Flattening terrain in Farthest Frontier is one of those deceptively tricky tasks that feels more complicated than it needs to be. While it’s undeniably useful—especially if you’re trying to build on uneven or mountainous ground—the current system requires a bit of finesse and patience. This guide walks you through how to flatten land effectively, whether you’re clearing minor slopes or attempting to level an entire mountain.

Why Flatten Land?

Building placement in Farthest Frontier is restricted by terrain height. Uneven ground, steep slopes, or jagged inclines prevent structures from being placed. Flattening allows you to open up new areas for construction, streamline your city layout, and make expansion less frustrating.

Accessing the Flatten Tool

There are two ways to open the terrain tool:

• Press T on your keyboard.
• Click the terrain icon in the lower UI menu and select “Flatten Terrain”.

How Flattening Works

The flattening system works by taking the average height of the tiles you select. It then raises or lowers the land in the selected area to match that average. To control this process more precisely:

• Select mostly flat land at the elevation you want.
• Include a small portion of uneven terrain you want to level.

This approach is critical. If you include too much of the unflattened terrain, the average shifts upward or downward, causing unpredictable results.

Step-by-Step Flattening Process

1. Choose Your Base Level: Begin by selecting an area that’s already at your desired elevation (e.g., town level).
2. Extend Into the Uneven Zone: Add a few squares of the hilly or elevated terrain into your selection.
3. Confirm Selection: Click to confirm the flattening operation.
4. Prioritize the Job (Optional): Right-click the task and mark it as a priority to get it done faster.
5. Assign More Builders: Flattening is performed by builders. Press P to open the professions tab and assign more workers to the Builder role to speed up progress.
6. Repeat: Continue overlapping flat zones with hilly areas in stages. Over time, you’ll gradually level the terrain.

Visual Feedback

You’ll know flattening is working when you start seeing sharp cliff edges or smoother gradients where there were once jagged hills. Zooming in close reveals where terrain has shifted. These visual cues help gauge your progress.

Raising Land Works the Same Way

Want to build up instead of down? The same process applies:

• Select a large area that’s already at the higher elevation.
• Include a small portion of lower ground that you want to raise.

The average elevation will bring the lower land up to match the higher level over time.

Large-Scale Flattening: Pros and Cons

Flattening large regions—like entire mountain faces—is possible, but it’s incredibly time-consuming. In one test, flattening a significant mountain area took over two hours. Unless you have a very specific aesthetic or functional reason, you’re better off flattening small sections where needed or building in naturally flat terrain.

If you do decide to level large swathes of land:

• Assign 10–15 builders or more.
• Chain-flatten areas in overlapping selections.
• Use prioritize to keep builders focused on the task.

Flattening Tips Recap

• Use majority-flat selections: Always select more flat tiles than uneven ones.
• Prioritize the job to move it up your task queue.
• Use the T key for quick access to the terrain tool.
• Zoom in to monitor progress and spot changes.
• Avoid flattening entire mountains unless necessary.
• More builders = faster results.

Final Thoughts

The flattening system in Farthest Frontier is tedious but functional. It’s best used sparingly—flattening strategic locations for building placement or adjusting minor slopes. For now, the system is the best we’ve got, but hopefully future updates will streamline the process.

Until then, approach terrain manipulation in stages, use builder prioritization wisely, and, most importantly, start your town in a flat area whenever possible. That one decision alone can save you hours of time and frustration later on.

If you’ve got additional flattening tips or run into quirks worth sharing, feel free to drop them in the comments or check for pinned advice. Flatten smart, build wisely, and keep that frontier thriving.