Some of you may remember http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=1044690.

I didn't forget about this project but don't have much free time so i will start a design doc thread and update it occasionally and this will be a sort of game blog, if forum admins don't mind.

I will be adding chapters whenever i have some free time. Once a complete design doc is built i will start coding the game using Java/Eclipse.


This project design doc is hosted by google code. It's much less trouble to use a wiki.

http://code.google.com/p/mingorantools/
http://code.google.com/p/mingorantools/wiki/DaggerfallRoguelikeRootDocument

Added some info about how to generate the local map for a Fortification. Next update will be in a week or so, possibly with more local map types and examples.

Later i will do a applet to generate a Fort and let the player (@) walk in it.

Small change of plans. I decided to first create the image maps for all objects in the game, from images taken from Daggerfall TEXTURE files. Alternatively i will also use images from Battlespire daedra for clanfear, spider daedra and scamps. I'm also considering using icons from Nethack absurd64 tile set, because it has 64 pixels photorealistic icons.
http://nethack.wikia.com/wiki/The_Absurd_NetHack_Tileset

I managed to extract all the image files in my MacOSX (not easy). Images are rescaled to fit in icons of 64x64 pixels. I will also create image maps for smaller dimensions later. This may seem too big for a roguelike but it preserves better the visual quality of Daggerfall 2D graphics and there are a few surprises and unique art assets that were never used in the game that are worth using in a game like this.

Finished extracting terrain tiles and adapting them to Daggerfall Roguelike. Terrain tiles are 64x64 pixels, optionally 32x32 in a low res version. There are terrain tiles for the climate types: semi-desert, desert, high-mountain, hills, temperate, tropical, temperate forest, tropical forest, volcano, ocean surface, ocean floor.

At the same time i'm working on world image maps. These are 400x200 color or grayscale images that represent terrain features. The world image maps i'm planning are: land altitude, ocean depth, major cities, roads, rivers, climate, kingdoms, witch covens, vampire lairs, temples and religion, war map.

Daggerfall Roguelike diverges from Daggerfall in some aspects of it's main world. There are only 16 kingdoms. Some areas are not ruled by kingdoms but governed by city estates or religious/magic groups. The main differences are:

* Dragontail Mountains, Wrothgarian Mountains, Alik'r Desert is not a kingdom but a vast region with some city estates that rule themselves.
* Wrothgaria is a kingdom but does not occupy all of W. M. area in the game.
* Ykalon Mountains and Daenia forest are controlled by witches and it's native population and not ruled by any kingdom. Witches own large cities in the forest ruled by a witch matriarch. There are also cities like these in the Dragontail, Ykalon and Wrothgarian Mountains and Alik'r Desert in areas not ruled by kingdoms. If witches are found in kingdoms unless authorized to be there they are pursued and burned, because they conjure Daedra without permission or regulation from the empire. They also abduct humans for magic rituals.
* Ephesus is ruled by mages.
* Some parts of Dragontail mountains are ruled by Manimarco and follow his beliefs. The religion image map identifies this region.
* The swamp area belongs to Argonian tribes that pay tribute to Sentinel.
* Cybiades is a volcano.
* There are Dwemer ruins in the unruled areas of Ykalon, Wrothgarian and Dragontail mountains.
* Vampires lairs are partially tolerated by the nearby kingdoms and the empire just like witch covens. The reasons are nobles take profit from witches and vampire alliances but they also have many enemies who drive a constant war to eradicate them. Vampire lairs exist underground where vampires live with their human slaves. The empire does not condemn this and allows them to have their civilization, but Vampires are forbidden to travel or live in kingdoms without invitation and rogue vampires are hunted down by both human and vampire hunters.

Updated world concept maps:

http://code.google.com/p/mingorantools/wiki/DaggerfallRoguelikeDesign#Iliac_Bay_Concept_Images

World image maps which describe world regions by color code:

http://code.google.com/p/mingorantools/wiki/DaggerfallRoguelikeDesign#World_Image_Maps

Each of these maps is used to extract information used to generate a world block.

I have started converting Daggerfall images to tile image maps:

http://code.google.com/p/mingorantools/wiki/DaggerfallRoguelikeDesign#World_Image_Maps

Hope i'm not going too far in my permission to use Daggerfall assets and post them in the wiki. I made it clear about the copyright and who owns it. If it's necessary i will take them off the wiki.

Added an index to the design doc and arranged chapters a little better.

I was considering this hierarchy of maps to represent the Illiac Bay, capable of mixing procedural content with unique maps.

World Map with a layout of 400x200 cells is the root
Travel Map with a layout of 8x8 cells details a single world map location (this is where the player char moves when fast traveling)
Intermediate Map with a layout of 16x16 cells details a single travel map location
Area Map with a layout of 8x8 cells details a single intermediate map location (where the player moves normally)

While looking at Daggerfall city blocks, described at UESP:
http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Daggerfall:Furniture_Stores

the size of intermediary maps and area maps is clearly not enough. I will have to rethink this better and make area maps 64x64 tiles at least to match Daggerfall city blocks or increase both (inter and area maps) to 32x32 tiles making area maps half the size of a Daggerfall city block with respect to tile size.

Added concept images for the travel map, city exteriors and dungeons, with tiles and icons made from Daggerfall images. Graphics are only icon images in alternative to unicode characters used by common roguelikes.

http://code.google.com/p/mingorantools/wiki/DaggerfallRoguelikeDesign#Concept_Images_Overview

Travel map is where the player fast travels. Unlike Daggerfall the player will not move instantly from one place to another but in the travel map which represents the world at a very big scale. Traveling a few tiles in here will move time very quickly, can start encounters (which are specific to each region), and use food and water supplies appropriately.

Traveling in high mountain peeks will be very slow and the player will suffer weather damage unless he is properly equipped with clothing and climbing gear. Same with traveling in the desert, dense tropical jungle or swamps, the player needs to be well equipped, have an high endurance and a good survival skill.

In some places food and water will act as a limit to where the player can travel. The desert should NOT be crossable by the player on foot, much less with a horse. A camel will help a lot but the desert is too big. Perhaps with the appropriate magic and potions or if someone marks the location of an in the middle of the desert on the player map.

Exploring the travel map, with it's random encounters and finding clues on how to get everywhere should be like a game itself.

That all looks pretty damn awesome. Great work.

I love you. No really, can't wait for this.

Thanks. Next update will come after the holidays. I hope to have a demo with a testable and also modable travel map.