-a-floor-in-grounded/)).
- The game tracks a per-piece **"Supporting" value**, but it only displays a number when a piece is the *sole* support for everything above it; when multiple supports share the load each shows "Supporting: 0," and removing one forces a recalculation of the others ([Steam "what determines being supported"](https://steamcommunity.com/app/962130/discussions/0/5635717345356488720/)).

I did **not** find any official, documented "maximum unsupported span" figure (e.g. "floors may extend N segments from a wall"). Multiple wiki/forum sources confirming the support requirement also confirm they *don't* publish a span number — treat the cantilever limit as undocumented and emergent from the support-contact check rather than a published constant.

**Clipping into terrain / floating:** Because foundations don't conform to the slope, the practical outcome is exactly what you'd expect: on a downhill side the foundation **floats** above the dirt (the "a foot off the ground" case), and on the uphill side it **clips into** the terrain. The support system's terrain sensitivity makes this worse than cosmetic — a piece resting on **dirt can register as "floating"** (unsupported), while the same piece on **rock counts as grounded**; and counterintuitively, adding scaffolds to reach more rock can *decrease* total integrity rather than raise it ([Steam "what determines being supported"](https://steamcommunity.com/app/962130/discussions/0/5635717345356488720/)).

## 3. Slope / Steepness & Stability Rules

- **Max buildable slope:** I found **no published maximum slope angle.** Sources confirm steep/uneven ground is handled by elevating on scaffolds/pillars rather than by a slope-tolerance threshold, but no degree value is documented for Grounded specifically. (Treat as undocumented.)
- **Structural integrity is OFF by default.** This is the most important and most under-reported rule: "**Building Integrity is a building mechanic that only takes effect if it is applied in Custom Mode.**" Pieces have sturdiness/weight stats, but "these appear to have minimal effects on any actual base building" in normal play ([grounded.wiki.gg Base_Building](https://grounded.wiki.gg/wiki/Base_Building_(Grounded))). So in a standard game, the only hard gate is the **placement-time** "cannot place if unsupported" check — there is no ongoing collapse-under-load in normal mode. Only Custom Mode turns on a stricter, collapse-capable integrity system.
- **What makes a piece unplaceable:** lack of a valid support/contact connection at placement time (the ghost won't confirm), plus the terrain-type quirk where dirt-contact may read as floating ([grounded.wiki.gg Base_Building](https://grounded.wiki.gg/wiki/Base_Building_(Grounded)); [Steam support thread](https://steamcommunity.com/app/962130/discussions/0/5635717345356488720/)).
- For comparison/context on design intent, a Grounded-vs-Valheim discussion notes Grounded's support system "**can be turned off**," whereas Valheim's is "way less forgiving and can't be turned off" — i.e. Grounded deliberately keeps stability light ([Steam Grounded-vs-Valheim thread](https://steamcommunity.com/app/962130/discussions/0/4416424597679178000/)).

## 4. Snapping & Grid

- **Grid-based placement.** All construction uses a grid; corners show **white dots** to indicate valid link points ("look for white dots on the corners of the object you are placing") ([lordsofgaming base-building guide](https://lordsofgaming.net/2020/08/an-extensive-guide-to-building-in-grounded/)).
- **Clay foundation = 3×3 sub-grid**, red lines mark each sub-square, **4 clay per square** (so a full 3×3 slab is 9 squares / 36 clay) ([lordsofgaming base-building guide](https://lordsofgaming.net/2020/08/an-extensive-guide-to-building-in-grounded/)).
- **Snap increments:** pieces can snap at **every half segment**, where one full segment equals one block length; most snapping is keyed to **full wall height**, with half-walls used for top borders/trim ([lordsofgaming base-building guide](https://lordsofgaming.net/2020/08/an-extensive-guide-to-building-in-grounded/); [WebSearch summary citing the same guide/fandom](https://grounded.fandom.com/wiki/Base_Building)).
- **Rotation is limited to 90° increments** — noted as a constraint vs. Valheim's freer rotation ([Steam Grounded-vs-Valheim thread](https://steamcommunity.com/app/962130/discussions/0/4416424597679178000/)).
- **Free placement vs snap:** you can toggle snap-to-structures off with **Left Ctrl** ("snap to foundation"), but the toggle is **not available on every buildable item** — "Only certain items you can use L.ctrl on… the option is not even listed on the quick hotkey preview" for others. Forced snapping is a recurring player complaint (snapping pieces into "unbuildable places"); Grounded 2 added a controller-side snap-to-grid toggle ([Steam "turn snap off" thread](https://steamcommunity.com/app/962130/discussions/0/4755222397151613482/)). Snap behavior across patches has been buggy ([Obsidian forum 117821 snap placement problems](https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/117821-new-issue-from-patch-snap-placement-problems/)).
- **Ghost/preview validity (red/green):** the game shows a placement ghost that must resolve to a valid, supported position before it can be confirmed (this is the front-end of the "cannot be placed if unsupported" rule). I did **not** find an official statement of the exact red/green color convention for Grounded — the validity gate is well documented; the specific color semantics are not formally documented in the sources I could reach.

## 5. Player-Experience Tradeoffs

The foundation/scaffold/stem approach is a deliberate **simplicity-over-freedom** trade:

- **In Grounded's favor (simplicity/forgiveness):** Its base building is repeatedly characterized as "the simpler one" and "more forgiving" than Valheim's, largely *because* support can be switched off and isn't punishing in normal mode ([Steam Grounded-vs-Valheim thread](https://steamcommunity.com/app/962130/discussions/0/4416424597679178000/); [grounded.wiki.gg Base_Building](https://grounded.wiki.gg/wiki/Base_Building_(Grounded))). Players don't have to fight a terraforming tool or a strict physics solver — they snap a flat plane and elevate it on scaffolds/pillars.
- **The cost (freedom/expressiveness):** 90°-only rotation makes "artistic builds a lot more difficult to achieve in Grounded" vs. Valheim's freer system ([Steam Grounded-vs-Valheim thread](https://steamcommunity.com/app/962130/discussions/0/4416424597679178000/)). And because there's no terraforming, conforming a base to the real, lumpy backyard means a lot of scaffold stacking, floating/clipping edges, and the dirt-vs-rock "floating" support gotcha — friction that players explicitly flag as the hard part of building in Grounded ([lordsofgaming](https://lordsofgaming.net/2020/08/an-extensive-guide-to-building-in-grounded/); [Steam support thread](https://steamcommunity.com/app/962130/discussions/0/5635717345356488720/)). The standing terraforming feature request signals that some players *want* the freedom Grounded traded away ([forums.obsidian.net 118063](https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/118063-terraforming-concept-in-grounded/)).

Net design read for your purposes: Grounded chose **fixed terrain + additive grid pieces + scaffolds/pillars to bridge height + a soft, defaultable support check**. It sidesteps terraforming complexity entirely and pushes slope handling onto stackable support primitives and a player-defined flat plane, accepting cosmetic clipping/floating and limited rotational expressiveness as the price of simplicity.

---

### Where Grounded is genuinely under-documented (flagged honestly)
- Exact **maximum buildable slope angle** — not found.
- Exact **maximum unsupported floor span / cantilever distance** — not found; only the qualitative "must be supported / more ground contact = more stability" rule.
- Official **red vs green ghost color** convention — not formally stated in reachable sources (the validity gate itself is documented).
- The official **fandom wiki pages returned HTTP 403** to automated fetch; I relied on grounded.wiki.gg, community guides, and forum threads, cross-checking claims across at least two sources where possible.

### Key sources
- [grounded.wiki.gg — Base Building](https://grounded.wiki.gg/wiki/Base_Building_(Grounded)) (support requirement; integrity = Custom Mode only)
- [grounded.wiki.gg — Stem Scaffold](https://grounded.wiki.gg/wiki/Stem_Scaffold) / [Pebblet Foundation](https://grounded.wiki.gg/wiki/Pebblet_Foundation)
- [lordsofgaming.net — Extensive Base Building Guide](https://lordsofgaming.net/2020/08/an-extensive-guide-to-building-in-grounded/) (3×3 grid, white-dot snap points, half-segment snap, pillars)
- [lordsofgaming.net — Clay & Stone Foundations](https://lordsofgaming.net/2020/08/how-to-get-clay-and-stone-floors-and-foundations-in-grounded/)
- [gameslearningsociety.org — Floors in Grounded](https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/wiki/is-there-a-floor-in-grounded/) (scaffolds support/fall-through; floors need support; foundations for uneven terrain)
- [Steam — What determines structure being supported?](https://steamcommunity.com/app/962130/discussions/0/5635717345356488720/) (Supporting value, dirt-vs-rock floating, material load tiers)
- [Steam — Turn snap off / snap-to-foundation (Left Ctrl)](https://steamcommunity.com/app/962130/discussions/0/4755222397151613482/)
- [Steam — Grounded vs Valheim building](https://steamcommunity.com/app/962130/discussions/0/4416424597679178000/) (support can be disabled; 90° rotation limit)
- [forums.obsidian.net — Terraforming concept request](https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/118063-terraforming-concept-in-grounded/); [Snap placement problems](https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/117821-new-issue-from-patch-snap-placement-problems/)

• WebFetch error https://web.archive.org/web/2023/https://conanexiles.fandom.com/wiki/Building 2.7s 51 B

• WebFetch error https://web.archive.org/web/2id_/https://www.conanexiles.com/wp-content/wiki/2693562384.html 2.2s 51 B

• WebFetch https://forums.funcom.com/t/bug-pillars-stop-providing-stability-to-ceiling-tiles-above-them/126118 6.8s 1.3 KB

Strong material now. Let me get the remaining specifics: the gradual-damage suggestion thread (confirms whether deformation exists or blocks break instantly), the weight-distribution Steam thread, and the YouTube video on collapse physics + colors.

web.archive.org is blocked. Let me delegate to a general-purpose agent with WebSearch/WebFetch to dig deeper into the harder-to-reach sources (funcom forums, YouTube descriptions, the Building wiki via alternate routes), while I try a couple more direct fetches. Funcom forums seem fetchable. Let me try the funcom forum threads and the official conanexiles.com blog.

• WebFetch https://support.keenswh.com/medievalengineers/topic/suggestion-gradual-damage-to-the-block-when-structural-integrity-is-… 4.4s 618 B

• WebFetch https://www.conanexiles.com/blog/a-new-update-bringing-smoother-building-improved-sorcery-stability-fixes-and-much-more-… 1.3s 215 B

• WebFetch https://steamcommunity.com/app/333950/discussions/0/618453594765397168/ 8.5s 1.5 KB

I have enough well-sourced material to write the comprehensive report. Here are my findings.

---

# Conan Exiles: Terrain Adaptation & Base Building on Uneven Ground

A few sources (fandom.com wiki, several Steam discussion/GameFAQs pages) returned HTTP 403 to the fetcher, so where I rely on them I'm citing the indexed search-snippet text rather than full-page fetches. The richest full-text sources were a Steam community guide, the Funcom forums, and Conan Fanatics.

## 1. TERRAFORMING MODEL — confirmed: NO player terraforming

- Players **cannot deform, flatten, or raise terrain in normal gameplay.** "No terraforming exists in normal gameplay. Players cannot deform, flatten, or raise terrain directly." (https://forums.funcom.com/t/i-wish-conan-exiles-had-terraform/270917)
- "The game does not currently have terraforming functionality that allows players to flatten terrain." (https://forums.funcom.com/t/how-about-we-can-build-on-flat-ground/94637 — via search snippet)
- The community/devs frame it as architecturally impossible to retrofit: "This is not something that you can casually bolt onto an existing game" — it would require "rebuilding the game from scratch," with per-terrain-piece DB storage and cross-client recalculation cited as the performance blockers; terraforming is only floated as a possibility for a hypothetical "Conan Exiles 2." (https://forums.funcom.com/t/i-wish-conan-exiles-had-terraform/270917)
- Note: a wiki page titled "Modify Terrain & Place Objects into the world" exists but refers to the **dev kit / admin world editing**, not an in-game player tool (https://conanexiles.fandom.com/wiki/Modify_Terrain_%26_Place_Objects_into_the_world).
- Because terrain is fixed, **all "leveling" is done with building pieces**: "Instead of terraforming, players use building pieces to level uneven ground: pillars and foundations to create flat surfaces, multiple foundation layers to build up areas, fence foundations as additional leveling tools." One player reported using **"100+ … some use 1000+ building pieces"** just to make level ground for a water village — which itself causes performance issues. (https://forums.funcom.com/t/i-wish-conan-exiles-had-terraform/270917)

## 2. FOUNDATIONS & SUPPORTS ON SLOPES (main focus)

**Foundations as the primary leveling tool**
- "In order to build a structure, you must lay the foundation. Walls snap into foundations, and they give you a level area to begin." (https://conanfanatics.com/conan-exiles-building/)
- Foundations are the canonical way to make flat ground out of a hill: "You can level out pretty severe grades with foundations in Conan Exiles, which opens up most of the map to build on." (https://conanfanatics.com/conan-exiles-building/)
- Foundations are **the cheapest leveling method** vs. pillar+ceiling combos: "Foundations cost fewer materials than pillars with ceiling pieces for leveling, making them the preferred ground-leveling approach." (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=909543602)

**Auto-leveling / clipping into terrain**
- A placed foundation presents a flat top surface regardless of the slope underneath; its lower portion **clips into / buries in the terrain** on the high side and the flat top is what you build on. The full-text guides describe foundations giving "a level area to begin," consistent with foundations sinking into grade rather than auto-conforming to it (https://conanfanatics.com/conan-exiles-building/). For severe grades you **step foundations** (foundation stepping) up the slope rather than relying on a single foundation auto-leveling (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcwmKtkUMcE; https://forums.funcom.com/t/advanced-building-techniques/89432).

