Land
From Neverend
Land is meant to be moveable, changeable, and destructible. The exact method for doing this ill need to be determined based on efficiency and client ability to handle data. Several methods will need to be tested to find the most satisfactory and least satisfactory methods. Even after the optimal method is found, new methods will need to be tested for future updates and engine changes.
Contents |
[edit] Land buildings
The bottom areas of land are considered impenetrable. On top of this is a layer than is flagged as impenetrable, but becomes flagged as penetrable when it is exposed to open space. On top of this are large sections of land called "land buildings" that make up the surface. On top of this is the effects texture layer for grass, gravel, etc. The "land buildings" are destructible by certain methods, and are prepared to be moved or seperated.
For example, a 20 ft by 30 ft chunk of land sits on top the unexposed layer of land. This chunk of land can be divided in two, four, eight, or sixteen pieces. It can have one sixteenth of itself removed by a shovel or burrowing creature while keeping the remaining portions as one chunk. It can have three or four parts of 16 removed from the top by a powerful spell, explosion, monster, siege weapon, etc.
In this way a large section of land can be dug into or blasted, but the land remains as a large chunk. The land is not processed as the entire landscape, but rather a large section of land about the size of a building. These chunks would be like a pile of plastic eggs that form a surface, only the nature of the surface changes to fill in any gaps.
If a 16/16 chunk and a 12/12 chunk are adjacent, they may create any new portions that are not filled up, or rearrange thir portions so that they are evenly distributed chunks such as 17/17 and 17/17. Any gaps are filled in, making a new portions.
Gaps that are not filled in are specified gap objects that are not filled unless destroyed. See Land Gap.
[edit] Predefined destruction
Like in Sacrifice, the land is defined with a set pattern of destruction for different spells, and refills itself by reversing this pattern. This is used for temporary destruction, so adapting it for permanent destruction may be difficult, as no new land is created or displaced.
[edit] Hex or Grid based
A hex or grid based landscape may appear too superficial. While a hex or grid is fine for a 2D surface, it would have to be a 3D shape to define depth. Having all land be composed of hex polygons would be a large burden, and would look odd when put together. The "land building" idea groups land as large chunks that can be seperated into smaller sections, but it is not always in the state of being in smaller sections.
[edit] Voxel based
A voxel landscape would be costly and ultimately would look too blocky.
[edit] Land Gap
Land Gaps are polygons with a volume that is not filled by land. These polygons exist inside land, taking up a portion of land until they are destroyed. The gap may be destroyed by exposure to open space, or by physical attacks if it has HP and a covering of some kind (wood, stone, pod). The purpose of these gaps is to store something within the ground without it being destroyed by the ground.
Examples:
- Grave
- Tomb
- Underground ruin
- Dungeon
- Catacomb
- Hoard
- Burial
- Closed pit
Tall green grass, tall dead grass, brush, tumbleweeds, weeds, weeds that stick to your socks, fields of grass that sway in the wind, white dandelion seeds that fly through the air, thick thorny vines, swampy vines with dangerous flowers, flower bushes that blossom slowly and rhythmically, flowers from the ground, enormous flowers, reeds in a lake/swamp, lilypads, grass that can be cut with a sword, bushes that can be cut with a sword, wild grain, herbs that grow on mountain rocks, trees along dirt trails, trees in valleys and on hills, jungle trees in swamps, dark creepy bushes, dead trees, withered trees, trees that give you fear, twisty trees, hollow trees, half trees, fallen trees, broken trees, rocks, stones, small rocks, large stones, boulders, jagged rocks, rocks along mountains, immense rocks, dead grass, short green grass, the shadows of clouds that slowly cross a plain, rain drops from high above, lightning, dark clouds, gray clouds, trees on beaches, vines on beaches, vines on buildings, vines in a forest, moss on a rock, moss in a pond, a small pond, a forest clearing, a rainy day, a wet beach, a rocky beach, a sunny beach, white beach, volcanic ash, hot springs, lava flow, volcanoes, caves, stalactites and stalagmites, crystal growth, geodes, water drops from the ceiling, a