The Ancients is a game set on Earth. In 200BC. The Roman Republic is slowly taking the mediterranean by storm, the second of the punic wars has just ended, yet the war against Macedon has just begun - and this is just in Italy. Travel and explore the land and peoples, from the Lusitanians of the Iberian Peninsula to the ancient Ainu of Japan.
Elevation is an important factor for The Ancients, it covers two subjects and supports a third.
The first subject it covers are Ranged Missiles. If a player is to fire an arrow uphill, it will need to compensate the distance of the Z-axis, whilst firing downhill is the exact opposite, whereas the archer *gains* distance due to Z-axis.
The second influences water flow when we put a Dynamic Water system in later. The idea is that each tile has a capacity of 10, with a water graphic changing height every 0.2.
If a lower elevation has less water than a higher elevation, the water "slips" down, eventually leveling out. Likewise, if a lower elevation has more water than a higher elevation, the water "floods" up.
In addition to this, we theorise (Important word here, "Theorise". We need to consider server capability, memory-wise) that rain would fall down/appear in small amounts onto a surface and slip down to the lowest elevation - until that elevation floods.
Finally, elevation supports actual graphical-represented elevation such as hills, keeping them realistically leveled. This means that I can't have a 40-high tile disappear to a 3-high tile without a cliff forming, as opposed to flat grass, graphically.
Elevation mapping supports the illusion that the game is 3D, to a degree, when in actual fact its dimension is supported by the genius of Lightning.
the detail that goes into you game never ceses to amaze me, honestly awsome amazing stuff, things i never even would have thought on including
@airbourne: Tell me about it. ._.
--Lightning
->The Ancients Programmer
I wish I could help you guys more than just stalking the game...