**Snapping & stacking (vertical and horizontal)**
- Pieces are "snap-linked parts, from foundations to … walls, ceilings, windows, doors, pillars, gates" (https://conanexiles.fandom.com/wiki/Building — via search snippet).
- Foundations snap horizontally edge-to-edge into a grid, and stack vertically. A key **quarter-height vertical offset trick**: "place the foundation for the lowest level … and build a wall on the side you want to raise the next foundation," then drag the ghost of the new foundation **up the wall** to raise it "by a quarter and perfectly aligned to the other Foundation." (https://forums.funcom.com/t/advanced-building-techniques/89432; confirmed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcwmKtkUMcE)
- Critical constraint on foundation **side-snapping**: foundation side sockets carry a "**100 attach cost**," which "basically disallow[s] them from connecting by 'hanging' on the side of something else since it will reduce stability by 100%." In other words a foundation can't be hung off the side of another piece (it would drop to 0 stability) — foundations must reach the ground or stack on a ground-connected stack. (https://steamcommunity.com/app/440900/discussions/0/3223871682614074246/ — via search snippet)

**Fence foundations**
- Fence foundations are placed **on the side/edge of foundations**: "You can build fence foundations on the side of foundations to provide an additional layer of protection." (https://conanexiles.fandom.com/wiki/Building — via search snippet)
- They are used as a **thin vertical edge/leveling element** and in advanced "laminating" and "splitting" techniques (see below).
- Over water they can fail placement: trying to place a fence foundation on water-built foundations throws a **"not enough contact with ground"** error (https://forums.funcom.com/t/unable-to-place-fence-foundation-on-foundations-build-i-water/26933).

**Ceilings as floor tiles that extend the platform past foundations**
- Ceilings double as floor tiles to extend a flat platform horizontally beyond the foundation footprint, supported by pillars instead of full foundations. The pillar+ceiling combo is the alternative to all-foundation leveling (more materials, but lets you span gaps/water): "use pillars and ceilings placed on top of them, and you will need to use more pillars closer together at the base the higher your building is." (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=909543602)
- "Laminating foundations" lets a **ceiling piece function as a floor tile while preserving the foundation underneath**: place a foundation → pull a fence foundation down one level → stack a new foundation on the fence foundation → snap a ceiling onto the original foundation → dismantle the intermediate pieces; the ceiling remains supported. (https://forums.funcom.com/t/advanced-building-techniques/89432)

**Building over water**
- You can build foundations up from the lake/river bed and over the surface to create a platform: "Players can build foundations from the bottom of a lake up and over the water level to create platforms over water." (https://forums.funcom.com/t/unable-to-place-fence-foundation-on-foundations-build-i-water/26933 — via search snippet)
- There's a hard horizontal water limit: "You can only build so far out over rivers and lakes." (https://conanfanatics.com/conan-exiles-building/)

## 3. STABILITY / STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY SYSTEM (the core mechanic)

- Definition: "The buildings in Conan Exiles use … 'Stability'; this is a way for us to determine how far you can build outside of a foundation, pillar or other supporting structure." (https://conanexiles.fandom.com/wiki/Building — via search snippet)
- **Foundations on the ground = 100% / source of stability:** "Foundations that touch the ground/static world … provide 100% stability to itself and do not rely on anything else." (https://steamcommunity.com/app/440900/discussions/0/3223871682614074246/ — via search snippet)
- **A stacked foundation loses foundation status:** "foundations that get stacked on top of other pieces and do not connect with the ground lose their status as 'foundations' and will not be a source of 100% stability, meaning they will act just the same as any other piece." (same source)
- **Minimum stability to extend = above 20:** "You cannot add to any piece that has a stability of **20 or less**." So a piece must have >20 stability for you to attach the next piece to it. (https://conanexiles.fandom.com/wiki/Building — via search snippet)
- **Per-piece decay:** stability falls as you move away from a support. Observed rate is roughly **~5% lost per piece** out from support; one in-guide example showed a "20-point drop across two ceiling sections." (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=909543602)
- **Cantilever / span limits before you run out of stability:**
  - Flat ceilings: "Can extend up to **4 pieces** from a supporting wall before additional support is needed."
  - Sloped roof pieces: "Limited to **3 pieces** from a wall before needing additional support." (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=909543602)
- **What provides vs consumes stability:**
  - Provide: ground-connected **foundations** (100%), **pillars/columns** (carry vertical load up; "use more pillars closer together … the higher your building is"), and **walls** (primary support, 100% integrity at base).
  - Consume: **ceilings** (flat variants perform better than sloped), and **roof panels** are "the heaviest load consumers; require close pillar support." (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=909543602)
- **What blocks placement / causes collapse:** you can't place a piece "when … the pieces you are connecting to are not strong enough to support the piece you are connecting to them," i.e. the target piece is at/under the 20 threshold. At extreme height/span even placing a new foundation fails. Stability is **per-piece**: if a supporting piece is destroyed (raided) or a pillar removed, dependent pieces lose their stability source and the unsupported pieces collapse/decay. The author notes resilience: "Even at 20% your structure is still a strong building and can take some damage before it fails." (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=909543602)
- **Diagnostics:** "Repair hammers will show the stability of any currently placed building piece" (equip repair hammer, look at a piece → it displays a numeric stability value). (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=909543602)
- **Known quirk:** the system doesn't always pull stability from the best-attached neighbor (e.g., two spaced foundations with ceilings between them), and there are reported bugs where "pillars stop providing stability to ceiling tiles above them." (https://forums.funcom.com/t/bug-pillars-stop-providing-stability-to-ceiling-tiles-above-them/126118; https://conanexiles.fandom.com/wiki/Building — via search snippet)

## 4. SLOPE / STEEPNESS RULES

- There is no published "max slope in degrees" value; the practical rule is **ground-contact + overlap**, not a clean angle threshold. Foundations can level "pretty severe grades," opening "most of the map" to building (https://conanfanatics.com/conan-exiles-building/).
- Placement is blocked when a piece can't get enough ground contact or overlaps geometry — even flat-ish ground fails with "overlapping objects or insufficient ground contact" errors. (https://forums.funcom.com/t/how-about-we-can-build-on-flat-ground/94637 — via search snippet)
- **What triggers needing pillars / fence foundations / stepping:** when a single foundation can't sit on the grade (too steep, would float or under-bury) or you need to span a gap/water, you step foundations up the slope, drop pillars to the lower ground and bridge with ceilings, or use fence foundations to make quarter/partial vertical offsets that keep neighboring foundations aligned. (https://forums.funcom.com/t/advanced-building-techniques/89432; https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=909543602)

## 5. SNAPPING & GRID + GHOST PREVIEW

- Build pieces are placed via a snapping grid ("snap-linked parts") from the radial/action wheel, and can be **rotated** before placement: "You can always try rotating the item if you're having trouble." (https://conanfanatics.com/conan-exiles-building/; https://conanexiles.fandom.com/wiki/Building — via search snippet)
- **Ghost/preview validity is color-coded:** "If the ghost of the item is red while selected … it cannot be placed in that spot; if it's green, you're ready to go." (https://conanfanatics.com/conan-exiles-building/)
- **Sub-grid vertical snapping:** pieces snap in **quarter-height increments** when dragged along a wall (the "raise a foundation by a quarter" trick); fence foundations give thin/half-style vertical edges; this is how players micro-level a step without true auto-leveling. (https://forums.funcom.com/t/advanced-building-techniques/89432; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcwmKtkUMcE)
- **Auto-leveling:** foundations don't conform to terrain — they place a flat top and **bury into the high side / float-fill the low side**, so the flat surface is artificial rather than terrain-following. Stepping multiple foundations up a hill is the intended pattern. (https://conanfanatics.com/conan-exiles-building/; https://forums.funcom.com/t/advanced-building-techniques/89432)

## 6. PLAYER-EXPERIENCE TRADEOFFS (foundation/pillar approach vs terraforming)

- **Simplicity & determinism:** the piece-snap + per-piece stability model is easy to reason about (green = ok, red = no; repair hammer shows a number; >20 to extend), and it's fully server-authoritative/deterministic, avoiding the per-vertex terrain DB and cross-client recalculation that devs cite as why terraforming "would require rebuilding the game from scratch." (https://forums.funcom.com/t/i-wish-conan-exiles-had-terraform/270917; https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=909543602)
- **Cost in freedom & piece-count:** because terrain is immovable, leveling a sloped or water site burns enormous numbers of pieces — players report **"100+ … some 1000+ building pieces"** just to flatten ground, which causes real performance/lag problems and is a recurring frustration. (https://forums.funcom.com/t/i-wish-conan-exiles-had-terraform/270917; https://forums.funcom.com/t/how-about-we-can-build-on-flat-ground/94637 — via search snippet)
- **Skill ceiling:** the system spawns a deep meta of "advanced building techniques" (laminating, splitting, foundation stepping, quarter-raises) — flexible and creative for experts, but opaque/fiddly for new players who hit red ghosts and "not enough ground contact" errors on seemingly flat spots. (https://forums.funcom.com/t/advanced-building-techniques/89432; https://conanfanatics.com/conan-exiles-building/)

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## Relevance note for your skeleton
The transferable design pattern for an UE procgen open-world: keep terrain immutable and give the player **grid-snapped foundation pieces that bury into grade + present a flat top**, plus a **scalar "stability" that = max from ground-connected foundations (e.g. 100) and decays a fixed amount per piece outward (~5–25/piece), with a placement floor (>20) and pillars/walls acting as fresh local supports.** That gets you Conan-style slope/water adaptation with zero terrain deformation and a deterministic, server-authoritative rule set — well aligned with your listen-server, server-authoritative model.

## Sources
- https://conanexiles.fandom.com/wiki/Building (via search snippets; page 403'd to fetcher)
- https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=909543602 (Steam guide "Buildings and Structural Integrity")
- https://conanfanatics.com/conan-exiles-building/
- https://forums.funcom.com/t/advanced-building-techniques/89432
- https://forums.funcom.com/t/i-wish-conan-exiles-had-terraform/270917
- https://forums.funcom.com/t/how-about-we-can-build-on-flat-ground/94637 (via search snippet)
- https://forums.funcom.com/t/unable-to-place-fence-foundation-on-foundations-build-i-water/26933
- https://forums.funcom.com/t/bug-pillars-stop-providing-stability-to-ceiling-tiles-above-them/126118
- https://steamcommunity.com/app/440900/discussions/0/3223871682614074246/ (Pillar and foundation distance for stability; via search snippet)
- https://conanexiles.fandom.com/wiki/Modify_Terrain_%26_Place_Objects_into_the_world (dev-kit terrain editing, not in-game)
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcwmKtkUMcE (Foundation Stepping Guide)
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT25KrHpnm8 (Foundation vs Pillar/Ceiling combo)

**Caveat:** the precise numbers (100 base, ~5%/piece, >20 floor, 100 side-attach cost, 4-/3-tile ceiling spans) come from a community guide plus search-snippet quotes of the fandom wiki; Funcom has never published an official stability spec, and exact values have shifted across patches, so treat them as well-corroborated community figures rather than guaranteed current constants.

• WebFetch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOX0Hx1SkYw 4.5s 605 B

Excellent — the funcom forum confirms the 20% per tile (20→40→60 examples) and pillar mechanics. I now have most facts. Let me delegate the remaining gaps (the official conanexiles.com "Building piece basics" attach-cost/side-socket details, repair hammer colors, chain-collapse, 3.0 multiplier range/default) to a parallel agent while I confirm a few more specifics myself.

I now have comprehensive, well-sourced data across all five areas. Compiling the findings.

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# Valheim — Terrain Adaptation & Terraforming for Base-Building: Technical Research

A note on numbers: Valheim's exact internal stability constants (loss factors) are sparsely documented outside the game's source/datamining, and several community guides paraphrase them. Where a figure is community-empirical rather than confirmed, I flag it. Every claim carries an inline URL.

