Project Adolphus

[Dreadnought]

Here's the map (unfortunately, I can't seem to find a website that uploads this full size)

As a rule of thumb, give the smallest hexagons to whatever country controls the majority of it. (same goes for Coast v.s Land)

Some Islands can ignore this rule and be a bit larger than real life, so long as they maintain their shape.

Also, the map key will be replaced with impassable terrain (which initially will be every province outside the HRE

 

[Stateless]

Here's the map (unfortunately, I can't seem to find a website that uploads this full size)

What's the file size?

 

[Dreadnought]

What's the file size?

4700 x 5300

 

[Stateless]

4700 x 5300

No wonder you can't upload it, it's presumably about 95MB? Best thing would be to zip it and upload it to a file sharing website.

 

[Dangimill]

Just to prove that this thing can get off the ground, here's the first update of hopefully many from the programming department. At the moment, I'm working alone, but PoeFacedKilla and I should soon be collaborating via Dropbox.

I've managed to turn this square of blue:

into a grid of hexagons, which utilize my debug water texture:

It's done through a process of loading the textures and storing their pixels in a hashed data structure, referenced by filename. The game then loads a file called colormap.xml, which maps the RGB values of the pixels in the map file to texture names. Such a process allows for a bitmap to become a tile-based map for the game.

That being said, we need features to add. Feedback is always appreciated, and please join us in the IRC today (technically speaking) at 7:00 EST.

 

[Agemennon]

snip

Wow! That looks really great! Now to just get it to work on a massive texture.

If you're storing the texture in Texture2D, you'll need to break it up into "chunks" since the max size of Texture2D is either 1024x1024 or 2048x2048 iirc.

You might also need to look at tile culling (just plain out don't render tiles not on screen), to save processing time.

From experience, using a texture "atlas" in regards to the tiles will also help with render times. (The GPU has to swap textures if you switch, and that takes a lot of time).

 

[Baconheimer]

A few questions, ideas, and some random stuff.
1. What nations will b playable?

2. Please add Sweden!

3. How will the alliance system work?!

4. Will you be able to convert!3/?

5. Drednaught was banned!.

 

[Dangimill]

Wow! That looks really great! Now to just get it to work on a massive texture.

If you're storing the texture in Texture2D, you'll need to break it up into "chunks" since the max size of Texture2D is either 1024x1024 or 2048x2048 iirc.

You might also need to look at tile culling (just plain out don't render tiles not on screen), to save processing time.

From experience, using a texture "atlas" in regards to the tiles will also help with render times. (The GPU has to swap textures if you switch, and that takes a lot of time).

What do you mean by "massive texture?" The texture size right now is 35x40 and probably doesn't need to be larger than 280x320. I'll get to work soon on a 2d camera, at which point I'll definitely add the culling.

What do you mean by texture "atlas?" I currently have a 2d array of hexes which gets iterated when they draw. A hex is a struct with a reference to a texture and am absolute position. Once I get the picking code written, it'll be easy to convert between grid and absolute coordinates.

A few questions, ideas, and some random stuff.
1. What nations will b playable?

2. Please add Sweden!

3. How will the alliance system work?!

4. Will you be able to convert!3/?

5. Drednaught was banned!.

1. The engine should allow us to add any nations we want to the game.

2. I'm not sure if it's worth putting Sweden on the map, but naturally you'll be able to play as the project's namesake.

3. I don't know yet, as the diplomacy engine hasn't been started.

4. Convert what? From EU3?

5. Yes, and that's rather unfortunate. We'll have to do without him.

 

[Stateless]

4. Convert what? From EU3?

I think Baconheimer means religious conversion. Seeing as the game is intended to be set at the tail end of the wars of religion it makes some sense, given that forced conversions were a source of tension in the preceding years.

Also, the map that Dreadnought posted is a map of the HRE in 1648, not 1618 (which is presumably when you want the game to start?)

 

[Agemennon]

What do you mean by "massive texture?" The texture size right now is 35x40 and probably doesn't need to be larger than 280x320. I'll get to work soon on a 2d camera, at which point I'll definitely add the culling.

I meant the texture used to generate the map.

What do you mean by texture "atlas?" I currently have a 2d array of hexes which gets iterated when they draw. A hex is a struct with a reference to a texture and am absolute position. Once I get the picking code written, it'll be easy to convert between grid and absolute coordinates.

You combine all of the individual tile textures into one big atlas or set (one file). If you played around with the draw functions a bit, you've probably seen one with Destination Rectangle and Source Rectangle, the Source Rectangle defines an area on the Texture to draw from.

Edit: I can explain in more detail at the meeting later.

 

[Krall]

So do you fellows have a game design document written up yet? And may I ask who's actually in charge of this whole endeavour?

