Forums / Miscellaneous Discussions / VU 3D Map large images

Tip: This thread is best viewed in the old forum style. Contains large images.

Hello, all.

As some of you who were in the old VU chat may have noticed, I have spent the last 3-4 hours working on converting the 2D VU map into a 3D map. What this entails is going over each feature and hand-painting them in different layers (mountains, plains, and then a black base-layer of water). I have completed a first version, which is not even close to done, and I really want to share it, as I am about to go off for the night. This was more of a novelty "for fun" project, but I hope to find some neat use for it in the end.

I am going to fix the coast. Below the render images is the 'height-map' image, or what the program used to create the image in its various stages: terrain paint, mountains paint, and final.




Height-Maps (finished, basic, terrain only):

pretty nice :)

That's awesom. Good work. ^^ Need to make some little 3D cities to put on there. lol Oh and trees. lol.

nerv thats AWESOME...

glad to be in a kingdom with such a talents individual =)

Mr. Bromance, I don't think we have met. Glad to be of acquaintance. :)

This has nothing to do with Zeta... he probably doesn't even know this thread exists. And anyway, there's no such thing as a 3D browser-game unless you use something like Java or a download client... which is something I doubt Zeta feels like doing, as that would be rebuilding the game from scratch in a new language and with a new concept. At best, this experiment would mean an optional new map or series of maps/graphics that are unaffiliated with the VU administration.

dude that is way better then the one you shown me the other night :P
but its absolutly awsome grats
HC

Reminds me of Minecraft!

Well, the colors in the heightmap should be. XD

Yeah, though... I will run some saturation changes and such in photoshop on the finished render.

looks cool ;)

wahooo guess il start it of then :P
WoW Zeta is back :P

So yeah, if someone could make a template that would be great. Stick to your binaries in size (a.k.a. the squares of 2; preferably 2048x2048 or 4096x4096), so it's easier for me... Make it however you want. If you can model it after my templates (the middle one) up at the top (with mountains and grasslands on two different layers; top view, no prospective), and send it to me in a .psd, then it will be a lot easier, as most of my work will already be done. However, if you can't do that, just a big color-coded image will work.

If I don't see any replies with ideas in a week, I'll work on designing a new map myself.

You used "Rhino" to make this?

New versions of Chrome and Opera comes with webGL turned on by default. It's open GL for the browser in witch you can use the computers graphics card to generate the scene. It wont take long until all major browsers support this. But I think it will take maybe a year before you start to see 3d browser games. *

I don't think making the map 3d would help game play though. We could add changing terrains like trees growing and altitudes, but that could also be done with tiled images.



* There are 3d browser games now, but they use plug-ins like flash (witch doesn't support open GL).

Would be cool, but why bother when no one is administrating my bum anymore...

Ty for changing my post, whoever did it.

So, how would a flash battle work in Visual Utopia?
Every army has a melee unit and a ranged unit.
3 races have cavalry. 3 other races have soldiers with extra hit points and strength.
Could it be that with ranged units, you can alter attack types?

Special qualities of each ranged unit:

Archers: can light arrows and burn buildings as well as shooting rope arrows.

Hammer throwers: Can fight melee and wreck buildings with melee attacks as well as throwing grappling hooks

Slingers and Rock Throwers: Can heat pellets and use ropes with rock-like anchors on the ends.

Knights are heavy infantry that have strong defense and are good at charging and attacking.

Riders are fast and light, but have poorer defense and can use arrows if they want to.

Pony Riders are very small and fast targets, making them effective when routing and outmaneuvering. They could be equipped with crossbows.

The other three units that are not cavalry have extra health and defense as well as strength. They can throw weapons as well as breaking buildings.

Magicians can't attack, though.

Comparisons and Contrasts between Visual Utopia and Total War:

Visual Utopia: Cities and Walls
Total War: Either Cities and Castles or Capitols and Economic Structures

Visual Utopia: No battle, just automatically resolve
Total War: Battle on full 3d real-time-tactics gameplay.

Visual Utopia: Increase building quantity
Total War: Increase building quality

Visual Utopia: All about numbers
Total War: All about tactics

Visual Utopia: direct the exact path of army
Total War: command army direction by a single click, but vulnerable to path crossing.

Visual Utopia: Build and destroy cities
Total War: capture cities

Visual Utopia: Every team has a team leader that is playable.
Total War: Not everybody governed by the same person is going to get along. Teams are organized by diplomats and are ruled by diplomatic actions, while the only "team leader" in the Total War series has been the Pope for only one side in only two games.

Visual Utopia: Oversized armies with unknown organizations and generals
Total War: Armies up to 20 units with generals.

Visual Utopia: Same Time
Total War: Turn Based