Hi all. Im in the proces of making a classic top down shooter (1945,Raiden Project etc.). I was just wondering, for any of you people out there making a game along the same lines, how do/did you go about making the scrolling stages? Did you use a tile based system, or did you just make X number of seperate files(in the size of your screen res) and slap them all to gether one after the other, or(and i highly doubt anyone has tried this) make one large image, say 640xXXX for each stage. I just wanted to get an idea of how others would make their stage layouts. I already have 6 stages designed, just not drawn up. I wanted to see what the best way to make stages would be, before i start with the final art. Edited by - shdaga on May 18, 2001 3:54:35 PM

I myself would use tiles, but using "blocks" like you say would allow very very nice looking backgrounds (not that that isn''t possible with tiles). Basically, if you want to be able to have heaps and heaps of levels (and even let the user make their own) then tiles is the only way to go. Even using modular chunks, the size of the screen would get very repeditive very fast, unless your artist (you?) can make LOTS of very nice images that all fit together nicely.

Well.. that''s my opinion anyway.......

You''re in luck My tile based game, just as you described, is open source, and located in the GDNet Showcase. Just look up Invasion: Wave Two.

Cheers

I used tiles and it works very well. I''m not doing a shooter but an 2D RPG and a tile-based system would work best. The downside is that you''d have to create a map editor. I''m already 60% complete with the editor.

My idea would be to connect each map with scenario files. Say, you want this door to bring you to another map. This would be done in the scenario file. The scenario file also contain scripts for the entities in it.

Then a campaign file would sum everything up by combining the scenario files up. Each scenario could then be called a chapter or something.