Lemmings in OpenGL

Java 2D
#1

I’m considering a future project (after Gravity Battle) which would require relatively compatible and decent graphics so I was going to use OpenGL (probably LWJGL as a binding).

The idea is based around a Lemming style idea and I was wondering if anyone had any comments/ideas on how to implement lemmings style landscape destruction in OpenGL. I figure I don’t want one huge texture for the screen and I’m worrying already about lots of dynamic textures which change as things get blown up… so…

Anyone got any thoughts…

Kev

PS. The idea isn’t really important right now but survice to say it isn’t just Lemmings :wink:

#2

I’m not sure what benefit ogl is gonna give you in a 2D-deformable-terrain type game (ala Lemmings or Worms)

Unless you intend on making it 3D that is…

#3

Wasn’t really planning on any 3D bits. The only reason I was going for OpenGL was for consistant performance on multiple platforms and for nice effects. Having played with Java2D a fair bit in the past I’ve found that getting performance out of it consistantly very difficult.

However, I do see your point, if I’m using per pixel deformable terrain OpenGL might be actually harder than the Java2D abstraction.

Kev

#4

A series of big textures is gonna be the way to go methinks, the memory use won’t be too bad really. They can all be just single alpha component rather than full RGB, and you can use them at a quater (or less?) of your actual resolution and use the alpha test to fill in the details inbetween.

On the other hand I’ve been toying with the idea of using 2d metaballs for worms-style destructive terrain for a while now (i just never get the time). Would be pretty efficient really as you’d only need to recalculate limited areas of the field at any given time, and after that you just store and reuse the geometry.

#5

Maybe one big texture can do the trick. You are most likley going to use Ortho mode, so you could use texture mapped glLines. So if a hole appears, you just have to splice each line that gets a hole in it. This way you could use a fixed number of textures per screen (probably 4 512x512 would do).

#6

Aww come on make it 3D. If you’re gonna knock off Lemmings, let’s make it a unique project :slight_smile: If you want my help I have good art/modelling resources. All the stuff in Rimscape was first made as a model, then rendered to a .png

#7

First off Lemmings3D exists already! :slight_smile:

The idea wasn’t actually lemmings, just something similar, but right now its on a back burner.

Kev

#8

damn. How about multiplayer Lemmings, where teams have to come togther to simultaneously complete objectives?

#9

The original lemmings on the Amiga had that =D

#10

…and it almost always ended up being a few seconds of trying to reach your own goal, followed by constant back stabbing of your opponents carefully planned routes. :slight_smile:

#11

I’ve seen an example of this somewhere but I can’t remember where it was. I’ll try and dig it out if I can.

If I’m remembering correctly, what they did was use one large bitmap for the terrain. In memory, it held a gigantic array that it used to flag certain pixels of the image on/off. This array was also used for collision detection.

It’s really the only way I can think of doing this. This one has me stumped really.

#12

suggestion: how about using multiple circles to mask out tiles?