---

## 1. TERRAFORMING MODEL (Hoe + Pickaxe)

**The Hoe has three right-click modes — Level ground, Raise ground, Pathen** — plus the cultivator-style "Attach." [valheim.fandom.com/wiki/Hoe via search](https://valheim.fandom.com/wiki/Hoe), [gerrard.world](https://gerrard.world/2021/03/04/valheim-hoe/)

**Level ground = level to a reference height (the player/tool height), not a fixed plane.** In "Level ground" mode the *player's standing position is the reference*: terrain higher than you is lowered, terrain lower than you is raised, both converging on your feet height. [steamcommunity.com Terraforming for Dummies](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2404764203)
- **Shift-click changes the reference** from "your player elevation" to "the level of the ground the cursor/circle center is pointed at," which is how you make gentle slopes and match an existing height. [gerrard.world](https://gerrard.world/2021/03/04/valheim-hoe/), [steamcommunity.com](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2404764203)
- The leveled footprint is **square, not circular**, and you **dig/level in 2 m × 2 m sections** even though the underlying terrain grid is finer. **Max aim/reach distance is ~7 m.** [steamcommunity.com Terraforming for Dummies](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2404764203)
- A visual indicator (vertical line through the targeting circle = target is below you; partially-hidden circle = target is above you) tells you which way it will move. [steamcommunity.com](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2404764203)

**Raise ground** makes a mound and **costs 2× Stone per operation plus a nearby Workbench** (reduced from a higher amount — the 0.150.3 patch *lowered* the stone needed to raise ground). [search: valheim.fandom Hoe](https://valheim.fandom.com/wiki/Hoe), [screenrant.com patch coverage](https://screenrant.com/valheim-terrain-update-modification-draugr-spawn-fix/) It tends to over-raise and can drag up surrounding terrain. [steamcommunity.com](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2404764203)

**Pathen** only strips grass to lay a dirt path — **no leveling, no tapering**, doesn't remove plants/stones; costs Stamina but **no materials and no workbench**. **Paved Road** is the same gesture but costs **1 Stone** per section and is purely cosmetic (no speed/stamina bonus). [gerrard.world](https://gerrard.world/2021/03/04/valheim-hoe/), [valheim.fandom.com/wiki/Paved_road via search](https://valheim.fandom.com/wiki/Paved_road)

**Pickaxe** is the digging/lowering tool (obtained after the first boss). The hoe only manipulates topsoil; **rock under the soil can only be removed with the pickaxe**, and over-digging lowers terrain too far. Workflow: rough out with pickaxe, then left-click level with the hoe. [steamcommunity.com](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2404764203), [gerrard.world](https://gerrard.world/2021/03/04/valheim-hoe/)

**Hard raise/lower caps (key numbers):**
- **±8 m from the world's original seed-generated height** at that point — community-derived as **16 increments of 0.5 m**, raise *or* lower. The tool gives **no feedback** at the cap; it keeps consuming stone for nothing once maxed. [search: nexusmods Heightmap Unlimited mod #359](https://www.nexusmods.com/valheim/mods/359), [search: steamcommunity Raise ground height limit](https://steamcommunity.com/app/892970/discussions/0/3102389184735399767/)
- Dig-down limit reported around **~20 m** below original. [steamcommunity.com](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2404764203)
- The cap is **relative to the per-location original mesh height**, not an absolute world altitude. [search results, nexusmods #359](https://www.nexusmods.com/valheim/mods/359)

**Stamina:** every terrain op drains stamina **proportional to how much the ground has to move**; raising/leveling more = more stamina. **Hoe upgrades (durability 200→400→600) do NOT reduce stamina drain.** [gerrard.world](https://gerrard.world/2021/03/04/valheim-hoe/), [thunderstore NoStamCosts (mod that removes it) via search](https://thunderstore.io/c/valheim/p/BasilPanda/NoStamCosts/)

**STORAGE MODEL (deltas as objects, not a baked heightmap):**
- Each pickaxe/hoe strike **spawns a `TerrainModifier`** — a discrete Unity GameObject (a ZDO network instance) recording that one delta. The zone heightmap is **not edited in place**; instead, when a zone's heightmap must rebuild, the game **regenerates terrain to its procedural default, then re-applies every in-range `TerrainModifier` in sequence.** [github.com/74oshua/BetterTerrain](https://github.com/74oshua/BetterTerrain)
- Concretely: **leveling a 10×10 area produces ~100 terrain modifiers, all reprocessed every frame** the zone is active. [github.com/74oshua/BetterTerrain](https://github.com/74oshua/BetterTerrain)
- Per the player-level description, each affected tile stores **original height, current height, and structural contents**. [steamcommunity.com — How are terrain modifications stored](https://steamcommunity.com/app/892970/discussions/0/4416425017207699849/)
- These objects persist in the zone/world save (`.db`-class storage); BetterTerrain's fix is to apply each modifier once, delete it, and bake the result into a buffered heightmap (`.hmap` file) — which is exactly the architecture the **stock game lacked** before 0.150.3. [github.com/74oshua/BetterTerrain](https://github.com/74oshua/BetterTerrain)

---

## 2. FOUNDATIONS & SUPPORTS ON SLOPES

**Getting a flat footprint on a slope — two strategies:**
1. **Terraform it flat** with the hoe (level to your height / shift-click), the standard approach. [steamcommunity.com](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2404764203)
2. **Stilt/pole it** — build vertical poles down to the ground and put floors on top, letting the building "float" over uneven terrain without terraforming. Poles act as the grounded supports. [search: techraptor building guide](https://techraptor.net/gaming/guides/valheim-building-guide), [gamepressure.com](https://www.gamepressure.com/valheim/building/zde2ae)

**Foundation rules (what counts as "ground"):**
- Any piece touching the ground is a **foundation piece (blue)**. [search: valheim.fandom Building](https://valheim.fandom.com/wiki/Building)
- **Stone is treated as ground for wood.** Anything (wood/core-wood) attached to a stone wall/floor/pillar becomes a foundation piece — e.g. stack stone pillars to their max height, then wood built on top is treated as freshly grounded. [search: valheim.fandom Building](https://valheim.fandom.com/wiki/Building), [game8.co](https://game8.co/games/Valheim/archives/320943)
- **Wood-iron (core wood + iron) poles/beams act like stone** — anything connected to them is treated as foundation. [search: structural integrity discussions](https://steamcommunity.com/app/892970/discussions/0/601916800388811228/)
- **Trees count as ground-equivalent support** and can stabilize tall structures. [gamerant.com](https://gamerant.com/valheim-structure-stability-guide/)

**Slope-grounding gotcha:** terrain is built from **diamond-shaped chunks**, so a pole on a slope may not register as grounded. The fix: hoe-lower the spot, drop a chunk of dirt so it contacts the pole, then raise back to building level — ensuring the chunk registers the pole as foundation. The wood-iron pole should sit **on the ground, not on a floor**, and must **touch/penetrate** the terrain. [search: valheim.fandom Wood iron structures](https://valheim.fandom.com/wiki/Wood_iron_structures)

**Snapping:** most pieces auto-snap to each other for fast assembly; snapping can be **temporarily disabled by holding a key/button**. [search: valheim.fandom Building](https://valheim.fandom.com/wiki/Building)

---

## 3. STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY

**Stability is counted in number of pieces away from the nearest foundation, NOT metric distance.** Each step from ground loses support based on direction (vertical vs horizontal). [game8.co](https://game8.co/games/Valheim/archives/320943)

**Color ladder (high→low):** **Blue** (max stability / foundation-connected) → **Green** (stable) → **Yellow-green** → **Yellow** (getting weak/at risk) → **Orange** (very unstable) → **Red** (barely upright; the *next* piece added will collapse). [gamerant.com](https://gamerant.com/valheim-structure-stability-guide/), [gamepressure.com](https://www.gamepressure.com/valheim/building/zde2ae), [game8.co](https://game8.co/games/Valheim/archives/320943)
- I could **not** confirm authoritative exact percentage thresholds per color from the sources reached (the wiki "Building stability" page kept returning 403); guides describe it only qualitatively. [gamerant.com](https://gamerant.com/valheim-structure-stability-guide/)

**The loss-factor model:** support lost per connection is governed by **`VerticalLoss` and `HorizontalLoss`** factors. A piece built on another (not on ground) loses support; for **off-axis pieces the loss is interpolated between VerticalLoss and HorizontalLoss based on the angle** between the piece's midpoint and its parent's support point. **"The length of the element does not matter — only the number of elements."** [search: valheim.fandom Building stability](https://valheim.fandom.com/wiki/Building_stability), [gamepressure.com](https://www.gamepressure.com/valheim/building/zde2ae)

**Concrete material limits (community-measured):**

| Material | Max vertical pole height before it can't support more | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| **Wood** | **16 m** | Same vertical reach as stone | 
| **Core wood** | **24 m** | Beams are 2× a wood wall's length; taller builds | 
| **Wood-iron pole** | **~50 m** vertical | Strongest; acts as foundation | 
| **Stone** | **16 m** vertical (≈7 stone pieces tall) | **HorizontalLoss = 1 (100% loss) → effectively cannot cantilever horizontally at all** |

Sources: [search: valheim.fandom Building stability](https://valheim.fandom.com/wiki/Building_stability), [search: valheim.fandom Wood iron structures (50 m)](https://valheim.fandom.com/wiki/Wood_iron_structures), [steamcommunity confused wood vs core wood](https://steamcommunity.com/app/892970/discussions/0/6554498588628736159/)

**Piece-count rules of thumb:**
- Wood: **max 7 pieces vertically — the 8th falls apart.** [gamepressure.com](https://www.gamepressure.com/valheim/building/zde2ae)
- Horizontal cantilever: with vertical poles then 45° poles, **max ~6 m horizontal reach** each direction → widest unsupported rectangular span ≈ **12 m** (or 6 m radius). Perpendicular pieces can sit **~7–9 elements** out from foundation. [steamcommunity Building length/width](https://steamcommunity.com/app/892970/discussions/0/3267933887510965107/), [gamepressure.com](https://www.gamepressure.com/valheim/building/zde2ae)
- Stone **can't extend horizontally** (HorizontalLoss=1) but with stone floors + metal supports only at corners you can build a **7×7 grid (14 m × 14 m)** flat. [steamcommunity confused wood vs core wood](https://steamcommunity.com/app/892970/discussions/0/6554498588628736159/)
- **Diagonal/decorative support beams do NOT add stability** despite looking like they should. [gamepressure.com](https://www.gamepressure.com/valheim/building/zde2ae)
- **Building in water: wooden structures lose 50% integrity.** [gamerant.com](https://gamerant.com/valheim-structure-stability-guide/)
- **Stone destabilizes faster than wood at height** because it's heavier (more weight per piece to support). [gamerant.com](https://gamerant.com/valheim-structure-stability-guide/)

**Collapse:** when a piece's support reaches 0 (red, then add load), it breaks; **everything it was supporting then collapses** in a chain. [gamerant.com](https://gamerant.com/valheim-structure-stability-guide/), [game8.co](https://game8.co/games/Valheim/archives/320943)

---

## 4. SNAPPING & GRID / GHOST PREVIEW

- **Ghost/preview validity:** placement preview shows **green = valid placement, red = invalid** (overlap, no support, out of range). Stability of an already-placed piece is shown by the **blue→red** ladder when hovering with the Hammer. [gamepressure.com](https://www.gamepressure.com/valheim/building/zde2ae), [gamerant.com](https://gamerant.com/valheim-structure-stability-guide/)
- **Snap points** on each piece let neighbors auto-align; hold a modifier key to suppress snapping for free placement. [search: valheim.fandom Building](https://valheim.fandom.com/wiki/Building)
- Terrain ops use a **2 m × 2 m square cell** for leveling/digging while the actual heightmap grid is finer, so leveled areas come out square-edged. [steamcommunity.com](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2404764203)
- There is **no built-in 45° rotation snap for raise-ground** mounds (community complaint). [steamcommunity rotate 45° discussion](https://steamcommunity.com/app/892970/discussions/0/3069740688713197190/)

---

## 5. PLAYER-EXPERIENCE TRADEOFFS

**The terraform-lag problem (the headline issue):**
- Because every strike = a persistent `TerrainModifier` GameObject/ZDO that is **re-iterated every frame on heightmap rebuild**, heavy terraforming inflates the per-zone **instance count**, causing FPS drops and slow zone loading. Press **F2** in-game to read the live instance count. [github.com/74oshua/BetterTerrain](https://github.com/74oshua/BetterTerrain), [steamcommunity Super Low Framerates terraforming](https://steamcommunity.com/app/892970/discussions/0/3069740625180666531/)
- These objects also **bloat the save file**, since each mod persists like a tree or building piece. [search: How are terrain modifications stored](https://steamcommunity.com/app/892970/discussions/0/4416425017207699849/)
- **Nuance / contested:** one detailed Steam thread concluded that after testing, *terraforming itself was "negligible"* on their base and the real FPS killers were **smoke-producing fires, tamed animals, and total building-piece count** — i.e. terraform lag is real but often blamed when other instance sources dominate. [steamcommunity How are terrain modifications stored](https://steamcommunity.com/app/892970/discussions/0/4416425017207699849/)

**The official fix — Patch 0.150.3 "new terrain modification system":**
- Iron Gate added a new system that **reduces the number of network instances and makes loading "faster and smoother,"** with only "minor behavior changes" to hoe/pickaxe. New terrain mods auto-use it. [gamingbolt.com](https://gamingbolt.com/valheim-patch-introduces-new-terrain-modification-system), [screenrant.com](https://screenrant.com/valheim-terrain-update-modification-draugr-spawn-fix/), [techraptor.net 0.150.3](https://techraptor.net/gaming/news/valheim-patch-01503-released-includes-new-terrain-modification-system)
- For **legacy worlds**, the console command **`optterrain`** converts nearby old-style mods to the new system; requires the console enabled via `-console` launch arg. Watch the F2 instance count drop before/after. [search: steamcommunity How to apply optterrain](https://steamcommunity.com/app/892970/discussions/0/5506189390978289081/), [valheimcheats.com/command/optterrain via search](https://valheimcheats.com/command/optterrain)
- Same patch also **lowered the stone cost to raise ground** with the hoe. [screenrant.com](https://screenrant.com/valheim-terrain-update-modification-draugr-spawn-fix/)

**Multiplayer sync / dedicated-server angle:** terrain mods are ZDO network instances synced to all peers, so heavy-terraform zones strain server↔client traffic; the common community fix is **raising the dedicated server's send/receive data-rate limits** to keep mod-heavy bases from stuttering. [jamesachambers.com — Fixing Valheim Dedicated Server Lag](https://jamesachambers.com/fixing-valheim-dedicated-server-lag-modify-send-receive-limits/)

**Griefing:** terrain is server-authoritative and persistent; because lowering ground is permanent within the ±8 m envelope and pieces obey the support model, a malicious player can dig moats or collapse-trigger structures — there's no built-in per-zone permission system in vanilla (mitigated only by server mods/whitelists). [jamesachambers.com](https://jamesachambers.com/fixing-valheim-dedicated-server-lag-modify-send-receive-limits/)

---

## Takeaways relevant to a procgen base-building scaffold

- Valheim levels to a **mutable reference height (player or shift-click target)**, not a fixed plane — cheap UX, and it caps deltas at **±~8 m from the original procedural height** to bound storage.
- It stores terraforming as **discrete delta objects (TerrainModifiers/ZDOs), not baked heightmap edits** — which is *exactly* the architecture that caused its lag/save-bloat, later mitigated by **baking applied deltas into a buffered heightmap** (BetterTerrain's `.hmap`, and Iron Gate's 0.150.3 system). For a PMC-terrain procgen project this is the cautionary tale: **bake the result, don't replay an unbounded list of per-strike modifiers every frame.**
- Structural integrity is **piece-count-from-foundation**, not metric — material identity sets per-step loss (wood/core-wood/stone/wood-iron), with **stone unable to cantilever horizontally** and **wood-iron acting as relocatable ground up to ~50 m**.

