A 3d Animated Globe

[diablovision]

I have been thinking about this for a while--real planets are round, obviously, and the map is square! The map doesn't wrap around the way a real globe does and the projection onto a flat square map distorts the amount of land near the poles.

One thing that I think would be great is a 3d animated globe that would be completely hardware accelerated. As your civilization discovers the world, you could see more and more of the globe. Initially, the view would be zoomed in enough that you cannot even detect the curvature of the earth, but as your empire expands and you learn from neighbors, you will realize the curvature and eventually be able to see the whole planet! You can zoom, rotate, pan, etc.

It would definately feel cool when you dominate an entire hemisphere to be able to see your empire as it makes the planet look lopsided!

Projections could be done by unfolding the surface of the globe.

ALL units would be 3d modelled, ALA warcraft. You could zoom, rotate, pan, etc on battles and on the different units.

I think it would be really cool with the right controls!

[Vince278]

I'm definitely in favor of something like that.
I've always wondered what some of my maps would've looked like on a globe. Obviously, some map sizes/shapes won't translate well (tiny maps, square maps, etc.) and there is the distortion problem. If they ever did Civ with hexes then it should be easier to have a strategic level globe. Tactical maps should still be flat though.

[Sandman]

It's been suggested many a time.

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthrea...ight=Spherical

I am in favour.

[Trifna]

This is an aspect coming back again and again (except for the hardware accelerated, which is out of my knowledge area :P)

It may coem some day, since 3D globe maps are already in a game presently gold. For screenshots: http://www.golemlabs.com/superpower2/screenshots.html

[10BRAVO]

make it real-time 3D first person!

[Vince278]

Originally posted by Sandman
It's been suggested many a time.

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthrea...ight=Spherical

I am in favour.

I know. I'm in that thread too.

[star mouse]

You could do a reasonable approximation of a globe using hexagonal tiles, if you don't mind the fact that 12 of the hexagons would actually be pentagons. Start with a dodecahedron (12 pentagons). Extend it as big as you like by inserting as many hexagons as needed.

It works for soccer balls ...

[Vince278]

Thats been said before as well.

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthrea...threadid=94361

[trolluscaius]

i tink it could be cool lik the XCom series

[The Templar]

Originally posted by Trifna
This is an aspect coming back again and again (except for the hardware accelerated, which is out of my knowledge area :P)

It may coem some day, since 3D globe maps are already in a game presently gold. For screenshots: http://www.golemlabs.com/superpower2/screenshots.html

Heh, heh. As long as civ 4 isn't as crashy as Superpower 2 that's not a bad idea.

[Eladamry]

Most pathfinding algorithms will have trouble digesting pentagons and hexagons on the same map. It could be done, but it would probably limit possible map sizes and make pathfinding more resource intensive. If going with a spherical map, IMHO it is better to use irregular shaped "provinces" for layout because they would be just as resource intensive as hexagons + pentagons, but would allow for more variety in strategic placement and custom sizes.

[jordie]

Has the civ series always had squares...?

[Vince278]

Originally posted by trolluscaius
i tink it could be cool lik the XCom series

Another XCom fan.

[Vince278]

Originally posted by jordie
Has the civ series always had squares...?

Yep. Actual squares in Civ1 and isometric in Civ2 & 3.

[GePap]

No. If we are going to spend limited AI resources, this sort of eye candy can hold off- a better AI and several other ideas are better places to spend our resources.