Non spherical maps

Discussion in 'Mod Discussions' started by warrenkc, June 12, 2016.

  1. warrenkc

    warrenkc Active Member

    Messages:
    542
    Likes Received:
    191
    Is it possible to use the PA game engine and make an RTS with non-spherical maps? (Like Total Annihilation or Forged Alliance, or Ashes of the Singularity)

    From my experience that is the major reason none of my friends liked PA.

    Thanks!

    Warren
    Last edited: June 12, 2016
  2. stuart98

    stuart98 Post Master General

    Messages:
    6,009
    Likes Received:
    3,888
    If you want Total Annihilation then play Total Annihilation. If you want Supreme Commander play Supreme Commander. They play better than vanilla PA anyway. Spherical maps are the primary distinguishing feature of PA and I cannot for the life of me imagine why someone would want them gone.
    tatsujb and huangth like this.
  3. huangth

    huangth Active Member

    Messages:
    498
    Likes Received:
    209
    I think it is possible to make non spherical maps based on current game engine.
    I have played a map which is a cubic planet.
    Or alternatively, you can create a planet which contains a square land area, and then fill other region with lava.

    If you just don't like the mini map of PA, you can install the mod: UberMap
    https://forums.uberent.com/threads/rel-the-ubermap.68808/
  4. Mirolog

    Mirolog Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    294
    Likes Received:
    405
    It's possible to make flat maps, but camera will be VERY weird, because it will still rotate around a sphere. And it probably impossible to play. Also spheres are more fun than flat stuff.

    Real maps have curves.
    Nicb1, huangth and tunsel11 like this.
  5. huangth

    huangth Active Member

    Messages:
    498
    Likes Received:
    209
    This is true.
    I don't like the cubic map because of the camera issue.
  6. warrenkc

    warrenkc Active Member

    Messages:
    542
    Likes Received:
    191
    So how many people bought this game and playing it? Very few people. And from my own experience the main reason was the spherical Maps. I like everything else actually. And I can play on the spherical planets but it just feels like an unnecessary evil.

    I got probably 20 people to buy this game. They all said they hated the spherical Maps. Other than that it's good.

    Planetary Annihilation has the best features such as the server side computing of all game data.
    Last edited: June 12, 2016
  7. Mirolog

    Mirolog Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    294
    Likes Received:
    405
    Planetary Annihilation. This is a game about annihilating planets. Planets are spheres.
    Nicb1 likes this.
  8. Alpha2546

    Alpha2546 Post Master General

    Messages:
    977
    Likes Received:
    1,561
    It can take a while before people get used to spherical maps. It sure did for me and I can imagine that most people are not into that.

    Flap maps can be made in pa however gameplay wise it simply won't work. Apart from the camera issues you'll also get targeting issues. Units will overshoot each other because most projectile shoot with a curve (in standard rts most shoots in a straight line but you can't in pa cause it'll hit the ground.
    warrenkc and cptconundrum like this.
  9. killerkiwijuice

    killerkiwijuice Post Master General

    Messages:
    3,879
    Likes Received:
    3,597
    Lad, spherical maps is the biggest feature of this game.

    An option for flat maps would be nice, like almost everything.
  10. mwreynolds

    mwreynolds Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    472
    Likes Received:
    294
  11. ljfed

    ljfed Active Member

    Messages:
    184
    Likes Received:
    136
    Please tell us, WHY is it that you guys don't like the sphereical maps?

    When playing on multi planet systems it feels so cool to zoom out and see all the planets orbiting around. I really don't see how multi planet systems could work with flat maps.
    I like how you have to be aware of what's going on around you on all sides, not just a few directions, which is the main difference of the maps and personally I think the game would be boring without this aspect. You have to constantly choose which side you need to send units down to attack / defend and where your going to expand to. It also means scoutung for or at least guessing where your opponent is sending his armies so you can react to that.
    I find it fun to have to scroll around and keep on top of all these things happening on opposite sides of different planets.

    However if you want to play on flat style maps (which I admit are fun sometimes) then there are maps made on a spherical planet with half the planet blocked out by cliffs, making the map play like a flat map. First one that comes to mind is team arena.
    warrenkc and mwreynolds like this.
  12. warrenkc

    warrenkc Active Member

    Messages:
    542
    Likes Received:
    191
    Of course I have played PA from day one and hoped it would be popular. I am just saying that spherical planets seem to be quite the turn off for a lot of people.

    The man said it best a long time ago:
    https://forums.uberent.com/threads/...-on-planetary-annihilation.34967/#post-751287
    Chris Taylor: Yeah. When I saw that, I kind of saw the old Chris, you know? I’ve been a firm believer that multiple battlefields is not a good idea. You look at chess and you try to go to 3D chess, it just blows your mind. The brain is powerful, but the brain has limits. Only savant genius type of people can play on multiple boards at once.
  13. ljfed

    ljfed Active Member

    Messages:
    184
    Likes Received:
    136
    So you're saying that spherical planets make it difficult to control and stay on top of everything that is going on? I understand how this happens when you are trying to control everything on multiple planets (which would also be the case if you were trying to control multiple flat maps), but I don't see how the spherical maps actually make it much more difficult to stay on top of everything. Especially when you can just zoom out and get a good view of a large area of the planet. You only have to get used to scrolling around.

    Also PA does so many things to make managing everything so much easier such as a streaming economy, infinite build on factories, build queues, picture in picture, live chronocam, area commands and a small emphasis on microing units.

    Or maybe I have just played PA for too long :p
    mwreynolds likes this.
  14. warrenkc

    warrenkc Active Member

    Messages:
    542
    Likes Received:
    191
    Of course I agree with you in a lot of ways. I can't hardly stand playing FA, and only do because my friends and family still like it. It seems so slow and the upgrading of metal is the most important thing. Yes, I played FA a lot of hours since it came out.

    Unfortunately my friends and family all said the same thing (about the planets vs rectangular map) and don't like the multiple battlefields either.

    For us yes, we are used to PA and can navigate everything okay, but for a lot of people that really is difficult to get into.

    Warren
    ljfed likes this.
  15. xankar

    xankar Post Master General

    Messages:
    752
    Likes Received:
    1,004
    It's called Planetary Annihilation because it's annihilating the idea of having planets as maps. Game title is literally saying no to spherical maps.


    Kappa.
  16. xankar

    xankar Post Master General

    Messages:
    752
    Likes Received:
    1,004
    But on a more serious note, do you not like the spherical maps because they are difficult to comprehend from a strategic aspect? We don't need a backwards Ubisoft where it's the community who wants to downgrade and not the devs/publishers, lol.
    Plus, I doubt the gameplay mechanics of PA (which were designed for spherical maps) would work with flat maps. :p
    mwreynolds, stuart98 and Heizmeister like this.
  17. river39

    river39 Active Member

    Messages:
    165
    Likes Received:
    111
    I always had problems navigating the planet as without pool lock i would always get lost in my own base. This is why i quit playing (in beta). But with pool lock and me getting use to the spheres it became great.
    Did they try out pool lock?
  18. ZakTheEvil

    ZakTheEvil Member

    Messages:
    74
    Likes Received:
    32
    I like PA exactly because the maps are spherical and NOT flat.
  19. wpmarshall

    wpmarshall Planetary Moderator

    Messages:
    1,868
    Likes Received:
    2,989
    I hear it's the #1 tool to keep the neighbours out of your garden pond

    ;)
  20. xankar

    xankar Post Master General

    Messages:
    752
    Likes Received:
    1,004
    We were all trying so hard not to, and marshall comes and does it.
    lulamae likes this.

Share This Page