Caveats: exact per-color stability percentages and the raw VerticalLoss/HorizontalLoss constants are not fully nailed down in the sources I could reach (the Fandom "Building stability" / "Hoe" / "Wood iron structures" pages repeatedly returned HTTP 403 to direct fetch, so several material numbers above are community-measured values surfaced via search rather than the wiki's primary tables). The ±8 m raise cap, the 16×0.5 m increment, and the TerrainModifier storage model are well-corroborated across multiple sources.

I have enough for a thorough writeup. Let me do two final targeted searches to nail down the color overlay specifics and confirm the dynamic fracture/physics collapse behavior from authoritative sources.

• WebSearch Medieval Engineers structural integrity overlay color white green orange red strain stress meaning 7.3s 2.7 KB

• WebFetch https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_Engineers 8.9s 1.6 KB

• Agent Research the EXACT technical mechanics of Conan Exiles' building "Attach Cost" and "side socket" stability system. I nee… 194.5s 7.1 KB

• WebSearch Conan Exiles Stability Loss Multiplier server setting default value 1.0 range admin Ignore Building Stability 4.8s 2.1 KB

• ToolSearch select:WebSearch,WebFetch 3ms 100 B

I have comprehensive coverage. Let me do one final fetch on the Keen forums "Structural Integrity Mode" thread to confirm the color overlay details, then synthesize.

Let me start with parallel searches on the key topics.

I'll research this thoroughly. Let me load the web tools first.

• WebFetch https://forum.keenswh.com/threads/structural-integrity-mode.7291878/ 6.1s 1.1 KB

• WebSearch Conan Exiles "Attach Cost" building piece stability sockets wiki 6.8s 1.9 KB

• WebSearch Conan Exiles building piece basics side socket attach cost 100 hanging foundations 8.6s 2.3 KB

• WebSearch Conan Exiles stability 0 piece destroyed collapse dependent pieces fall 7.1s 1.6 KB

• WebSearch Conan Exiles repair hammer stability color green yellow red display 9.2s 3.2 KB

Excellent. The mods documentation route (`conanexiles.com/mods/?modpage=2693562384`) is the same content as the 403'ing wiki page. Let me fetch that, plus the Fextralife buildings page and the Steam structural integrity guide.

• WebFetch https://www.conanexiles.com/mods/?modpage=2693562384 5.4s 215 B

• WebFetch https://conanexiles.wiki.fextralife.com/Buildings 4.9s 701 B

• WebFetch https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=909543602 4.9s 1.5 KB

The mods page 403'd too. Let me try the direct wiki URL via WebFetch (sometimes works differently than reported), and try Google cache plus the GameFAQs thread which appears to quote the wiki. Also search for the color coding more specifically.

• WebFetch https://www.conanexiles.com/wp-content/wiki/2693562384.html 2.4s 215 B

• WebFetch https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/217654-conan-exiles/77853822 4.0s 215 B

• WebSearch Conan Exiles construction hammer stability percentage green yellow red colors building integrity 7.6s 2.2 KB

I have the "stability of 20 or less" threshold now. Let me get the GINX TV construction hammer guide (likely fetchable), the YouTube video on stability colors, and the GameFAQs/wiki content via the mods page with a different URL form. Also try the Funcom forums for color coding.

• WebFetch https://www.ginx.tv/en/video-games/construction-hammer-build-guide-conan-exiles-3-0 6.1s 640 B

• WebFetch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6qvcYG6f_w 5.3s 498 B

• WebSearch Conan Exiles building stability color green over 80 yellow red below 20 repair hammer 6.4s 2.0 KB

Let me fetch the Funcom forums (these are fetchable per the notes) and the Video Game Databank repair hammer page for color coding, plus try the GameFAQs thread through a web search snippet for the exact wiki quote.

• WebFetch https://forums.funcom.com/t/somebody-please-explain-to-me-how-stability-works/135113 7.5s 1.4 KB

• WebFetch https://videogamedatabank.com/index.php/video-games/conan-exiles/conan-exiles-items-list/conan-exiles-repair-hammer 6.5s 1.1 KB

• WebFetch https://forums.funcom.com/t/repair-hammer-question/25028 3.4s 385 B

All four research agents completed with well-sourced findings. Here is the consolidated writeup.

---

# Terrain Adaptation in Foundation-Based Survival/Building Games

**Common thread:** None of these four games let players deform terrain. All adapt to fixed, uneven ground using building primitives (foundations, pillars, scaffolds) that **clip into the terrain to present a flat top surface**. They differ sharply in their structural-integrity models — from Rust/Conan's collapse systems to Satisfactory's complete absence of physics.

---

## 1. RUST

**Terraforming model:** No terraforming. Terrain is a single fixed mesh (Alpha/Splat/Biome/Topology layers, none player-editable); digging/bunkers exist only as never-shipped feature requests. Building works entirely *around* fixed ground. ([wiki.facepunch.com/rust/Terrain](https://wiki.facepunch.com/rust/Terrain); [rust.nolt.io/6332](https://rust.nolt.io/6332))

**Foundations on slopes (the core mechanic):**
- Two footprints: **square** and **triangle**; triangles fill 45°/odd gaps squares can't. ([corrosionhour.com/how-to-build-in-rust](https://www.corrosionhour.com/how-to-build-in-rust/))
- **Half-height snapping ("Building 3.0," Dec 2017)** is the key uneven-ground tool: adjacent foundations snap at **half-foundation-height offsets**, so you step up a hill in half-steps; both squares and triangles support it. **Freehand placement** allows arbitrary (non-snapped) elevation. ([rustafied.com/.../building-30](https://www.rustafied.com/updates/2017/12/5/building-30-what-you-need-to-know); [corrosionhour.com/rust-foundation-freehand-placement](https://www.corrosionhour.com/rust-foundation-freehand-placement/))
- **"High" vs "low" foundations are not separate items** — they describe how high off the ground one identical foundation is placed (elevation technique). The "high foundation test" reads slope: if a high foundation won't place, ground is sloped/not flat. ([corrosionhour.com/finding-flat-spots-rust](https://www.corrosionhour.com/finding-flat-spots-rust/))
- Foundations **don't auto-level or tilt** — the top face is always level; the corner "feet" clip/sink into terrain (high side flush, low side buried). ([corrosionhour.com/finding-flat-spots-rust](https://www.corrosionhour.com/finding-flat-spots-rust/))
- **Pillars** were historically used for stability but the dedicated stability-pillar workflow was largely **removed**; the stability system was explicitly designed to allow self-supporting floors "without a pillar or wall under every floor block." ([gamerant.com/rust-building-stability](https://gamerant.com/rust-building-stability-beginner-tips/); [rust.fandom.com/wiki/Stability](https://rust.fandom.com/wiki/Stability))

**Slope/stability rules:**
- No published degree cap — exposed as pass/fail: **all four feet must be "in terrain"** or you get the "not in terrain" error. Asymmetric: **uphill is fine, downhill kills placement** (a foot lifts out of terrain). ([corrosionhour.com/finding-flat-spots-rust](https://www.corrosionhour.com/finding-flat-spots-rust/))
- **Structural integrity (Devblog 35):** deliberately *not* realistic physics — an anti-exploit system to stop "stairs to the moon." **100% stability at ground level, decreasing with height/distance from foundations; at 0% the structure crumbles**, and a block placed at 0% breaks instantly. Foundations anchor at 100%; walls/floors/door frames propagate it. Checked via Hammer hover. ([rust.facepunch.com/news/devblog-35](https://rust.facepunch.com/news/devblog-35); [gamerant.com](https://gamerant.com/rust-building-stability-beginner-tips/))

**Snapping/grid:** Grid snap + half-height increments; freehand override. Ghost color convention is **blue = valid** (not green), invalid won't turn blue; low-stability placed blocks show a red health-bar background. ([rustafied.com](https://www.rustafied.com/updates/2017/12/5/building-30-what-you-need-to-know))

**Tradeoffs:** Deterministic, server-safe, fast placement; consistent base aesthetics. Cost: flat ground becomes a scarce, contested resource; hillsides mean trial-and-error and "not in terrain" failures.

---

## 2. CONAN EXILES

**Terraforming model:** No player terraforming — devs say it would require "rebuilding the game from scratch" (per-terrain-piece DB + cross-client recalc). All leveling done with building pieces; players report **"100+, some 1000+ building pieces"** to flatten a site. ([forums.funcom.com/.../i-wish-conan-exiles-had-terraform](https://forums.funcom.com/t/i-wish-conan-exiles-had-terraform/270917))

**Foundations on slopes:**
- Foundations are the primary, cheapest leveling tool: "level out pretty severe grades… opens up most of the map." They bury into the high side and present a flat top; for severe grades you **step foundations** up the slope. ([conanfanatics.com/conan-exiles-building](https://conanfanatics.com/conan-exiles-building/))
- **Quarter-height vertical offset trick:** place a foundation, build a wall on it, drag the next foundation's ghost up the wall to raise it "by a quarter, perfectly aligned." ([forums.funcom.com/.../advanced-building-techniques](https://forums.funcom.com/t/advanced-building-techniques/89432))
- **Fence foundations** snap to the *sides* of foundations — thin vertical edge/leveling elements used in "laminating" and over-water builds (fail with "not enough contact with ground" over water). **Ceilings double as floor tiles** to extend platforms horizontally past foundations, supported by pillars. ([conanexiles.fandom.com/wiki/Building](https://conanexiles.fandom.com/wiki/Building); [steamcommunity.com/.../909543602](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=909543602))
- Foundations can build up from a lakebed over the water; there's a hard horizontal water limit. ([conanfanatics.com](https://conanfanatics.com/conan-exiles-building/))

**Stability system (the core mechanic — community figures, no official spec):**
- Determines "how far you can build outside of a foundation, pillar, or supporting structure." **Ground-touching foundations = 100% / source of stability.** A foundation **stacked off the ground loses "foundation" status** and acts like any normal piece. ([steamcommunity.com/.../3223871682614074246](https://steamcommunity.com/app/440900/discussions/0/3223871682614074246/))
- **You cannot attach to any piece with stability ≤ 20.** Decay ~**5%/piece** moving away from support. Cantilever limits: **flat ceilings ~4 pieces** from a wall, **sloped roofs ~3 pieces** before needing support. ([conanexiles.fandom.com/wiki/Building](https://conanexiles.fandom.com/wiki/Building); [steamcommunity.com/.../909543602](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=909543602))
- Foundation **side-sockets carry a "100 attach cost"** — so a foundation can't hang off another's side (would drop to 0). Repair hammer displays numeric stability. Collapse occurs when a support is destroyed and dependents lose their source. ([steamcommunity.com/.../3223871682614074246](https://steamcommunity.com/app/440900/discussions/0/3223871682614074246/))

**Snapping/grid:** Snap-linked grid, rotatable. **Ghost = red (invalid) / green (valid).** Quarter-height vertical snapping via the wall-drag trick. No auto-level — foundations bury/float and present an artificial flat top. ([conanfanatics.com](https://conanfanatics.com/conan-exiles-building/))

**Tradeoffs:** Deterministic and server-authoritative (green/red + hammer number + >20 rule are easy to reason about); but immovable terrain means enormous piece counts to flatten (lag), and a deep, opaque "advanced techniques" meta (laminating, splitting, stepping) that frustrates newcomers.

---

## 3. SATISFACTORY

**Terraforming model:** No terraforming, by explicit dev decision (would require "reworking how the terrain functions from the ground up"). **Foundations clip INTO terrain as the standard, intended flattening method** — they sink into hills, ignore the terrain mesh, and present a level top; grass/rock clipping through is the known artifact (fix: build higher). ([questions.satisfactorygame.com/.../658e0ebb](https://questions.satisfactorygame.com/post/658e0ebb3c42b84b3d957908); [satisfactory.fandom.com/wiki/Foundations](https://satisfactory.fandom.com/wiki/Foundations))

**Grid & height increments (richest numeric data of the four):**
- Standard tile **8m × 8m**; half **8m × 4m**. ([satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Foundations](https://satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Foundations))
- **Height variants: 1m / 2m / 4m, all the same material cost** (5 Concrete) — taller lift is "free." This is how you stair-step terrain. ([satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Foundations](https://satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Foundations))
- **Ramps:** 8×8m footprint, 1m/2m/4m rise → **~7.1° / ~14° / ~26.6°**. Plus Double Ramps (2/4/8m rise), Inverted Ramps, Quarter Pipes (8×8×4m). ([satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Foundations](https://satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Foundations))
- **Pillars are decorative only** (Big 4×4×4m, Small 2×2×4m) — no load-bearing function. ([satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Pillars](https://satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Pillars))
- **Zoop:** mass-place up to **10 identical pieces in one dimension** (incl. vertical stacking), via [R]. ([satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Build_Gun](https://satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Build_Gun))
- **Nudge/vertical offset:** lock hologram with [H]; **PgUp/PgDn = vertical nudge, 1m default / 0.5m with Ctrl, no distance limit**; arrows = horizontal. **Soft clearance = yellow** (overlap warning, still placeable) vs **hard = red** (blocked). ([satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Build_Gun](https://satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Build_Gun))
- **World grid:** hold Ctrl to align to **800cm (8m) horizontal / 100cm (1m) vertical**. ([satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Foundations](https://satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Foundations))

**Slope/stability rules:** **NO structural integrity, NO collapse, NO slope limits.** Devs prototyped structural integrity and deliberately dropped it (gravity "doesn't add much," hurts framerate). **Buildings float freely** — remove every support and a structure hangs in mid-air. This is what makes clip-into-terrain flattening work (foundations need zero ground contact). ([steamcommunity.com/.../2451595019857168098](https://steamcommunity.com/app/526870/discussions/0/2451595019857168098/); [questions.satisfactorygame.com/.../5ed674d7](https://questions.satisfactorygame.com/post/5ed674d76f3c82fe950b2ddc))

**Snapping/grid:** First foundation on ground, rest snap **edge-to-edge and stack** to each other (not terrain), keeping the plane level. 45°/90° rotation (5–10° fine with Ctrl). Hologram **blue = valid / yellow = soft / red = hard**. ([satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Build_Gun](https://satisfactory.wiki.gg/wiki/Build_Gun))

**Tradeoffs:** The purest "freedom" model — no terrain editing, no physics means zero friction; clip foundations anywhere at any height. Accepted cost is purely cosmetic (terrain poking through floors, floating structures), patched over with decorative pillars.

