Re: [tuxracer-devel] Creating new levels (was: (no subject))

[Jasmin P. <jf...@mu...>]

On Wed, 29 Mar 2000, Julien Canet wrote:

> Hi,
> first, the idea to design levels with a 2d program and the course format is
> really really great!
>  i designed a course who works (but not a really good course) and i tried
> to make another one in800*48 (and higer ones) more complex and i can't
> launch it, here is what i get:
> [root@localhost 7]# tuxracer
> video memory unprotecting
> it seems it is too big or too complex (terrain really complex) because the
> same course resized to 600*36 works (but slow):
> What are the limitations?

Hmm, it's possible that there's a problem in 0.11.* that prevents large
courses.  That section of the code has undergone major changes for the
upcoming 0.12 release (which will be out very soon), and I just did a
test on a 80x1024 course that worked fine.  

> I would like to make a really huge course (one that takes at least 3
> minutes to play)
> Have you got advices to do that?

The longest course that I've made takes about 1 minute to play.  You
should be able to make a longer course by simply making the bitmap
longer... speed shouldn't suffer too much in version 0.12 since only the
"nearby" portions of the course are displayed.  Probably a bigger
problem is memory consumption, but I think you'd have to make your
course very large before that became a problem.  

It helps (for both speed and memory consumption) to keep the bitmap
fairly narrow -- the width of 48 pixels that you mention above is
reasonable.

> When i save my level in rgb i choose "no compression": may i compress it?

Yes, compressed rgb images are supported.

> Another good thing (i know i'm boring sometimes) could be to specify in
> course.tcl others rgb files to load for others objects (houses, other kind
> of trees etc...) and also specify your code for colors (in your new rgb
> files you would say that a color represent this object etc...).

Yes, I plan to do something very much like that. :-)

> And i have an idea (just a suggestion) do you know snobow kids on
> Nintendo64?

No, I haven't played that.  

> It looks like tuxracer and also mariokart: if you planned to make courses
> vs computers or other players maybe you can do things like in snowbow kids:
> at the end of the course you take a (i don't know the word in english) that
> takes you to the beginning of the level and the course against others
> players continue, (you have a number of laps to complete).

I like that idea -- it would provide an easy way to extend the duration of
races.  Are you teleported to the top of the level, or is there a
chairlift or other physical mechanism?  (I speak French so you can tell
me the French word :-).

> By the way, tuxracer and tuxaqfh are my 2 favourites linux game projects!!!

Cool! :-)

Cheers,
Jasmin