Dragonlord wrote:What's the final resolution (height map size and texel size) going to be? Looks like it's going to be quite large to hold all the details.
4096x4096
Slugger wrote:Absolutely gorgeous renders!
Thanks!
Slugger wrote:The saw mill and lumberjack cottages are a nice idea.
Concerning the viaduct, would it carry automobile/foot traffic or rail traffic?
I'm thinking about something a little different. It would be a rail bridge, but for a somewhat unconventional rail system. I'm trying to look at everything
from a cost and engineering perspective, to make sure everything is interesting yet realistic.
I think the concept of the Saw Mill itself is sound, having to import timber would have cost a fortune, and when you have all the timber you need (which
will require clearing anyway), why not use it? The island would provide more timber then what's required and the excess timber could be exported and sold
to recoup some costs. Being situated next to the Main Harbor allows fast loading of timber for export. It also makes for a great cover story, if people think
the islands used just for logging.
The next issue is that of transportation and cost of landscaping roads. Having to transport logs via trucks through the undulating terrain around Ascent and
Ascent2 would cost a fortune. Directly linking the areas via roads would not only upset the progression of the levels and require the use of gates to limit the
accessibility of areas, but realistically, it would cost a fortune to landscape that terrain and would require the importation of even more heavy machinery.
Linking the two areas with the viaduct, and using a cable car system for transporting the logs, would be faster and easier, and minimize the distance the trucks
would have to travel and also the grade of the roads required, saving fuel and time. The cost of building the viaduct would be questionable, and if it was actually
a cheaper solution then landscaping and fuel costs.. who knows. If built using timber and rock found on the island, it could be viable. Perhaps the stone used in
the base of the viaduct was constructed using rock excavated when they built the wind turbines on the summit?
I don't try to come up with the most logical solutions for everything, but i do try and make sure its somewhat realistic and if it could actually be done. Most
importantly though, i like to make sure its an interesting solution. Walking down through the Valley and seeing that viaduct tower overhead would a sight to behold!
And when you finally get to walk over the top of it, it would be an awesome yet terrifying experience, especially if it was dangerous..
The Dam and Geo Thermal plant are two locations I thought about modifying for realism sake. The dam in particular because logically, it makes no sense. Its not used
for anything, there is no power station or water treatment facilities attached to it, it just seems like a very expensive addition to the island with no clear use. Power has
been taken care of, but water supply was never addressed. Not that i can recall anyway.
A few years ago i worked for a local water treatment company called Veolia. I was a sampling technician, which sounds special, but i was only collecting samples
for analysis. From what i seen doing that job, i have a pretty good understanding of the process involved in water treatment and there would be no way even a small
water treatment facility could fit realistically in the valley at the base of the dam. There needs to be settlement pools, clean water storage, the treatment facility
itself and the accompanying control rooms. One of the smaller locations i would visit, would fit within the boundaries of the the Geo Thermal plant, but there are not
too many locations on the island that could be modified to to cater for such a facility. It would have to be close to the reservoir too, for realism sake.
Something i thought about, was expanding the facilities at the dam and turning it into a hydro power station. The water that exits the station can then flow down to the
Geo Thermal plant which could be converted into a water treatment facility. Its a somewhat more realistic solution, but it really disturbs the story and opens up a whole
new can of worms.
If you have ever seen a hydro power station, they are fed by a HUGE supply of water, EPIC being the more appropriate term. The amount of water flowing through the
station to power the turbine makes the puny Dam on the Trespasser island seem very unrealistic. The amount of water required to power the turbine enough to sustain
the entire island would be immense, and that water would then flow onto the water treatment facility, but would far exceed the island usage and would be a waste.
The Dam is not fed by a huge water supply, and would be drained very quickly. In the end, making it more realistic only complicates things and gets in the way of a good
story and fun gameplay.
The best option will be to modify the Dam, and include some of the realistic elements of a water treatment facility, then let fiction take care of the rest. Expand the
structure at the base of the Dam, perhaps even build some of the facility within the Dam wall itself, build some huge pipes that run all the way to town and maybe even
the Labs too. Build a water distribution structure in the town, which will tie in with details in the Trespasser design docs, and just make sure its all interesting enough
that people wont doubt its functionality.
Seeing a structure like this in the middle of the Dam just begs to be explored:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Maroo ... _tower.jpg
I have a video of myself and a mate climbing one of these at one of the reservoirs i had access to. Access was via a long tunnel under the reservoir and after climbing
about 200 steps you would pop out at the top, surrounded with water. It was a pretty amazing experience! I've also got a video of us walking on the canvas cover of a 300+
megalitre storage pool. Was like the biggest water bed ever and scared the absolute F@#$ out of us. Couldn't help but think about falling through.. *shudders*.
Man, now that i think about it, that job was dangerous. We had access to lethal amounts of chemicals which were locked up tighter then a bank. Ever seen the effects of
ozone on a person? We were described in detail the effects of even a small amount of it on a person and it scared me enough to stay well away from where it was used!