---

## 4. GROUNDED

(Note: Grounded's building rules are the **least formally documented** of the four; several specifics — exact max slope, exact cantilever span, official ghost colors — appear genuinely undocumented and are flagged below.)

**Terraforming model:** No terraforming — fixed hand-authored backyard; building is purely additive on top of existing terrain. Finding even ground is a known pain point; solution is scaffolds/foundations, not sculpting. ([lordsofgaming.net/.../building-in-grounded](https://lordsofgaming.net/2020/08/an-extensive-guide-to-building-in-grounded/))

**Foundations/supports on slopes:**
- Material progression: grass/weed **stems → Grass Planks** → floors/walls (grass < stem < brick strength tiers). **Foundations** (Clay, then Pebblet Foundation, 0.2.1, 300 HP) are thick ground-contact slabs giving a flat platform; **floors** are thinner deck pieces needing support. ([grounded.wiki.gg/wiki/Pebblet_Foundation](https://grounded.wiki.gg/wiki/Pebblet_Foundation); [gamerant.com/grounded-floors](https://gamerant.com/grounded-floors-how-to-make-craft-build-unlock-base-recipe/))
- **No documented auto-leveling.** Workflow: establish a flat plane from a valid land spot, then **propagate it outward via snapping** ("build out into the middle of nowhere, a foot off the ground"). The flat plane comes from the first piece + snapping, not per-piece terrain conforming. ([lordsofgaming.net](https://lordsofgaming.net/2020/08/an-extensive-guide-to-building-in-grounded/))
- **Stem Scaffolds** are the elevation/support primitive — stackable lattice ("A sturdy structure made from weed stem logs," 2 Weed Stems, 300 HP) you stack up from low ground; players **fall through** them unless a floor is added. Multi-story clay floors want **pillars (2+ minimum, 4 ideal, one per corner)**. ([grounded.wiki.gg/wiki/Stem_Scaffold](https://grounded.wiki.gg/wiki/Stem_Scaffold); [gameslearningsociety.org/.../floor-in-grounded](https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/wiki/is-there-a-floor-in-grounded/))

**Slope/stability rules:**
- **No published max slope angle** (undocumented).
- **Support is contact-based, not a span metric:** "A structure cannot be placed if it is unsupported"; "stability increases with more contact points between supports and ground"; floors supported from below (foundations/scaffolds/pillars) or laterally by walls. Per-piece "Supporting" value only shows when a piece is the *sole* support. **No documented max unsupported span.** ([grounded.wiki.gg/wiki/Base_Building](https://grounded.wiki.gg/wiki/Base_Building_(Grounded)); [steamcommunity.com/.../5635717345356488720](https://steamcommunity.com/app/962130/discussions/0/5635717345356488720/))
- **Crucial:** full **Building Integrity (collapse) is OFF by default — only active in Custom Mode.** In normal play the only gate is the placement-time "must be supported" check; no ongoing collapse-under-load. Terrain quirk: a piece on **dirt can read as "floating"** (unsupported) while the same on **rock counts as grounded**. ([grounded.wiki.gg/wiki/Base_Building](https://grounded.wiki.gg/wiki/Base_Building_(Grounded)))

**Snapping/grid:** Grid-based; **white dots** mark valid link points. Clay foundation = **3×3 sub-grid** (4 clay/square, 36 for full slab). Snaps at **half-segment** increments; **90°-only rotation**. Snap-to-structure toggleable with **Left Ctrl** but inconsistently available across pieces (a known complaint). Validity ghost must resolve to a supported position; **official red/green color convention not formally documented**. ([lordsofgaming.net](https://lordsofgaming.net/2020/08/an-extensive-guide-to-building-in-grounded/); [steamcommunity.com/.../4755222397151613482](https://steamcommunity.com/app/962130/discussions/0/4755222397151613482/))

**Tradeoffs:** Characterized as the "simpler, more forgiving" system (vs. Valheim) precisely because support is defaultable-off and unpunishing. Cost: 90°-only rotation limits expressive builds; no terraforming means heavy scaffold-stacking, floating/clipping edges, and the dirt-vs-rock "floating" gotcha.

---

## Cross-Game Summary Table

| | Terraform? | Slope adaptation | Structural integrity | Ghost colors | Key numbers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Rust** | No | Half-height snap steps; square+triangle; feet clip into terrain | Yes — 100% at ground, →0% = collapse; anti-exploit (not physics) | **Blue** = valid | Half-foundation-height step increments |
| **Conan** | No | Foundation stepping; fence-foundations; quarter-height wall-drag; ceilings extend platforms | Yes — foundations=100, ≤20 can't extend, ~5%/piece, ~4-tile cantilever | Red/Green | 100 base, >20 floor, ~5%/piece (community figures) |
| **Satisfactory** | No | Clip foundations into hills (intended); 1/2/4m height tiers; ramps; nudge | **None** — buildings float freely | Blue/Yellow/Red | 8×8m tile; 1/2/4m heights; nudge 1m/0.5m; ~7°/14°/27° ramps |
| **Grounded** | No | Stem scaffolds + pillars to elevate; propagate flat plane via snap | **Off by default** (Custom Mode only); placement-time support check | Undocumented | 3×3 sub-grid; half-segment snap; 90° rotation |

**The spectrum:** Satisfactory (max freedom, no physics, clip anywhere) → Grounded (light, defaultable support) → Rust → Conan (strictest collapse/cantilever rules). Every one keeps terrain immutable and pushes slope adaptation onto **flat-topped pieces that bury into the heightfield**, with a validity ghost gating placement. The trade is consistent: deterministic, server-safe, cheap placement in exchange for flat ground becoming a scarce resource and visible clipping/floating artifacts on slopes.

A relevant note for the Lostways skeleton: the most directly portable pattern for a UE fixed-procgen-terrain world is the Rust/Conan model — a flat-topped foundation block that clips into the heightfield (no terrain edit), half/quarter-height snap steps, square+triangle footprints, a valid/invalid placement ghost keyed to a max-slope + "feet-in-ground" test, and an optional scalar stability that decays from anchored foundations. All four dev teams independently rejected terraforming as too expensive to retrofit (per-vertex terrain state + cross-client recalc), which is worth weighing against the server-authoritative model in CLAUDE.md.

*All claims carry inline source URLs above. Caveats: Conan's stability constants and Grounded's span/slope/ghost-color details are community-derived or undocumented (flagged inline); Rust publishes no max-slope angle (pass/fail "feet in terrain" only).*

I have confirmation that "if players remove a support and a building piece's stability goes below 0, it will be destroyed" and the stability graph chain-collapse mechanic. Now I need to nail down the color coding. Let me try the Fandom Building page via a search-snippet approach and search for the specific color thresholds, plus try reddit.

I have thorough, well-sourced coverage. Here is the technical writeup.

---

# Medieval Engineers — Structural Integrity (SI) simulation: technical mechanics

**Source caveat up front:** Keen Software House never published a formal spec of the SI math. The most concrete technical descriptions come from (a) a developer-acknowledged feedback thread on the official support site, (b) the official features page, (c) the Wikipedia article (which cites game/patch material), and (d) Steam/Keen-forum community testing. Where a claim is community-empirical rather than dev-confirmed, I flag it. The model is a **simplified mass+moment heuristic, not a true FEA/stress-tensor solver** — multiple sources stress this.

## 1. How stress/load propagates

- The system is driven by **block weight (mass), per-material multipliers/variables, and the moment (torque) the system experiences** — confirmed in the official feedback thread: *"it seems to rely entirely upon the weight of blocks, some pre-defined multipliers/variables for different materials and the moment (Torque)."* [support.keenswh.com/medievalengineers/topic/structural-integrity](https://support.keenswh.com/medievalengineers/topic/structural-integrity)
- Load **propagates block-to-block down to an anchored ground point.** Blocks are supported by the blocks **below and beside** them, and ultimately by an anchored foundation; **voxel/terrain anchoring provides effectively infinite support.** [medievalengineers.com/features](https://www.medievalengineers.com/features/) · [steamcommunity.com/app/333950/.../1734343428036011252](https://steamcommunity.com/app/333950/discussions/0/1734343428036011252/)
- The clearest mental model from the community/dev discussion is a **stress vector running through the stacked blocks**: a 1×1×5 vertical tower carries a compressive vector from top to base that changes magnitude per block; adding a horizontal beam at the top introduces a **moment that concentrates at the pivot** — *"a 1×1×5 tower with a horizontal beam extending from the top will fracture at the pivot."* [support.keenswh.com/.../structural-integrity](https://support.keenswh.com/medievalengineers/topic/structural-integrity)
- **Important real-world divergence (community-observed):** weight is reported to be **distributed fairly evenly across connected blocks** rather than following true load paths — so the engine does **not** concentrate force at keystones/columns the way real masonry does. *"weight is distributed evenly across all blocks."* This is why arch-on-thin-wall builds can fail even when the equivalent solid wall stands. [steamcommunity.com/app/333950/.../618453594765397168](https://steamcommunity.com/app/333950/discussions/0/618453594765397168/)

## 2. Tension vs compression vs shear; wood vs stone

- The game **does NOT separately model tension, compression, and shear.** It treats SI as a single combined weight+moment threshold. The official feedback thread explicitly *proposes* this as a missing feature: *"separate subsystems dealing with tensile, compressive and shear stresses individually for each material type"* — i.e. it's a wish, not the current implementation. [support.keenswh.com/.../structural-integrity](https://support.keenswh.com/medievalengineers/topic/structural-integrity)
- Material difference that **does** exist: **stone is stronger but heavier; wood is lighter but weaker**, and **iron is used to reinforce** certain blocks. Materials carry different multipliers, so stone supports more than wood — but the stronger material is also heavier, so it adds more load to whatever is beneath it. [medievalengineers.com/features](https://www.medievalengineers.com/features/) · [en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_Engineers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_Engineers)
- The realistic "stone = high compressive / low tensile strength, wood = better in tension" distinction is again **only in the proposal**, not the shipped game: *"Stone would have a high compressive strength … and low tensile strength,"* alongside a suggestion to *"alter arch and corner blocks … (reduce tensile stress by channeling force into compressive stress)."* [support.keenswh.com/.../structural-integrity](https://support.keenswh.com/medievalengineers/topic/structural-integrity)

## 3. What causes a block to crack/fracture/collapse; is there a sag stage; failure threshold

- **There is no deformation/sag stage. Failure is instantaneous.** When the accumulated SI value exceeds the block's limit, *"block breaks immediately"* — confirmed in a Keen support thread that **proposes** adding gradual damage (30 s–1 min + audio warning) specifically because the current behavior is binary instant breakage. [support.keenswh.com/.../suggestion-gradual-damage-to-the-block-when-structural-integrity-is-exceeded](https://support.keenswh.com/medievalengineers/topic/suggestion-gradual-damage-to-the-block-when-structural-integrity-is-exceeded)
- Two failure triggers: **(1) exceeding the integrity limit** (too tall / unsupported / too much moment), and **(2) combat/attack damage** — a damaged block **loses load-bearing capacity**, which can trigger a **cascading collapse** of everything it was supporting. [medievalengineers.com/features](https://www.medievalengineers.com/features/) · [medievalengineerswiki.com/w/Structural_Integrity](https://medievalengineerswiki.com/w/Structural_Integrity)
- The **threshold is a per-block computed SI value vs the block's material/geometry limit** (exact numbers never published). Community testing notes the system is **inconsistent/buggy** — identical builds sometimes stand, sometimes collapse. [steamcommunity.com/app/333950/.../1734343428036011252](https://steamcommunity.com/app/333950/discussions/0/1734343428036011252/)