paved road, cobblestone road, sidewalk, cleared land, farm land, dusty road, pier, docks, harbor, babbling brook, stream, river, pond, lake, ocean, an orchard of fruit trees arranged in a grid, planted crops in a fenced in area, a beehive attached to a tree, a rope trap on a tree, a spike trap under leaves, fallen leaves, pinecones, trees in fall, trees in spring, trees in summer, trees in winter, charred land from a battle, blood stained ground from a battle, a blood trail from a wounded deer, deer tracks, rabbit tracks, human tracks, tracks in the snow, tracks in the mud, tracks in the dirt, a camp site, a mushroom circle, glowing mushrooms, mushrooms around trees, cocoons, butterflies in a field, moths around a lantern, caterpillars ona tree, ants on the ground, grasshoppers hopping through fields, dragonflies on a lake, an animal in a cave, an animal in a hole, an animal in a tree, an animal in a lake, a monster fort, a monster wall, a haunted mansion, an abandoned house, a labyrinth, a tunnel, a catacomb, a dungeon, a tomb, a secret passage, a rope bridge, a stone bridge, a wooden bridge, a metal bridge, a bridge with a troll, a herd of animals, a hunting tiger, a running deer, fish that hop from a river, fish that dart in a stream, fish that seem asleep, fish that seem to follow you, a dragon looking down from the sky, a dragon sleeping in a cave, a giant turtle assaulting a city harbor, an enormous monster brought down by an army, a mouse along a wooden floor, a bird flying from one tree to another, a flock of birds flying together, a vines that attacks, a flower that attacks, a venus fly trap, an enormous fly, a patch of flowers, a patch of grass, a patch of dirt, a pile of hay, a city, a hamlet, a village, a primitive cave dwelling, a futuristic city, a dusty western city, a kingdom, an evil kingdom, a haunted mansion, a palace, a temple, a castle, a fotress, a wizards tower, an underground lair, a spider cave, a wolf cave, a bear cave, a kobold cave, a garden maze, a flower garden, an herb garden, a statue garden, a hall of flags and statues, a throne room, an armory, a bank vault, an altar, a cathedral, an abbey, a circle of stones, a pentagram, and a giant squid that wants to devour the world.
The night is clear. The land is lit only by stars and the waxing moon. A new moon would be darker on the land. A full moon would be brighter. There are times when moonbeams seem to cast above the ground.
Night passes in to early morning. The air is gray. The plants have dewdrops on their leaves. There is mist and fog, arouns the buildings, in the valleys, between the trees, in the entrance of caves, and around the lake. Everything is still. Eery. Gray.
The sun peaks above the horizon of mountains. Sunbeams radiate. The sun is deeply orange as it ascends from the mountains, then turns yellow. The land is visually brightened by the sun, and you swear its beams passed over and through you, from their origin at the mountains to some place behind you. The shadows of trees are long and reach away from the horizon.
The sun is still rising. The sky is a madman's painting- red, orange, blue, pink. The chaos clears. It is blue, then indigo, then clear but slightly blue. The sun is high in the sky. The shadows of trees are short, almost gone.
Clouds. Massive white clouds roam the sky, like massive beasts of burden. You see their enormous shadows cross the plains, rising and falling to meet the height of hills and valleys.
The sun sets at the other horizon, fading away in a concentrated orange circle, fading like a withering wick. The brightness of day seems to recede, as if being sucked towards the horizon. The shadows of trees appear long once more, reaching to the other horizon. The sky is a pale orange yellow, fading.
The sun is gone. The sky is gray, not yet night. The white clouds above you turn darker, grayer, some almost black. Rain falls lightly from the empty sky, a drizzle at first. It gains intensity, falling faster, harder. It pours. It lessens. It returns to a drizzle. It stops.
The stars and moon are back, too bright for this night. The clouds are swarming in the sky, a blanket of dark clouds, bombarded by the moon and the stars. The clouds blanket the sky, move, and blanket it. The moon light pours against the cloud blanket, trying to drive it off in a vain attempt. But the battle of light and cloud produces a luminence- surreal, ethereal, beautiful. The clouds glow a bright gray.
In autumn, leaves are orange, yellow, and brown. They fall slowly in the breeze. They cover the ground around the trees. Squirrels run along the ground and climb up their trunks.
