Multiple Suggestions

I actually have quite a few different suggestions, but I’ll put them here and try to organize them as best as I can.
Topics that you should look at as I believe they relate to this one:
[sup]1[/sup]http://smf.cataclysmdda.com/index.php?topic=2113.0

[size=18pt]Tilesets:[/size]
The tileset system, as it appears to me seems… inefficient. It looks to be one giant image for everything. That’s what bugs me a lot about tileset games, you aren’t actually required to use one tileset file!
My first suggestions is this: Split the giant tileset into multiple image files. One for normal zombies, one for terrain, one for furniture, one for guns, one for blade weapons, one for special zombies, etc. This is where I get more specific: Multiple “icons” depicting state or quality. This helps easier visual identification of damaged targets, item quality, etc. Even better, you can have several alternates for monsters, for example a zombie in a hoodie or a zombie with no shirt…
For example: A undamaged normal zombie has a seperate image from a normal zombie that is nearly dead. The nearly dead one looks as implied: nearly dead whilst the undamaged one appears undamaged (although a walking corpse isn’t exactly in the best of conditions either).
Another example: A pistol of the worst quality looks different then the same kind of pistol with the highest quality.

[size=18pt]Save file(s)/Worlds/Dimensions[/size]
The game’s lore depicts there is of course the Earth and several other worlds/dimensions. However, the game currently lets us play on Earth, and the whole save file is described as a world.
What I suggest is that it be changed so that the whole save file is a Dimension which can have multiple Worlds and each world has the same number of Planes. Simply put: The “Dimension” is the whole save file. So, when you want to regenerate your save instead of “reset world” you would “reset Dimension”. A world is simply that: A world that the players can play in. Planes, however, is where things begin to overlap. As with the first link[sub]1[/sub], I believe these supernatural factions should instead live on seperate “Planes”. It’s confusing because they are part of the world, yet not. Save file wise, planes have their own seperate z-level systems but exist in a 1:1 ratio with each other. Meaning if you’re at 1,1,1 (x,y,z) in the Overworld Plane, then somehow transition (artifact?) into the Shadow Plane, you would still be at 1,1,1… Just on a different plane of existance. Map wise, forests are still where forests are and rivers are where rivers are in all planes for the world. It’s just what’s there in one plane isn’t the same as the other.
For example: The faction listed in the first post, Netherum Colonies would exist on the World Earth in the plane Netherum. Both planes would be somewhat similar looking, meaning forests are still where forests should be. Except instead of wooden trees it’s some sort of hellish fire-breathing tree that explodes violently when chopped down by the player. Instead of water there’s lava. Etc.

Further explanation if you didn’t understand the above: The game now can have multiple “Worlds” in one save file, each world is unique and has multiple planes. Map wise, they’re all the same just populated with different stuff. Meaning a river of water in the Overworld Plane is a river of lava in the Netherum plane. At one time the player is in one World at a time. More specifically, they are in one of the Planes of that World. Only one Plane is loaded and active at one time.

If the topic is If you have questions, further suggestions, comments, or just like the look of your writing on the screen please feel free to comment.

Some responses!

  1. Tileset support could probably use some more work, yeah. Right now the implementation is pretty basic, and we still have plenty of things that are planned to eventually be supported still on the list.
  2. Currently GalenEvil is working on the World Factory, which will allow for multiple worlds being saved and handled separately.
  3. Different “planes” or other places being accessible through portals is planned, but is still quite a ways off from being implemented. There is a lot of behind-the-scenes work and infrastructure that needs to go into place first, and quite a few older systems need to be rewritten as well. Rest assured that once it becomes possible we’ll definitely be looking into making multiple planes that the player can switch between!

Wouldn’t this “multiple planes” make things messy? why would you want to complicate things when it is already complex?

Am I the only one who’s noticed that OP’s flowchart is 125x90?

Also, what good is a flowchart the size of a postage stamp?

As I understand it, the alternate images and such can be implemented with something resembling the current system, it’s just typical to have all the images tiled in a single file rather than spread out amoung innumerable individual files. Basically you’d update the config file associated with a tileset to have multiple tiles per entity, possibly to be randomly used, possibly to be associated with properties like damage level. I must say visual feedback of enemy health would be nice, possibly just a toggle at half health. (and it could be optional for the tileset)

As for the multi-world thing, yea we have some plans in this direction. Supper seccrit plans (not really, they’re in the issue tracker).

[quote=“i2amroy, post:2, topic:3394”]Some responses!

  1. Tileset support could probably use some more work, yeah. Right now the implementation is pretty basic, and we still have plenty of things that are planned to eventually be supported still on the list.
  2. Currently GalenEvil is working on the World Factory, which will allow for multiple worlds being saved and handled separately.
  3. Different “planes” or other places being accessible through portals is planned, but is still quite a ways off from being implemented. There is a lot of behind-the-scenes work and infrastructure that needs to go into place first, and quite a few older systems need to be rewritten as well. Rest assured that once it becomes possible we’ll definitely be looking into making multiple planes that the player can switch between![/quote]
    Response to your response:
    1: The reason I suggested multiple files for image use is that trying to use animated images and tilesets don’t work well together, and with cataclysms buggy system I don’t even want to know what would happen. It also helps clear things up as you don’t have to search through a giant image and try to figure out what part of the image is for what object.
    2: That isn’t what I meant. The first thing I listed I said was “the whole save file” as in: There are multiple worlds per save file.
    3: And the “planes” are really just the same worldgen, it’s just what you find there is different (lava instead of water, exploding trees instead of oak trees, some creepy flesh ground instead of dirt, etc.). Essentially the Planes I suggested are like z-levels.

[quote=“Rivet, post:4, topic:3394”]Am I the only one who’s noticed that OP’s flowchart is 125x90?

Also, what good is a flowchart the size of a postage stamp?[/quote]

I tried with three different sites to host the image for free, two required I sign up before uploading (didn’t want more spam for my email account) so I went with the third which didn’t require an account to upload. It’s just you need it to get the full size image link, because it won’t let you select the image link without logging in first. The size of the image on my suggestion is a scaled down thumbnail essentially as I didn’t feel inclined to spend 30 minutes on google trying to find my image.

http://imgur.com/ will host images for free for display in circumstances like this. Just click on the “upload images” button in the top left and follow instructions, no sign-up required!