Game Development Community

New member requesting some pointers

by David McDonald · in Torque 3D Professional · 08/26/2009 (9:38 pm) · 3 replies

Hi folks,
My small team and I have moved off Multiverse in preference for the much improved Torque 3D features and toolsets. While I understand there are numerous threads on multiplayer games and large terrains etc there are a few questions I have that I am hoping some one can provide me some pointers at. Starting points are fine as I'm eager to get into things but the documentation is not clear in many places and some of the forum discussions don't really answer the questions.

So apologies in advance for the most likely repeats of things already hiding in the archives and what might seem like noob questions to many...

1. Seamless terrains are discussed all over so I am ok with the limitations we have but I haven't seen anything clear on how we would switch from one map to another? Is this level to level? e.g. I have Two large regions Nth and Sth. I accept there will be a load screen as I traverse between the two. What am I using to do this? Am I moving between levels?

2. Could someone briefly explain the differences between Mission, Zone, Level and Map? I have my interpretation but the terms seem to be thrown about willy nilly and often used in conflicting statements in the forums (depending on whose posting)

On hindsight that's the big 2 at the moment.
Appreciate everyones patience with what might seem obvious to most of you.

Cheers
David McDonald
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Associate Steve Acaster
[YorkshireRifles.com]
#1
08/26/2009 (10:25 pm)
(You're thinking MMO right? Read Ted Southard's MMO info Sticky)

1.
There are no seamless multi-terrains, you can make bigger terrains, but that means more memory eaten. Or you can have terrains/areas over multilevels/missions, sharing the burden of stuff vs performance.

True seamless terrain requires paging (loads as it goes), T3D doesn't work that way. (could be programmed to with enough effort I'm sure).

Going from one level to another is more refered to as a "persistant world".

Use a trigger. Player walks into trigger --> script function executes --> new .mis file loads, old .mis status saves, new .mis status updates, etc, so things will remember what it was like when you return.

In the same way you could have multi areas in one .mis file and move/teleport the player between them. Use a T3D Zone object to occlude rendering.

2. Terminology ... tends to mean different things to different people.

Mission, Zone, Level and Map could mean the same thing - the .mis file.

Zone in MMO terms seems to mean "an area of play" - In T3D physicality the .mis file.

Zone in T3D editor is an object that occludes rendering (hides what is outside it).

Level = .mis file. Can't think of any other use except maybe in height if you want to be awkward and obtuse, and MMO way to improve a character.

.mis is short (I believe) for "mission file".

Map, the play area (.mis again), a texture (UVmap), .map the depreciated BSP format (used in constructor to design DIF format - as I say depreciated).

Mission Area/Mission Bounds - invisible boundary object in the mission, can pass a script or block movement.

Torque 3D Owner Scott Peal
#2
08/26/2009 (10:28 pm)
@David: I was "The Architect" over on Multiverse and the first private land owner. I gave up on them and came back to GG after seeing the wonderful work being done on T3D. Looks like Steve has answered your questions, so all I can do is say "Welcome to T3D".

David McDonald
Bad Uncle Games
#3
08/27/2009 (2:04 am)
Thanks guys,
I'm just adjusting my mindset to the T3D method after a couple of years banging my head against the MV walls.

Thanks for the welcome Scott.

I can see I still have some more reading to do to get my approach straight.