 |
|
RedWhiteArcher
|
|
I think that CTP 2 Earth map was a horible one.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
ToD.MB
|
|
I certainly hope so - the Earth maps in recent games have been poor.
Surely the Earth map is what gives the game proper life - you always know where you are and what you're doing. These style games are about re-writing history, and you can't do that without an accurate and realistic Earth map.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Grim Legacy
|
|
War Machine, Barbaric King, Relentless, Remorseless, Guiltless and Unclean!
Aug 2001
time: 06:15
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by ToD.MB
I certainly hope so - the Earth maps in recent games have been poor.
Surely the Earth map is what gives the game proper life - you always know where you are and what you're doing. These style games are about re-writing history, and you can't do that without an accurate and realistic Earth map. |
I think I even saw a mention of a bigger and better Earthmap somewhere...but anyway I have no doubt it will be included -it has been since Civ1!
Also, the quality of some user-made Civ2 earth maps was outstanding. Or maps of certain continents...I've enjoyed making scenarios on a few of them.
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
Edward
|
|
If you don't mind the Go To function and AI's getting confused, a doughnut map would be easily implementable.
quote:
But I trust that Firaxis will design the world map so you'll end up in the right place like making spherical maps instead of flat ones. |
I seriously doubt Civ3 will have spherical maps. It requires a radical restructuring of the map and how it's implemented. It affects many different areas of the game's programming. We would have certainly heard about spherical maps by now if they were going to be in Civ3.
There are two relatively direct ways to implement a spherical map (both of which would require much programming and revision, but no need to abandon the "square" basis of Civ).
1) a cube map
All spherical worlds would be comprised of six flat rectangle maps joined up to make a cube. A square on one of the cube's edges connects to the five expected squares on it's same face, plus the three adjacent squares on the adjoining face. The corner squares are less satisfying. They connect to the three expected squares on their face, then two squares from one adjoining face and two squares from the other adjoining face. It's easier than I make it sound. Think of a Rubic's Cube (9 "squares" per side would make for a very small cramped world but you get the picture).
A spherical view can be faked via graphics algorithms. (Imagine a cube-shaped balloon inflated until it became a sphere.) Squares on cube's edges act normally, but near the corners you'd have cities without a full 21 squares to work.
I'm sure the mathematicians will advocate a more spherical 20-or-more sided die, but the beauty of the cube is that squares are still square and still connect simply at edges and points.
2) a coin map
All spherical worlds would be comprised of two flat rectangular maps. They're sewn together along the edges like a pillowcase or two sides of a coin (heads = Northern hemisphere, tails = Southern hemisphere). The poles are the centers of the two sides. The edge squares lie on the equator. The two sides each work just like normal Civ2 maps. However there are no invisible walls. Every edge square "touches" and is adjacent to it's corresponding edge square on the other "side"/hemisphere much like the edge squares on the cube world. The unfortunate corner squares connect to the three expected squares on their side and to three squares on the other "side" of the world.
Graphic algorithms could fake a view when you're near a corner or looking at the whole world. (To warp the map to get a spherical view, the center/pole squares can be artificially raised - much like the tinfoil on top of Jiffy-pop popcorn. Of course here the Jiffy-pop has two expanding sides. Don't try this in your microwave!) Again, cities near corners won't have 21 squares to work due to the diminished connections to equator squares on the flip side.
You could also try two flat circular "disks". Instead of being a rectangle, the edges of each "side" of the world are jagged - much like enlarging an aliased bitmap circle and seeing the pixelation. Every edge square "touches" and is adjacent to it's corresponding edge square on the other "side"/hemisphere. However you get really awkward connections to other flip side equator squares. I think the rectangular pillowcase, while less realistic, would be easier to implement and more "understandable" and pretty than rough edged disks or octagons.
Of course there other options (like a Mercador map with fewer squares at any given latitude as you move towards the poles) but I think the above two options would be the easiest to implement and display. I personally favor a cube. More tidy. In Civ4 perhaps...
|
|
| |
|
| |
All times are GMT. The time now is 05:15.
Apolyton Time is 00:15. |
top of page
|
| archivepost |
|
Forum Rules:
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
|
HTML code is ON
vB code is ON
Smilies are ON
[IMG] code is ON
|
|
|
|
|
|
19-08-2001 11:06
but you can't sail north and reach the southern hemisphere, well at least not the way it was done in CtP.
!
The Ctp2 "Doughnut World" was called that because it was a flat representation of the surface of a torus. 
|