gamophyte on 24/1/2017 at 22:22
After beating my head in on city style to layout I settled for a ever-elevating ramp city. That is, the base ground slowly elevates across a ground of 300 DUs or so. Diagonal too. This is to feel organic once buildings are plopped in.
Inline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/wPLTgDj.pngNow the worry is hearing or seemly remembering ramps being trouble for the engine and AI. I don't want to clip into walls, nor keep getting caught on invisible snags when walking down the ramp close to the wall. As well I hope the AI can understand this terrain. Do I remember this right? Or was this fixed in newdark?
If so, what kinds of ramps are safe? Should I break it up inside each airbrush? Was this because of being diagonal to the buildings? What about the original style but going along the X axis?
Inline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/1YHLdeh.pngnicked on 25/1/2017 at 07:17
Potential problems with a sloped floor do include AI pathfinding troubles, but it's not that likely. You will increase your cell count heavily with a sloped floor, so if it's a large city with a big global ramp under everything, you may run out. Another rare issue with surfaces that don't meet at right-angles is that sometimes you get walls where you can glitch into them and fall out of the world.
If it was me, I would build the city in several flat air brushes with varying floor heights, like steps, and then add ramps between buildings as needed.
gamophyte on 25/1/2017 at 15:01
Thank you! Also can't wait to play your mission.
Random_Taffer on 25/1/2017 at 16:05
I concur with what nicked said, but I wouldn't worry too much about it. Building on large ramps is fine, problematic and glitchy areas can be fixed with testing. However, the room brushing will probably be even more of a giant pain in the ass, but I guess it usually is for complex city missions.
gamophyte on 25/1/2017 at 16:24
Quote Posted by Random_Taffer
However, the room brushing will probably be even more of a giant pain in the ass
I fantasized that by the time I actually release a mission a new ND patch would either not need RBs except for triggers or at least wedge RBs. :)
Yeah this will be hell. Please forgive me ahead of time for hearing things through walls. ;)
john9818a on 27/1/2017 at 16:59
I've made city missions on large pyramids without having any pathfinding problems, so I wouldn't worry too much.
Melan on 27/1/2017 at 17:17
It is not an issue. Much of Midnight in Murkbell from Calendra's Legacy was built on top of four enormous, overlapping pyramids covering an entire city district, and there were no pathfinding issues.
gamophyte on 27/1/2017 at 18:00
Quote Posted by Melan
It is not an issue. Much of
Midnight in Murkbell from Calendra's Legacy was built on top of four enormous, overlapping pyramids covering an entire city district, and there were no pathfinding issues.
I think more about it, it maybe because it was a diagonal wedge. I was able to snag on walls I was rubbing on, on the way down the ramp. Perhaps if a straight along X axis or a square pyramid, this wouldn't happen. I scrapped that idea anyhow and went with sections of small ramps. Thanks guys.
