Isometric...

Hey guys

Being a big fan of Tiberium sun, i thought i'd make an isometric strategy game, but it's proving harder than i thought it would be. How would one go about doing that exactly?

Isometric games are possibly the HARDEST kind of 2D game to make. Period.

I would highly recommend starting with something a little easier, or perhaps using a pseudo isometric view (like in Legend of Zelda) where it's really top-down, but not... if you catch my drift. Even then, you will have LOTS of fun making sprites for it, as they will need at least 16 directions so they don't look badly animated... but preferably more.

I would recommend using a 3D application, like 3D Studio, Blender, ZBrush, or similar to make your sprites... that way you can make any angle easily.

The other way you could attack the problem is by making it more of a turn based game like Civilization... that way you could easily get away with more "iconic" style vehicles/troops/etc.

~Sol

I disagree on the difficulty of isometric. You don't have to treat it as a 3D world behind the scenes. All it is, is your usual flat square rotated and squished for the illusion of perspective.

Treat the world as any other top-view 2D world and you'll find the only added challenge to be the extra angles you'll want for your sprites.

RTS also couldn't be easier with Construct having selection box, turrets and even pathfinding for units build right in!

I say go for your idea, but do start small. Try a few units moving around a simple area. Then build complexity as you get the hang of it.

Sure Jeswen, isometric is easy... if the world is completely flat.

Somehow I doubt that's what Posessed wants though.

When you make your isometric walls, be sure to create two separate objects, one that is a flat collision mask, and one that's the wall itself, because you will only want the collisions to occur on the base of the wall. While it is a planned feature to add custom collision masks, it hasn't been done yet so that technique is the next best thing

Also try out the 'for each ordered' condition. Add a family like blue or something to every object that is isometric, and then loop each blue ordered by its Y position, and bring it to the front. That will make the player go behind and in front of walls etc.

Sure Jeswen, isometric is easy... if the world is completely flat.

Somehow I doubt that's what Posessed wants though.

Haha, no ... you treat each layer of depth as a flat world ... adding a second layer of height means changing a value from 1 to 2 and adding it as a condition.

It's not so difficult

This is why I say, pretend it doesn't have depth. Look at everything as flat. You make it too complex if you treat Z as an actual depth position rather than "layer 2" etc.

On a side note, I'll be sure to be a smart ass towards you yet again deadeye, since you give me the honor!

I really don't think it's as easy as you're trying to make it out to be. And how exactly was I being a smartass?

And how exactly was I being a smartass?

Somehow I don't think I can answer that ...

At the end of the day, an isometric view game isn't hard to make, but it is far more time consuming...

• Several extra sprites for the rotation of objects
• Collision masks for EVERYTHING
• Drop shadowing for objects like bullets and rockets etc so they don't look "stuck to the ground"
• Seamless tiles are also harder to make in isometric view

The list, I'm sure, goes on.

It's certainly a plausible possibilty to make iso games... I have done it before with less powerful software... it's propbably just not the best thing to start a first project with in my humble opinion.

~Sol

Keep in mind that i'm not a first timer, i have a lot of experience with construct-ish programs like mmf and gamefactory.

And yeah, i'm struggling with making my little soldiers move along a grid...that seems to be the hardest part for now.

Keep in mind that i'm not a first timer, i have a lot of experience with construct-ish programs like mmf and gamefactory.

And yeah, i'm struggling with making my little soldiers move along a grid...that seems to be the hardest part for now.

Hey, well if you have the drive to tackle it, then by all means go for it. An isometric RTS game would be hawt. I've had experience with iso games before, so if you need any tips then feel free to fire away. Personally I never bothered with a grid, I just used 8 way movement or ball movement... the animations are the key to making cool tile transitions IMO.

Good luck my friend! Hard job, but not impossible!

~Sol

> Keep in mind that i'm not a first timer, i have a lot of experience with construct-ish programs like mmf and gamefactory.

> And yeah, i'm struggling with making my little soldiers move along a grid...that seems to be the hardest part for now.

>

Hey, well if you have the drive to tackle it, then by all means go for it. An isometric RTS game would be hawt. I've had experience with iso games before, so if you need any tips then feel free to fire away. Personally I never bothered with a grid, I just used 8 way movement or ball movement... the animations are the key to making cool tile transitions IMO.

Good luck my friend! Hard job, but not impossible!

~Sol

Yeah, we'll see if i'll do it cnc 1 style for now.

C&C 1 was freakin wicked. One of my favourite games of all time... I can still hear the sound of the GDI defense turrets... *ptptptptpewww*

(or however you make that awesome sound) xD

~Sol

Allright guys, i've picked up progress on this game. I've decided to make the games' art in blender and use isometric render-shots as sprites. I really need help with coding the engine though, i want it to play like tiberium sun, with a tiled grid making up the world.

How would i go about doing this? Is it even possible in construct? Any .cap examples?

If you want to try a nice 3d program check out luxology's Modo. It's like ZBrush/Mudbox (like sculpting clay) and very easy to pick up. I know of a program that will let you extend the trial, for "education purposes" too.

Best of luck and God bless.