 

[Yelnoc]

Just to prove that this thing can get off the ground, here's the first update of hopefully many from the programming department. At the moment, I'm working alone, but PoeFacedKilla and I should soon be collaborating via Dropbox.

I've managed to turn this square of blue:

into a grid of hexagons, which utilize my debug water texture:

-snip-

It's done through a process of loading the textures and storing their pixels in a hashed data structure, referenced by filename. The game then loads a file called colormap.xml, which maps the RGB values of the pixels in the map file to texture names. Such a process allows for a bitmap to become a tile-based map for the game.

That being said, we need features to add. Feedback is always appreciated, and please join us in the IRC today (technically speaking) at 7:00 EST.

That's quite impressive! We'll get into the nuts and bolts in the meeting, but I definitely want to see your code (I'm still getting into C#, so it would be a learning experience for me).

A few questions, ideas, and some random stuff.
1. What nations will b playable?

2. Please add Sweden!

3. How will the alliance system work?!

4. Will you be able to convert!3/?

5. Drednaught was banned!.

1. I would imagine every state visible on the map would be playable (in theory). Though keep in mind there really are no "states" on the map, the HRE was a patchwork of hereditary duchies and bishoprics.

2. Like Dangi said, adding all of Scandinavia might not make much sense, though the Swedish had Pommerania as a base. I think the map should include all of Denmark, since they were involved, and the southern bit of Sweden so that a naval conflict in the Baltic would be possible (if we decide to add naval combat).

3. We haven't even gotten there yet, hold your horses.

4. Forced religious conversions? That would make sense, perhaps as a feature in peace deals. Food for thought for the Diplomacy engine.

5. That's a shame.

I think Baconheimer means religious conversion. Seeing as the game is intended to be set at the tail end of the wars of religion it makes some sense, given that forced conversions were a source of tension in the preceding years.

Also, the map that Dreadnought posted is a map of the HRE in 1648, not 1618 (which is presumably when you want the game to start?)

Yeah, I noticed that about the map. All of the maps I have found from 1618 show the religious breakdown but do not go into detail about the makeup of the individual states.

 

[Dangimill]

So do you fellows have a game design document written up yet? And may I ask who's actually in charge of this whole endeavour?

PoeFacedKilla mentioned something about typing up one. I'd say I'm currently "in charge" of development due to the fact that I possess the code, but Yelnoc's certainly done his share of the organizing.

 

[Stateless]

Yeah, I noticed that about the map. All of the maps I have found from 1618 show the religious breakdown but do not go into detail about the makeup of the individual states.

It's not perfect, but how about this map? Anyway, there are plenty of people on this site who can nitpick cartographic details.

 

[Krall]

PoeFacedKilla mentioned something about typing up one. I'd say I'm currently "in charge" of development due to the fact that I possess the code, but Yelnoc's certainly done his share of the organizing.

As someone who has recently been involved in one of these highly enthusiastic, internet-based "hey guys let's make a game" enterprises, I'd say those two are things you need pretty urgently - a game design document (so you all know what the finished game would ideally look like), and someone in charge (preferably someone who's not involved in any one team, but is good at organising and managing schedules).

 

[Stateless]

As someone who has recently been involved in one of these highly enthusiastic, internet-based "hey guys let's make a game" enterprises, I'd say those two are things you need pretty urgently - a game design document (so you all know what the finished game would ideally look like), and someone in charge (preferably someone who's not involved in any one team, but is good at organising and managing schedules).

And to share the code. I've seen too many projects which have one guy working on the code, who then disappears, never to be seen again, taking the code with them, stopping the rest of the community from starting the project again.

 

[Yelnoc]

It's not perfect, but how about this map? Anyway, there are plenty of people on this site who can nitpick cartographic details.

I'm thinking about starting a new thread, a challenge to the community to produce the best 1618 map of the Holy Roman Empire possible.

As someone who has recently been involved in one of these highly enthusiastic, internet-based "hey guys let's make a game" enterprises, I'd say those two are things you need pretty urgently - a game design document (so you all know what the finished game would ideally look like), and someone in charge (preferably someone who's not involved in any one team, but is good at organising and managing schedules).

You're right, and I expect we will have both of these details hashed out by the end of the meeting tonight.

And to share the code. I've seen too many projects which have one guy working on the code, who then disappears, never to be seen again, taking the code with them, stopping the rest of the community from starting the project again.

We're looking into various online repositories, which would prevent that doomsday scenario from occurring.

 

[Yelnoc]

I just posted a challenge to create a 1618 map of the Holy Roman Empire. If you want to help this project, but aren't sure how, this is your chance! An accurate depiction of the political situation is something we will need before moving forward.

 

[Baconheimer]

So, whwo goes work here?

 

[Yelnoc]

So, whwo goes work here?

I'm sorry, what?

And, if you don't mind me asking, what is your native language?