Dev Diary - Splats

[JohnD]

This thread discusses the Content article: Dev Diary - Splats

Yep. Norb comes through again...

Splat grass and dirt...country road, take me home...

[Tacloban]

Looks great. That area looks like a lonely, desolate place to die. I would say it looks cold, but it's map ground is green amd it's February all over.

[EarlofWarwick]

Very nice...reminds me of Bohemia. I'll post my Bayreuth Hussars on this side of that hill and try to catch some Austrians or Croat foragers off guard....

[Chicora]

How close are we to the ground in the picture? It almost looks like I'm on my hands and knees.

[JohnD]

Chicora wrote:

...It almost looks like I'm on my hands and knees.

No. The screenie wasn't taken that close to New Year's. This shot wuz taken from about head height looking down slightly.

[norb]

We're almost there! I think that John and I finally figured out the last of the hurdles. We are still working on our first fully complete map, but I believe that all of the pitfalls are gone and we can move forward freely. It's been a tough process and there was a lot of stuff to work out, but we trudged through the muck. We are a heck of a team, both doing whatever is necessary to keep the other moving forward.

So now I'm moving back to MP and going to shore up the interface. I can't wait to see the first complete map, cause they are going to look amazing!

[EarlofWarwick]

Norb,

Assuming this new game will be highly mod-able, how long will it take players to create a map, let's say 1 square mile in size?

[norb]

That has so much to do with the skill of the user that it's very hard to answer the question. The hard part of creating maps is always hooking up the grayscale exactly. If the engine doesn't know where the roads are, it can't use them. If you started from scratch, it would take quite a while because you are going to make lots of mistakes and have to debug them. If you mod one of our maps it would be much simpler. Splat map creation is a little harder than using one giant terrain, in that you can't just paint it. Sorry I don't have a better answer, but there are just too many factors to consider.

Of course, once you get the hang of it, like John at the end of this process, you could probably pop out one a day

[JohnD]

EarlofWarwick wrote:

Assuming...how long will it take players to create a map, let's say 1 square mile in size?

As Norb said, it depends on your imagination, PhotoShop/GIMP/other program skills, and your tolerance level for lack of detail and/or accuracy.

If you have an active imagination, the requisite PS/GIMP skills to match, and aren't overly concerned with historical or geographic accuracy, then you can crank out a map in a long day or two. If accuracy is important, then you'll easily spend more time in the archives then you will ever spend at the keyboard and mouse.

In this case, your subject matter and the historical resources available will determine the time required. Your mapping skills will crouch for employment...waiting on your ability to find the data that satisfies your desires for your impression of the values \"precision\" and \"accuracy\".

No. War3D II map-making will not include an easy button to history...but if history ain't yer bag and good enough is, then you can knock out a map ricky-tick. All this assuming...of course.

[EarlofWarwick]

Thanks for the replies, Norb and JohnD. Sounds like the modding community will take full advantage the new mapping possibilities. Given the fact that folks are currently devoting weeks and months to making new maps, a day or two of hard work will be nothing for some of these hard-core landscape artists.


As for the issue of historical accuracy, I look forward to both historical and hypothetical fields of glory. Sometimes, when I'm driving or walking, I'll survey my surroundings and say to myself, \"OK, how would this ridge line with this parallel riverbed play out with opposing infantry brigades supported by a few squadrons of heavy cavalry?\"

...I sometimes think I need professional help....