Re: CF: Wasted Space & D.Door

[Anthony Thyssen <anthony@cit.gu.edu.au>]

James Cameron on  wrote...
| Anthony Thyssen wrote:
| > Note the nethack method is to basically start with a map of `impassable
| > blocks' so you will want a output symbol for that. Yes there is often
| > lots of wasted space.
| 
| That's something that surprised me about Crossfire.  The tendency not to
| waste space in maps.  Sure, most building type maps would not have
| wasted space, due to the way people make buildings anyway, but I don't
| see anything wrong with wasted space, as long as it has no use and is
| impassable.
| 
| I was on a map the other day, tried out dimension door for the first
| time, and ended up outside the map bounds.  Not outside the coordinates,
| just outside the designed playing area for that map.  Like taking a
| spaceship to the far side of the moon only to find it is an artificial
| construct like the towns in the cowboy movies.  Very interesting, but
| not quite realistic.  Reminded me of Capricorn One, the movie.
| 
Let me guess..  The Pirate caves!!

Mind you a number of maps also use `extra space' for `gadgets' to
control some special elements of the maps. I am using some for 
the new port and east gate maps myself.

Quickj question...  Dimension Door seems to create a lot of problems for
map makers.  

I know `jumping' can jump over a single row of movers,
exits or teleports, but not impassable objects like fences.

Dimension door can jump impassable objects... 
  But can they jump over a line of `No Spell' squares? 

If they can then prehaps they should be disabled to prevent that.

By preventing D.Door over ``No Spell'' then instead of turning off ALL
magic in a special area (like ``Raffles Random Prize Generator''), then
``No Spells'' only along the fences will prevent the miss use of the
spell in such a place.  Also prevent access to some ``hidden gadgetry''.

That is they try to D.Door and just suddenly stop next to the impassable
``No Spell'' Fence.  Gives the map maker more control, and allows
players general use of magic.

The `end' map in oldcity is vulnerable to D.Door too, but you can't
restrict magic due to the monsters in the area.

| Apart from the annoyance of scrolling in Crossedit, is there any
| important algorithmic impact in using a large map coordinate size but
| filling it with practically nothing?
| 
More server memory required. Mark had split up a lot of very large maps
around Brest for that reason.

  Anthony Thyssen ( System Programmer )    http://www.sct.gu.edu.au/~anthony/
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