Dwarf Fortress > DF Suggestions

Smooth animations

<< < (3/3)

Sylverone:

--- Quote from: PTTG?? on July 02, 2008, 10:24:40 pm ---The game's engine as it is can not - and that is a very big not - display any number of tiles per cell greater than one.

But if it could... Oh how nice that would be.

--- End quote ---
It will probably happen eventually, meaning that it will either come with the presentation arc or something, or it will come when the game can't be expanded any more without allowing it. For now, the current presentation is enough while other things are worked on.

Derakon:
Dwarf Fortress is fundamentally a grid-based game. While you can have smooth animations of things moving from one grid to another, it needs to happen "instantaneously" (i.e. between ticks) to avoid having the problem of things happening to creatures who aren't visually in the right cell. E.g. what happens if your peasant, halfway between cells, gets shot by a bolt? Or maybe he's right on the edge of a bridge as it collapses.

Every grid-based game I'm aware of that uses animations to move from one grid to another basically pauses all aspects of the game except for movement while movement resolves. This ensures that creatures are solidly in their grids when it comes time to resolve things like attacks, terrain deformation, and the like. However, such an approach is counterproductive for DF as it would mean more time taken just to show movement; an effective FPS drain for no significant gain.

Idiom:
And I suppose when DF goes 3D (or 2.5D) finally, the 'blip-blip-blip' will still be acceptable?
This will have to be implemented at some point. It can't remain this rigidly grid based forever.

And no, it won't remain 2D forever, as eventually there will be too much detail per tile to cram into the "/" flips. And don't forget boats will come eventually too.

Drunken:
It wouldn't necessarily have to be an fps drain, in theory a tick lasts for 1/40 of a second (thats what my frames are currently capped at) pausing the game for this 40th of a second already happens in theory. If the dwarf moves every 10 ticks he could move 1/10 of a square each tick and for the first 5 count as being on sqaure A, and the second 5 be counted as being on square B. I don't see this suggestion as being much harder to implement than some of the other more complicated ones.

Having said this I wish to point out that I believe DF is about gameplay and was never meant to be pretty. It's ascii, grid based and low resolution... and yet we all love it. We have seen what Toady can do over a few months, but would we rather that time was spent on smooth movement or on something that will greatly expand gameplay like the caravan arc, or improving adventure mode?

Idiom:

--- Quote ---For now, the current presentation is enough while other things are worked on.
--- End quote ---

--- Quote ---Having said this I wish to point out ...or improving adventure mode?
--- End quote ---
ll
V

--- Quote ---Just suggesting this as the 1st step of the presentation arc.
--- End quote ---
Note I never said 'now'.


--- Quote ---to avoid having the problem of things happening to creatures who aren't visually in the right cell. E.g. what happens if your peasant, halfway between cells, gets shot by a bolt?
--- End quote ---
Like Drunken said, this is already taken care of. Whatever happens in between cells is snapped to a cell. Both the bolt and the dwarf, are aimed at the same destination cell. If the dwarf is on the edge of the bridge when it collapses, and he is moving onto the now empty cell as it does, then he falls like he already does (That last few feet is rather hard to skid to a stop in I would think).


--- Quote ---it would mean more time taken just to show movement; an effective FPS drain
--- End quote ---
Outputting text is a noticeable drain? Calculating the frames is what takes the real power, and that's already there. Things move and change in the game at different speeds, so the whole window is already re-outputted every frame anyway.
What I'm trying to point out is that my suggestion does not require any new significant calculations.

Where's Toady lately? Usually he's around the suggestion forum more often. He'd have an absolute answer for how feasible this is.

Also, last minute change to the suggestion: Projectile's remain un-animated. It would look funky if they flew smoothly straight & then smoothly diagonal. The current system is fine for projectiles, as they should move too fast to see clearly anyway. Just creatures should be animated.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[*] Previous page