theWulfen 2 – Blog

Map Driv’lings

February 28, 2009 on 4:47 pm | In Game Environment | No Comments

Ok, a few thoughts about the map/navigation system.

2 possible methods of data storage, both with advantages and disadvantages.  The physical creation of this is a different obstacle.

• Database storage
  Positives:
  • Efficient method of searching
  • Fields can be indexed – improving searching again
  • Pre-defined methods of access

  Negatives:

  • Searches take time to run, especially on large amounts of data
  • Inherantly retrieves more information (i.e. rows returned etc), thus has a fairly large overhead
• Flat file storage
  Positives:
  • Bespoke system could have low overheads
  • Good setup for data that changes infrequently

  Negatives:

  • Would need a bespoke read system
  • Indexing methodolgy would have to be created from the ground up

Next up there is the question of how we visually display the area where the character is.

The character will be able to travel in 8 compass directions and will only see a limited area around themselves .  Two basic concepts would work, that of a reveal system and that of a reload system.  In a reveal system, when a character moves in a specific direction, then an area drops off the screen and a new area is revealed.  In a reload system then the whole area around the character is reloaded.  I currently think that a reveal system would look better, but no decisions as yet.

Land could be either stored in a number of gigantic graphics, that we use the gd2 library to cut up (overhead warning) or multiple tiles.  Although I’m tempted to just say ‘use tiles’ that approach would result in either hundreds of slight variations, or the potential that we have tiles that just appear everywhere.

Finally I need to make the decision on if I want to do a top-down or isometric map.  Isometric would look fantastic but would create many more problems and technical considerations than a top-down one.

EDIT: Just been looking and there is a 3rd option that falls between the top-down and isometric views.  Basically its a zelda-esq effect, so that it give the impression of being 3d…