V5 Status and Map Creation

[Mickey Kudlo]

Got carrying added last week: pickup, drop, move.

Coded but not updated yet: plants (growing, shade, seed producing), degrade based on v-days and fast degrade based on 10 second intervals.
V-day base degrade is for slow degrades like food, organics (wood, cut plants), etc
Fast degrade is for things like torches, hot food getting cold, hot metal ingot getting cold, etc. Anything that lasts less than a day.
V1/V2 uses a 20 second degrade in case you wondered.

Fixed various bugs and refinements. Started on usage but gonna let the carry code settle a bit.

Been wiping players a lot so added extra space to the record so can add variables without wiping.

Made a mastermaker program that gets all client files together and uploads to website. Still need an automatic date/file checker some day.


Map Creation!

So, I want to spend some time with this now. Was thinking of a few ideas.
- V1 style maps
- V2 fractal map (an imported photoshop fractal)
- naturally time based - create rough flat map, then apply natural processes over a time: seismic uplift/subversion, faults, rain/erosion, volcano, impacts, etc
- sector terrain: each 200x200 sector has a terrain like plains, mountain, forest, desert, artic, ocean, etc. Each having clear border, plants, life, climate, etc.

I am trying out the sector terrain idea for now. It will allow a very diverse landscape for players to explore. I did the terrain idea in V2 I think but that was elevation based. This will be sector based but we'll see. Each terrain will have own stuff like plants, animals, npc, ore/resources, etc. Easy enough to implement too and too give a variety.


Although I still need to implement elevation but probably later. Graphically looking at different options.

[Greatest]

does it have to be sector based?  having a perfectly square mountain in the middle of plains could seem a little weird. I defeinitely love the idea of different terrain types, and each type having different things available(have you been playing HnH again?)...but generation might be weird by sector.

[Sacrifice]

I like the terrain idea ,but make sure the map doesn't go from an arctic map to a hot map(idk like a volcano map or something). Gradual changes would be a good idea. Another idea would be climate zones. Have all the sectors along a certain line be arctic, tropical, etc. That would also make it possible to mix the terrains with others like an arctic mountain or say a beach.

I am sure you have thought of this I just thought it would be a cool idea.

[Greatest]

I like the terrain idea ,but make sure the map doesn't go from an arctic map to a hot map(idk like a volcano map or something).

you can have a volcano in an arctic region...volcanoes have nothing to do with temperature, but about movement of the earth's crust(theres actually a volcano/lava flow in iceland just south of the arctic circle).

Another idea would be climate zones. Have all the sectors along a certain line be arctic, tropical, etc. That would also make it possible to mix the terrains with others like an arctic mountain or say a beach.

climate zones sound fun, but I have a feeling they would just make certain parts of the game world unused.  people wouldn't go too far towards the top or bottom because they'd freeze to death, they would stay away from the middle because getting too hot makes stam recover too slow...this means you have a fight over those middle areas.

[Mickey Kudlo]

Well desert and arctic sectors wouldn't be next to each other but so what? Wouldn't you want to see a Yeti duke it out with a Scorpion? I would.
I was thinking cold towards the north, hot towards the south and tropical in middle. Temperate/mild in between. It doesn't need to be totally realistic though.

The different zones with different and unique resources will encourage questing and jobs. Like if an alchemist needs something an area has but the NPC/natives there are nasty then they hire a warrior for escort or to fetch the items. NPC would also post jobs like this. Certain climates you wouldn't be able to live in of course, like arctic or desert, without some significant challenges.

[Kaios]

I think that sounds alright. The way you phrased it before made it seem like you meant it would be something such as 1,1 would be a forest, 1,2 a desert, 2,1 an arctic terrain and so on with all these sectors jumping around random climates directly next to each other which would be strange in my opinion.

A more realistic/gradual climate change sounds much more appealing.

[Sacrifice]

you can have a volcano in an arctic region...volcanoes have nothing to do with temperature, but about movement of the earth's crust(theres actually a volcano/lava flow in iceland just south of the arctic circle).

Volcano to arctic didn't adequately describe what I meant. What I meant was walking from an arctic sector into a completely opposite sector would seem strange. Volcano just came to mind when I was typing the post ha.

