Island making -> Roadside ditches

[Hadrian_21VB 0]

First of all, sorry if this has already been asked.

I have found some info about thrences, but I'm not so interested in them as much as roadside ditches.

Besides mission maker, I'm building Islands.

In OFP it is difficult to make true terrain as the points of elevation are to wide.

Is the points of elevation smaller in Armed Assault ?

In my millitary day's I tried to make an specific object where I could train tactics for real life.

As I was a squad Leader and in a crises situation it would be my squads task to guard/ defend it.

Many of the routes leading to the object (for unseen approach) is by roadside ditches or small streams.

Many of these approches got lost in the "Island building" and therefore I could not use it for my purpose.

But had a good fun making it anyway, though I ended up deleting it and made "Free fantasy" Danish terrain instead.

[Espectro (DayZ) 0]

Hey there Hadrien... been a while since ive seen you around.

I think roadside ditches would be possible, since the islands have alot more "points" (they are not 25m anymore), but wouldnt this be possible in ofp? By making a 3d object and place it on the ground?

[Hadrian_21VB 0]

Trenches complex, yes.

Roadside ditches, no... or rather not to my satisfaction.

Just say when.

I'm around all the time, you know where to find me mate

[berghoff 11]

In an interview I think they said ArmA was tested with 5m 'cells'.

[Hadrian_21VB 0]

Sounds great.

Its possible to see some improvement on this topic by viewing the Armour competion image

Edit by Hadrian (link instead of image, some extra PR for that and sorry Placebo)

Armour competion page

[Second 0]

In FDF's map Al Maldajah (desert map) the roads are lifted from landscape like this:

(ground level _ _ /--roadlevel--\ _ _ ground level)

I'm not certain but i think that it comes with roadobject. I have run to some issues with AIs driving skills on these roads, but they are generaly slowing issues, not halting issues.

This feature makes new kind tactical approaches in ambushing convoys and such as ambushed men can get fast behind ditch and receive good cover from enemy fire and ambushers can close in the road by crawling as they are hidden by ditch too (does anyone any more understand what i try to explain).

Pity that AI can't take full advantage of it, but still some of them decides to lay down in cover as others hop upon road and get killed. Handgrenade matches across the road are nice too

[Jimboob 0]

You'll get shot by Placebo for posting that Hadrian

[Placebo 29]

Last time I studied maths I understood that 3.4mb was slighter larger than 100kb, which happens to be the maximum hotlink image size on here

[Hadrian_21VB 0]

Won't risk that so I'll change the link to the site and not the image

Hope that helps, or else he is most welcome to shoot, I'm little and fast and good for a return fire.

[quantico 0]

But it is possible to use some google maps (or other) to map edit?

[lecholas 2]

First of all, sorry if this has already been asked.

I have found some info about thrences, but I'm not so interested in them as much as roadside ditches.

I was hoping for ditches aswelll. The small terrain forms are very important on a tactical level and IMHO this is one of the things that need big improvements compared to OFP. Ofcourse the other important thing is making AI able to use those terrain forms properly. More detailed terrain without better AI would only improve multiplayer games and could cause the current AI to get lost and run as headless chickens past obvious pieces of cover (as we've seen it in early ArmA trailers in urban areas). For now ArmA's terain (judging from screenshots) unfortunately looks awfully flat (for example the last screen from William's blog).

In FDF's map Al Maldajah (desert map) the roads are lifted from landscape like this:

(ground level _ _ /--roadlevel--\ _ _ ground level)

Yes, that was a great idea. I made some tests placing game logics on the 'slopes' of the roads and using scripted taking cover with takecover.sqs script and the results were quite interesting. Unfortunately the script wasn't perfect but this is the direction i think ArmA should follow.

[Metal Heart 0]

Quote[/b] ]For now ArmA's terain (judging from screenshots) unfortunately looks awfully flat

Well, what did you expect? It's a compromise between terrain detail and view distance. Use of terrain lods is pretty much out of the question due to the nature of the game (lots of medium and long range combat).

I think a solution to make ditches and such might be the possibility to define small detailed areas which would have a smaller grid size.

[DrBobcat 0]

But they've already confirmed we get MUCH smaller grid sizes when creating "islands" in ArmA. Perhaps they are giving the idea of trenches and ditches up to modders to decide? Maybe they are focussing more on the medium/long range combat of OFP for the new island and handing over the World War 1/2 style combat to mod groups??

These are all just ideas but I really do think that with extremely small grid sizes (again, this was confirmed in one of the press releases, or maybe the mapfact interview. I think it was about 3-5m minimum) we would easily be able to create small depressions in the earth.

Speculation, I know, but what else can I say?

dRb

[Sniperwolf572 758]

I think that we won't be restricted to a one cell size per map, I think you will be able to make one cell 2x2 kilometers, and another one 5x5 meters. That eliminates huge number of cells for plains.

[Commando84 0]

Sniperwolf572 you got some good words there, i remember hearing the devs speak of streaming terrean and stuff? Maybe with big plains you can make grid sizes bigger and cutting down on lag?

And have areas with small grid sizes only when needed to?

but thats just my speculations there..

anyways i would love it if there was the ability to do or have in maps ditches, trenches to maps to add that extra friendlyness to soldiers who wants to be able to take cover good!

yeah well if a.i can use it or not its important but not dead important for me, i think i will do alot of mp playing whit arma anyways im just dreaming of Cti and coops right now and mission based Tdm's also. And i wonder if the bicyckle will be in still?

[Hadrian_21VB 0]

Thanks a lot guys, for all the feedback.

Does anyone have a link to some official info on this ?

I think I've heard something at some point, but can't seem to find it.

- The diff. square sizes on one map

Does that mean that it will not be possible to convert exsisting islands to Armed Assault ?

[lecholas 2]

Quote[/b] ]For now ArmA's terain (judging from screenshots) unfortunately looks awfully flat

Well, what did you expect?

Quote[/b] ]New map covering over 400 sq. km, in extreme detail

The question is how to understand 'extreme detail'. I'd love to take it for:

extreme = extreme

and not:

extreme != extreme

[Metal Heart 0]

Surely you should know that words like 'extreme', 'ultra-realistic' and 'ZOMG TOTALLY AWESOMELY SCHWEEEEETT!!!!111oneone' are just the standard PR bullshit.

[max power 21]

Extreme terrain detail does not necessarily mean a heightmap of incredible fidelity. Its meaning also probably includes that the objects such as trees, grass, buildings, fences, fountains, etc. are numerous and convincingly placed/detailed.

I have a theory that BIS has created an algorythm for drawing terrain that measures the height difference between points and doesn't draw another vertex until there is sufficient difference in height between the point it is considering and the surrounding vertexes.. so lumpy terrain will be lumpy and detailed up to a maximum of one vertex every five meters, and flats will be represented by very few polies. Having very limited experience in building terrain (none, actually), I don't know exactly how that would pan out, however.