Destroying pre-made structure increases or decreases world save size?

Somewhat odd question but bear with me - I am aware in general any terraforming or base building adds to my overall world save file size.

I'm also aware, sort of roughly, that Valheim uses the world seed to generate areas you explore on the fly, as in nothing really exists until you go near enough to explore that area, and then that parcel or whatever is generated and stored into world.db file.

So to heart of question - when I encounter a pre-made structure, like a stone tower - little shack house, mini-village with berry bushes nearby, etc - those are now all static objects. As in, return later and find them in exact same state as I last left them.

Hence I would think these generated structures take some file space to store. So I've been in habit of tearing down everything I find - little random lean to shelters, mini-shacks, whole berry villages, stone towers, etc.

But now I'm thinking - isn't me tearing down those things also something the game has to remember?

Basically, back to my title question now I've explained full context - does tearing down all these pre-made structures increase or decrease my world save file? I'm not sure if me tearing it down counts as modifying the world like terraforming, or if leaving them standing means game has to remember and store more static info.
11:13 pm, October 9, 2021
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jonnin replied to Destroying pre-made structure increases or decreases world save size? October 9, 2021 @ 4:13:51 pm PDT

now that is another point. preexisting structure is part of generation, so removal would need to be saved for that. What I am saying is that any changes need to be saved, default state should not. SO the more you change the bigger it gets. If discovery also ups it, I got nothing... not sure what it could be doing in areas you didn't touch but just walked through. Killing anything is probably a change, though, and starts the spawn timers and so on.
I think I want to change my answer :)
8:13 am, October 10, 2021
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jonnin replied to Destroying pre-made structure increases or decreases world save size? October 9, 2021 @ 1:35:46 pm PDT

it depends on how it is implemented, but there appears to be no reason to save the fact that something used to exist at a position and no longer does. That implies that removing stuff should decrease the save size. Seems like it would take a very large # of removals to affect it by much, though.
11:13 pm, October 9, 2021
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Xilo The Odd replied to Destroying pre-made structure increases or decreases world save size? October 9, 2021 @ 1:38:54 pm PDT

terrain adjustment seems to be the only real culprit beyond adding structures as well as discovering more and more of your map.

the only real way to test this would be to fully reveal your map with you having done nothing else to adjust the world.

then, use some kind of command to delete ALL constructions the player could build. compare file size numbers.
11:13 pm, October 9, 2021
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Mozzy replied to Destroying pre-made structure increases or decreases world save size? October 9, 2021 @ 1:44:08 pm PDT

Originally posted by jonnin:
it depends on how it is implemented, but there appears to be no reason to save the fact that something used to exist at a position and no longer does. That implies that removing stuff should decrease the save size. Seems like it would take a very large # of removals to affect it by much, though.

I guess I could try next time start a new world where I just leave everything standing. Not too worried at moment with file size but I see it jump quite a bit when I create new base -

Like not even many building parts but just doing the basic leveling of ground, raising some walls, and my world.db almost doubles.

Started out ~19mb and now I'm over 60mb with very little of this new world I started explored yet. Think my last game where I abandoned around iron age, my file size was ~100mb.

How big does the world file get if you really explore lot of the world?
11:13 pm, October 9, 2021
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Mozzy replied to Destroying pre-made structure increases or decreases world save size? October 9, 2021 @ 1:50:02 pm PDT

Originally posted by Xilo The Odd:
terrain adjustment seems to be the only real culprit beyond adding structures as well as discovering more and more of your map.

the only real way to test this would be to fully reveal your map with you having done nothing else to adjust the world.

then, use some kind of command to delete ALL constructions the player could build. compare file size numbers.

What about chopping down trees? I would think that counts as terrain adjustment, I've been in habit of leveling entire sections of black forest for my wood addiction.

Maybe I should plant and replant trees on a tree farm base instead.
11:13 pm, October 9, 2021
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FTZ35 replied to Destroying pre-made structure increases or decreases world save size? October 9, 2021 @ 2:22:51 pm PDT

Originally posted by Mozzy:
Originally posted by Xilo The Odd:
terrain adjustment seems to be the only real culprit beyond adding structures as well as discovering more and more of your map.

the only real way to test this would be to fully reveal your map with you having done nothing else to adjust the world.

then, use some kind of command to delete ALL constructions the player could build. compare file size numbers.

What about chopping down trees? I would think that counts as terrain adjustment, I've been in habit of leveling entire sections of black forest for my wood addiction.

