[CF-Devel] map bug

[the seer]

MWedel wrote:
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     Why bother with a stacking value?  If you just tell the server or >>client 
     
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     to  use a 4 layered system, all of the images that need to be >>placed on 
     
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     the  screen can easily be handled.  Treat the floors as >>the bottom layer 
     
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     (0), building components next (1), then items (2), >>and finaly animated 
     
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     creatures (3), you should be able to solve the >>problem without any 
     
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     significant increase in processing.
     
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       That basically means you have 4 hard coded layers, which may not be >just 
     
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     fine. But also see the previous mail about xbm and performance - >the more 
     
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     layers, the more bandwidth needed.
     
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       Also, you still get the case that suppose and item is inserted into >that 
     
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     space or a monster moves off.  Once again, you need to >recalculate all the 
     
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     layers on that space
     
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       Also, at current time, the definition of building components is >vague.  
     
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     For example, a dragon transport is not really considered a >building 
     
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     component, which is why you get the effect described above.
     
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       This could probably get fixed up by adding a 'layer xxx' value to >all 
     
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     objects. But you still get into cases like:
     
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       A fireball explodes in a room with monsters and treasures.  The >fire is 
     
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     on top, so that will be seen and considered an animiated >creature, so you 
     
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     then see the treasure, building components, and >floors.  I would argue 
     
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     that in this case, you really want to see what >monsters are still standing 
     
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     and not what objects are there.
     
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       So what you really want is something like:
     
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       Draw top X images (which would be spell effects, monsters, items, >...)
     
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       Draw bottom X images (floors and buildings).
     
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       I think there is some problem with the dragon transport in that >that 
     
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     image is used as both a monster and a building type object.  So >it is 
     
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     difficult to handle that dual identity unless you create >another image 
     
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     class, or move visibility and stacking of objects away >from the images and 
     
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     back into the object.
     
     
Actually I was suggesting that we just have the client treat certain 
archetypes as if they are on layers.  Then rather than having to calculate 
every single image on the stack, you just use the map images for the bottom 
images, as suggested by the architecture ( i thought that was what the 
archetypes were for), and then code other objects on top as needed.  The 
code is all client side, so no more bandwith is needed.  The images can tell 
it all it needs to know.  If this won't work, then I guess I just don't know 
enough about the project.

-The Seer
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