The Gang of Five

The Land Before Time => Cancelled and old projects => LBT Projects => LBT Multiplayer RPG Project Discussion => Topic started by: action9000 on June 19, 2008, 03:47:43 AM

Title: Map - Great Valley
Post by: action9000 on June 19, 2008, 03:47:43 AM
Here we can discuss the design of the Great Valley map and its surroundings.

Malte and Iris have been working on developing maps for us.  With their permission I'd like to post their maps here for further discussion.

Our goal: To create a 3d map of the Great Valley that contains within it, all of the important landmarks of the LBT film series, as many geographical locations from the movies as possible, and an overall resemblance to the valley that know and love in the films.

Because the Valley's design is inconsistant, we will need to use our wits and "engineer" a single Great Valley from the bits and pieces we know from the films.  Malte and Iris have both done very good jobs with this so far and I want to continue the development of the map of the Great Valley until we agree on a final design for it.

Once we reach that conclusion, I will work on converting a paper or 2d drawing into a 3D version for our game.
Title: Map - Great Valley
Post by: Mumbling on June 19, 2008, 09:24:24 AM
Malte has done so much more than I did. I only made a detailed map of lbt 2. and tried of the others, but that didn't work out. If malte gives permission to post his map here, I could make the map a bit more clear/easier to read/use :D

(because sometimes you really have to seaaarch for a place. :lol )
Title: Map - Great Valley
Post by: Malte279 on June 19, 2008, 12:21:02 PM
Of course you have my permission ;)
I hope that combined efforts will help to improve the maps. There are quite a few contestable "claims" on that map draft of mine (for example the only way I found to explain the absence of landmarks from the sequels in the Great Valley which Littlefoot saw in the original movie was the "heretic" claim that all he saw was but a small secluded section of the Great Valley surrounded by walls blocking the view on most of the Great Valley which in fact must have been much greater than it looked. On the map that secluded part can be seen in the west of the Valley). In some cases I didn't come up with a satisfactory solution at all.
Title: Map - Great Valley
Post by: action9000 on June 19, 2008, 04:39:36 PM
Thanks, Malte:

Here is the Great Valley map that Malte has designed:
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h141/action9000/GreatValleymapsketch.jpg)

The part of the valley that we see at the end of LBT 1 is on the far right, closed off by large structures.  If that is the case, than the Great Valley truly is absolutely Massive in size.
Title: Map - Great Valley
Post by: Kor on June 19, 2008, 04:46:54 PM
That sounds interesting.  Though as I recall the exact placement of most places can be put pretty much anywhere since they do not say exactly where most places are, or how long the gang travels to get there.
Title: Map - Great Valley
Post by: Lillefot on June 19, 2008, 04:57:16 PM
Looks great! And to make some places "special meeting grounds" sure is a good idea!  :yes
Title: Map - Great Valley
Post by: action9000 on June 19, 2008, 04:58:06 PM
Quote
Though as I recall the exact placement of most places can be put pretty much anywhere since they do not say exactly where most places are, or how long the gang travels to get there.
The tricky part is setting up the map in such a way so that it's possible that every movie potentially took place there.  We want to avoid such things as "Wait...if this is here...than how did (event) work in LBT##?  That's impossible!"

If we can do that, we're set. ;)
Title: Map - Great Valley
Post by: Kor on June 19, 2008, 05:59:34 PM
Though direction is hard to tell since often, when I've looked, it has seemed like nearly everything that happens at daytime happens around noon.  Which I can understand why they draw the shadows like that.  If they have different teams working on different bits of animation at the same time it's better to do that they try to figure out how shadows should look for this team, and for that team.  And distance too since they often do a transition, and no character has said, remember Littlefoot's nest is exactly 1000 Littlefoot steps from Ducky's mother's nest, and from there to Cera's is 500 Littlefoot steps.
Title: Map - Great Valley
Post by: aabicus (LettuceBacon&Tomato) on June 20, 2008, 03:23:52 AM
Wow...that is a seriously well laid-out map. Mine would have been composed of ovals and arrows, and probably include the waterfall, the entrance, and a whole lot of grass.

Also, on the continuity problem, I don't think we need to worry too much about people putting up a fuss about some location not jiving with another. First of all, most people who'll probably try out the RPG won't have the IQ and/or the LBTQ to notice. And on the offchance we have Mr. Smart@$$ showing up, there's always plan B.

