Hi Bryan, Well, that's technically half the problem. When we began working on a 2d and 3d version of the game it became apparent there is no easy way to come up with a design that works for both formats.
With 2d levels a developer basically can go in for directions: left, right, up, or down. Naturally, all the rooms have to conform to a 2d map and that really, really, really limits the layout of the maze. Which is something I don't like about developing a side-scroller, because I have ideas but they won't work in that format. With a 3d game you have no such restrictions. You can have rooms ahead of you, behind you, to the left, to the right, above your position, and below your position. Not only is the level larger and more complex but there is a lot more room to put things. For example, let's say you are in a large room. There is a stone statue in the center of the room. Now, you need to climb up that statue, grab the rope above it, and swing over to the ledge to pick up a golden idol, and then safety drop back to the floor, and enter the next room. Ok, the problem here is that stone statue is a solid object. In a 3d game I can put it in the center of the room, and if you don't want to run into it just step around it. In a 2d side-scroller if I set that statue in the center of the room you'll run into it because you can't pass through it. That forces you to climb over it to get to the other side when you should be able to walk around said object. I can set the object to allow you to pass through it, but then you couldn't necessarily climb on it because its not a solid surface any more. That single example would force me to rewrite the attributes and how they work in my game engine just for a special case exception that I could completely avoid just by using a 3d FPS format instead. Were there no preorders hanging over my head there would be no question as to what I should do. Ah, but that's just it. I have roughly 150 preorders to fulfill, and several want a side-scroller regardless of the limitations it would provide. I have to modify the engine to make exceptions that I'd ordinarily not need, limit the size and complexity of the level, and dumb down a game just to fit it into a 2d only format when a 3d model would offer so much more potential without any of the hassle. That's why I am so disgusted with the project. Cheers! On 12/30/11, Bryan Peterson <[email protected]> wrote: > Personally I'd say finish the side scroller, take a nice long break and then > see about the FPS version. I want to see how it would translate. Smile. > They're coming to take me away, ha-haaa! --- Gamers mailing list __ [email protected] If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to [email protected]. You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://mail.audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to [email protected].
