The idea of floating land is really one of many many solutions to the problem of having an `land` engine with attempts at realistic physics. If you think back to the earliest games like scorched earth/scorched tanks, blowing a hole in the land usually meant that you'd then `drop` the land that is overhanging one column of pixels at a time. That was one way of doing it. I think it was more or less until Worms came out that this was the most popular method. Some people implemented a little bit of `landslide` but otherwise it didnt' advance much. Them worms did away with the land drop, perhaps thinking it detracted from gameplay, or that it was more fun to have tunnels, because if you don't drop the land you automatically get spaces and overhangs.
To add `reasoning` to the overhanging land, all land would at least start out more or less `attached` and then holes created would be drawn as if a darkened or charred cavern background, that you could walk in front of, as if to suggest it was `supporting` the land above. Looks at the moment as though this is what drew is aiming for, so that you can have overhanging land and tunnels within land to add to the gameplay, even though it means land doesn't fall realistically anymore.
[edit] Hey Drew, you updated your screenshots and demo! I like the addition of the background, it helps the land to stand out and have presence. The sky is nice too, that it's not just a linear gradient. I'm actually growing to like your landscape system.
To add `reasoning` to the overhanging land, all land would at least start out more or less `attached` and then holes created would be drawn as if a darkened or charred cavern background, that you could walk in front of, as if to suggest it was `supporting` the land above. Looks at the moment as though this is what drew is aiming for, so that you can have overhanging land and tunnels within land to add to the gameplay, even though it means land doesn't fall realistically anymore.
[edit] Hey Drew, you updated your screenshots and demo! I like the addition of the background, it helps the land to stand out and have presence. The sky is nice too, that it's not just a linear gradient. I'm actually growing to like your landscape system.