a quick Exult Studio question

[painful]

I'm going to start on a total conversion soon, just to see how far I can get basically, based on the Ringworld book series by Larry Niven. Before I start though, I wanted to ask a couple questions to be sure that they would be feasible. I'm going to try to use the Serpent Isle as basis, since it has some items Black Gate doesn't have.

My first question is, since the multiple map support is needing testing, I'm going to be using it a lot and was curious if it was feasible to be able to go to the edge of the world map, and go directly to another whether on foot or on a ship. The Ringworld in the book series, is huge. So the multiple maps will be perfect to make such a large area. This will also benefit the Exult team as it will give the multiple maps a major testing as well as Studio itself. But what I basically want to do is, when you sail across say an ocean, that instead of reaching the otherside of the map you're on, it actually take you to another map so you keep going as if you were crossing a large map in sections.

That's pretty much the only question I have right now. I've already had some experience working with the gumps and editing the landscape and housing, which I'm sure DrCode remembers the numerous topics from about 6 months back that I was discussing in about it. I've been wanting to make a game using Studio for a while, and the Ringworld series has so much potential due to the size of the Ringworld itself. And with all the types of species on the Ringworld, there will be a great diversity among characters joining the part, as well as characters you encounter in cities, villages, or small dwellings you come across.

I'd also be interested in any support anyone might offer, especially where usecode is concerned seeing as I'm not exactly an expert, let alone a novice in the area. I'm going to be designing a website soon, with forums, within the next few days so progress can be tracked as well as discussed. I want this project to be openly tested by the community, so they can keep track of it both by the site and by physically playing the game and exploring. But first I'd like to know how the Exult team feels about such an endeavor, and if anyone from the team would like to participate or contribute ideas or anything to the project.

I'm going to upgrade my computer tonight, and while its being worked on and windows xp is being reinstalled for the new hardware, I'm gonna sketch out some concept art to post links to here as well as some story ideas.

[Dominus]

about the maps: currently the maps wrap around, meaning that when you reach the left edge and walk on you seamlessly come out at the right edge of the same map. This is because the original U7 games required this.

[Crysta the Elf]

well, wouldnt it be possible to get around that by placing lines of teleport eggs along the edges of teh map? it would be a pain to do tho

[Dominus]

sure that could be possible, but as you wrote, a real pain to do.

[Crysta the Elf]

well then.. looks like theres a pain in his future... lol...

[drcode]

Yes, placing eggs is currently the only way. I'm surprised that a single map isn't big enough, as that's a lot of space to fill.

[Natreg]

would the teleporter eggs work with an entire ship???

[drcode]

Probably not.

[drcode]

Actually, I meant 'probably not, currently'. I'm sure we could make it work.

Another thought: You could limit the player's access to the edge of the world by ringing it with mountains, and only putting a few passes through them. Then you would only need a few eggs, and it would make it easier to have it appear 'seamless'.

[painful]

It is large, yes. But if you read any of the Ringworld books, the Ringworld itself can encompass a few million Jupiters worth of land all the way around it. I'm not going to make the entire thing though, because that would be ludicrous, but i was thinking of atleast making a large portion of the area.

That's actually a great suggestion DrCode. It would allow for there to be more regions to the sides of the map and not require a lot of time putting eggs everywhere. The Ringworld has two great oceans, which can encompass entire worlds, which it has maps of worlds such as mars, earth, and several other planets at full scale and still room to spare. But the land areas still have small 'seas' and rivers carved into the Ringworld floor to let water travel the surface of the land. So I could just make it where there's water, but more landlocked, with rivers cutting through the land so it doesnt seem too constrained.

Another thought occured to me as well. In the books, there's a technology called 'Stepping Discs' which instantaneously teleport you to another location. Using the teleport eggs, I could use them to transfer you to other regions of the Ringworld. For example, one region could be Britannia, accessed by a stepping disc network, where you could also access a map of Earth, Mars, or even other worlds from the Ultima series such as Pagan, or Serpent Isle. But it would also have extended maps that could cover more area by taking a path through mountains to the other map via teleport egg. The 'world maps' could still let you circle around to the other side of the map via ship, but the 'region maps' which are located in the main areas of land could be interconnected maps surrounded by mountain regions.

[drcode]

Heh; it was only while reading your last post that I realized you were talking about Niven's RINGworld, and not DISCworld.

[painful]

I've always loved that series of books, and thought they'd make the perfect RPG environment. So many cultures, and areas to explore. I do admit it'd be nice to look up at the sky in the game and see the Ringworld Arch in the sky, but I still feel an RPG engine is better than a 3D first person engine.

[Michele]

Would a ship teleport, or be left behind when it hits these?

[painful]

As far as I've seen, and from what the dev's tell us, the ship wouldn't teleport. Unless a special egg is made or the current eggs modified.