More item images with less textures

yandersen

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29/12/2017
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Many game items share the same images. The reason for that, as was explained, a RAM limitations. To overcome this technically I suggest making game icons two-layered, so that each image is composed from two textures, front one drawn above the back one with a help of transparency. Basic, right?

For example, a fire, poison or frost bows all may share the same front image of the bow, but have different backgrounds showing flames, poison drops or snowflakes. Those "backgrounds" may similarly be used for swords as well or even some armor. For example the Breastplate of the Forge can really benefit of a generic flames background layer to be distinct from a Platemail Vest.

Imagine we have 400 items. With individual textures for each one the 400 textures will be needed. But with 2-layered approach in best case one may be good with just 20+20=40 textures thanks to combination possibility.
 

DavidBVal

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28/02/2015
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7,585
It is a good approach to create icons, and maybe more optimized than the current one which was done when I estimated EK would have a total of about 100 items. But they are already made the other way around, which means re-doing hundreds of icons for about 600 items, several weeks of work that I'll rather put into other listed features.
 

yandersen

New member
Joined
29/12/2017
Messages
19
Not at all, David!
Just add a slot support for second layer which carries a default transparent texture and that will be a start - a simple addition to the game engine. And then keep replacing default background textures for selected items whenever u have time, a few per patch. The same amount of work as to draw a new texture.
 

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