Spring RTS Engine

What I'm thinking of is a form of bridges and overhangs and I know it is probably been discussed before and decided to not be possible.

But what about using multiple height maps. One height map would be the low land and ramps, another would be bridges and overhangs. When deciding which height map to read the code must then consider the current Z position (presuming Z is up in spring) of the querying object. The other height maps would not need to be rendered, instead features should be placed to trick the user into thinking that units are moving on a bridge (or what ever).

Thoughts? (not flames)

Would require massive rewrite, patches welcome.

Das Bruce wrote:Would require massive rewrite, patches welcome.

What major things can you think of that would need rewriting?

For what you suggest? Spring's entire pathfinder...

Zwzsg and Argh are working on sort of hackish ways of doing something like that though using lots of Lua magic...

Pathing, collision, aiming, rendering, terrain deformation, LOS, LOF.

Petah wrote:

Das Bruce wrote:Would require massive rewrite, patches welcome.

What major things can you think of that would need rewriting?

jesus we had like 3 threads on this!?! read some of the forum before posting.

Can you *under* those bridges though?

It would be awesome if we had FPS (I'm thinking quake3) style terrain...

The reason we don't have "working" bridges and overhangs is because no RTS had ever done them at the time of the making of our engine... they are still very rare in RTSes... though you can fake them with 3D models embedded in the map already... just can't let units walk on them... of you don the "space platform" option as the image suggests to fake the effect.

And what if there are a hundred tiny flea-sized units under a bridge and you want to select one of them. Oh, and there are also units on and around the bridge. It would be a UI pain to have multiple layers of units (we already have this occur sometimes with air units but bridges would be worse). Obviously there are always ways to resolve it, but they would not be simple.

You cannot go under the bridges, no. Could probably make that happen, but it'd just be a massive headache, control-wise.

Argh wrote:You cannot go under the bridges, no. Could probably make that happen, but it'd just be a massive headache, control-wise.

DO IT, i could live with you having headache

How about enclosed bridges that act like tunnels? Unit arrives at entrance and after a little appears at the exit.

Not fancy nor does it allow bridge combat but it should be easier to implement with less hacks, no?

if it needs rewrite, then would be better making terrain & bridges damageable like on worms 3d.
Anyway pathing will be A LOT more cpu expensive cause we'll go from 2d pathing to 3d pathing
Theorically, you need to check 26 blocks to find nearest accessible one, instead of 8 with current pathing and you need also to do raycast on map mesh with ray starting at unit current height to ground, so it's a lot of work.
Another way is raycasting directly and check 8 raycasted heights around the unit.
Also planes that didn't need pathing, with that modification they will have to.
Also there's need of something to see underground

a bit off topic but i have been planning to make a very simple bridge ingame, using the lua-heightmap trip. I want it to be a bit like CnC bridges were, where you need an engineer to rebuild it. If would start to be built up if you had a unit (maybe a specific unit i dunno) in a box on both sides. Of course it wouldnt be proper 3d bridge only a place where you can raise the land to cross a ravine but it would be similar for gameplay.

How about enclosed bridges that act like tunnels? Unit arrives at entrance and after a little appears at the exit.

Not fancy nor does it allow bridge combat but it should be easier to implement with less hacks, no?

That is very easy, yes.

a bit off topic but i have been planning to make a very simple bridge ingame, using the lua-heightmap trip.

That's essentially all I'm doing, with a few minor adjustments here and there, and zxswg made a fairly good demonstration of dynamic heightmap stuff.

The problem is, just doing it that way is, for lack of a nicer way of putting it, ugly. The stretching and distortion caused by SMF is really awful, due to the height changes.

Argh wrote:

How? Sauce?

I will release source when it's worth seeing. ATM, it isn't, and won't be until I deal with certain issues. This was a quickie demo project, and is not currently in a state where I'd feel comfortable releasing it, even for just-looking purposes yet.

Argh wrote:I will release source when it's worth seeing. ATM, it isn't, and won't be until I deal with certain issues. This was a quickie demo project, and is not currently in a state where I'd feel comfortable releasing it, even for just-looking purposes yet.

maackey wrote:

Argh wrote:I will release source when it's worth seeing. ATM, it isn't, and won't be until I deal with certain issues. This was a quickie demo project, and is not currently in a state where I'd feel comfortable releasing it, even for just-looking purposes yet.