Maybe I should plant and replant trees on a tree farm base instead.
For Coal you can just do Surtling farming instead, though even that requires a little terrain modification to be be effective (you have to dig the ground around the geyser until you reach water so that the surtlings that spawn around it are killed instantly, which allows fast farming)
11:13 pm, October 9, 2021
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Faceplant8 replied to Destroying pre-made structure increases or decreases world save size? October 9, 2021 @ 2:29:59 pm PDT

I don't know for sure how the implemented it, but I'm pretty sure that, only modifications are saved. There should be no need to save generated structures unless you modify them. If they were generated the first time you went through there, they will be generated the same way the next time you go through.

You should be able to walk over the entire world and, assuming you don't change anything, all that should be saved is the locations where you've been so that the map can be regenerated correctly.
11:13 pm, October 9, 2021
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Faceplant8 replied to Destroying pre-made structure increases or decreases world save size? October 9, 2021 @ 2:32:16 pm PDT

Originally posted by Mozzy:
How big does the world file get if you really explore lot of the world?

I've explored, probably 75-80% of my main world, and the world file is 253MB.
11:13 pm, October 9, 2021
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Fzanco replied to Destroying pre-made structure increases or decreases world save size? October 9, 2021 @ 2:50:04 pm PDT

Originally posted by Faceplant8:
Originally posted by Mozzy:
How big does the world file get if you really explore lot of the world?

I've explored, probably 75-80% of my main world, and the world file is 253MB.
75-80%!?? Can you show me a picture please
11:13 pm, October 9, 2021
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Faceplant8 replied to Destroying pre-made structure increases or decreases world save size? October 9, 2021 @ 3:29:30 pm PDT

Originally posted by Fzanco:
Originally posted by Faceplant8:

I've explored, probably 75-80% of my main world, and the world file is 253MB.
75-80%!?? Can you show me a picture please

That's probably a high estimate. There is quite a bit remaining around the edges, but it is a significant amount of the land mass. I don't think you could store that amount of terrain/structure information in around 250MB.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2624008376
11:13 pm, October 9, 2021
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Grandaddypurple replied to Destroying pre-made structure increases or decreases world save size? October 9, 2021 @ 3:35:43 pm PDT

Originally posted by Faceplant8:
Originally posted by Fzanco:
75-80%!?? Can you show me a picture please

That's probably a high estimate. There is quite a bit remaining around the edges, but it is a significant amount of the land mass. I don't think you could store that amount of terrain/structure information in around 250MB.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2624008376
Yea that's more like 20-25% lol but point stands
11:13 pm, October 9, 2021
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us271934 replied to Destroying pre-made structure increases or decreases world save size? October 9, 2021 @ 3:44:05 pm PDT

Originally posted by Faceplant8:
Originally posted by Fzanco:
75-80%!?? Can you show me a picture please

That's probably a high estimate. There is quite a bit remaining around the edges, but it is a significant amount of the land mass. I don't think you could store that amount of terrain/structure information in around 250MB.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2624008376

Have you compared to the map generating website for that seed? Just looking I'd say you've unveiled maybe 1/3 of the surface max. It's still a lot of area.
11:13 pm, October 9, 2021
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Faceplant8 replied to Destroying pre-made structure increases or decreases world save size? October 9, 2021 @ 3:49:59 pm PDT

No, and I don't want to. The point was not the exact percentage, but that I don't think all of that is being stored. There are also several large structures on the map. I'm pretty sure that's what is stored.

The bottom line is that I think destroying structures will increase, rather than decrease the world save size.
11:13 pm, October 9, 2021
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Fyra'Nok replied to Destroying pre-made structure increases or decreases world save size? October 9, 2021 @ 3:50:03 pm PDT

I would also really like to have OP's question answered. I keep structures intact and often actually repair them and/or convert them to mini camps with basics for aesthetics. Also don't like the brown flat patch they will leave behind.

Though if it would improve performance to tear them down I definitely would for most of them. Would not mind cleaning up all those map markers for stone towers etc.
11:13 pm, October 9, 2021
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Faceplant8 replied to Destroying pre-made structure increases or decreases world save size? October 9, 2021 @ 4:00:32 pm PDT

Originally posted by Fyra'Nok:
I would also really like to have OP's question answered. I keep structures intact and often actually repair them and/or convert them to mini camps with basics for aesthetics. Also don't like the brown flat patch they will leave behind.

Though if it would improve performance to tear them down I definitely would for most of them. Would not mind cleaning up all those map markers for stone towers etc.

I like to erase the existence of fuling villages, so, after I eject all the tenants I tear down all the structures and clear all the farms. Then I re-seed the whole area to make it look like nothing was ever there.

The only exception is, I like to leave the roof and central column in the small round structures and leave the ground bare under it. It makes a nice place to sit in the shade on a sunny day.
11:13 pm, October 9, 2021
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