City Environment

[Aloys]

I think a city alone can be enjoyable, but a city inside a nice environment is even better.

The trees idea is interesting, we should be carefull not to plagarize too much any already existing Ages though. They say imitation is the best form of flattery but I'm still sure we can come up with something original.

Also of concern is the performance aspect (ie: the number of polygons & textures our computers will have to display). The city itself will already be quite demanding (especially as new shells will be filled). Building lots of new stuff outside of it would be 'risky'.

That said here are a couple idea to expand on it: let's say the city is atop some huge choped tree. (those who've played World of Warcraft: think of the night elves land). The tree could be ever-growing to accomodate for the city ever-expanding nature. Since we can't go out of the city itself (we can't, right?) we would never see the tree itself and thus wouldn't need to create it. Outside, we could see other huge trees in the distance far in the fog..
Surrounding the city we could see the tree's bark, just a ring all around the city 10/20 feet high. (not sure if my description is clear though)

[Gryffon]

I wasn't talking about actually using the Kadish trees.

Just making a panorama of really tall trees. They could easily fade into darkness, which expands into the canopy.

[T_S_Kimball]

That makes sense to me Aloys. You're basically letting the background/sky texture do most of the work for you. The 'bark' city wall would handle the foreground.

Got me wondering though - are there limitations on that background texture (size/type/etc?), other than loading time? The file is gonna get complex rather quick.

--TSK

[Aloys]

That's the idea. We could still have some polygons, like says some branches coming over the city.

Textures have a maximum size (2048*2048 I think) which is quite a lot; as a reference the Relto sky is only 1024*512 and that's enough to put in a lot of detail.
But we could always overlay more textures with alpha mapping or add in actual models with polygons. (for instance in the Hoods the far away islands in the Lake are actual models)
Such methods are applicable to most ideas though, not only trees.

Any other ideas?
I have to admit I'm quite fond of rocks. What about some high organic unusual rock formations in the distance? Like some of what there's in Garrison but more unusual. Or floating rocks/islands? That's a bit of a cliche, but I always love those. Far away floating rocks slowly moving... This effect was pulled out quite well at the end of Todelmer in EoA. Though I think more of larger bodies of rocks, really large things slowly rotating on themselves and around the city.

Here's something really weird: the city is inside some kind of giant hollow 'planet'. Only the planet's surface is made of several layers one above the other drilled with holes (like that fromage, emmental/swiss cheese) so we can see the other layers bellow and ultimately the space (or whatever is out there) all of them rotating independently..

Just ideas.

[quote="Aloys"]

Here's something really weird: the city is inside some kind of giant hollow 'planet'. Only the planet's surface is made of several layers one above the other drilled with holes (like that fromage, emmental/swiss cheese) so we can see the other layers bellow and ultimately the space (or whatever is out there) all of them rotating independently..

[Besharen]

[quote="Aloys"]I have to admit I'm quite fond of rocks. What about some high organic unusual rock formations in the distance? Like some of what there's in Garrison but more unusual. Or floating rocks/islands? That's a bit of a cliche, but I always love those. Far away floating rocks slowly moving...

[-Gryffon-]

Hmm...it actually seems that people have enjoyed the nightsky. I think that could really look good with something forest-y, or perhaps even have the city surronded on all sides by glacial ice? We've not seen to many frozen ages beyond Rime, and it would also give an excuse to add an aurora borealis just as soon as the engine can work it >>.

[Robert The Rebuilder]

We do need a source for all the water that is flowing into the city. Perhaps there can be tall cliffs on the outskirts of the city, with melting glacial ice on the top. There could be spectacular waterfalls flowing down the cliff face, ending into the city's rivers. In between the cliffs are the valleys filled with tall trees.

[Aloys]

I'm not fan of the night sky, eventhough I was the one who did it I only did so because it was the fastest to do at the time and I didn't want to release screenshots without some minimal environment.
I don't like it because it reminds me to much of Ae'gura which is another icty in a dark environment, and I definitely think a place with more light would be a refreshing change. Even just a twilight sky as there is now. (BTW, Besharen: this sky was done with one of the textures from the link you provided ealier)

[Besharen]

Personally, I don't like the night sky either, for the same reason as Aloys. I feel a night sky makes the age feel closed in, like the cavern in D'ni. Too dark, and not enough light. Even with lamps, I think the age would still be too dim. But a twilight sky would probably work.