I'm currently outlining my first module (stand alone adventure) and I'm working out what areas I will need. Some of them are variations on the same place. For example I could have a village and then a village_fortified.
My question is, should I just create each of these as individual areas that are only accessed by being sent there through the right conversation? Or is the preferred method to have scripting turn off certain features until a plot point is reached.
My first inclination, for the scripting impaired, is to just create all the variations I will need.
Question on variations of a single Area
Débuté par
JnBaker
, mars 09 2011 06:15
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#2
Posté 10 mars 2011 - 07:26
Proleric
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The conventional wisdom is to make two areas, each with its own level art.
Make the one with the most content first. Then, when that's been thoroughly tested, you can make the second copy by stripping out. This is to reduce parallel maintenance effort (though inevitably there will be some).
That does mean scripting which area to enter. You may need plot flags or module variables to ensure that changes in one area are reflected in the other at area load time.
The idea behind this is that lighting looks wrong unless everything in the area is a prop (implying fixed level art).
Caveat - I have found that some placeables look just as good as props. If you choose them carefully, it is possible to have one area / level. This also needs scripting, to activate the placeables at the appropriate time. However, I've only used this in a very limited way - the conventional wisdom is essentially correct.
Make the one with the most content first. Then, when that's been thoroughly tested, you can make the second copy by stripping out. This is to reduce parallel maintenance effort (though inevitably there will be some).
That does mean scripting which area to enter. You may need plot flags or module variables to ensure that changes in one area are reflected in the other at area load time.
The idea behind this is that lighting looks wrong unless everything in the area is a prop (implying fixed level art).
Caveat - I have found that some placeables look just as good as props. If you choose them carefully, it is possible to have one area / level. This also needs scripting, to activate the placeables at the appropriate time. However, I've only used this in a very limited way - the conventional wisdom is essentially correct.
