Re: [Freeciv-Dev] Freeciv graphics and overhead view

[Daniel Burrows <Daniel_Burrows@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, Mar 04, 1999 at 04:20:48PM -0800, Trent Piepho was heard to say:
> On Thu, 4 Mar 1999, Patrick Edson wrote:
> > The problem is that this skewed (basically stretched diamond
> > shaped) type of map is not compatible with the "normal" map
> > in terms of rows, cols, what it adjacent, etc...which means
> 
> Is it really?  I've never programmed a game with a map like that, but it looks
> to me like it's basically just a normal square map.  The only difference is 
> how
> it is drawn on the screen.  For example, here is three tiles drawn with an
> over head view, with labels:
> 
> .----, .----,
> | C  | | R  |
> |    | |    |
> `----' `----'
> ,----,
> | B  |
> |    |
> `----'
> 
> Now these are the same tiles drawn with the civ2 viewpoint.  Civ2's tiles are
> short and fast and these are tall and narrow, but the shape is the same.
> 
>     /\
>    /  \
>  /\\R /
> /  \\/
> \C //\
>  \//  \
>    \B /
>     \/
> 
> The tiles are still adjacent to each other in the same way as before.
> 

  I think, though, that the problem may be the shape of the entire map.  With
a rectangular map, you have the following shape:

    +-----------------------------------+
    |                                   |
    |                                   |
    |                                   |
    |                                   |
    |                                   |
    |                                   |
    +-----------------------------------+

  With a CivII-style map, you get:

     /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
    /                                  \
    \                                  /
    /                                  \
    \                                  /
    /                                  \
    \                                  /
    /                                  \
    \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

  So it looks rectangular but has pointy edges.  :-)  By contrast, the other
map style would give you a diamond if directly converted.  This would
especially be a nuisance in Civ since the edges have to match--you could
display the rectangle as a diamond and just have the user scroll diagonally
to go 'around the world' but that would be slightly odd for most people, I
think.

  Maybe there's a simple solution to this that I'm missing, though.

  Daniel

-- 
  Whoever created the human body left in a fairly basic design flaw.  It has a
tendency to bend at the knees.

             -- Terry Pratchett, _Men at Arms_