Another feature I quickly implemented was heightmap loading. The editor tools are great especially if you’ve got a powerful computer, but it lacks many of the features present in real image editing software, and can be a bit tiresome if you’re working on a large map from scratch. That’s why I put in a button to load a BMP file as a heightmap. This does not prevent manual fine tuning, but is a nice way to start a new map.
Now modders can use their favourite heightmap generating tool, I’m probably going to use Terragen to create outdoor maps, and any old image editing program to create my dungeons. I guess I’ll still need to add a heightmap exporting button so I can continue editing the heightmap if I’ve already started working on the map.
Driftmoon seems to be heading from top-down 2D to top-down 3D.
Hasn’t it been that way all along?
Technically it’s been 3D all along, the only 2D object we actually have are the 2D sprites we use for the сharacters. It’ll certainly look more 3D when we get proper use of height in the map.
Alas, and not only in Driftmoon. The uprise in standards for games forces devs to implement more and more cool visual stuff, leaving less time for actual ideas of the game itself.
Which often ends bad for them.
Oh my, I thought I pressed that reply link… That’s the reply to first post reply ))
Ah, but as technology marches onward, the tools for making those features become more and more accessible, and high-level.
But not as fast, as for me
Have you ever tried coding in Python? Specifically, have you ever tried using the Pyglet library? It’s coded entirely in pure Python (no C extension), and does 3D graphics without excessive overhead (obviously, being written in Python, there [i]is[/i] overhead), allowing you to do high-level 3D applications very, very quickly (compared to doing it “the long way”, i.e. use a low-level language).
N-nope, no Python whatsoever. And I’d hate any excessive overhead
I like how Driftmoon is progressing
.
so fast
Thanks DRL. You should hear what we’ve recently been doing with the plot – it’s evolved quite a bit, and Ville&I really like the new direction. Unfortunately I’m not at liberty to share it yet…
But in any case, things are happening on that front as well!
That is great!… I can not wait to see
the new plot!