Using Big Maps

[MammonMachine]

Are there any unforseen consequences for making a huge area?

I have one area that is 328 x 270. With a size like this, I am worried that some players might experience a slow down on their computer. When I load up the area it plays fine for me, but I have a pretty fast machine, so I'm not sure what would happen on a slower computer.

Are there any side effects?

[Starduster]

well that's pretty much slef answering, of course it will run slow for most computers, especially if you have alot of events going on i HIGHLY reccomend cutting that map -at least- in half.

[MammonMachine]

If the map truly causes slow downs, and I were to cut it in half,

How would I go about making a seamless transition (so in a way the player will never realize he has switched maps and it will feel like he is playing on one big map).

This map is an important dungeon, and it is vital that the size be kept this big in order to keep an immersion factor.



But more importantly, where does the lag actually come from? The player's screen only renders a small area at a time (20 x 15) and just scrolls through the entire map as he moves. The game wouldn't need to be processing every single event on the map until the player encounters it on the screen right?

[Dragonium]

I believe that in your teleport events, to take them to the next map, put a "Change Map Transition", and select "No Transition". That way, there shouldn't be a transition, and the player won't notice. At the most, the screen will blink for a moment, but nothing too noticeable.

[MammonMachine]

Yes, but if the map has a length of three hundred tiles, I would have to have three hundred events, one for each tile, so a player could cross over to the other map and be on the correct tile. And I think I would have to do it all by hand unless I can set up a generic event using some X Y coordinate variables. But I don't know how to do that yet.  

[MammonMachine]

Another thing,


How many moving NPC's can you have on the screen before you experience a slowdown in the game?

[Starduster]

thats alot of questions you'd never know because every computer has its limits, lag comes from tons of events in one map, and the biggerr it is the more events it may need.

[MammonMachine]

So should I just make a good high end RPG and let the people with slower computers rot? Because they'd just be holding me back.

What kind of computers do most people who play RM2k games have?

[Bluhman]

The best way to make seamless transitions:

1. Go into the systems tab and make the Erase screen transition method "No erase/transition". You do not need to do anything for the Show screen transition
2. Make a teleport event at the left, right, top or bottom edge of the map.
3. Have this event change the Show screen transition to "Scroll Left/right/up/down".
4. Test it out.

[MammonMachine]

I've decided to just use a big *** Map. My whole RPG is gonna require a good computer anyway, theres parts of the game where you are flooded by waves of NPCs and stuff, etc.