Soon it is winter. The leaves are gone. The trees are bare. There is light snow and patches of snow covered ground. The snow becomes heavy, snowflakes make the air white and become thick as the wind picks up. The ground is white, the rocks and trees are white but for a few spots that show underneath. The snow has depth, and when stepped on, it collapses, destroyed. There are trails where travellers have wandered through, there are spots where animals have passed, leaving their prints. The snow intensifies, now a blizzard. The rocks and hills are completely covered. There was a cave in the mountainside, but it is covered now, until something stumbles upon its entrance, oblivious to the creatures hiding inside. At least some will be sleeping. The houses in town are caked with snow. The rivers and lakes are covered deceptively; one step will be solid, another will become a swimming lesson.
The snow melts grows calm and still. It melts, leaving patchy spots along the ground, the trees, the rocks. The rivers flow uncovered. The snow is gone. Leaves return to the trees, now green and full of life. Flowers grow, bud and blossom. Plants and crops grow freely once more. The land is warm, bathed in sunlight.
The fields grow tall with grass. Dandelion seeds fill the air. There are butterflies, grasshoppers, aphids. There are jungles with bright, exotic plants and trees. There are forests of mushrooms both giant and small, of all colors and shapes, spores wandering through the breeze.
Fish, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects, some plants, and some more exotic creatures live. They roam, wander, search, explore. They eat and sleep and have children. They are hunted by other creatures, they are protective of their own lives, their own children, and their homes. They will fight or flee.
There are animals behind fences. They eat and sleep, but mostly await death. There are some creatures who do not like to be caged, and lash out at onlookers behind steel bars. There are creatures who can be tamed, and trained to protect, retrieve, hunt, and kill. There are pets who enjoy their home or city as long as they have food and a pat on the head. There are scavengers who look for scraps of trash, and wander in town. There are rats and flies that exist from leftover refuse and rotting food.
There are creatures who exist to kill, but for a reason. They gather resources to build their homes and forts. They find armor, weapons, gold. They become strong, and train among themselves. They store their items, horde them, and pass them out to the new, the uninitiated. They live in open spaces, away from humans. They live in deep caves, and on mountain trails. They hunt prey. They use swords, bows, magic. They create traps and ambushes. They wait behind bushes, ridges, trees, hilltops, cliffs. They build houses, walls, towers. They mine ore, cut trees, farm. They create armor, weapons, magic items, clothing. These creatures despise humans, but there are exceptions. There are those who can choose not to attack, but to aid them, help them, protect them, and eventually fight alongside them, enter their camps without harm, gain their trust, become a warrior among their ranks, and eventually lead them in to battle.
Then there are creatures who run up to you and attack.
[edit] On/off state
Land can exist as occupying space, not occupying space, and an edge. Edges include floors, walls, and ceilings, and have associated textures for terrain, wall tiles, cave textures, wood, stone, metal, and other materials. Occupied space is the area within land, and items and objects should not occupy this space unless specifically designed to (pillars, stalactites, wells, towers). An area of land that does not take up space is the area that players, monsters, NPCs, items and objects may travel through. This empty space can be covered by a ceiling, not covered, or partially covered such as a ditch or cliff. Items, players and monsters that are accidentally stuck within land will be pushed out to empty space instead of falling down inside the land. The exception is items and objects that have a "stuck in land" flag, such as stakes, poles, arrows, and other objects that are partially submerged, and have an invisible texture identifying where they are stuck in land.
Some objects and buildings rely on having an area of empty space, including tombs, coffins, tunnels, graves, basements, obliettes, and other structures. Empty space is specified so that the area is not covered by dirt. When the object or building is destroyed, this space is destroyed, and is replaced with dirt as long as it is below surface level and submerged in dirt.
[edit] Land attributes
Land has a steepness rating that determines how difficult it is to climb, and is represented visually by slope/alititude. Maps can be checked for altitude level, and whether climbing difficulty is possible for an unskilled player, or whethter it is difficult to climb. Items that give bonuses to climbing include climbing gloves, climbing boots, grappling hook, walking stick, staff, rod, boots, etc. Spells allow climbing difficulty to be reduced. Difficulty increases with heavy armor and encumberance. Difficulty is ignored if flying. Difficulty is reduced if levitating, but speed of travel is based on difficulty level, so a harder area will take longer to cross.
Vertical surfaces including walls have a high climbing difficulty. Vertical curved or sloped surfaces have a very high difficulty. Other surfaces have impossible difficulty, such as magic barriers. Vertical and near vertical surfaces require high climbing skill and tools, and are much better suited to ninja and rogue style classes than warriors or mages who lack dexterity.
