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I looked back several pages, but I didn't see any speculations or answers on this subject - sorry if I didn't look far enough.
Anyway, do we know anything about what CS supports as far as time of day goes? Having periods of day and night would add a lot to an rpg I am helping to design...
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I don't think that Colstone will support day and night. But you could make it change the hue of all the graphics to a blue so it looks like night.
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Originally posted by Beeblebrox: **I don't think that Colstone will support day and night.
**
You mean I couldn't add a timer and make days and night like 10 minuts long (for example, of course...) ?
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hrm..it might be possible to put in a game timer, although the event system would probably add quite a lot to the loading time...I'll investigate when the next beta is released.
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Originally posted by Beeblebrox: But you could make it change the hue of all the graphics to a blue so it looks like night.
Is it even possible to do a universal hue change or tint? Is it possible to do one that's not even universal at all?
(This message has been edited by Kireck L (edited 08-11-2001).)
Originally posted by Kireck L: **
If you're talking about controls, I seriously doubt it. Everyone must remember that this is a game engine, not a graphics one. However, you can probably add a hue/tint layer with a translucent png graphic.
Saphfire
Originally posted by saphfire: **If you're talking about controls, I seriously doubt it. Everyone must remember that this is a game engine, not a graphics one. However, you can probably add a hue/tint layer with a translucent png graphic.
That's what I meant
Originally posted by saphfire: **However, you can probably add a hue/tint layer with a translucent png graphic. **
Of course, such a thing would probably double the amount of RAM a particular map needed.
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(This message has been edited by sanehatter (edited 08-11-2001).)
I asked this question a few months ago. as I recall, all signs seemed to point to a "no," although I'm still hopeful that I can fudge something. I have a system worked out in Photoshop and I've got all my palett sets ready, but I still have to see it in action in ColdStone.
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Originally posted by saphfire: **Everyone must remember that this is a game engine, not a graphics one. **
Ah, but I'm looking to have different critters out at night, as well as do something like Cythera with everyone going to bed.
Originally posted by LoneIgadzra: **Ah, but I'm looking to have different critters out at night, as well as do something like Cythera with everyone going to bed.
Yep, and I'm planning on having multiple party members. I guess we're both up a creek. Or maybe not.
Originally posted by sanehatter:
Originally posted by saphfire: **However, you can probably add a hue/tint layer with a translucent png graphic.
Of course, such a thing would probably double the amount of RAM a particular map needed. **
Probably not double (150% perhaps) the requirement, but then RAM is cheap.
What could make this, and many other effects, possible would be to have a pre-defined Coldstone 'event' that would enable/disable particular 'layers'.
And please, don't ask!
Skip
------------------ ...it wasn't me...
(This message has been edited by SkipMeier (edited 08-12-2001).)
I don't have any technical answers, but I do have an idea on getting around the lack of a timer to determine day and night. Providing an option to rest (like at an Inn or Camp) to change the time of the day has several advantages that I can see. (Being an optimist, I may need someone to point out the disadvantages). It effectively puts passage of time in the hands of the player, except for when he is so low on HP or MP he just has to lie down. Also, clicking "YES" to a "Rest til night?" question would nail down the event the engine would need to switch the times.
I plan on doing this sort of thing for my game, as a way to advance the date as well as time. The player must tax his stamina and resources to get things done on certain busy days, finally hitting the sack when he is completely exhausted, exchanging the benefit of recovery with the penalty of an 8 hour march closer to his deadline.
As far as the appearance of day or night, how does the light sourcing work in Coldstone? To create an area of shadow are we actually going to need to manually color darker tiles?
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Originally posted by myshkyn: **As far as the appearance of day or night, how does the light sourcing work in Coldstone? To create an area of shadow are we actually going to need to manually color darker tiles?
there is no light sourcing in ColdStone. you will need to "manually" do everything where graphics are involved. So, no real-time rendered shadows like in Diablo II.
Originally posted by SkipMeier: **Probably not double (150% perhaps) the requirement, but then RAM is cheap.
What could make this, and many other effects, possible would be to have a pre-defined Coldstone 'event' that would enable/disable particular 'layers'. **
Yeah, but how many end-users upgrade their RAM? Granted, I have over half a gig in my PowerBook, but then, I'm a PowerUser.
My parents, for example, have a Rev. C iMac. A few months ago, they were complaining about how slow it was, and wondering if they should get a new machine. Granted, a G3/266 isn't blazing fast, but then I noticed that they still had only 32 MB of RAM in it, and were running OS 8.5.1 (what it shipped with). So I popped in a 256 MB module, upgraded them to 9.1, and they're happy--their machine feels almost twice as fast.
Most people who buy computers never even open them up; and while Apple is getting better about how much RAM they ship machines with, they still overcharge for extra memory. Unfortunately, unless we're targetting "power gamers" (who will likely be playing Quake V instead), we'll need to work inside the average user's RAM limitations.
(and who am I to talk? I plan to do single-render maps in my game! )
(quote)Originally posted by sanehatter: (and who am I to talk? I plan to do single-render maps in my game!:) I won't even be able to run my game on my machine...
honestly though, I'd say that maybe 95% of the people playing CS games will be Ambrosia faithfuls, and I think there's a pretty high percentage of power users among us. I'm not saying that I'm going to let the min-system requirements for my game skyrocket, but with the (acceptable) limitations that the CS engine presents us, some reciprocation from the end user is going to be unavoidable. I have a feeling the producer/consumer relationship for these games is going to be a very personal one anyway, so I'm sure we can swing some kinda deal...
I don't see what the big deal is with single renders. Te is so simple, and it was already mentioned before, just chop your single render into little bitty peices and THEN place it.
Originally posted by jmitchell: **heh. precisely my dilema.:) I won't even be able to run my game on my machine...
I think you all are greatly underestimating the engines power and efficiency. I've not seen a game yet, even high end super graphics trillion polygons per second in your face action with a minimum memory requirement above 64 megs. (Of course, I don't look that closely, since they're all for PC.)
Then again, some people in this post ARE beta testers...
Originally posted by saphfire: **Then again, some people in this post ARE beta testers... **
just what I'm saying. I've got my fears.
Here's the deal with single renders: RAM
Let's say you've got a map that is represented by (128 x 128 tiles, 32x32 pixels each) 16,777,216 pixels. If this were 32 bit, that would be approxamately 67 megs of data. If you want to do fancy engine things such as layers, well, you can add that 67 megs.
Even someone like mouse should be able to see that ten of these maps wouldn't be able to fit on a single CD-ROM.
If maps were built out of tiles that were re-used, then the amount of space data required to re-create a map for the player lessens. Big chunks of it are re-used.
Each map is likely stored in RAM, this is simply the best way of doing things. Coldstone will need to keep track of other things besides your map, such as any animations, sounds, and music you want to have playing, and these all require RAM too. Either that, or Coldstone will be accessing the hard disk quite a bit. Don't forget engine overhead, either.
This all adds up pretty quickly. Like I said, I've got three-quarters of a gig of RAM in my powerbook, but I don't want to limit my audience to myself. That, and I'd like my game to fit on a single CD--I find Multi-disc games too annoying.
Now, granted, by the time any of us actually COMPLETES a game, well, the computing landscape will be quite different. I'll probably be using a Powerbook G5, and the G6 towers will just be coming out around then, shipping with a gig of RAM and OS 11. Games will be distributed on DVD.
But still, there's something to be said for efficiently using resources.