This is one of a series of threads that I'm posting.  I worked on an image all weekend and encountered several problems with it.  In fact, I posted it in my gallery and the first comment I got on it fully confirmed my opinion that it sucked so I took it down.  I thought it would have some value to write what happened and post it for two reasons.

1.)  My experience might be interesting for some to see what kinds of things happened during the development of the image.
2.)  I would like feedback on what I could try to get it better.

I think these issues are big enough to have a separate thread for each so I have broken this up into separate threads with images and text to support each issue.

I am happy for any and all feedback!

Thanks!

Terrains
What worked.
Nothing.
What didn't Work.
Everything!  I wanted a rocky sand planet.  This was really my first time to bang on the terrain modeler.  So I learned to put in a generator and then add filters to get a result.  I also learned that if you pump up the render and previeiw scales much, it will take a long time for everything (saving, rendering, yak yak yak).  Bottom line, the terrain generator didn't produce terracing in a fashion that was random enough.  I also couldn't generate terrains that I could lay together or hook up in ways that was easy without taking them into the vertex modeler for surgery (very stupid).  I also wanted to put my rocket ship initially on the terrain but it was too hard for my needs.  I've done it before.  I just wasn't in the mood this weekend.
What I tried.
I tried lots of different filters and generators to try to get what I wanted.  It just couldn't get it to gel for me.  I also really hate the default terrain texture that it dumps on the terrain.  It's a very confusing shader to start with (in fact, I'm still quite confused about it).  That whole aspect of the shading setup is a mystery.  Not sure how I want to deal with that one yet.
What I learned.
Realistic terrains are difficult to generate.  They are also challenging to shade and are difficult to have the variance in them that would make them look natural.  It's hard to make a mountain on a plain without having to take it into the vertex modeler or without boolean operations for specific surgery.  It's hard to have multiple terrains in a scene because the edges don't line up in a way that makes it easy.
Bottom line, Terrains are hard to get them to behave!  I own ground control.  Maybe it's time I really explore that plug-in and see what sorts of trouble I can get into with it (dang!).

-Kix