Mr. Smart@$$: Wait...if this is here...than how did (event) work in LBT##? That's impossible!

Us: Magic. Deal with it.

Though maybe others feel more strongly on the matter than me. Continuity has never been high on my to-notice list (I grew up with Star Trek and SeaQuest, neither of which will be getting any "Seamless Storyline" awards anytime soon). Of course, this is why I'm not the mapmaker.

Speaking of which, can I mention again great job Malte? I'm not good at reading Follow-the-Number keys, but just reading all the locations apparently in there somewhere, it's really extensive. Kudos.
Title: Map - Great Valley
Post by: Malte279 on June 20, 2008, 03:46:05 AM
^ Thank you :)
I started trying to draw a map with photoshop with different colors for the altitudes etc. However, with university work etc. going on I'm afraid it may take a while to finish. Also I begin to realize that there cannot be a complete map of the Great Valley with all the details we need. There must be larger scale maps of smaller sections of the Valley. Maps which include details such as individual trees and rocks which are too small to be represented on a map of the whole valley, but which may be important for some tasks.
Title: Map - Great Valley
Post by: Mumbling on June 20, 2008, 09:08:36 AM
Quote from: Malte279,Jun 20 2008 on  09:46 AM
I started trying to draw a map with photoshop with different colors for the altitudes etc. However, with university work etc. going on I'm afraid it may take a while to finish. Also I begin to realize that there cannot be a complete map of the Great Valley with all the details we need. There must be larger scale maps of smaller sections of the Valley. Maps which include details such as individual trees and rocks which are too small to be represented on a map of the whole valley, but which may be important for some tasks.
 :^.^: Shall I help you with drawing that map in photoshop? I've got more time at this moment than you do I suppose.. If you want me to give it a try as well just shout my name and I'll hear you :p  :yes
Title: Map - Great Valley
Post by: Malte279 on June 20, 2008, 12:04:01 PM
Of course :yes
In general I think that many map drafts may help to create a  map made of the best parts of the individual drafts :yes
Title: Map - Great Valley
Post by: Malte279 on July 16, 2008, 01:25:19 PM
Information on the Great Valley provided by the original move is sparse and some of the views we get contradict each other, so a good deal of the map drawing has to be improvised or based on guesswork.
Here is a draft I made for the section of the Great Valley shown in the first movie (which as mentioned above makes probably up for but a fraction of the whole Valley). I included a few screenshots to mark some of the spots on the map.
This is still a rough draft and focuses mainly on lines of altitude. Vegetation is not marked on this map so far and I suppose that a final version would included many more knolls etc. However, do you think that you can programm this type of landscape Tim?
(http://mitglied.lycos.de/malte279/Maps/Great%20Valley%20Section%201%20(p)75%25.png)
Title: Map - Great Valley
Post by: Mumbling on July 16, 2008, 01:28:52 PM
Nicely done. I'd help you if I had a clue where to start.
Title: Map - Great Valley
Post by: action9000 on July 16, 2008, 01:52:59 PM
Quote
However, do you think that you can programm this type of landscape Tim?
Yep, I can get the bumps/hills in on the map fine, so long as I know where they're going to be.  :)

Nice job, Malte! :D
Title: Map - Great Valley
Post by: Vilstrup on July 19, 2008, 05:11:38 PM
WAUW, nice work guys. That map really gives one a chance to see how the Great Valley actually looks like from above.
Nice work
Title: Map - Great Valley
Post by: Malte279 on July 19, 2008, 05:24:12 PM
Just a fraction of the whole Valley though. Just the part shown in the original movie.
Title: Map - Great Valley
Post by: Kor on July 20, 2008, 01:36:08 AM
The great Valley is huge.  The picture I got of the Great Valley isn't all of of it but is a large part of it.  I don't remember which movie I got it from.

Hope you do not mind.  I doubt it'll help any but I"ll post some links to the lbt wiki where the pictures that I uploaded to lbt wiki are.  In some cases I have some other pictures then those here, or I still have the whole picture whereas I cut it to put on lbt wiki.  Some locations I do not have since they are not out on dvd yet, and the copies I do have are of not good enough quality to upload a picture to lbt wiki.  Hope this helps a little and isn't to spammy.

