Draw Distance or Pre-rendered Maps (Routes and Towns)

[TheOriginalPlatypus]

Hey guys

I love this project and I hope it keeps going. I know a thread was made like this on Indiedb however this one will go into detail and also it better explains how it would work.

So at the moment the maps (or rooms) are loaded in one at a time. Is there any chance of having them connected and adding a draw distance option to graphics? So that way you can see what is in the next area and maybe the next or the whole region if someone has a good computer? NPC's would have to also be a part of this function some how as they would randomly appear and disappear. I am not sure how XNA works, I know Java uses a lot of Resources when playing games like Minecraft when rendering larger draw distances. If it uses GPU resources I'm sure this can be added as a feature.

Another cool feature if you were to implement draw distance, is level of detail manipulation. This would be used for seeing mountains and buildings off in the distance to add more atmosphere and really make this game feel like your exploring Johto. How this would work if you don't know how it works is Mt. silver would be in the distance but it wouldn't be rendered as a 3D object (just the textures are there) but as a back drop however the closer you are the more detailed it is. Far distances it would either look like a small lump or less detail and more darker. The Legend of Zelda Wind Waker used this for rendering islands and seeing island far off in the distance. You could use the telescope to see it however the island is just a bunch of textures and the 3D model of the island wasn't present.

You can add fog as well however I don't think it would be necessary. Fog as a weather effect would be cool.

Another method this can be implemented is pre-rendered routes. This would involve a picture of the next route so when you head that way it would feel seamless. However this method would be a little tedious unless you had a fast method of capturing pictures of the next route.


Having an option for draw distance as well as level of detail manipulation would make this game a lot more atmospheric. You would see Johto even more in a way you haven't seen it before. I do not know what you would do with the train... That might be an issue however not something that can't be solved. Pre-rendering and fog are also options.

 

[DracoHouston]

this engine doesnt do huge maps well atm

something i'd like to try though is putting some scenery beyond the warps so you arent just walking into space and teleporting somewhere.

 

[TheOriginalPlatypus]

I see, hopefully in the future we can see this. I think having a picture of the next route can also work. Just screen cap it and have it so you can see the next area. You'd also need a buffer zone so the player doesn't feel like they are walking into a wall with a picture on it. The buffer zone is just an area in between maps so one map can unload while the other loads. Having a picture of the next route can be tricky... seeing as the picture can't rotate as the player can look at a different angle and would be able to tell that is a wall with a picture on it. I'm sure there are a few tricks to emulate bigger draw distances with the games limited engine.

Also I think it might be possible to load part of the next map, I have no clue to how much the games engine can handle. Its not loading the next map into one larger map however the next map is not a physical surface the player can walk on, it would be a graphical surface you can see it aesthetically. Without the warp you would fall right off the map. (if that is even possible. lol)

The scenery could work, seeing Mt Silver looming in the background, the Bell Tower, and other mountains. It might get tedious though because you'd walk closer to something and it would obviously have to get bigger as you walked closer to it. Each object would have a radius of how far away you are from it. Every 5 or 10 titles it gets bigger or smaller depending how far you are... Might be too much for the engine though. Or just do a generic background of mountains or trees which might be easier for now. Just an idea though.

 

[DracoHouston]

eh, that can work but we aren't that strapped for performance. in FPS games with the world split into maps you just make a little diorama of the next area beyond the transition, then the player walks through into the real map and barely notices anything.

i want to pretty up and 3d the maps up a bit down the line but right now we're sticking to 3d versions of the GBC game's maps for stylistic and practical reasons. these little touches take time to do, time we should be spending cranking out maps, and improving the engine and game so everyone has something to play.

it's something i really want to see but i'm a bit tied up and so is everyone else. maybe later.

 

[TheOriginalPlatypus]

Sweet that was what I was going for!

Yay its been implemented! Thanks Nilllzz.