Mod Map Graphics to Allow Sphere?

[IsaacIvan]

Hello. I was just wondering a few things about this. I had an idea where the maps would be the same, except that instead of flat maps, their loopingness (inventin' words!) would become fully three-dimensional, like a planet. So, would this be possible? Would it request insane specs to run? Or what?

P.S. Please excuse my newbie questions. But, well, I am a newbie.

 

[Spatzimaus]

We're not even CLOSE to having enough access to do that sort of thing. It's unlikely we ever will; the DLL is probably not going to let us change things at that level, although it's possible. That's the sort of thing the developers would have to do internally to be done correctly.

Besides, you can't project a rectangular hex map onto a sphere without horribly squashing parts. You'd have to make an entirely different algorithm if you wanted to have hexes on a sphere without massive projection effects, which'd invalidate every existing map script or scenario map. So I doubt they'd ever choose to do this unless the game was built for it. Remember, in Civ4 they DID have the ability to show the world on a sphere, but that was using square maps with the poles cut off, and was still mostly just for fun and not actual play.

 

[IsaacIvan]

Ah, well. Thanks anyway!

 

[Pembroke]

Besides, you can't project a rectangular hex map onto a sphere without horribly squashing parts.

How about a "flat sphere"? Imagine a square tabletop where both sides are part of the world. The topside represents the northern "hemisphere" and the underside the southern. Topologically it's the same as a sphere but now you can cover the playing area with hexes.

Going "around the globe" would go: Start at the North Pole which lies at the center point of the topside. Moving towards the edge you are going South. The edge represents the Equator and as you continue moving to South you switch to the underside and start closing its center point where lies the South Pole. Continuing straight you go over the South Pole and your compass needle switches towards North as you are now again moving towards the edge i.e. the Equator. There you switch back to the topside and continue towards the North Pole completing the circle.

The edge identity mapping in this kind of world is different than the "Donut World" you get from wrapping left/right and top/bottom which is currently possible. In the "Double Discworld" landscape the wrapping is left-topside/right-underside + right-topside/left-underside + top-topside/top-underside + bottom-topside/bottom-underside and it can be thus represented by two square maps.

Now, CiV doesn't support multiple maps but there's a way to convert the above world of two square maps into a world of one rectangular map provided you can specify the wrappings of the edges a bit more freely: Imagine having the two squares as separate maps, labeled "topside" and "underside". Move the underside square to the immediate right of the topside square creating a rectangle. This automatically fulfills one of the edge identiteties as the right-topside is joined with the left-underside i.e. that edge vanishes and is just the center line of the rectangle map going from top to bottom. Then wrap the right edge of the rectangle to its left edge. This CiV already allows you to do. This fulfills another edge identity (left-topside/right-underside).

After this comes the hard part.

You can't wrap the top of the rectangle to its bottom as that would only create a donut world. Instead you have to wrap the left part of the top to the right part of the bottom, and the right part of the top to the left part of the bottom i.e. crosswise. If you could do this the end result would be identical to the "Double Discworld" described above. Edit: Darn. Mistake. Should be: "Left part of top" to "right part of top" and "left part of bottom" to "right part of bottom". Things you notice after you wake up in the morning...

Then just write a map script that takes into account where the poles are and how the latitudes go on the single rectangle.

I think this is the best you can get with a flat rectangular map that most closely resembles a globe.