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Going to bed now.

That's it for today, and maybe for a few days. I hate programming right now.

Just spent nearly an hour bug hunting only to find that a variable that should have been y was x. Even though I'd checked it twice already and just didn't see it. Need to stop and get some sleep. :)

Anyway, made some progress in linking level hooks, and putting in corridors. Needs a little more work, have to find out why it's placing corridors in incompatible spaces. I though I'd already dealt with that problem...

Also need to leave a border on the BSP tree to allow for corridors to go around the edge of the map.

I shifted the prefabs in to the middle of the BSP leaf and it already looks better. Worked a little on the random chooser for prefabs so it now chooses a larger range of better fitting prefabs.

Here's tonight's progress:


I used a simple draw line to check room connectivity before working on the tunneler. That allowed me to work on connectivity without having the working tunneler which was a huge help.
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Comments

  1. Anonymous13 August 2014 at 00:31

    Excellent progress, so far...
    Here are 2 observations of the above map:

    1. without actually testing the map, you won't know if it works. What looks good (as a map) doesn't (or needs tweaking) play well in the actual game

    2. stepping back and looking at the map. it looks like 9 separate distinct areas - with some (very) basic connecting. the connecting doesn't match the style of the areas and looks wrong (it might play ok though?). It feels like you have an area (with some purpose), finish that, then go to the next (unrelated) area - repeat - until all 9 areas are visited. I'm not sure if this would be a fun way of playing the game. it doesn't look coherent or fun?

    Looking at the map another way:
    if it was a building - it doesn't feel like a building - too much dead space. corridors not right.
    if it was a village - the connectors are wrong as you would have lots of space around each (building) to roam around
    if it was a cave system - no, caves don't work that way

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pickledtezcat13 August 2014 at 06:53

      Well, you'll have to wait a bit longer before you can see how it plays, but don't worry, I have planned this particular layout to match the style of play. Because you'll be playing with a party of adventurers rather a single warrior, different formations and where you place your characters is going to be rather important. Also it's rather a low magic setting so there is some degree of party management, resting repairing gear, eating and healing rather than instant rejuvenation via potions. You need some space between each area to allow the player to get their party in order ready for the next section of the dungeon.

      I really don't want the kind of packed dungeon traditional to rogue likes, with every room bordering another room or being linked by a very short corridor. there will be choices about which section you tackle next, many prefabs have more than one exit, but they will be managed choices. It won't be a case where there are 4 exits to each room and you could go north, south, east or west from any point in the level.

      Prefabs represent the puzzle element of the game, there are hidden doors, keys, fake keys, concealed levers to open gates, rooms that exit to a lower level before coming back up, bosses guarding treasure, booby trapped corridors etc... they have to be entered and exited from a particular point or the puzzle gets broken.

      Many prefabs will just be big open rooms, but I haven't added them yet. I wanted to make sure that the special types are being placed and linked properly.

      Wait and see. :)

      Delete

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