Advice on a 3D RTS
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Before I venture into my first 3D OpenGL RTS game, anyone have any advice on it?
I''ve written a 2D RTS before using isometrics, but I''m not sure how to go about the engine for a 3D game. Any ideas or tips?
Very first thing you get is the terrain engine. I''ll assume you are working outdoors, for something along the lines of BattleZone, although the principles are the same for Earth:2140 and Metal Fatigue.
Anyways, you want the terrain engine. You also want subroutines for detecting the 3D world position that is at a 2D screen location, so that the player can "click" with the mouse or targetting reticle, and not have an annoying "fixed-position targetting cursor that is 20 meters in front of your vehicle".
Next, you want to have the non-terrain renderer up. The usual dynamically-added buildings and units are the same, but you will want to make the building models with a "base" extension, a bit of wall to extent below their "bottom", so that you can build them on slightly uneven ground.
Lastly, everything else is the same. Collision detection needs only a bit of revamping, which can be easily enough handled by any level of programmer.
I hope this helps.
Anyways, you want the terrain engine. You also want subroutines for detecting the 3D world position that is at a 2D screen location, so that the player can "click" with the mouse or targetting reticle, and not have an annoying "fixed-position targetting cursor that is 20 meters in front of your vehicle".
Next, you want to have the non-terrain renderer up. The usual dynamically-added buildings and units are the same, but you will want to make the building models with a "base" extension, a bit of wall to extent below their "bottom", so that you can build them on slightly uneven ground.
Lastly, everything else is the same. Collision detection needs only a bit of revamping, which can be easily enough handled by any level of programmer.
I hope this helps.
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