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Author Topic: Alternative tiles  (Read 1588 times)

mickel

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Alternative tiles
« on: August 25, 2007, 01:45:00 pm »

This is just a small thing, but once tilesets get more fully implemented, it'd be fun to be able to have several tile variations. They could be set to be chosen randomly (like, say, having five different "sceptre" tiles that are picked entirely at random, just for the visual appeal) or they could be selected manually (allowing you to give the floor in corridors one pattern, and the floor in rooms another, making them visually distinct from each other).

This could be used for any amount of things. Perhaps pillars in pattern A symbolise dwellings for the merely rich while pillars in pattern B indicate dwellings for nobles.

This is just aesthetical, but aesthetics are important too. Well, when the time comes around to implement tilesets fully, at least...   :)

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Savok

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Re: Alternative tiles
« Reply #1 on: August 25, 2007, 02:27:00 pm »

Too graphics-intensive.
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Grek

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Re: Alternative tiles
« Reply #2 on: August 25, 2007, 02:31:00 pm »

quote:
Originally posted by Savok:
<STRONG>Too graphics-intensive.</STRONG>

For now. Later in develpment, support for varied tilesets could go in.

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ctrlfrk

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Re: Alternative tiles
« Reply #3 on: August 25, 2007, 06:58:00 pm »

From what toady has said in the past, changing fully to graphical tiles rather than ascii would be a truly insignificant slow down, as all the ascii characters are tiles already. Having a random tiles for objects would have minimal effect.
You would need a few extra bits in the item object (struct? he did move to c++ didn't he?), a call to the rng to choose an image, and enough video memory to store the extra 16*16 tiles, which aren't very big.
The main problem i can see with this is finding someone to draw 5~10 variations of every item in the game. Especially in a 16*16 tile.
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mickel

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Re: Alternative tiles
« Reply #4 on: August 25, 2007, 07:12:00 pm »

If you've drawn the first, making a variation isn't difficult. Just change the stripes from horizontal to diagonal, change a symbol, remove a spike here and add a tendril there. Minor things.
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PTTG

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Re: Alternative tiles
« Reply #5 on: August 26, 2007, 12:23:00 am »

I think that DF is lucky here, in that as long as any element is modable, then it effectively has hundred of developers! just look at standard Curses font compared to other fonts. When it comes to art, once it is possible to improve something, then it will be. He, I would be surprised if some folks aren't working on 16x tile-sets already!
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mickel

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Re: Alternative tiles
« Reply #6 on: August 26, 2007, 06:06:00 am »

quote:
Originally posted by PTTG:
<STRONG>He, I would be surprised if some folks aren't working on 16x tile-sets already!</STRONG>

I am!   :D

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