## 4. Arches, buttresses, flying buttresses, pillars

- **Arches** are the canonical recommended technique: they *"distribute weight out and down when the point of weight is placed in the center of the arch"* (load placed at the crown is channeled down the arch legs to anchored points). [steamcommunity.com/app/333950/.../1734343428036011252](https://steamcommunity.com/app/333950/discussions/0/1734343428036011252/) · [medievalengineerswiki.com/w/Structural_Integrity](https://medievalengineerswiki.com/w/Structural_Integrity)
- **Caveat:** because the underlying model spreads weight evenly rather than following true force lines, community builders report **buttresses/flying buttresses behaving wrongly** — pushing *into* the legs/walls rather than taking outward thrust off them — and **columns collapsing inward** even with arches present. So arch/buttress geometry helps somewhat but does not reproduce real masonry force-channeling. [steamcommunity.com/app/333950/.../618453594765397168](https://steamcommunity.com/app/333950/discussions/0/618453594765397168/)
- **Pillars/supports:** vertical pillars to an anchored base reduce span/moment and are the practical fix; note community reports that some **decorative timber supports don't actually bear load** (visual-only), and wooden supports sometimes fail to reduce stress as expected. [steamcommunity.com/app/333950/.../618453594765397168](https://steamcommunity.com/app/333950/discussions/0/618453594765397168/) · [support.keenswh.com/.../0-7-1-structural-integrity-feedback](https://support.keenswh.com/medievalengineers/topic/0-7-1-structural-integrity-feedback)

## 5. Max unsupported span / cantilever / height rules of thumb

- **Vertical stacking:** roughly **13–14 cubes can be stacked unsupported** before they need support (dev-cited in discussion); **plain vertical walls ~8–10 blocks**; the wiki gives **~8 blocks** as a safe rule of thumb, noting taller is possible with good architecture. [steamcommunity.com/app/333950/.../1734343428036011252](https://steamcommunity.com/app/333950/discussions/0/1734343428036011252/) · [medievalengineerswiki.com/w/Structural_Integrity](https://medievalengineerswiki.com/w/Structural_Integrity)
- **Optimized/clever geometry** pushes much higher: pyramidal (Aztec-style) stacking up to **~14 blocks**, and reported **~35 blocks** for optimized wall/tower combinations. [steamcommunity.com/app/333950/.../1734343428036011252](https://steamcommunity.com/app/333950/discussions/0/1734343428036011252/)
- **Horizontal cantilever:** governed by the **moment at the pivot** — a beam extended off a tower **fractures at the pivot** once its torque exceeds the limit; there's no fixed block count published, it scales with cantilever length × block mass and material multiplier. [support.keenswh.com/.../structural-integrity](https://support.keenswh.com/medievalengineers/topic/structural-integrity)

## 6. Structural Integrity View overlay

- Toggled in-game (commonly **N** in creative; the debug view is also bound to **CTRL-ALT-F12**); it can be enabled as a **world setting** at game creation. By default it's **available in Creative, disabled in Survival.** [medievalengineerswiki.com/w/Structural_Integrity](https://medievalengineerswiki.com/w/Structural_Integrity) · [forum.keenswh.com/threads/structural-integrity-mode.7291878](https://forum.keenswh.com/threads/structural-integrity-mode.7291878/) · [communityedition.medievalengineers.com/mantis/view.php?id=209](https://communityedition.medievalengineers.com/mantis/view.php?id=209)
- **Color meaning:** a **green→red stress gradient** — *"green being low stress, red being high stress … Green to Red then Collapse."* Green = safe/low stress; red = high stress / about to fail; once it pushes past red, the block breaks. (Note: it's a **stress/strain magnitude** ramp; sources do **not** confirm a blue=compression / red=tension directional coloring — that blue/red convention is generic engineering, not documented for this game.) [forum.keenswh.com/threads/structural-integrity-mode.7291878](https://forum.keenswh.com/threads/structural-integrity-mode.7291878/)
- The overlay **crashes/struggles on very large structures**, limiting analysis of big builds. [steamcommunity.com/app/333950/.../618453594765397168](https://steamcommunity.com/app/333950/discussions/0/618453594765397168/)

## 7. Dynamic physical collapse vs despawn

- **Collapse is dynamic and physical, not a despawn.** When static structural blocks fail, the game **converts the broken portion into a dynamic fracture/object** that **physically falls and tumbles** under physics; this can cascade. Official framing: *"converts parts to dynamic fractures when they break"* / *"real-time destruction."* Static (ground-fixed) grids fail structurally; dynamic grids fracture when damaged. The resulting **rubble is physical and must be cleared.** [en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_Engineers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_Engineers) · [medievalengineers.com/features](https://www.medievalengineers.com/features/)

## 8. Foundation / anchoring to terrain

- Anchoring is to **voxel terrain**, which acts as an **infinite-strength support**. Recommended foundation practice: **build into the ground** or **terraform the landscape** so the base is supported. A solid anchored base is the primary way to raise the safe height limit. [steamcommunity.com/app/333950/.../1734343428036011252](https://steamcommunity.com/app/333950/discussions/0/1734343428036011252/) · [medievalengineerswiki.com/w/Structural_Integrity](https://medievalengineerswiki.com/w/Structural_Integrity)

## 9. Version history of the system

- **Early Access (Feb 2015):** SI ("Block Stress overlay"/"Structural Integrity Debug view," green→red) present but **buggy** — builds collapsed unexpectedly after patches. [forum.keenswh.com/threads/structural-integrity-mode.7291878](https://forum.keenswh.com/threads/structural-integrity-mode.7291878/)
- **0.3 (Oct 2016):** SI enabled at planet scale. [en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_Engineers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_Engineers)
- **0.6 (Nov 2017):** major overhaul (new Earth-like planet, resources, tools, mechanical blocks). [en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_Engineers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_Engineers)
- **0.7 / 0.7.1 (Feb 2019):** **full grid-codebase rewrite** — removed multiblocks, optimized add/remove of blocks on very large grids (splits/merges), fixed small-grid-to-large-grid connection, improved block placement, and **improved structural integrity + stabilized physical constraints** (ropes, catch blocks); also regional chunking and visual/parallax block work. This is the biggest SI-relevant rework. [blog.marekrosa.org/2019/02/medieval-engineers-update-071-major.html](https://blog.marekrosa.org/2019/02/medieval-engineers-update-071-major.html) · [medievalengineers.com/update-0-7-1-major-overhaul-of-audio-visuals-blocks](https://www.medievalengineers.com/update-0-7-1-major-overhaul-of-audio-visuals-blocks/)
- **Full release Mar 17 2020**, then Keen open-sourced it; **Community Edition (0.7.4, Dec 2024)** continues with perf/bug fixes (and an open feature request to **allow the SI overlay in Survival**). [en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_Engineers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_Engineers) · [communityedition.medievalengineers.com/mantis/view.php?id=209](https://communityedition.medievalengineers.com/mantis/view.php?id=209)

---

## Bottom line for your purposes

Medieval Engineers' SI is a **single-scalar mass + moment (torque) heuristic that propagates load block-to-block to an anchored voxel base**, with **per-material weight/strength multipliers** (stone strong+heavy, wood light+weak, iron reinforces). It is **not** a tension/compression/shear tensor model — that distinction exists only in community feature requests. **Failure is an instantaneous threshold** (no sag/deform stage; the green→red overlay is your only warning), and **collapse is genuinely physical** (broken blocks convert to dynamic fractures that fall and can cascade). The headline rules of thumb: **~8 blocks safe wall height, ~13–14 unsupported vertical stack, cantilevers fracture at the pivot by moment**, and **anchoring into terrain = infinite support**. If you're modeling "realistic stability" for your own game, the instructive lessons are the *divergences*: even weight distribution (so arches/buttresses underperform real masonry) and binary failure were the two most-complained-about gaps.

Key source URLs are inline above; the two most load-bearing are the [Keen feedback thread (mass/moment/material description)](https://support.keenswh.com/medievalengineers/topic/structural-integrity) and the [gradual-damage suggestion confirming instant failure](https://support.keenswh.com/medievalengineers/topic/suggestion-gradual-damage-to-the-block-when-structural-integrity-is-exceeded).

All five research agents completed with cited findings. Here is the consolidated writeup.

---

# Terrain Adaptation in Survival/Base-Building Games

Two fundamentally different design philosophies emerge across these five games:

- **Deform the terrain** (Valheim, Enshrouded, 7 Days to Die) — players reshape the ground to make a flat footprint.
- **Adapt the building** (Medieval Dynasty, Nightingale) — terrain is immutable; the building system compensates with stilts/height-adjust.

---

## VALHEIM — Heightmap-delta terraforming + piece-count integrity

**1. Terraforming model.** The **Hoe** has three modes: *Level ground* (levels terrain toward a reference height — by default the player's standing height; **shift-click** re-references to the ground under the cursor for matching/sloping), *Raise ground* (mound, costs 2× Stone + nearby Workbench), and *Pathen* (strips grass to dirt, no leveling, free). Leveling works in **2 m × 2 m square cells**, max reach **~7 m**. The **Pickaxe** is the dig/lower tool — the hoe only touches topsoil; rock needs the pickaxe.
- **Hard cap: ±~8 m from the world's original procedural height** (community-derived as 16 increments of 0.5 m); dig-down ~20 m. No feedback at the cap — it keeps eating stone.
- **Storage model (the cautionary tale):** each strike spawns a discrete `TerrainModifier` ZDO (a delta object, **not** an in-place heightmap edit). On zone reload, terrain regenerates to procedural default then **re-applies every modifier in sequence** — leveling a 10×10 area = ~100 modifiers reprocessed every frame.
[valheim.fandom.com/wiki/Hoe](https://valheim.fandom.com/wiki/Hoe), [Terraforming for Dummies](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2404764203), [BetterTerrain (storage internals)](https://github.com/74oshua/BetterTerrain), [Heightmap Unlimited mod](https://www.nexusmods.com/valheim/mods/359)

**2. Foundations on slopes.** Two strategies: **terraform flat** (hoe), or **stilt it** with poles down to ground and float the floor. Anything touching ground = foundation (blue). **Stone counts as ground for wood**, and **wood-iron poles act like relocatable ground** (anything attached becomes foundation). Slope gotcha: diamond-chunk terrain may not register a pole as grounded — fix by lowering, dropping dirt onto the pole, raising back. [valheim.fandom.com/wiki/Building](https://valheim.fandom.com/wiki/Building), [Wood iron structures](https://valheim.fandom.com/wiki/Wood_iron_structures)

**3. Structural integrity.** Counted in **number of pieces from the nearest foundation, NOT metric distance** ("length of the element does not matter — only the number of elements"). Color ladder **blue→green→yellow→orange→red** (red = next piece collapses it). Governed by `VerticalLoss`/`HorizontalLoss` factors, interpolated by piece angle. Material limits (community-measured): wood ~16 m vertical (max 7 high, 8th falls), core wood ~24 m, **wood-iron ~50 m**, stone ~16 m vertical but **HorizontalLoss=1 → cannot cantilever at all**. Horizontal wood cantilever ~6 m/side (~12 m span). Water = -50% wood integrity. [gamerant.com](https://gamerant.com/valheim-structure-stability-guide/), [gamepressure.com](https://www.gamepressure.com/valheim/building/zde2ae), [game8.co](https://game8.co/games/Valheim/archives/320943)

**4. Snapping/preview.** Auto-snap points (hold key to suppress); green=valid / red=invalid placement preview; stability shown via blue→red on hover. Leveled areas are square-edged due to the 2 m cell. [gamepressure.com](https://www.gamepressure.com/valheim/building/zde2ae)

**5. Tradeoffs.** The headline issue: terraforming = persistent ZDO instances replayed every frame → **FPS drops + save bloat** (check live count with F2). **Patch 0.150.3** shipped a "new terrain modification system" reducing network instances; legacy worlds convert via the `optterrain` console command. One detailed test argued terraform lag is often over-blamed vs. fires/animals/piece-count, but the architecture is the root risk. Terrain is server-authoritative/persistent with no vanilla per-zone permissions (griefable). [gamingbolt.com](https://gamingbolt.com/valheim-patch-introduces-new-terrain-modification-system), [BetterTerrain](https://github.com/74oshua/BetterTerrain), [jamesachambers.com](https://jamesachambers.com/fixing-valheim-dedicated-server-lag-modify-send-receive-limits/)

---

## ENSHROUDED — Full voxel terraforming, no integrity system

**1. Terraforming model.** Fully voxel; **0.5 m voxels**; terrain and builds share one substrate. **Pickaxe** mines/harvests, **Construction Hammer** adds (left) / removes (right) terrain via TAB→ALT "Terrain" mode, **Rake** flattens to a plane. **No true smoothing/blend brush** (active community request — rake only flattens, doesn't blend into natural slopes). Extensive region-keyed material types (stone/limestone/granite/dirt variants/road blocks), many craftable. **Critical gate: the Flame Altar** — you can only shape land within its zone; edits inside are permanent, edits **outside reset after 30 min / on restart**. [deltacalculator.com](https://www.deltacalculator.com/enshrouded/terraform/), [Terrain Materials wiki](https://enshrouded.wiki.gg/wiki/Terrain_Materials), [Flame Altar wiki](https://enshrouded.wiki.gg/wiki/Flame_Altar), [smoothing request](https://enshrouded.featureupvote.com/suggestions/613336/smoothing-tool-for-the-rake-terrain-tool)

**2. Foundations on slopes.** Carve into the slope (pickaxe/hammer) **or** fill with foundation/terrain blocks — both valid; players dig "pristine square basements." A 4 m foundation ≈ 256 blocks. [thegamer.com](https://www.thegamer.com/enshrouded-how-to-build-structures-guide/), [basement-building thread](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1203620/discussions/0/4206993388788283637/)

**3. Structural integrity.** **None.** Floating buildings and floating islands are explicitly possible — you can even dig out the ground under the altar to leave a floating base. A support system is an outstanding feature request. [structural-integrity request](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1203620/discussions/0/6273018183378642039/), [floating cities](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1203620/discussions/0/6644556627476766392/)

**4. Snapping/preview.** Blocks auto-snap to the voxel grid; **X toggles snap off**. Pieces auto-trim/blend where they intersect terrain (no clipping). Voxel **blueprints** stamp prefab shapes. [thegamer.com](https://www.thegamer.com/enshrouded-how-to-build-structures-guide/)

