Camera modes needs to be fine tuned.
-All camera modes should be changed so that it is possible to exceed the map and look at it from a perspective that lies outside the map area. This will make it easier to control buildings and units at the edges of the map.
- The default TA camera mode should be changed so that it is possible to rotate the view 90 degrees.
- The rotatable camera mode should have its algorithm controlling the way it zooms changed. When zooming in, the camera should adjust to a more horisontal view ealier so that you don´t have to "step on the ground" before looking straight out. This would make this camera mode more attractive since you would get keep 3D feeling while still having a better overview. Changing the angle just a few degress would give a much better overview.
The #2 item on my wishlist
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SwiftSpear
- Classic Community Lead
- Posts: 7287
- Joined: 12 Aug 2005, 09:29
I agree... but only to the extent that I think something needs to be done with the edge of the map beyond what currently is happening, then camera angles could go all over the place and still work great.aGorm wrote:Just for teh record, Im totaly against letting the camera go outside the map, people complan teh edge is ugly as it is, if were to takel that l;etting the camera out will only make our job harder...
aGorm
YHe, but to be resonable... were not gonna get much more than a flat plane extending on forever with 1 repeting texture, and maybe the possiblity to add a heightmap to it for a short distance...
To be honest teh edge of the map problem is that if teh camera can go outside and we fix up the edges to look nice, you wont know were the map ends... I dont think a Tribes 2 style green wall will look good or anything else for that matter, so you'll have to limit the camera just to keep things simple for people.
Besides, I recon I have found a way to neten up the edge of my next map that requires no extra work for the programers, but having the camera move outside would ruin the effect.
aGorm
To be honest teh edge of the map problem is that if teh camera can go outside and we fix up the edges to look nice, you wont know were the map ends... I dont think a Tribes 2 style green wall will look good or anything else for that matter, so you'll have to limit the camera just to keep things simple for people.
Besides, I recon I have found a way to neten up the edge of my next map that requires no extra work for the programers, but having the camera move outside would ruin the effect.
aGorm
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SwiftSpear
- Classic Community Lead
- Posts: 7287
- Joined: 12 Aug 2005, 09:29
The thing is, right now you can still easily see off the edge of the map, you just can't navigate the cam out there in any way. The whole point of navigating the cam out is so you can go just outside the map so you aren't looking straight down when your units get too close to the edge in free rotate and FPS mode. An infinate repeating texture is alot better then the floating worlds we have right now. And hell, you can always add a fog or something so you don't even have to see infinate ugly, it just gets eaten up by fog.aGorm wrote:YHe, but to be resonable... were not gonna get much more than a flat plane extending on forever with 1 repeting texture, and maybe the possiblity to add a heightmap to it for a short distance...
To be honest teh edge of the map problem is that if teh camera can go outside and we fix up the edges to look nice, you wont know were the map ends... I dont think a Tribes 2 style green wall will look good or anything else for that matter, so you'll have to limit the camera just to keep things simple for people.
Besides, I recon I have found a way to neten up the edge of my next map that requires no extra work for the programers, but having the camera move outside would ruin the effect.
aGorm
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BlackLiger
- Posts: 1371
- Joined: 05 Oct 2004, 21:58
Been over this
I still think the best approach is to just have mappers define an inner "play area" that is a subsection of the map that units can play on. Have it outlined visibly in-game, so that players won't be confused why they can't order units out into the outer zone. Let the cam fly in the outer zone, but not exit the map proper.
As a side benefit, the "play area" could be required simply to be a convex poly rather than a rectangle, thus allowing mappers to make maps that aren't square - while the full map field would be rectangular, the actual gameplay area could be whatever they want, so they could make circular, hexagonal, octagonal, whatever-shaped maps. This would help in cases like the Starfish Island or the Ring Atoll where the square shape is inappropriate.
As a side benefit, the "play area" could be required simply to be a convex poly rather than a rectangle, thus allowing mappers to make maps that aren't square - while the full map field would be rectangular, the actual gameplay area could be whatever they want, so they could make circular, hexagonal, octagonal, whatever-shaped maps. This would help in cases like the Starfish Island or the Ring Atoll where the square shape is inappropriate.
Here is the problem with what You all want... all of you are unfortunately wrong and stupid because you fail to think like a moron who likes to play video games... I drew a picture to illistrate...
http://www.geocities.com/theonlybendavis/cammera.jpg
1) is what you are complaining about, the "camera is limmited to inside the map" problem, this is problem
2) this is what you all seem to think that you want... the cammera to be able to "see the whole map" without acctually seeing the edge... this would mean readjusting the direction of your cammera as you left the map to make sure you didn't see the edge(I think this is what we do have in Classic TA view, but I'm not sure)
3) this is what many of you are complaining about as what you think is wrong with option 2, being able to see the edge... this option (basically not letting the edge of the map LEAVE the view, or the "one screen past the edge" option)
I like number 2, but you still have some decisions to make...
4) this is what would happen if you were "not allowed to view the edge of the map" if you have bumpy terrain, it would be possible to not see certain parts of the map...
6) is I think what we currrently have... the "cammera" can't go below ground so we can see more of the map, but still can hide units in ditches
5) (i did the numbering wrong) if the map was allowed to "go underground" then the terrain would block the view of certain parts of the map, but you could see in ditches...
http://www.geocities.com/theonlybendavis/cammera.jpg1) is what you are complaining about, the "camera is limmited to inside the map" problem, this is problem
2) this is what you all seem to think that you want... the cammera to be able to "see the whole map" without acctually seeing the edge... this would mean readjusting the direction of your cammera as you left the map to make sure you didn't see the edge(I think this is what we do have in Classic TA view, but I'm not sure)
3) this is what many of you are complaining about as what you think is wrong with option 2, being able to see the edge... this option (basically not letting the edge of the map LEAVE the view, or the "one screen past the edge" option)
I like number 2, but you still have some decisions to make...
4) this is what would happen if you were "not allowed to view the edge of the map" if you have bumpy terrain, it would be possible to not see certain parts of the map...
6) is I think what we currrently have... the "cammera" can't go below ground so we can see more of the map, but still can hide units in ditches
5) (i did the numbering wrong) if the map was allowed to "go underground" then the terrain would block the view of certain parts of the map, but you could see in ditches...
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Doomweaver
- Posts: 704
- Joined: 30 Oct 2004, 14:14
No, it wouldn't. The amount of time to create a low-res "world" map would be insignificant (maybe ten minutes at most) compared to the amount of time needed to make a good actual map. and it would be hugely sweet. I was thinking of how to resolve this problem the other day, of the "playing in a box", and Zaphod's idea is the best solution. Look at how Rome Total War does it; it feels as if you are in the actual world, not just a little box of it. They use the low-res map method.
The nearest way fo doing it would be the skybox way of extending land out using perspective, but it'd be very badly done.
Or you can use the method sinbad used to skin terrain, by extending the featurs model out past the maps edges, giving you very highly detailed terrain, but it'd be a pain to model.
Or you can use the method sinbad used to skin terrain, by extending the featurs model out past the maps edges, giving you very highly detailed terrain, but it'd be a pain to model.