Campaign map?

[Danimal]

We will eventually need something to string the levels, it can be done with just story, but its not as flashy;
this pics are from the campaign maps used in DK and DK2:

DK used a static pre-rendered map, conquered regions become lifeless( red and black on botton ones)


DK2 used a 3d map, conquered regions also become barren


But i would like to propose something like this for OD:
(skip to 7:52)

youtu.be/9nWt-6jbD-c

I would describe it as an augmented classical map. The map in itself its not hard to do with software like photoshop, icons to populate it (like trees or cities) can be created from reworked OGA ones.


The question, is Ogre able to achieve an effect like that? i would say most of them are just animated textures alpha mapped to a simple mesh that moves around situated over the map.
After the province is conquered a darker version could be applied over it switching everything to dead trees, burning cities and the like...

Your opinions?

Sadly i wont be able to do anything until my uni test are over by next month.

[Bertram]

I do think it's reasonable as for the coding of it and the idea is refreshing.
The prerequisites I see before being able to start working on this in a sane way are those: (Nothing major now threads are gone.)
- Fix crashes seen when changing a map for another, to be able to play several games in a row.
- Make the game map be a component of the game mode and the editor modes, forcing us to load/unload it at the right times, and handling the absence of it in the frame listener and the camera manager.

I've added a few lines in the wiki TODO about this.

Personally though, I'll keep working on cleaning up the code for now (including rooms), remove some left-overs of threading, and fix server listening code by using SFML.

[Danimal]

Of course, having the core gameplay stable and running is more important than a cosmetic addition, but it will be nice to have once we get there.

- Make the game map be a component of the game mode and the editor modes, forcing us to load/unload it at the right times, and handling the absence of it in the frame listener and the camera manager.

I do think it can be ignored/lessened by a reworking on how the editor and level works at the moment (or the way to call them). Right now testlevel gets loaded just by pushing a button, its very convenient for us and developing, but we should aim to develop a system that can be told where to find the map file and it would store a link to it for later use (just like a save & load from any current pcgame).
That way the main menu would be like this:

- Campaign (only here the map is needed, this gamemode would be the only one to call upon it; possibility to hold more than one campaign, just like Battle for Wesnoth does)
- Skirmish (all levels from the game are accesible from a list here, new ones can be added by finding and adding to the list)
- Load (a saved game)
- Editor (option to create a new level, then a windows appears asking for size, biome, allowed creatures...; or pick one of a list to modify or search for one in your pc)
- Config
- Credits
- Quit

As for the way to create the map campaign itself i have no idea codewise, but the idea would be to make easy for players to create their owns (even if worse) to string their custom made campaigns

[Bertram]

Hi

Of course, having the core gameplay stable and running is more important than a cosmetic addition, but it will be nice to have once we get there.

See no offences at all, I was just reminding what were the current release objectives, IMHO. Planning ahead is more than fine, though.

- Campaign (only here the map is needed, this gamemode would be the only one to call upon it; possibility to hold more than one campaign, just like Battle for Wesnoth does)
- Skirmish (all levels from the game are accesible from a list here, new ones can be added by finding and adding to the list)
- Load (a saved game)
- Editor (option to create a new level, then a windows appears asking for size, biome, allowed creatures...; or pick one of a list to modify or search for one in your pc)
- Config
- Credits
- Quit

This is very relevant and I wish we could already be at this stage. Such kind of menus makes the difference between a tech-demo and a true game, IMHO, because they imply a refined and definite structure. I hope I'll be able to work on that sooner or later.

Let me add that to the wiki.

Best regards,

[Elvano]

This isn't exactly at the top of the to-do-list, but the effects can be easily achieved by plane projection.
However in the youtube example you have given they make use of little 3D objects as marker.

Take note that the images you are refering to are made in Inkscape and, although pretty well done, they aren't hard to make ourselves.
If you want some fancy detailed effects you better GIMP them up indeed.

Programming wise that shouldn't be too hard, until the moment you let users add custom campains <.<
Which means you no longer have a fixed positions, nor sizes.
And there needs to be a method for players to add shapes of land, adjust the size to it as well as the need for building in checks on overlaping land, a logical flow of campains over the lands.

[Danimal]

there is no doubt we have a spy here, this was posted yesterday:

OGA: For those familiar with the basics of GIMP there is a quick way to create a custom, decent looking, world map.

http://opengameart.org/forumtopic/fanta ... ment-28612


http://opengameart.org/content/fantasy-world-map-0
Now we have a good guidelines to follow in the future, but having those little trees and cities animated would be a crusade for me. I want to see those mini-trees swinging at the wind and little carts rolling around

Programming wise that shouldn't be too hard, until the moment you let users add custom campains <.<
Which means you no longer have a fixed positions, nor sizes.
And there needs to be a method for players to add shapes of land, adjust the size to it as well as the need for building in checks on overlaping land, a logical flow of campains over the lands.

I can think of a way for this, maybe making the map composed of small elements? something like the map being empty (an empty canvas) and you add each country separately, along with its destroyed version (to replace when level is finished) linked to mission (making the country a clickable "object" like a weirdly shaped button, that ligths up when mouse is over it) giving them a X/Y position by hand. That way the game just checks when doing a "onmouseclick"(or whatever ogre uses); making sure checks on overlaping land are correct would be their duty, not too hard if we make a tutorial explaining how to cut the map on gimp/photoshop and some positioning tips.

Decoration elements (like sea monsters or birds) can go anywhere if everything is ordered in 4 rendering layers; 1st empty canvas with sea, 2nd sea decorations, 3 countries, 4 decorations over land (birds,clouds, dragons...)
Countries itself coul be animated textures already including all the little animated elements i mentioned before, so there is no need to add a miriad of small elements by hand.
Couldnt all the above even be stored i a xml file like what we use for levels if broken like this?

However in the youtube example you have given they make use of little 3D objects as marker.

We dont need those at all, this video was the closest example to what i wanted to show.

[Elvano]

www.cartographersguild.com

It's a place I often refere to when people are planning on making a map overview of some kind.
These people have this specific form of visualasing as a hobby and are willing to share their knowledge (see the tutorials)