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ReedN
Wizard


Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Posts: 1279
Location: Portland, Oregon

PostPosted: Wed Jul 29, 2009 4:30 pm   

Possible methods for mapping the wilderness in Achaea
 
Achaea has what is known as a wilderness map. It looks like the following:

Code:

nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.......wwww         
nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn......wwwww         
nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.....wwwwww         
nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn....wwwwww           
nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn....wwwwww           
+++nnnnnnnnnnnn.....wwwwwww         
nnn++nnnnnnnnn.......wwwwww         
nnnnn+++++++++++++++.w.www           
nnnnnnnnnnnn.........wwwww           
nnnnnnnnnnnn..........ww             
nnnnnnnnnnn..........ww             
nnnnnnnnnnn.........ww               
nnnnnnnnnnn.......=                 
nnnnnnnnnnn.........ww               
nnnnnnnnnnn..........www             
nnnnnnnnnnn.......wwwwww             
nnnnnnnnnnn......wwwwww             
nnnnnnnnnnnn.....www.www             
nnnnnnnnnnnnn...wwwwwwwww           
nnnnnnnnnnnnnn..wwwwwwwww           
nnnnnnnnnnnnnn..wwwwwwww             
nnnnnnnnnnnnnn..wwwwwwwww           
nnnnnnnnnnnnnn...wwwwwwwww           
nnnnnnnnnnnnnn.....wwwwwwww         
nnnnnnnnnnnnn.......wwwwwww      ^   


In general, with some exceptions, you can go in any direction on it. It is also very large.

I would like to be able to map this out, but since it differs significantly from how the normal non-wilderness map works I'm hesitant to use the normal mapper for this. The reasons why the normal mapper might not be the best for this:

- The size of the mapper db would be huge. Since there would be a room defined for every square of a huge grid we're talking about a really large number of rooms.
- The number of exit links will be 8x the number of rooms I create since each room has n,ne,e,se,s,sw,w,nw as a possible exit.
- Since many of the rooms would have the same name and identical exits there would be no way to lock in on my current position
- The normal creation mechanism for new rooms would be too cumbersome to map the wilderness. Ideally since I can see a certain radius around where I'm standing, an ideal map creation would use that information to fill in the map from what I can see.

Reasons why I would like to use the map include:

- If I did the mapping in an alternate data structure, how would I visualize the results of my mapping? The mapper already has the most ideal mechanism for viewing the map.
- Even if the map is huge, the map db has an already implemented way to manage the map data.


I've been trying to think of some way to make this map. Since I think that map size is a deal breaker for the mapper (I don't want 400,000 rooms in my map database) I was thinking of using a text file which I could load and save via Cmud. Perhaps each line of the map could be a string variable in Cmud. To do this I'd need to create a whole slew of tools for myself to recognize maps from the Mud and to process this incoming data for storage and modification for when I receive new data. It seems like a huge undertaking and I was wondering if anyone has done anything similar and what approach you used?
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Zugg
MASTER


Joined: 25 Sep 2000
Posts: 23379
Location: Colorado, USA

PostPosted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 12:21 am   
 
Aardwolf has something similar, as does many other MUDs.

Supporting this kind of map is what is planned for the Phase 3 work in the mapper. Trying to use the existing map structure would not work for many of the reasons you mentioned. The current architecture just can't handle that huge number of rooms. Phase 3 has the concept of a tile-based graphical grid map that would be designed to handle these kind of outdoor areas.

Unfortunately, as you probably guessed, work on Phase 3 is many many months away still.

And yes, it's a *huge* undertaking.
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ReedN
Wizard


Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Posts: 1279
Location: Portland, Oregon

PostPosted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 12:29 am   
 
I guess I'll hold off until then. Thanks.
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