I''ve heard from different folks that using 3D math to do tile based iso games is easier than trying to do all that isometric drawing and all that. But wouldn''t that mean writing a 3D engine? Isn''t writing a 3D engine REALLY hard?

First of all, how good is your Linear Algebra? Are you comfortable with matrix math? If so, then you may have a point. Now, that being said, I''ll put in the caveat that with the 3D APIs out now, and the helper libs, it COULD be easier in some ways.

Think on this. Make your flooring (base terrain...lets not include height mapping for this argument). Make this plane along the Z axis. Now tilt it''s angle up a bit so that the further you are from the players POV, the higher on the screen it goes. Apply textures as you would tiles and you have your terrain map.

Now, for Objects and for Unit sprites, you can simply make a quad out of 2 triangles. Texture map that with your sprite and you can then place it on your map.
Advantages? Rotation code, lighting code (to a degree, some lighting effects will look bad with a 2d sprite), and scaling. Yes, unlike normal Iso games, as your sprites go further from the player, you can have them scale to be smaller, adding perspective.

It''s something to think on. It''s been done. It''s going to be used again likely. It works. Instead of moving the sprites, you move your quads that the sprites are on.

Whether this is easier or harder than the "normal" method of tile mapped 2D Isometrics is up to the developer. Your milage may vary. I''ve found some aspects of this design to be easier, and some to be a pain in my behind. Of course, Matrix math always makes me want to vomit.


Eboz, who is wondering if the clock here at work has stopped.