jtr7 on 26/5/2006 at 18:50
(Edited Second Draft, 'cause I'm daft.)
Looking to the FAR FUTURE....
How hard would it be to create a generalized bird's-eye-view of The City's topographical features, over which the final map could be laid? Technically, a sheded relief map. The features would not have to be highly detailed. I think it would make The City Map even more useful and breathe even more life into it.
The availability of a visual reference which shows the slope of the land may help with filling in the theoretical roadways between the canon maps pasted onto the overview map, and allow even more continuity in Fan Missions. FM maps by authors that wish to integrate their maps seamlessly into the The City Map, could potentially have water flowing in the right direction, the land rising and falling accordingly, the background art more accurate. Personally, I'd like to see the snow-capped mountain range with an old mining road to Cragscleft; a cratered area wherein one may find the Bonehoard; a place theoretically well-suited for Constantine's mansion and/or Bram Gervaisius'; and forested areas where the Pagans may be found worshipping their Woodsie Lord.
Perhaps the issue isn't difficulty, but time constraints.:nono:
As ambitious as it sounds, I'm really just talking about a shaded relief map as a background under the final Thief City Map, for visual appeal and as a further aid to continuity.:thumb:
Sluggs on 26/5/2006 at 22:30
Come again? :confused:
jtr7 on 26/5/2006 at 23:19
I know. I know. Seriously, I'm mentally ill and can't speak clearly.:erg:
What about the idea of using TerraGen to create a shaded relief land map to superimpose The City Map on once that big project's finished? An aerial view, straight down.
Better? Or did I misunderstand you?:)
ascottk on 27/5/2006 at 00:57
I think the misunderstanding is not knowing what terragen is. Basically, it's a terrain generator. I might have used it once a long time ago . . . in a galaxy far, far away . . . If I remember correctly, you take a greyscale texture (white=high, black=low), load it into terragen, then it takes that info & creates a 3d terrain from that texture.
Solabusca on 27/5/2006 at 02:05
Actually, I think a major part of the problem is that we have no idea about what the topography of the City is - we have some vague suggestions, but no concrete evidence about where any hills are, beyond the mission maps, and we're already stretching ourselves trying to extrapolate the connections between them.
In short, an interesting idea, but unfeasable until we have a more concrete map arranged for the mapping project.
.j.
Sluggs on 27/5/2006 at 11:16
Quote Posted by ascottk
I think the misunderstanding is not knowing what terragen is.
I know what Terragen is. I've used it to make mountain textures and static meshes but i haven't the faintest idea what jtr7 is talking about. :o
Actually i think the fog is clearing now and i'm getting the jist! It's a very good idea but a bit OTT IMO.
Gestalt on 27/5/2006 at 20:29
It doesn't really make sense to add a third dimension in and complicate things when the 2D city map isn't even complete yet.
jtr7 on 27/5/2006 at 20:56
(Funny how some people don't read what I write, and it's somehow my fault. I keep highlighting the key words, and it still doesn't help.) Sigh....:cheeky:
Yeah, like I said, it's an idea for taking the final map a step further, sometime in the future. The final map will be quite useful by itself without this extra step, although TerraGen may help to fill in the unknown areas in between the canon elements.
This is for the geeks! Geeks ARE over the top, heh heh!
Since we are making-up the connecting elements based on our best, well-debated guesses already, I don't see why, eventually, a third dimension couldn't be extrapolated from the missions in DromEd. Sxerks's method could be used to take measurements from the side views, if someone wants to be anal about it. As I've stated previously, it doesn't have to be highly detailed. The streets on The City Map could be straight if the land is fairly flat and featureless, but should wind back and forth if they pass over and around hills. There should be a steady increase in mean elevation from the ocean and The River up to the mountain range beyond.
Ramirez's mansion is a higher elevation than Farkus Functionals, and the streets wind around quite a bit, which works for realism as well as keeping polycounts down. If someone created an FM that was set just beyond the borders of the Assassins! map and it was all flat, it wouldn't fit in very well. It also says something about the geography that there's a well above the main part of New market. It also appears that High Towne is above Down Towne, with a steady decrease in elevation through the northern part of New Market. The walled-off part of the Olde Quarter also has changes in elevation that fit well with the other maps.
This is for later on. The next step. No rush. No pressure. And I'd still like to know:
Could TerraGen be used to render a terrain from 90-degrees, looking down, whether or not anybody cares/dares to try it?
(Written while sluggs was replying to ascottk's post....)
