Different textures for objects

[beowuuf]

Will there be a way to have multiple graphics for stairs and teleporters and so on? Either by stating different looks each level, or by creating multiple stairs and teleporters, each with a different look?

[George Gilbert]

Not at the moment. There is only one logical stair object and one logical teleporter object each with its own graphic(s); whilst those graphics can in principle be changed (but can't yet) the change would apply to the entire dungeon.

What would be better would be to have a "stair" or "teleporter" property which would apply to any object (only one by default) and that way what you suggest would work. I think about it to see if there's an easy way of doing it, but I fear it might be quite alot of work to achieve that effect.

[beowuuf]

Hmm, ok that sounds like hassle. Could you instead allow stairwells to be invisible, like teleporters can be? And create a new object type that is like an invisible wall (or creature smoke) in that it has a presence and set of graphics when viewed from far away, but doesn't hinder the party from walking through it?
Becasue then this could use this to create artificial new graphics for both by placing it on the same tile, and also produce other effects like fog, water, etc

[George Gilbert]

Why not just have an invisible teleporter with a destination of one square up?

[cowsmanaut]

far be it from me to suggest more work for you George.. I know you have a busy life, but I think that setting up properties is the best all around solution for ultimate dungeon editing.

Say for instance you had decided to colour code your transportation device. You want blue ones to take you to the courtyard and red ones are generic and say green ones might lead you to a safe room. The player could then know where they were going and waste less time and only investigate red portals since they would go anywhere but blue and green always went to the same places.. it could also be a symbol of sanctuary.. you're wounded and being chased.. up ahead look a green shimmer of light.. and you run for it..

then there are things like using graphics to show the more clever players that their observations would pay off.. how many times did you inspect something thinking it to have special use and find it to be nothing.. well suppose you could make a level where fireball shooters had soot all around them and poison cloud ones to be dripping green ooze from years of use.. dagger shooters might have in it's depths the visible point of the cocked dagger.. etc etc..

how about making anything a switch as is possible in DM already.. some activated by an item others by just pressing.. is that not a property? Or making anything an alcove.. like a pair of manacles that contain a skeleton and you can pull the skeleton from them. or perhaps that manacle set could be a monster teleporter that is activated by a switch.. there is skeleton there then hit the switch and bang the manacled skeleton image is replaced with regular manacles and a skeleton is teleported in. so on and so on..

I'm sure you see the value..

[beowuuf]

Cool ideas there drake!
I have to agree, if you can figure out a simple way to create objects with those properties then there are a few ideas that can use it (for example having a floor collapse, and there is a rubble stairwell back up..first thing that came to mind there).

I guess it's like doors - even if there is nothing cool the different graphics are needed for, it's good to be able to use anything decorative to change the mood from area to area.

Just out of interest, why are teleporters and stairs different from doors, for example. Oh, and the reason I suggested invisible stairs was so something else could be used as a differnt graphic ontop of it.

[amaprotu]

My ignorance showing again but why are teleporters and stairs even different? If you could have a teleporter with any graphic it seems you wouldn't even need stairs as a seperate object type, it would just be a transporter that connected either one square above or one square below. Or are transporters limited to transporting to the level they are on?

[edit]
I realize it might be more tricky, it would have to be one square up and one square forward, and you would have to stack a monster teleporter (to one square back) so you don't have monsters standing on(in) the stairs... Stairs still just seem like special case transporters.

<i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub50.ezboard.com/uamaprotu.show ... maprotu</A>  <IMG HEIGHT=10 WIDTH=10 SRC=http://www.ezboard.com/ezgfx/gicons/black_bluespot.gif BORDER=0> at: 7/19/01 10:08:27 pm
</i>

[beowuuf]

You also have to switch off the teleporter at the top/bottom of the stairs so the party aren't instantly bounced back, which means monsters will still have a window for walking into them (if you are spinning on the stairs to attack). What you would need instead is my suggestion of a monster only invisible wall (in suggestions) and party telporter...that would work

I think stairs are specialised enough they should be seperate though

[Rick]

Well i think the attribute idea is good.

I mean a couple of bit combinations and we could have:

000 empty space
001 door
010 stairs - standard
011 stairs - custom graphic
100 door - standard
101 door - custom graphic
110 teleporter - standard
111 teleporter - custom

well you get the idea.

Maybe the following can be a better but simpler idea:

I liked those games where you went down a level and the stairs graphics changed completely (only one stair graphic per level), from a ladder to a twisting stair, stone, brick, marble, wood stairs etc. (Well these were part of the set which included walls floor etc)

These kind of things (among environment sound) are what really add atmosphere to the game.