2012/02/05 - Shadows and Shaders vs. Interiors and Terrain [Fan Art Too]

[Chrono]

So this means that all maps, except slates, will be removed?

I'm not so sure what to think of this.. Having nothing but slates will lead to more creative builds, as maps could no longer be used in place of them, but removing such a widely used feature seems harsh.
I am conflicted.

Think about the future! Interiors and terrain are slowing down development.

[Ad Bot]

[SWAT One]

Guys, have you noticed that no new terrain maps have been added in a month?  We've ran out of ideas...

[Conan]

Guys, have you noticed that no new terrain maps have been added in a month?  We've ran out of ideas...

this

if we're not even going to regularly release addons that use these features might as well drop them

[Masterlegodude]

Guys, have you noticed that no new terrain maps have been added in a month?  We've ran out of ideas...

I did an brown townysis of the server listings, with my current listings of 382 players and 159 servers, around 110 servers are using Slate, one of it's edits, Plate or one of it's edits

That's not counting maps i don't know/have that aren't named to be recognized as a Slate/Plate edit

Just thought i'd post this

[heedicalking]

this

if we're not even going to regularly release addons that use these features might as well drop them

now we're just grasping at straws to support removing terrain and interiors. Default interiors and terrain were fine. We didn't need rush crap maps.

[CityRPG]

Why is this even a consideration?  Removing massive gameplay related features for something as trivial as lighting and aestetics?

Trivial isn't the word I'd use to describe the difference between those screenshots. We're talking a decade worth of improvement to the engine.

An extremely crude brick representation of any terrain will use easily hundreds of times more memory than having the terrain itself.

Can you show us some evidence of this? The game can handle 256,000 bricks but has trouble with only 120+ dynamic objects. It can't handle more than 20 vehicles. I cant imagine DIF interiors being that effecient, either.

All sorts of server types, including fortwars, open world rpg, and others will take a ton more effort and likely end up far more constrained.

CityRPG isn't going to be hurt by this at all. PirateRPG might, but how hard would it be to make islands out of #x# cubes?

I personally find it silly to feel that it is required to make a tradeoff, especially since it sounds like lighting is going to be 100% client sided, like physics.

You're not understanding that rendering is 100% client side no matter what. The interiors prevent this kind of forward motion. They have to go. They're bad. They've been bad for years now. Don't you want to see the game improve?

Except
If the host doesn't want to use terrains and interiors, let them load a slate map, but holy stuff will blockland be less interesting without  other options.  Terrain and interiors seriously need something to replace them if they really are so flawed.

This has been suggested a dozen times. The code in the engine used for interiors has to be removed or the problems associated with them will still exist. You can't just give people the option of not thinking about the tumor in their brain, it has to be taken out to save the person.


Edit: Goddamnit kompressor. lol

[Jubel]

Would shadows that are not visible by the player still be rendered.
Like, behind buildings and or under? Say like you're above a "cave". Would any shadows be rendered inside the cave? The thing is, my graphics card is good enough to run Blockland very well, but I just don't want any unnessacary stuff slowing down the game.

I assure you we have taken steps for the shadows to be fast. -- kompressor

[ShadowZero]

I'd be happy if at least the default terrain maps got left in.

I may not know how a game engine works but cant you just package whats needed to run a terrain/interrior map in a map and have Blockland run it as an extention?As in every map has whats needed to run an interior/terrain map.If keeping the original default maps and getting them to run like this where possible I would just ask for the Bedroom,kitchen, and the slopes as in all the other slate maps would be left in anyways.


Overall I would just want a way to have the default maps run in the new version somehow, I know its most likely impossible.


Edit:I'm not begging for this to be added I'm ok with the new update.

It's not possible, sorry. -- kompressor

[Nickelob Ultra]

What about water?

As in, the water from some slate maps and some other maps that is created as part of the map?

Will that still be there, or will water be dependent on the water bricks?

[Jay the Cartoonist]

I think this would be a nice build for testing.  It'll show all these hater's how loving beautiful brick terrain can look with your new lovey shaders, and I really enjoyed this project.  It was one of my favorites.  I think you may like it too, it's a terrain build with a bunch of Demo/Default saves in ruins.  It was a work in progress, so there's a few unfinished bits, but there's a lot of nice places to take nice pics.


Download

The file was too big for attachments, so if you don't dig Mediafire just tell me what hosting service and I can upload it there.

[.::Taboo::.]

my boner cannot be contained right now, jirue

[Nexus]

Please explain why my post was removal worthy

I presented opinions and brown townysis in an intelligent way and expressed concerns with valid reasons.  I explained my thoughts in a just way and I am wondering how open you really are to the them.
This is not unconstructive complaining nor is it just asking for implementation of both.

a snippet:

Removing massive gameplay related features for something as trivial as lighting and aestetics?  An extremely crude brick representation of any terrain will use easily hundreds of times more memory than having the terrain itself.  All sorts of server types, including fortwars, open world rpg, and others will take a ton more effort and likely end up far more constrained.
...
Terrain and interiors seriously need something to replace them if they really are so flawed.

Also:

Trivial isn't the word I'd use to describe the difference between those screenshots. We're talking a decade worth of improvement to the engine.

I do like the lighting, but I personally usually play with all that extra rendering stuff off anyway.  To me it doesn't matter if blockland looks like battlefield 3.  Haha, imagine battlefield 3 with only slate maps.

Can you show us some evidence of this? The game can handle 256,000 bricks but has trouble with only 120+ dynamic objects. It can't handle more than 20 vehicles. I cant imagine DIF interiors being that effecient, either.

I thought this was more of a given than something to prove.  Make a rough estimate of the slopes map out of bricks and see if the game isn't lagging due to the bricks.

You're not understanding that rendering is 100% client side no matter what.

Iban uses wildcard accusation

This has been suggested a dozen times. The code in the engine used for interiors has to be removed or the problems associated with them will still exist. You can't just give people the option of not thinking about the tumor in their brain, it has to be taken out to save the person.

I'm more focusing on the idea that they do need to be adequately replaced, even if it is by a simpler system.  I have no idea what you are talking about towards the end of your post there lol.

What about water?

I don't think water is a terrain or interior, and some slate maps have water.  I would be very surprised if that needed to be removed too.

[Jay the Cartoonist]

my boner cannot be contained right now, jirue

Lol <3

[Frostbyte]

my boner cannot be contained right now, jirue

Dammit Taboo I told you to keep it in it's cage.

[Isjix]