Matrix Games Forums

Has anyone here at Matrix discussed the possibility of adding a little bit of true 3D and true LOS (a la Combat Mission) to these games?

I mean I love SP:WAW and all, but now that we are forging ahead with completely new games, what about using some of this great technology to advance the state of the games. It seems to me that 3D is the way to go for all future wargame development.

It adds so much to the game, and makes for so many more possibilities.

The idea of 3D was discussed & there are merits and reasons not to use it. 3D visuals offer close to nil improvement to a top down game while adding significantly to the system 'horsepower' requirements of the game.

3D modelling of the terrain (not visible, but underlying the map) could add significantly to calculating LOS, ground slopes, yaw, tilt & roll angles of vehicles for armour slope calculations. A draw back of this is that without significant resources being put into a map editor, the days of the average player creating their own maps would be pretty much over.

I think alot here would dis-agree with the 3D "Combat Mission" look - I know I don't want it and would like to keep the same top down look. To me the 3D look hasn't come far enough yet, and just doesn't look right. Yet.

In Close assault Direct 3D is used by the engine so the terrain is "3D to the engine- its just not rendered as such for viewing.

Combat Leader using hexes has to use other means - thogh we are trying to come up with a way to indicate slope of terrain.

Originally posted by Paul Vebber:
though we are trying to come up with a way to indicate slope of terrain.

I knew you WERE GREAT !

I think something like an isometric 'false' 3D-view likeStarcraft or Caesar III , Panzer General 3D may dress well in this case..but the last word belongs to Matrix obviously !

We are sticking to top down and probably some method of "contour overlay" hot key (at least in CA) hexside contours may be possible in CL. THis will likley go well into playetesting to finalize what method works bestin eah game. CA will likely have a more detailed treatment becasue of teh level of detail that goes into "painting' the terrain. The hex imposes some limitations so you may be limited to drawing contours alng hexsides, giving them a height and the slope of teh intervenning hexes calculated based on proximity to these hex sides. The hot-key could togle these "hexside contours on/off" and when on, shade the hexes to reflect the general gradient. I din;t see a way to meld teh slope into the inhex graphics unles it it s designated as a cliff or something and nearly EVERY hex is a slope to some degree in real life so the "shaded overlay" is the best thing I have been able to come up with so far...

I know this would add a bit of complexity but maybe you could subdivide hexes, just for the purposes of elevation. Like maybe divide a hex into a bunch of squares and develop LOS and Penetration routines based on the number of elevation lines that cross the hex. The graphic would show smooth topographic lines but the line would actually be a series of squares through the hex with height values. All transparent to the player. This sounds pretty ugly for map-building and probably is too involved to be practical, but I thought I'd throw it out there anyway.