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IDProjectCategoryLast Update
0004773Valley 1Gameplay IdeaOct 10, 2011 12:14 pm
ReporterSmiling Spectre Assigned ToChris_McElligottPark  
Status closedResolutionno change required 
Product Version0.521 
Summary0004773: Are this levels always must be tree-like?
DescriptionIn current state every map of every building, lair or tower is linear tree-like structure where all rooms on any given level always accessible from previous level. Well, there is one exclusion in form of ducts, but it's rarely give other topology.

But why? You don't need to have all this such simple. Of course, standard buildings not works like that - but it's also not always work as trees too. Simple having two semi-independant blocks already change this structure to totally different one. And if we speak about old, ruined buildings, it will be inevitable cave-ins in that ladders and hallways. And caves is totally different matter by default. :)

So I think it could be more "branching" structure when generating level. Where you, for example, must elevate to level 3 to descent to L-1 or something like that. Simple necessity to reverse direction sometimes when scouting will make all this levels more interesting, and more "natural", I think, even with the same actual topology. Ducts made a step in right direction (especially with that "jumps" over destroyed rooms), but it's too little diversity right now. For me it never gave another dungeon branch - only one isolated room or shortcut to the same dungeon tree.
TagsNo tags attached.
Internal WeightNew

Activities

Armanant

Oct 10, 2011 6:59 am

reporter   ~0016322

I think you might be taking the dungeon map of the buildings a little bit too literally - remember the map is just a representation of the building structure in a logical and systematic way. Just because a room is above another it doesn't mean it is literally above it, just accessible from it. For example, you have bathrooms coming off of bedrooms (ie en suite) represented as the bathrooms being 'above' the bedroom on the map.

The dungeon map is simply an algorithmically generated mapping which allows you to quickly see the links between rooms, not an actual floor plan of the house.

If you're meaning that you just want multiple deeper branches to your homes... how many houses have you been in where to get to the 2nd bedroom, you have to walk into the living room -> hallway -> 1st bedroom -> attic -> basement -> 2nd bedroom ? There's only so many rooms you can walk through to get everywhere in a normal house.. and personally I would be filing bug reports if the game was trying to tell me that I had to pass through the 3rd floor attic to get to the basement :-P

jerith

Oct 10, 2011 7:24 am

reporter   ~0016324

Real buildings tend to have a branch-and-leaf structure with only very occasional loops. Given this, I think the current layout is reasonable. Maybe the Arcen guys can add more complex building layouts later, but I'd prefer to have them focus on adding more content and such for now. :-)

Smiling Spectre

Oct 10, 2011 8:30 am

reporter   ~0016326

Well, I have nothing against such small buildings in general. It is really reasonable. But even in RL, in good-keeping buildings I have at least 2 stairways (and more in really large buildings), and they are not always connected to each other, and when connected - not always on first floor. In our case we have "post-armageddon" setting, where half of rooms collapsed - and you said that all this rooms just luckily never was staircases and hallways? Really? :D

And yes, it would be good in "normal" buildings. Unfortunately, game also have caves. That supposed to be quite "natural", but still have this one-way structure. And when you are seeing this "organized" caves, buildings became to look unnatural too...

Well, maybe I want too much. But it looks too artificial for me in current way of graph-generating. As it could be easy changed (I think), because no actual movement logic changes, only way of representing things (and some logic for directional changes) - I think, it could be implemented...

Chris_McElligottPark

Oct 10, 2011 9:34 am

administrator   ~0016331

This is what the side links are for, as well -- they allow for loops and ways of getting to new locations from another location, etc. In terms of more complex locked doors scenarios where you have to go up and then down and so on, I'm sure we'll do that sort of thing later.

Smiling Spectre

Oct 10, 2011 12:14 pm

reporter   ~0016367

>In terms of more complex locked doors scenarios where you have to go up and then down and so on, I'm sure we'll do that sort of thing later.

This is answer I wanted to hear! :) Thank you!

Issue History

Date Modified Username Field Change
Oct 10, 2011 5:32 am Smiling Spectre New Issue
Oct 10, 2011 6:59 am Armanant Note Added: 0016322
Oct 10, 2011 7:24 am jerith Note Added: 0016324
Oct 10, 2011 8:30 am Smiling Spectre Note Added: 0016326
Oct 10, 2011 9:34 am Chris_McElligottPark Internal Weight => New
Oct 10, 2011 9:34 am Chris_McElligottPark Note Added: 0016331
Oct 10, 2011 9:34 am Chris_McElligottPark Status new => closed
Oct 10, 2011 9:34 am Chris_McElligottPark Assigned To => Chris_McElligottPark
Oct 10, 2011 9:34 am Chris_McElligottPark Resolution open => no change required
Oct 10, 2011 12:14 pm Smiling Spectre Note Added: 0016367
Apr 14, 2014 9:30 am Chris_McElligottPark Category Suggestion - Gameplay => Gameplay Idea