**5. Tradeoffs.** Voxel saves are I/O-heavy (>50 MB → auto-save hiccups; **NVMe recommended**); multiplayer is **single-core-CPU-bound** since every edit syncs to nearby players. The Flame Altar zone is the de-facto anti-grief mechanism (only altar-access players make permanent edits; open world auto-resets). Altar zone scales 40³→160³ voxels (= 80 m³). [freakhosting.com performance](https://help.freakhosting.com/games/enshrouded/performance-optimization), [Flame Altar wiki](https://enshrouded.wiki.gg/wiki/Flame_Altar)

---

## 7 DAYS TO DIE — Voxel terrain + the deepest structural-integrity sim

**1. Terraforming model.** Fully destructible voxel world. **Shovel** (dirt/sand, can re-deposit removed voxels), **Auger** (fast power tool), **Pickaxe** (stone/ore). Flatten by skimming along compass cardinals just below the horizon; wood frames double as leveling guides. **Key distinction: smoothed terrain voxels (marching-cubes) vs. cubic building blocks** — they don't share shape, producing visible gaps where placed cubes meet terrain. You can place blocks below ground; the terrain column normally runs continuously to bedrock. [wiki.7d2d.net terrain leveling](https://wiki.7d2d.net/hosting/community/terrain-leveling-and-construction-techniques/), [terrain-vs-block voxels](https://steamcommunity.com/app/251570/discussions/4/4765458943361747334/)

**2. Foundations on slopes.** Place wood frames into gaps and upgrade: **Wood Frame → Wood Block → Cobblestone → Concrete → Steel**. Reshape into ramps/wedges/triangles/stairs/pillars to conform; shape changes are **free** (same cost/HP/integrity). Drop a pillar to ground under long spans. [xgamingserver guide](https://xgamingserver.com/blog/7-days-to-die-base-building-guide/), [block shapes](https://gamerant.com/7-days-to-die-how-change-block-shapes/)

**3. Structural integrity (the real one).** Three properties: **Mass, Vertical Support, Horizontal Support (Max Load)**.
- **Vertical:** blocks on bedrock are always supported; support propagates upward and is **effectively infinite** (stack ~250 blocks on one). A hollow gap in the column to bedrock breaks the chain.
- **Horizontal/overhang:** `SI = floor(Max Load ÷ Mass)` = blocks that can hang per face. **Wood = 40÷5 = 8-block overhang** (the 9th collapses when loaded).
- Material table — Wood (HP 500 / Mass 5 / Load 40 → SI 8), Cobblestone (1500 / 10 / ~90–120), Concrete (5000 / 10 / 120), Steel (10000 / 20 / 300 → SI 15). Concrete/steel cantilever *farther* than wood despite weight (higher Max Load). Dev/creative mode shows green→yellow→red stability.
[7daystodie.wiki.gg/wiki/Structural_Integrity](https://7daystodie.wiki.gg/wiki/Structural_Integrity), [structural support guide](https://gamerant.com/7-days-to-die-structural-support-guide/), [xgamingserver guide](https://xgamingserver.com/blog/7-days-to-die-base-building-guide/)

**4. Snapping/preview.** Blocks snap to the voxel grid; hold Reload (R) for a radial **shape menu**; "Copy" duplicates a target block's shape/rotation; ghost preview before placement. [block shapes](https://gamerant.com/7-days-to-die-how-change-block-shapes/)

**5. Tradeoffs.** Digging cave-ins (surface dirt collapses past ~3-wide; deep stone is far more stable). All terrain edits persist; big edits cause temporary lag. Anti-grief via **Land Claim Block** (default 41×41, infinite vertical; 7-day offline protection; `LandClaimOfflineDurabilityModifier` 0 = invulnerable). [cave-in thread](https://steamcommunity.com/app/251570/discussions/0/618460171321722773), [server settings](https://wiki.7d2d.net/game/server-settings-xml/)

---

## MEDIEVAL DYNASTY — No terraforming; auto stone↔stilt foundations

**1. Terraforming model.** **None — confirmed.** No flatten/level/raise/lower tool; it's the single most-requested feature. The field-clear trick (place a farm field, delete it) removes rocks/bushes but **does NOT change terrain height**. (Note: the "engine can't do it" claim is community lore — the actual dev quote is uncertainty, not impossibility, and points to "additional foundations" as the workaround.) [Steam: too uneven to place](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/2942496178840977208/), [Terraforming PLEASE](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/4070650515255677736/), [clear/level terrain](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/3112542578512427621/)

**2. Foundations on slopes.** The game samples ground under the footprint and **auto-picks** the foundation — flat → **stone foundation**, sloped → **wooden stilt/log foundation** (with plank steps on the downhill side). Player has no manual choice; the trigger is **corner-elevation delta and is sensitive** (one back corner on a slope flips the whole building to stilts). Building stays level; stilts bridge the gap. No player-placeable height/stilt pieces exist. [simple house with wood foundation](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/3446961485763731456/)

**3. Slope rules.** A strict **max-slope tolerance** exists (no published degree value) — beyond it, placement is refused ("terrain is too uneven to place"). Also invalid: obstacles/collision, overlap. **Larger footprints fail far more** (tavern/storage "a nightmare to place") since they span more elevation variance. [too uneven to place](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/2942496178840977208/), [TechRaptor guide](https://techraptor.net/gaming/guides/medieval-dynasty-building-guide)

**4. Snapping/grid.** **No grid, no rotation snap** (both requested). Ghost preview with binary green=placeable; alignment is fully manual (compass + temporary fields as guides). [grid request](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1129580/discussions/0/2952663522493053651/)

**5. Tradeoffs.** Primary coping = **scout for naturally flat land** (location choice is the real mechanic). Complaints are substantial (a refund cited over placement). Third-party mods add soil-grader flattening, but nothing in the shipped game. [Notes Read guide](https://notesread.com/medieval-dynasty-construction-guide/)

---

## NIGHTINGALE — No terraforming (deliberate); height-adjust foundations + cascade collapse

*(Newer game — slope-angle/snap-tolerance math is undocumented; build-limit and height-adjust facts are solid.)*

**1. Terraforming model.** **None, and intentional** — devs said it's technically possible but "wouldn't add much to the experience" / "not the focus." Realms are procedurally generated from Realm Cards, so the design answer to bad terrain is **re-roll the realm or relocate** (build near coasts for flat ground). [zleague.gg](https://www.zleague.gg/theportal/finding-the-perfect-spot-nightingale-terrain-and-base-building-woes/), [Steam: destructible terrain](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1928980/discussions/0/4145068260009904286/)

**2. Foundations on slopes.** Everything starts from a **Crude Foundation**. The primary slope tool is the **height-adjustable foundation**: **hold `R` + scroll mouse wheel** to raise/lower a piece (raise to stay level on uneven ground, lower to dig into a hill, stack to build elevated bases). Supports are **manually-placed pillars** as legs — **no auto-generated support legs** exist. [zleague.gg](https://www.zleague.gg/theportal/finding-the-perfect-spot-nightingale-terrain-and-base-building-woes/), [Dotesports height-adjust](https://dotesports.com/nightingale/news/how-to-adjust-the-height-of-buildings-and-structures-in-nightingale), [Building Support Rules](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1928980/discussions/0/4348858679329688157/)

**3. Slope rules / integrity.** No numeric max-slope published. **Cascade-collapse model** (not stress simulation): destroying a foundation/supporting wall destroys everything above it. Pillars/support beams required for any roof span not attached to a wall or across a large gap (two pillars alone can't hold a wall between them). Upper floors snapped to another ceiling tile lose support — re-snap to a wall to restore it. [Building Support Rules](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1928980/discussions/0/4348858679329688157/)

**4. Snapping/preview.** Piece-to-piece snapping; **red outline = invalid/unsupported/misaligned**. Obstacles (stumps/rocks/ruins) block placement. **No auto-flatten, no terrain-conform** (consistent with no terrain edits). Build menu = `B`. [snapping threads](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1928980/discussions/0/4348858679320749378/), [Nightingale Wiki Buildings](https://nightingale.wiki.gg/wiki/Buildings)

**5. Tradeoffs.** Performance managed via a **weighted Realm Building Points budget — cap 30,000** (post "Realms Rebuilt"); walls/roofs/floors weight ~1, containers/benches cost far more. A composite structure now holds up to **1,500 pieces** (was 300). An "Advanced Building Information" toggle shows live cost. Persistence anchored to a cheap **Estate Cairn** (20 Rocks + 5 Stone Block) pinning a procedural realm. Multiplayer is **async** (public realms allow strangers to build *and destroy* — privacy is the only anti-grief lever). [Realms Rebuilt Building Q&A](https://playnightingale.com/news/nightingale-realms-rebuilt-building-q-a), [PCGamesN](https://www.pcgamesn.com/nightingale/realms-rebuilt-build-cap), [Multiplayer Overview](https://playnightingale.com/news/multiplayer-overview/)

---

## Cross-game summary

| Game | Terraform? | Granularity | Flat-on-slope method | Structural integrity | Anti-grief / save-cost lever |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Valheim** | Yes (height deltas) | 0.5 m steps, ±8 m cap | Hoe-level **or** stilts | Piece-count from foundation | TerrainModifier ZDOs → lag/bloat; `optterrain` |
| **Enshrouded** | Yes (full voxel) | 0.5 m voxel | Carve **or** fill | **None** (floating OK) | Flame Altar zone gating; NVMe-needed saves |
| **7 Days to Die** | Yes (voxel) | voxel + frames | Frames/wedges + pillars | **Deepest** (Mass/Load, SI=Load÷Mass) | Land Claim Block; cave-ins |
| **Medieval Dynasty** | **No** | n/a | Auto stone↔stilt foundation | Auto (no player control) | Strict slope-reject; scout flat land |
| **Nightingale** | **No** (by design) | n/a | Height-adjust foundation (R+scroll) + pillars | Cascade collapse | 30k point budget; Estate Cairn; public/private realms |

**Most relevant takeaway for a no-terraform PMC-terrain skeleton:** Medieval Dynasty and Nightingale both prove the shippable pattern — **sample corner elevations under the footprint, reject above a tolerance, and auto-generate stilts (MD) or expose a manual height-adjust offset + pillars (Nightingale)** to keep the structure level without ever editing terrain. Valheim is the cautionary tale on the *other* path: storing terraforming as an unbounded list of replayed delta objects rather than baking the result into a buffered heightmap is precisely what caused its lag and save bloat.

• WebSearch Conan Exiles building stability sphere color blue green yellow orange red percentage construction hammer 9.2s 4.4 KB

• WebSearch "Conan Exiles" stability indicator color meaning green good red bad reddit building 10.8s 3.9 KB

• WebFetch https://www.conanexiles.com/mods/?modpage=2693562384&lang=en 1.7s 215 B

The Funcom "A Helping Hammer" blog post (Age of Sorcery building overhaul) is an official source and likely fetchable. That's the 3.0 building overhaul which introduced the new stability/hammer system. Let me fetch it, plus the official Construction Hammer guided.news guide.

• WebFetch https://www.conanexiles.com/blog/a-helping-hammer-building-overhaul-in-age-of-sorcery/ 1.3s 215 B

• WebFetch https://guided.news/en/guides/conan-exiles-new-building-system/ 7.6s 778 B

Let me try the YouTube video transcript via a different approach and search for the specific color description, plus check the conanexiles.gaming.tools construction hammer page and a reddit old.reddit thread.

• WebSearch Conan Exiles stability colors update April 2021 building piece green yellow red what changed 14.9s 6.3 KB

• WebSearch Conan Exiles repair hammer point at building piece stability number percentage color screen 2.2s 460 B

• WebFetch https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=O6qvcYG6f_w 1.6s 558 B

The color-coding question is proving hard to pin down with a precise source. I have the foundational mechanics solidly confirmed. Let me make a couple more targeted attempts on the color coding: the GameFAQs "instability" thread (which the search engine has been quoting the wiki from), and a third-party guide that describes the visual. Let me also try fetching the official wiki page through Funcom's mods endpoint with a trailing format the crawler might accept, and the gaming.tools construction hammer page.

• WebFetch https://conanexiles.gaming.tools/items/51033 1.7s 215 B

• WebSearch Conan Exiles building stability bar gradient color green high low red repair hammer how to read 13.7s 7.3 KB

• WebFetch https://xgamingserver.com/blog/conan-exiles-building-decay-guide/ 7.1s 1.2 KB

Let me make final targeted attempts on the color coding — the "How do I check stability?" Funcom forum thread (fetchable), and the dedicated stability tutorial YouTube video description.

• WebFetch https://forums.funcom.com/t/question-how-do-i-check-stability/198736 6.1s 893 B

• WebFetch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPDoOWfqTlY 6.8s 672 B

• WebFetch https://forums.funcom.com/t/somebody-please-explain-to-me-how-stability-works/135113.json 7.3s 1.1 KB

I have enough on the mechanics. The repair hammer displays stability as a numeric percentage (confirmed by multiple sources: 100%, 80%, 55%, 35%, 20%, 0%). The color-coding question I could not confirm from a citable source — the only direct evidence is a YouTube video title "Conan Exiles New Building Stability Colors" (April 2021) whose content I couldn't extract. I'll report that honestly rather than guess. Here are my findings.

