Island Terrain

[Lontahv]

Ok, I've been poking at the Yinfara landscape model that JFT made and came up with a plan of what can go where in the way of plants.

Here's a color coded map I made.
http://lontahv.googlepages.com/color_coded_yinfara_map2.jpg

Alright I'll admit it, the key for it is kind of crude and slapped-together and hard to understand, but... I hope you get the idea.

The main idea is to have the bulk of the island be covered in jungle--this gives some nice exploring and also, it makes it so there don't have to be as many multi-color Yinfara-trees which makes them more special. The idea for the Yinfara-trees at the peaks of the mountains/hills is that there will be more lighting up there and maybe a different climate. Up there will seem kind of like "Up there" ie. you have to be feeling adventurous to want to go up there. The storms would be more often and more powerful. This is the exact reason why the trees have such interesting properties.

Justin, if you don't like any aspect of it, just let me know and I'll change it.

Everyone else: Feedback, feedback, feedback. We need as much of it as we can get.


Lontahv

[Gorobay]

With the light posts, there needs to be a way for the light to get to the receiver. That is, if the island is very hilly, the light might get interrupted on its way their by a hill. I think the island should be less drastically lumpy, at least in the middle where light beams would be. The red area on the far right is okay though, since it is not in the way.

Why is there a swamp between the beach and the forest? The further beach should be yellow. I think it would be helpful to put the light posts, lightning rods, and lightning rod controls on the map, just to see where you think they should go.

I'm not clear on this: where is the small inlet getting its water from?

[Justintime9]

Well, I was actually thinking that the colored trees would cover the entire age, casting multicolored lights on the forest floor. There would be really dense parts of the forest, and really open areas. And I imagined that even the swamp is surrounded by trees. it's sort of... in the deepest part of the forest. The waterfall is in a tiny clearing, there're trees all around it, but you can see the sky clearly, directly above the waterfall, which would make it look especially beautiful when the sky changes color! and Goroby... I'm sorry, but I'm still kind of leary of the light receiver Idea... it seems too... elaborate. perhaps it's just me, but if I could get some other opinions, perhaps I'll reconcider .

[Gorobay]

I thought it about as elaborate as the fire marble dome puzzle, but easier and smaller. I think that without it (or some other puzzle) Yinfara will not have much to do in it. Also, in your journal you mentioned some light posts, so I thought that meant you had approved the idea.

[Lontahv]

Ok, I like the idea of having the whole island to be covered with those trees. But... I does pose problems. Here is one of the issues that comes to mind:

Say to want a football-field size island covered with trees in a kind of forest like way. If the trees are big maybe you would have to have only 20 on long side and 10 on the shorter side, if you cover the whole thing with trees that would be 200 trees. That's a lot of verts and even more work (so they don't look cookie-cutter).

There is however another way to do this:

If you had when you were standing under the trees, a flat canopy of tiled alpha leaves and then just the bases of the trees have to be modeled. Then, when you go out and see them from far away the canopy of leaves turns to a round tree-top sprite(an object that always faces you example: the GoW imager) in this way you could make it so that a large forest could run in Uru and so all the modelers don't go insane after making the first square-yard of forest. I think that if we're going to have a forest of these trees, having a plane for each leaf is crazy.

I'll go and see what I can do as a test for the forest.

And Gorobay, I think your wrong about Yinfara not having much to do if there are not many puzzles.
Not to say that I have anything against your idea.



Lontahv

[Justintime9]

Hmm... that sounds like a good alternative... would it feel real though? O, and also, could you take a definite position on Gorobay's puzzle Idea? I'm still trying to decide if I want to have it in yinfara, so I need as much other opinions as I can get

[Lontahv]

I think that the puzzles in Yinfara should be simple and primitive but deep in meaning.
I think that Yinfara should tell a story of two cultures: rustic verses castle-type things. I think that we could show how they merged--all this in the prehistory of the age.

I'm not sure about Gorobay's idea. It seems like it's too advanced for rustic and too rustic for advanced-building. I also reminds me to much of Edena. I like Edena but... It was too... "fantastical"?

I think that the idea could be very good, but I think that we should wait and see.

[Gorobay]

The reason I designed the puzzle the way I did (besides to make a puzzle) was to explain the name "Yinfara" and find a better use for the color symbols. The whole point of the color symbols is that each one corresponds to a landmark with a color associated with it. If you don't like the rods and whatnot, take them out, but there should be some explanation for the color symbols.

I don't know how it reminds you of Edanna (it reminds me more of J'nanin), but if more people input on this and decide it doesn't work... fine. Just keep the landmarks so that the symbols will make sense. And make the order of the colored buttons the YINFARA order, or the name won't make sense either. Even if you don't use anything else, please use that.

[Justintime9]

Well, Gorobay, after much thought, I"m sorry to say, but I don't think we'll use your Idea... It's a great Idea, don't get me wrong, but somehow doesn't... fit... I don't know how to explain it, but I just have this faint feeling that I shouldn't incorperate it into the age, and... well, I think it would be wise to listen to it... thank you for all your help, and suggestions, it really has helped this project along, and pleeze don't get discouraged, there's plenty more chances for puzzle Ideas

[Gorobay]

Okay. If it doesn't fit the mood of the age, I understand.

How will the word "Yinfara" be explained, if at all?