Please choose your prefered choice, both are possible.
Open Gameplay:
Walk directly from one area to another, EVERYTHING is on ONE large map. See all the other places in the distance, maybe I'll add heightmap too, as this may be important for an open map. Will involve a longer initial loading time, but no more afterwards. Adds the possibility for a multiplyer feature. E.g.
Map-Based:
Once you reach the edge of the map, it loads the next map. So you move from map to map, and will NOT see other maps in the distance, or a heightmap. Shorter initial loding time, but you have to load each map as you come to them. I may not be able to add a multiplayer feature for this option.
I would probably be more towards the Open Gameplay idea, but I look forward to your choices ! :)
Post a comment of your decision! ;D
IMO I like open area maps that don't have load times. It makes the game feel like one big world, instead of a bunch of smaller worlds linked together with no real connection.
I'm willing to wait for the extra load time at the beginning for an open world.
I agrees!
Open worlds are the future (and present) :) so yeah.
While I have to say I agree with the above comments, there is one downside. Anyone with a bad computer won't have as good a framerate as a really good computer, simply because Sandbox doesn't handle open worlds (with lots of mmodels, and buildings) well.
But I think most people would be able to deal with it, so go big :D
Good point. I, er, yeah, well I'll try to keep lag low :P
The map will have an underground too if it's open. Such as this Volcano-like crater I am making, which will contain a hole in the top, leading straight to this map in the screenshots which will be based entirely underground:
Media.moddb.com
And is part of the main questline.
{SPOILER - EXTREMELY brief storyline - Savage war with Seasalk, you find a secret entrance, battle the emperor, Orb of Life smashes, natural disaster, you fall down hole, must restore the underground mechanical planet, to sustain life again above).
Perhaps you could do a combination or both. Using TES IV: Oblivion as an example, the wildreness would be one map, Caves and such would be another, and the towns would be their own maps within the walls. You could also divide the Wilderness into multiple maps as well by having natural divides and then loading the map as your crossing it. For example, the bridge over the canyon I have seen a few screenshots and videos. I am not sure if this is possible, but its an option.
Good point, but Oblivion uses lower quality models for the inside of the town, when your outside it, and it's wall, etc. I don't know if I could do that, but it should be possible, but it would cause just as much lag as the town being open to the wilderness for this... Will be good for caves/dungeons though.
I would go with map-based because you can add more areas later on to a already exisiting world. Plus you can put greater detail for each map.
That's a good point. That'd be easier than updating 1 larger, open map, I suppose, to add new areas. And much less lag, and it would work on less powerful computers.
Although I could do just as much detail, either option :)
Very true. If anything anything one thing that SquareEnix( I hate that company) did right (for once) in FFXI was that the game was map based and when expansions and updates came about they would add new maps to countries that were already made in the game.
Plus if you wanted to add to the mood of a map you now can have custom music for that map to generate the feeling of the environment. And individual monsters and rare monsters.
i think the elder scrolls would be the best option. also unless you are making boats pilot-able (awesome) that would cut down on having a huge map it would break the huge map into a bit smaller ones
keep in mind i got very..... Exquisite computer so mine can handle it while others cant..... i think it more depends on who you want your audience to be quite honestly.
I may have to stick with map based, because of the masses of problems I am having, though it would be nice :)