[Solved] Question about odd lava movement behavior

[Darmo 303]

Have you read, understood, and followed all of the rules: ya

TFC Version #: .79.21 Forge Version #: 10.13.4.1448   SinglePlayerHave you deleted your config files or are using default configs and are still able to reproduce this bug? haven't changed them Do you have any mods other than Forge and TFC installed? Waila If you have Optifine or Cauldron installed, can you still reproduce the bug after uninstalling them? don't use those

 

I was experimenting in creative with lava, and noticed some kind of odd behavior and wanted to see if there are any guidelines I'm missing as to how it works. Basically, I was trying to make lava channels to move it around.  I noticed that when I drop it down a level, It doesn't always take all the available channels.  I had one case where there were 3 channels at 90 degrees, and it only took one of them.   In another case, I had four available channels, and it took 3 of them, but not the other. 

 

I found that in the second case for example - 4 channels - if I blocked off the 3 channels it preferred to take, it would indeed take the fourth when it dropped.  And if I then broke open the preferred channels after it had dropped,  it would take them, resulting in lava in all four channels.  However, if I blocked off the shunned channel, let the lava fall and fill the others, and then broke open the shunned channel, the lava still would not flow into it.  I could detect no rhyme or reason to how the lava chose which channel(s) to take. 

 

I'm not saying there's a bug or anything, but I was wondering if there are guidelines, or maybe this is a mechanic that hasn't really been examined and could be cleaned up to be more consistent, or what.

 

Here's an example of the first case, where the lava chose to take only 1 of the 3 available channels. 

It will take others if you block off the preferred channel.  If you then break the block obstructing the preferred channel it will flow into it.  But  if it is already in the preferred channel, opening up other channels will not make it flow into them. 

 

[Kittychanley 1,002]

Lava uses the vanilla water mechanics for movement. If you want to learn how they work, I would suggest this game by SethBling:

 

[Darmo 303]

Ah, I think I get it now, that it's not about what's actually next to the lava when it drops, it's about the 'potential' - the nearest next-block-down.  I also noticed that lava doesn't seem to set plank blocks, logs, or lumber on fire.  Is that just because I'm in creative mode?  The minecraft wiki suggested lava checks around it for wood blocks to burn.

[Kittychanley 1,002]

Lava not lighting nearby blocks on fire is a bug, and has been fixed for .23

[Darmo 303]

So I was flying about in a ceative mode test world, and noticed that a large forest fire had started around some lava pools in an acacia forest.  So lava is indeed starting surroundings on fire, but I wonder if maybe world gen should be tweaked to not have trees generate near lava?  I watched the forest fire for quite awhile in an ever-expanding ring, and it seemed like it could burn forever.  Or at least until it rains I guess.  Not sure if world gen tweaks are in the cards at this stage, or if lava generates before trees,  but I thought I'd point out that lava pools are kind of a severe forest danger now.

Edited 20 Sep 2015 by Darmo

[Kittychanley 1,002]

Fire spread is just the vanilla mechanic, which already has measures in place to prevent fire from spreading infinitely and destroying an entire forest. I don't remember if they got rid of it with the nerf, but I believe the difficulty your game is set to determines how long the fire will burn.