I just have a quick question, in where I''m curious of how the mapping systems are used in games such as Asheron''s Call, DAOC, and Everquest. I was wondering if the client keeps a copy of the map localhost in a dat file? I am thinking this because Asheron''s Call uses a brute force terrain height map algo, which I confirmed with one of the developers at Turbine. AC works with landblocks, so my guess is that when you originally log in for the first time it downloads the full landblock you are on (which is the reason for the small loading time on initial install), and then the various landblocks are streamed as you move closer towards them. I believe these maps to be stored in the cell.dat file, but I am unsure. If this is the case I''m guessing that the client checks with the server to see if there is a new version of the landblock that needs to be streamed or if the current one can be used. I am just wondering if I am on the right track of thinking? .. lol and no I''m not planning on writing the next generation mmorpg or anything, it''s just that the curiosity is killing me on how this is best handled. Thanks =]

There''s a reason these games come with an installer on CD.

Modems are not fast.

Actually I found out from someone that wrote a basic server emulator for Asheron''s Call on how this works.

When you log in for the first time it downloads the landblock you are on. It streams the landblocks around you on a seperate thread as you move around.

The reason for this is that Asheron''s Call is a dynamic world and changes all the time. Basically when moving towards another landblock it checks to see if it already has the landblock stored in the cell.dat file, and if it doesn''t than it downloads it.

The contents on the CD are only the base client, gui, and graphics.. there is no map on initial install... so I guess it''s not the reason a game comes on CD =] All it does is stream heightmaps which would be fast even at 28.8bps =]