Map editing feature.

Post by **deserter** » January 27th, 2006, 1:10 pm

I hope that developer forum is right place for this...

I was just using the map editor and I had a thought:
It could be nice to have control over the "not-wholly-visible-hexes" (or not-at-all-visible-) on the border of the map. They have no gameplay importance, but they do affect the aesthetics of the map.
If you could choose the terrain for first "row" of hexes just outside the map, it would be great.
In editor these hexes could be presented similarly to FoW for example, and the way they currently are in the game.

I'm sure that this would mean that someone else than me had to do the coding. Sorry.

But isn't the new terrain code under work anyway? (or is going to be...)

Well I have couple of simple examples here from the bottom border of a map:
1: We have the mountain picture there. Now we see the above version, but wouldn't it be nice to be able to have that impressing big mountain there instead?

We would only have to be able to set the hill (from the upper mountain) to mountain terrain, even if that hex weren't used in the game.
2: We have a river here. Now if we have north-south river that ends in the south border, we get the right version. (only in every second hex) But you could want it to end there, but it's not possible now. And you can't have a curve either now.

There are tons of examples available...

PS. Of course this is not a feature of a big importance so I understand that I might get shot down. This feature would nevertheless be nice, if you asked me...

toms · Post by **toms** » January 27th, 2006, 1:33 pm

There are ways to trick the problem, but I completely agree.

Post by **deserter** » January 27th, 2006, 2:52 pm

toms wrote:There are ways to trick the problem, but I completely agree.

What tricks exactly? I'm curious...

Post by **zookeeper** » January 27th, 2006, 2:57 pm

Nice idea, but it would require changes in how map data is stored and handled as well as changing all existing maps.

Post by **Darth Fool** » January 27th, 2006, 3:16 pm

zookeeper wrote:Nice idea, but it would require changes in how map data is stored and handled as well as changing all existing maps.

not necessarily. It could be possible to define a wml tag in a scenario that has say map_border=true which would tell the engine that the outermost hexes are graphic only border hexes. It is a little wasteful, but there is no solution that isn't at least a little wasteful.

Disto · Post by **Disto** » January 27th, 2006, 9:24 pm

We need to change how map data is stored sometime anyway... we're running out of letters.

Elvish_Pillager · Post by **Elvish_Pillager** » January 27th, 2006, 9:25 pm

I would also like to set which multi-hex graphics are used, while we're at it.