Top Down City

[Goliatus]

i will repeat the thing #2: the geometry in other games is read from file,
here all the info for one block is taken from a 3D grid and
each cube face has texture number, rotation, flip and transparent numbers.
and now i generate geometry for this thing at runtime, thats why my fillrate
is slow and would be even slower just because you want stairs to be
completely 3D..

You can generate it once and put in to some arrays of vertex buffers(not sure how this is called in OGL api). If changes its rotation or flip then just refresh part of generated data. Your fillrate is ok, but you spend a lot of time for generating same things RT.

[lithander]

Not all people think that dx9 graphics are vital to have fun with a game. Why are emulator for atari, nes etc so popular? Not, because of the graphics, that for sure!

Delfi, don't worry to much about the technology. At least you're doing stuff and are not just talking about what *could* be achieved...
High-End Graphics are an eye-catcher but it's the gameplay that hooks you up with a game.

-lith

[Goliatus]

Improving gfx means destroying gameplay?

[lithander]

No! But when programming a game improving gameplay should have priority over improvoing gfx!

The problem why so many people finish so few games, in my eyes, is that they want to much. You'll never be able to compete with the 5.000.000$ budget games on the shelves technology-wise. So why bother trying? Create a good little game, with graphics serving the gameplay, not the game beeing an interactive tech-demo. Or write a tech-demo from the start!

If Delfi's approach doesn't support stairs and if he states that they are not significant for his gameplay, why should he invest precious time finding a way to put them in? Just because it's possible?

-lith

[Goliatus]

If Delfi's approach doesn't support stairs and if he states that they are not significant for his gameplay, why should he invest precious time finding a way to put them in? Just because it's possible?

That's his choice to not improve skills Surely that is not his last project

[JernejL]

the website:
http://www.infofeast.com/delfi/TDC/

you wanted screenshoots..

showing off with particle system:


testing blood particles:

before:


after:


the map system with transparency and slopes, remember - this is without depth buffer


well sure i will implement more features (including graphics) later
but first i need to finish the particle system and make new text
output system - as i seem to have "****ed" the one i made at the beginning.

[WILL]

Well it's looking pretty darn good so far Delfi. GeForceFX4 isn't a bad card to develop on either.

I cannot remember did you mention if you were planning on making a Demo or Shareware version before?

[Goliatus]

the map system with transparency and slopes, remember - this is without depth buffer

Turn zbuffer write/read on and render geometry front2back. You will get some serious framerate increase

[JernejL]

the map system with transparency and slopes, remember - this is without depth buffer

Turn zbuffer write/read on and render geometry front2back. You will get some serious framerate increase

you mean zbuffer with vierd settings is faster that no zbuffer at all?

[Goliatus]

Overdraw kills fillrate of gfx card. Zbuffer main function is to eliminate this overdraw.