so i've been bouncing this idea about my head for a long time. with the ability to collect water in avail, what happens if we just toss some? well this leads me to think of a localized water system. but wait, water simulations take insane compute power you say? not using love's typical method of mapping the terrain.
as is, there are two spheres that represent the world in love. one is the terrain, which has been projection mapped from 6 squares to create the coordinate system, then 4 values are given to each grid of that coordinate system. this works pretty cleanly, but making the second sphere follow this example would kill compute power.
the second sphere is not mapped with the cube map, and is instead a simple, presumably somewhat low poly sphere, with VERY simple volumetric rendering (or possibly just a video filter it turns on when within it? either way it works with my idea) and a procedurally driven white and blue surface, which is the water. by scaling this sphere eskil raises water levels.
my proposal, is to cube map this second sphere, identically to how the terrain is, but then give each grid only one height value, and no second set for caves (well, this bit's optional. it would enable underwater caves that aren't flooded if it did get a second coord, which could be EPIC) these values reference to directly adjacent tiles, if any are lower, they average together until they are equal or or a line cannot be drawn between any point on the higher one and any point on the lower one. when engaged in such a movement they can receive a full set of 4 coordinates like the terrain has, and these four will dynamically simulate like a fluid, then the mesh will simply be drawn between them, creating a sort of stylized effect common in love. corners with more movement get more foam, thereby making it all very clearly be flowing between them.
now, for containment obviously, certain materials will react differently. grass would slowly lower it's local water levels as it grows on soft dirt, as would sand, and maybe rock if we pass it off as sandstone. however, metal, would obviously retain water, as would concrete, building, roof, and ice would perhaps raise the ice's terrain height and lower water levels until THEY average to create a freezing effect?
obviously, depending on how far one would like to take this, it could be a FAR more realistic alternative to the current system of dynamic worlds (or an addition to it) wherein the more water movement a tile experiences, the more it is lowered, and the more movement adjacent tiles are doing (in it's direction or not, idk how much power that would take) the more it's raised.
this would give us more clear canyons and lakes etc etc instead of random holes that hardly make sense. and of course a water fall would be pretty pro.