Tileset Independent

Another big problem is that a special map is drawn with a specific tileset. If this tileset changes the map becomes unusable. The same is valid, if a tileset should be replaced by another one but this tileset contains only a tile subset of the first one. This examples and a little bit phantasie draw a horrible scenario for the future of this game. If nothing changes the time will come where all developers only rework old maps rather than doing new ones and push the game development further.

What is needed here is an translation layer between the map and the game. Currently the map definition contains directly the number of the tile in the tileset. Insert or remove a tile will destroy all related maps. This could be avoided if the map only contains tile symbols which tell the game what tile it should use, similar to the X11 keymap definition.

Instead of 112, which should be a plains tile here the map would contain for example PL03 (third plains tile). The map reader could translate this PL03 internally to 112 and work as usual. The change in game flow were limited to the map reader which have to do the translation.

If the current tileset doesn't have a PL03 tile, the map reader could automatically replace the tile with an equivalent tile from the same tile class. For example the current tileset only contains PL01 and PL02 but no PL03. The map reader automatically choose PL02 as replacement because this tile has the smallest difference in properties. The result: The map is still playable.

Suggestions for a Tileset Symbol System

Tile Classes

 Name   Short   CF   Description 
 roads   RD   (x)   Roads makes movements of ground troops faster but they can be destroyed by gun fire. 
 rails   RL   (x)   terrain independent fast moving but inflexible. Trains stick on rails and they can be destroyed by gun fire. 
 plains   PL   x    
 debris   DB   x   small movement disadvantage, bonus in defence 
 hills   HI   x   bigger movement disadvantage, bonus in defence 
 mountains   LM   x   too steep for all sort of ground vehicles 
 high_mountains   HM      only crossable by high flying aircraft 
 forest   FO   x   the bigger the vehilce the slower it can cross this field 
 mud   MD      wet and soft ground. Heavy vehilces will cave in 
 swamp   SW   x   wet and soft ground with water holes. Bad terrain for vehicles 
 snow   SN      soft and slippery ground. Movement will be hard and slow 
 deep water   DW   x   deep enough for diving vehicles like submarines 
 water   NW   x    
 shallow water   SW   x   shallow water, only up to a few meters deep. 
 iced water   IW      frozen water, solid enough to carry heavy vehicles 
 fortress   FT   (x)   human built barricades and trenches not easy to cross but destroyable by gun fire. 

Classes marked in the CF column are already implemented in Crimson Fields.