[OBJ] Design Document - Commenting Part 1 (finished)

[Steve]

People should read and understand the first three chapters of the design document and make comments on them. They can then post these comments in the appropiate thread, before the objective deadline. The comments will then be collected and sorted by the project leaders. Depending on the comment content, they will be discussed with the Design Document creators and possible updates to the Design Document will be created from there.

Members:Steve, Hyronymus

[PJayTycy]

Ok, first comments (they are not really content-related though) :

• We are only supposed to read the first 3 chapters, but:
  • All other chapters are included, so when I first read it completely, I encountered some strange things. I now know these chapters are not re-worked yet, but it would have been better if they were just left out for clarity.
  • Chapter 3 only says : "deleted".
• The folder structure, I don't think this is something to put in the DD. The DD should describe how the game looks/plays/... not how it is implemented. Apart from that, I think we should first elaborate the class diagrams of this game and then match the folder structure to it.

[PJayTycy]

Why is nobody else posting here ???


First everybody complains about the slowness of DD writing progress and now you can read (part of it) nobody else seems interested. If I were the one responsible for writing it, I wouldn't feel very inclined to put a lot more effort in it with such a low response.

[uzurpator]

Indeed

[Steve]

Someone stole the first half of this week from me.. lots to do, lots to do.

I've already written the comments myself, so sometime tomorrow I'll do some TEmpire stuff and post them.

[Steve]

My comments for Section 1-3..

[Steve]

Thanks to Zuu for pointing out I didn't link the DD:
http://www.tt-forums.net/viewtopic.php?p=342950#342950

[uzurpator]

// 1.3 //
A set of spreadsheets? I've never seen that used for configs before.

Take a sneak peak below.

// 1.4 //
I would prefer a main folder called 'sound' with 'music' and 'effects' inside, rather than a rather uncommon 'noise'.
'conf' may confuse users looking to manually edit their data, where in fact the files in these folders wouldn't be edited by most people. Perhaps 'data' or similar.

Noted. Altho the data structure will be embedded in a larger carrier files - so the names don't matter much, since mostly mod makers will see them.

// 1.5 //
I would like some discussion on scale. Those values may work, but I'm not sure myself.

Didn't we waste enough time on scales already. let's stick to what we have, and then see how it turns out.

// 1.6 //
I would also like to see the ability to manually select objects, with the set system allowing selecting of A LOT of items at once. And i like the group idea.

I don't know If I follow you here.

// 2.0 //
I very much dislike the restriction of no cliffs. Whilst it will save memory, is there no way we can make special case edges for cliffs?

We can make objects that when put on the map will create a cliff. Say - when slopeness is above certain value, a cliff object is placed automagically.

You also mention a restriction in no changing of shore lines, but what if someone wants to make a canal, or simply a inland dock? I think that comes down to how easily we can make water flow.

Build canals, docks and locks.

I also agree that landscape costs should differ occording to what is moved.

Good

// 2.1 //
Just make sure limits are not built in. Lets allow the game to expand with computers. Although 65536 seems quite high.

That limit will be built in.

ALtho I'll answer the same way as I once answered to Hellfire.

1024x1024 map, as we are planning as default - will be about the scale of ttd default map (256x256). 2048x2048 ttd map is 64 times bigger - and will change to 8192x8192 in TE. Have you tried OTTD with 2048x2048 map? It is HUGE single player has no chance of filling that up. Actually 32 players will need several days of realtime to do so.

Besides - once we will bump at the 65536 limit (and I doubt if it will ever
happen - as 65kx65k will require about 128 GB of memory and will map about 1 million sq km with 16m tile) we just can redefine the variable. Now however it will save loads of memory.

// 2.2 //
I think tests would be needed to find the best resolution. I agree with your idea of the track terraforming land and it'll make the track as steep or straight as possible in order to reduce terraforming. And we always have the build mode to preview the terraforming that would occur, to prevent huge mistakes.

Yep.

Earthquake is interesting, as long as it doesn't cripple everything. If we add that, we should add other disasters too (realistic, unlike TTD).

A matter of proper balance

// 2.4 //
How would a river ever be able to flood something, if noone is allowed to change the river's walls?

"Noone" means "player cannot terraform rivers"

[Hyronymus]

Here are my comments. I didn't find much controversy in the first chapter but mainly spelling/grammar errors. I already see some people pointed you to some .

Just a little reminder for all: Steve and I planned to gather the comments and look for the most relevant once and send those to Uzurpator. I see that Uzurpator already started updating, which is good of course, but it does undermine Steve and mine intentions. Perhaps it's the downside of having everyone post the comments in advance, publicly.