I was thinking cold towards the north, hot towards the south and tropical in middle. Temperate/mild in between

This is more or less what I was trying to say in my post. I just think it would be cool if the climates gradually changed instead of from one thing to another with one step. I know it would probably be hard to do, I just think it would be nice.

[Mickey Kudlo]

Decided I needed elevation implemented in order to really get the map creation going.
Got it in pretty quick, 1 day, but anyone have ideas for a different view or look?
Also, AGK supports 3D and I messed around with it a bit and it could work but needs vertice manipulation before it is practical to use.
Maybe in a year or so I will revisit it.

[Sacrifice]

Looks great to me. Has that nice, classic rpgwo terrain look.

Great work.

As far as a different view/look, I have no idea what different ways it could be shown...

I feel a different view would be confusing and a different look would make it where you don't even know what you are walking in to. Although, I am not sure what all the possibilities are... so I really don't know.

[Mickey Kudlo]

Here is water implemented. Got a stream that runs into a pond/lake.
The water is a transparent layer on top of the ground surface, so items drop below and get covered.
Need animated stream for movement of water still. Also, hopefully show half player, like wading, when in shallows.
Will probably have real fish swimming around unlike V1/V2 which simulated it.

Also, notice the full screen view instead of the limited circle view. Not sure what would be better since some have larger screens then others.
I still wanted a limited view but may do some kinda "explored" then always show it thing.

[Mickey Kudlo]

Also, here is a world map of a 400x400 with 2x2 terrain sections:
Ocean, Ocean
Plains, Forest

The purple dots are plants. Haven't setup plants for ocean terrain yet. Need like palms and such for that.

The Ocean is more like a giant lake. I am not gonna have salt or fresh water differences. Water is water.
The 2 Ocean terrains detect they are next to each other and connect to span otherwise normally, it has a 10-20 space border.

You can just make out some streams and ending pond in the Plains and Forest terrains.

The Forest terrain is a deciduous (mild) one. I plan a coniferous (cool) and tropical (warm) forest as well.

Other terrains planned: desert, arid plains, tundra, arctic, swamp/marsh, mountain, high mountain (cold), volcanic, maybe different ocean temperatures (warm, mild, cool)

I am also open to fantasy terrains like one idea I have is Dead Forest with black trees and ground and nasty NPCs to match.

[Greatest]

I am also open to fantasy terrains like one idea I have is Dead Forest with black trees and ground and nasty NPCs to match.

can also imagine something sort of the opposite, not sure what to call it, but white trees and fairies/elves

would be neat if those 2 different types of trees gave different bonuses when used for things like a magic staff or wand(ie black wood wand gives bonuses to black magic, while white wood wand gives a bonus to white magic)

edit: have you decided if you're going to allow players to grow plants from other terrains in any terrain they settle?  would suck for alchemy if you could only grow 2-5 plants in each terrain type...but then again I could see plants growing normal speed in their native climate and faster/slower in others.  

[Kaios]

ideas better suited for further along in development 

usually one makes the meat and potatoes before the gravy

[Greatest]

ideas better suited for further along in development 

usually one makes the meat and potatoes before the gravy

hey he wrote about the new forest type and already has plants...

the thing with bonuses for wood could change the way he has to design other stuff though, so its good to keep thoughts like that coming early so he won't have to do a major rework later...if all wood is wood then can't have it, but if wood is based on the type of tree then you can(then again shouldn't be too big of a deal with the way Ini's worked for old versions of RPGWO).

[Mickey Kudlo]

Yeah, I like the wood idea. I already have different wood logs. I can see having wands just be wood based and not metal/ore based.

About growing whatever you want on your land... it depends on your land and how you care for them I think.
- If you are in a mild climate, like plains or deciduous forest then anything will grow but may require attention. Like when it gets "dry", you need to water it. Or some kinda action on it to keep it healthy, even if it is just using your hand on it to "clean" or "maintain" it.
- But if you try to grow a citrus tree in the arctic... um... no.

I don't want to do the V1/V2 thing where you plant and forget and all is well. And doubt I will allow planting underground unless the plant is a non-sun plant like mushrooms, etc.

[Greatest]

ok I'm happy with that

lol and now I'm going to have to plant a cactus in a very wet area just for fun when you're done with it.