Test Map Series

[hoijui]

i would like to kick off a series of test maps, testing as much as is possible/makes sense to test with maps.




Examples for what could be tested:

• pathing (different slopes, narrow valleys, ...)
• map formats
• GFX stuff: texture, shinny stuff, fog, snow, ...
• different sizes
• features
• type-maps

We could have one map that allows testing for multiple of these things, or one for each. Stuff could be well defined and labeled with the texture, for example Slope 45% or |___| 32 height-map units. Everything should be in an SCM. I propose git, as it can be accessed through git and in the svn way (git svn or a proxy), and it is better for a dynamic project (possibly lots of one-time contributors), especially with github. We choose a license up front, and then require everything used to have to conform to that. Assets should be small where possible, file-size wise (no bmp?). For most stuff, we should have only one flat color texture, plus some grid and labels maybe.

For what?

• pathing tests
• bug report screen-shots
• GFX bug testing (we only have to run one game to see all possible GFX glitches with a new version)
• automated engine/mod/whatever test scripts
• reference assets ("i want to have this awesome shiny stuff on my map, how do i do that?" -> "get test-map-suite, look at sub-dir shiny-stuff-map/")
• could be referred to in map-making tutorials

i would like to hear opinions and maybe some ugly paint-ed first sketches for a pathing-testing map (my primary interest).
is anyone interested in working on this?

[Johannes]

What kind of pathing tests you need exactly, that cannot be done with normal maps?

[smoth]

what do you need in particular that we do not already have?

[hoijui]

:/

pathing

• clearly defined slopes (from flat to steep)
• ramps & narrow valleys of different, clearly labeled sized, to test flow through speed of herds and/or getting stuck
• alternative routes between two points: land, water, deep-water, flat, road (type-map), hilly, short, long

[smoth]

I can give you that what size map do you need?

[FireStorm_]

I thought it was a good idea, form a promoting-the-engine-standpoint.
In the sense that it could provide possible future game-devs (perhaps even current ones) with a helpful standardised testing environment.
Perhaps shipped with the engine?

It would have to be really well made, since I imagine it would become for a big part the calling card of Spring, (Maybe the place/map where you'd see most of the new models turn up on screen shots, before you see see the somewhere else) and I wonder how (pro) mappers feel about this idea.

(I must admit however, since I already have Spring and a chessboard map, and I don't consider myself a pro-game-dev, I myself am already quite happy.)

[Johannes]

:/

pathing

• clearly defined slopes (from flat to steep)
• ramps & narrow valleys of different, clearly labeled sized, to test flow through speed of herds and/or getting stuck
• alternative routes between two points: land, water, deep-water, flat, road (type-map), hilly, short, long

I'd rather if you say what you want to test and how exactly. Not just what kind of test environment you want. Then the map can be better adjusted for it, and it's also very possible someone alraedy knows the answer you want, or can point you to a map that already has similar environment to what the test needs.

[smoth]

I agree but I have wanted to make a training room map anyway

[hoijui]

i am sorry...
i created the wrong impression by posting in this forum. i don't want a map not, but i want a discussion and ideas first, if this makes sense.. who wants this, ...
could someone please move this to the Dev forum?

[KaiserJ]

any good? obv not a "testing" map but i think it probably fits at least some of the criteria

should be ready (at least w/o features) if you think you'd like like it by friday afternoon

[hoijui]

don't know what you mean but.. all maps meet some of the criteria.
the test-maps would not be usable for real games. they would not look nice, be balanced or anything. i think of them as purely functional.

[knorke]

sort of related:
http://h-4.abload.de/img/greatwallofchinaopq3.jpg

to me it seems that units get stuck on such corners much easier if the cliff is a bith smooth as in that picture. if the cliff is steeper they go around it better (but still get stuck and whatnot)

you want to test stuff like that?

[hoijui]

yeah exactly, stuff like that. you may also check-out Godde's path-finding testing threads on the Help & Bugs forum.

yeah.. good example. the test-map would have to have different corners too.

[zwzsg]

I have plans to improve my palladium heightmap code to make ramps and platform easily definable by tags, then to make a special KP-style mission where map gets a ramp placed, units gets spawned and told to move, wait some seconds, write down if unit reached destination, then delete units, delete ramp, place a new ramp and new units, etc... Then these are plans from six month ago that I haven't worked much on yet.

Then my dynamic heightmap code would generate ramps with always the same kind of edge, while a hand made map can have all kind of variation between smooth, sharp or warped edges. And a mid-sized map has more than enough space to accomodate for all the kind of ramps you'd want to test.

[hoijui]

hmm...
yeah i guess dynamic height-map is something to possibly consider too.
if it could be controlled in various ways, like through map-option, Lua functions and a GUI in-game maybe.