# Conan Exiles Building Stability — Research Findings

## 1 & 2. "Attach Cost" and the side-socket value of 100

The official wiki page "Building piece basics" (https://www.conanexiles.com/wp-content/wiki/2693562384.html) and its mods-doc mirror (https://www.conanexiles.com/mods/?modpage=2693562384) both **403 on automated fetch** (and on direct fetch from the editor). However, the search engine successfully indexed and surfaced verbatim text from that exact page:

- **Definition (confirmed wording):** "Attach Cost is how much of stability the building piece itself will lose from connecting to something on this socket." — sourced from the official wiki page https://www.conanexiles.com/wp-content/wiki/2693562384.html (surfaced via search snippet; page itself 403s).
- **Side-socket value = 100 (CONFIRMED):** "The side sockets having **100 attach cost** on foundations basically disallow them from connecting by 'hanging' on the side of something else – since it will reduce stability by 100% it will disallow connections completely." — same official wiki page, https://www.conanexiles.com/wp-content/wiki/2693562384.html
- **How it prevents hanging foundations:** A foundation that tries to attach via a side socket would pay the full 100 attach cost, reducing its stability by 100% (to 0 or below), so the game disallows the placement entirely. This is the mechanism that blocks attaching a foundation to the *side* of another foundation.
- **Corroborating detail (separate official page):** `StabilityLossMultiplier` "multiplies the stability lost by the attach cost of sockets — Default should be 1.f; no stability loss would require 0.f." — from the official ItemStatModification primer, https://www.conanexiles.com/wp-content/wiki/2685665798.html (also surfaced via snippet). This confirms attach cost is a stability-loss value scaled by a server multiplier.

Note: I could only retrieve the "100" via the search engine's indexed snippet of the official page, not by fetching the page directly (it 403s through every route I tried: direct, `/mods/` mirror, with `&lang=en`). The number 100 was returned consistently and verbatim across multiple independent searches, so I'm confident in it, but flagging that the primary URL is not directly fetchable.

## 3. What happens at 0 / below 0 stability

- **CONFIRMED — piece is destroyed:** "If players remove a support and a building piece's stability goes below 0, it will be destroyed." — https://videogamedatabank.com/index.php/video-games/conan-exiles/conan-exiles-items-list/conan-exiles-repair-hammer
- **CONFIRMED — chain/dependent collapse:** Stability is computed over a "stability graph" where pieces support other pieces. When a supporting piece is destroyed, the game recalculates stability for dependent pieces; if they lose their support path they also collapse. A Funcom forum thread describes this directly, including a known bug where the recalc is missed: "the game misses the recalc, and then both D and E will be destroyed because they didn't get the recalculated stability fast enough." — https://forums.funcom.com/t/somebody-please-explain-to-me-how-stability-works/135113
- **CONFIRMED — collapse propagation in practice:** A Steam structural-integrity guide demonstrates that removing a support wall causes upper/unsupported pieces to fail progressively and bring down the whole unsupported section. — https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=909543602
- **Related placement rule (CONFIRMED):** "You cannot add to any piece that has a stability of **20 or less**." — surfaced from the official Fandom Building page, https://conanexiles.fandom.com/wiki/Building (page 403s on direct fetch; text via search snippet). So 20 is the floor below which you can't extend further, and below 0 the piece itself is destroyed.

## 4. Repair / Construction Hammer stability display

- **CONFIRMED — it shows a numeric percentage.** Multiple sources confirm the repair hammer "shows the stability of any currently placed building piece" (https://videogamedatabank.com/index.php/video-games/conan-exiles/conan-exiles-items-list/conan-exiles-repair-hammer). The Funcom thread quotes real readouts as percentages — 100%, 80%, 75%, 55%, 35%, 20%, 0% (https://forums.funcom.com/t/somebody-please-explain-to-me-how-stability-works/135113). The Steam guide screenshots also show numeric "% integrity" readings (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=909543602).
- **CONFIRMED — repair hammer is the (only) tool to check it**, and the old TAB-key view no longer works: "Repair hammer is the only way now." — https://forums.funcom.com/t/question-how-do-i-check-stability/198736
- **COULD NOT CONFIRM the exact color coding from a citable source.** I could not verify a precise green/yellow/red mapping or its percentage thresholds. The strongest lead is a YouTube video literally titled **"Conan Exiles New Building Stability Colors"** (April 19, 2021), which confirms a color system *exists* and was introduced/changed in the April 2021 (2.3) update — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6qvcYG6f_w — but YouTube blocked transcript/description extraction, so I cannot give the colors or thresholds from it. None of the fetchable text sources (Funcom forums, third-party guides, video databank) stated the color-to-percentage mapping. **I am explicitly not guessing the green/yellow/red thresholds — they remain unconfirmed.**

## Access notes (which routes worked)
- **403 / blocked on every attempt:** conanexiles.com wiki pages and `/mods/` mirror, the Funcom blog, conanexiles.fandom.com, the Steam guide page, gaming.tools, and reddit.com (the latter is hard-blocked for the user agent). web.archive.org was not reachable for these either.
- **Worked:** the WebSearch engine returned verbatim indexed snippets of the otherwise-403 official wiki and Fandom pages (this is how I got the "100" and the "20 or less" numbers). WebFetch worked on Funcom forum threads, videogamedatabank.com, and xgamingserver.com.

## Bottom line for your use case
The two load-bearing numbers for a hanging-foundation prevention system are solidly confirmed: **side sockets carry an attach cost of 100**, meaning a side connection costs 100% of the piece's stability and is therefore disallowed; and **a piece whose stability drops below 0 is destroyed, cascading to dependent pieces via the stability graph**. The hammer shows stability as a **numeric percentage**; the specific **color thresholds I could not verify** and am not inventing.

I now have comprehensive, sourced information covering all 9 questions. Let me confirm the StabilityLossMultiplier default/range from the LOW.MS reference page to lock down that last detail.

• WebFetch https://low.ms/knowledgebase/conan-exiles-server-multiplier-reference 6.6s 834 B

I have everything needed. Here is the complete, sourced technical writeup.

---

# Conan Exiles — Building Stability / Structural Integrity Mechanics

Stability is a 0–100% value the game calculates per building piece across a connected "stability graph." Each socket connection has an **Attach Cost** that subtracts from the connecting piece's stability. Here are the concrete numbers, each with its source.

### 1. Minimum stability to attach a new piece — **20** (confirmed)
- You **cannot add to / build onto any piece that has a stability of 20 or less.** That is the placement floor — below it, the editor refuses to snap a new piece. — Official Fandom Building page, surfaced verbatim via search (page itself 403s): https://conanexiles.fandom.com/wiki/Building
- Note this is distinct from the destruction threshold (below 0, see #7).

### 2. Foundations give 100% stability — but only when ground-connected
- **Foundations that touch the ground stay "foundations" and provide 100% stability to themselves, relying on nothing else.**
- **Foundations stacked on top of other pieces that do NOT connect to the ground lose their "foundation" status and stop being a source of 100% stability** — they then inherit stability through the graph like any other piece. — Official Building piece basics (conanexiles.com wiki) / Fandom Building, via search snippets: https://conanexiles.fandom.com/wiki/Building and https://www.conanexiles.com/wp-content/wiki/2693562384.html

### 3. Stability lost per ceiling tile cantilevered — **~20% per tile**, max **4 tiles** out
- Each ceiling/floor tile placed one step further from a support drops stability by roughly **20%**. A Funcom forum stability thread shows the real readouts stepping down by 20: a tile chain reads **60 → 40 → 20** as it extends away from support. — https://forums.funcom.com/t/bug-pillars-stop-providing-stability-to-ceiling-tiles-above-them/126118
- Practical collapse/extension limit: **"four ceilings for each foundation"** — you can cantilever a maximum of 4 ceiling tiles out from a foundation before stability hits the floor and the game won't let you continue. — https://gamerant.com/conan-exiles-base-build-tips/ (and the "build four pieces away from a pillar/foundation/wall" figure surfaced from the Fandom Building page: https://conanexiles.fandom.com/wiki/Building)

### 4. Attach Cost / side sockets = **100** (this is what blocks hanging foundations)
- **"Attach Cost is how much of stability the building piece itself will lose from connecting to something on this socket."** — Official "Building piece basics," https://www.conanexiles.com/wp-content/wiki/2693562384.html (verbatim via search; page 403s on direct fetch)
- **Foundation side sockets have an Attach Cost of 100.** "The side sockets having 100 attach cost on foundations basically disallow them from connecting by 'hanging' on the side of something else — since it will reduce stability by 100% it will disallow connections completely." So a foundation can never attach to the *side* of another piece (it would cost 100% of its stability → 0), which is exactly the mechanism preventing hanging/floating foundations. — same page, https://www.conanexiles.com/wp-content/wiki/2693562384.html
- Attach cost is the value scaled by the server's `StabilityLossMultiplier` (see #9). — https://www.conanexiles.com/wp-content/wiki/2685665798.html

### 5. Pillars extend/reset stability
- Pillars act as fresh support legs: **a pillar provides 100 stability only when it fully connects to a foundation or runs all the way to the ground.** A pillar that just hangs off the structure does NOT grant 100 — it inherits stability from what it connects to. — https://forums.funcom.com/t/bug-pillars-stop-providing-stability-to-ceiling-tiles-above-them/126118
- In practice, planting a ground-connected pillar mid-span resets the stability count at that point (the forum bug example: inserting a pillar between two ceilings raises the far ceiling from 40 back up to 60). Pillars are the standard tool to push builds further than the ~4-tile ceiling limit. — same source.

### 6. Which pieces give vs. consume stability
- **Sources of stability (give):** ground-touching **foundations** (100%), and **pillars** that reach the ground/foundation (100%). — https://www.conanexiles.com/wp-content/wiki/2693562384.html ; https://forums.funcom.com/t/bug-pillars-stop-providing-stability-to-ceiling-tiles-above-them/126118
- **Consumers (pay attach cost, propagate reduced stability):** ceilings/floors (cantilever cost, ~20%/tile), walls, fences, and any piece attached off a support socket. Each connection pays that socket's attach cost. — https://www.conanexiles.com/wp-content/wiki/2693562384.html ; https://conanexiles.fandom.com/wiki/Building

### 7. At 0 stability — piece is destroyed, and it chain-collapses dependents
- **If a support is removed and a piece's stability drops below 0, the piece is destroyed.** — https://videogamedatabank.com/index.php/video-games/conan-exiles/conan-exiles-items-list/conan-exiles-repair-hammer
- **Chain collapse: yes.** Stability is recalculated across the graph when a supporting piece dies; pieces that lose their support path also collapse. A Funcom thread describes both the normal cascade and a known bug where a missed recalc destroys multiple dependent pieces ("both D and E will be destroyed because they didn't get the recalculated stability fast enough"). — https://forums.funcom.com/t/somebody-please-explain-to-me-how-stability-works/135113 ; demonstrated in a Steam structural-integrity guide: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=909543602

### 8. Repair hammer stability display
- The **Repair Hammer (and Construction Hammer) is the tool that shows a piece's stability**, displayed as a **numeric percentage** (readouts seen: 100%, 80%, 55%, 35%, 20%, 0%). The older TAB-view no longer works — "Repair hammer is the only way now." — https://videogamedatabank.com/index.php/video-games/conan-exiles/conan-exiles-items-list/conan-exiles-repair-hammer ; https://forums.funcom.com/t/question-how-do-i-check-stability/198736
- **Color coding: a color system exists but I could NOT confirm the exact green/yellow/red → percentage mapping from a citable text source.** The only direct evidence is a YouTube video titled "Conan Exiles New Building Stability Colors" (April 2021 / 2.3 update), confirming colors were added/changed, but its content wasn't extractable. Treat the specific thresholds as unverified rather than the commonly-assumed "green = high, yellow = mid, red = near-collapse." — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6qvcYG6f_w

### 9. Patch 3.0 (Age of Sorcery, Sept 2022) stability changes — YES
- **New server setting `StabilityLossMultiplier`** added. It scales the stability lost per attach cost. **Default = 1.0**; lower (down to **0.00**) = pieces lose less stability / need fewer supports; higher = bases crumble harder when unsupported. Set via `SetServerSetting "StabilityLossMultiplier" "<value>"` or ServerSettings.ini. — https://low.ms/knowledgebase/conan-exiles-server-multiplier-reference ; https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2734895497 ; https://www.conanexiles.com/wp-content/wiki/2685665798.html
- **New admin cheat "Ignore Building Stability"** added — disables stability checks entirely. — Patch 3.0 coverage: https://www.conanexiles.com/blog/a-new-update-bringing-smoother-building-improved-sorcery-stability-fixes-and-much-more-is-out-now/
- 3.0 also fixed several stability bugs (triangle pieces, pillars not granting stability on dedicated servers, floating foundations left when nearby trees/rocks are removed). — same patch notes.

---

### Access notes / caveats
- `conanexiles.fandom.com`, `steamcommunity.com` discussion pages, `web.archive.org`, and the `conanexiles.com` wiki/blog all **block automated fetch (403 / age-gate)**. The load-bearing numbers from those pages (the **20** floor, the **100** side-socket attach cost, the Attach Cost definition) were recovered as **verbatim search-engine snippets** of those exact pages, not direct fetches — they were consistent across multiple independent queries, so confidence is high, but flagging the provenance.
- **Fetchable directly:** `forums.funcom.com`, `videogamedatabank.com`, `low.ms`, `gamerant.com`.
- **Single unconfirmed item:** the exact repair-hammer color thresholds (#8).

Excellent — the two deep dives are now thoroughly sourced. I have enough on Sons/Forest and Smalland from search snippets, but let me solidify The Forest's original blueprint vs custom-foundation system and Smalland's specifics with two more targeted searches to fill remaining gaps.

• WebSearch The Forest building blueprint ghost system custom foundations stilts treehouse floor logs slope The Forest original game 9.0s 2.5 KB

• WebSearch Smalland building structural support pillars stone wood vertical limit how far horizontal before "no structural support"… 16.0s 2.5 KB