______

Great Valley (somewhat overhead view of most of it)
http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Great_Valley.jpg (http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Great_Valley.jpg)

Meadow of Jumping Water (outside of the Great Valley, but close)
http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image...mping_Water.jpg (http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Meadow_of_Jumping_Water.jpg)

Land of Mists (outside the great valley, note: Ali calls it the Valley of mists I think in the movie when she shows it to the gang for the first time)
http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Land_of_Mists.jpg (http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Land_of_Mists.jpg)

Canyon of Shiny Stones : Close up of one part  http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image...ny_Stones_1.jpg (http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Canyon_of_Shiny_Stones_1.jpg)

Longer shot: http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image...hiny_Stones.jpg (http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Canyon_of_Shiny_Stones.jpg)

Ruby's Thinking Place : http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image...nking_Place.jpg (http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Ruby_Thinking_Place.jpg)

Sinking Sand : http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Sinking_Sand.jpg (http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Sinking_Sand.jpg)

Title: Map - Great Valley
Post by: Malte279 on July 20, 2008, 04:55:04 AM
Quote
Hope you do not mind. I doubt it'll help any but I"ll post some links to the lbt wiki where the pictures that I uploaded to lbt wiki are.
On the contrary Kor, these pictures can be quite helpful, the much the more as so far the TV episodes have not been taken into account in the mapmaking. So thanks a lot for the pictures :)
The small section of the Valley depicted on the map above is meant to become a kind of tutorial / training ground where the players get tasks to "test" all of their basic and special (that is species based) abilities.
Title: Map - Great Valley
Post by: Kor on July 20, 2008, 05:24:03 AM
Glad I was of slight help.  I forgot some others that may be of very slight help.   Hope this is not to Spammy.  I'm sorry it's such a long post, and no idea if any of these will help or are useless.

Threehorn Peak (I have the whole uncut picture on my hdd and no way to get it to the folks here, the version on lbt wiki is cut.  http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image...eehorn_Peak.JPG (http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Threehorn_Peak.JPG)

Saurus Rock : http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Saurus_Rock.jpg (http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Saurus_Rock.jpg)

Smoking Mountain (again cut w/ the full version on my hdd) : http://images.wikia.com/landbeforetime/ima...ng_Mountain.JPG (http://images.wikia.com/landbeforetime/images/8/80/Smoking_Mountain.JPG)

The inside of Black Rock where the Groundstar Plant is : http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image...dstar_Plant.jpg (http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Groundstar_Plant.jpg)
another spot of Black Rock though Swooper is in the shot you can see some of the area around him.  http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Swooper.jpg (http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Swooper.jpg)



Hanging Rock : http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Hanging_Rock.jpg (http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Hanging_Rock.jpg)
___

Pics of some plants, not counting the groundstar plant pic above.

 Ground Prickley : http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image...nd_Prickley.jpg (http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Ground_Prickley.jpg)

Ground Star Leaf   : http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image...ndstar_Leaf.jpg (http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Groundstar_Leaf.jpg)

Night Flowers   : http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Night_Flowers.jpg (http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Night_Flowers.jpg)

Red Tree Star   : http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Red_Tree_Star.jpg (http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Red_Tree_Star.jpg)

Sweet Bubbles   : http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Sweet_Bubbles.jpg (http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Sweet_Bubbles.jpg)

Treestar   : http://images.wikia.com/landbeforetime/ima.../Treestar_a.jpg (http://images.wikia.com/landbeforetime/images/7/7e/Treestar_a.jpg)

close up of some fastbiter kids with a parent, and a bit of the mountain where the secret caverns are on the mysterious beyond side: http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Fastbiters.jpg (http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Fastbiters.jpg)   I have a longshot on my hdd but not uploaded anywhere.

____

Misc junk.

Sky Color Stones : http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image...olor_stones.jpg (http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Skycolor_stones.jpg)

Stinky Place  (from 5th movie island)  : http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Stinky_Place.jpg (http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Stinky_Place.jpg)

Stinky Flowers   (from 5th movie island)  : http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image...nky_Flowers.jpg (http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Stinky_Flowers.jpg)

___

Some  random screenshots of the Great Valley during the Grandma's Lullaby Song.

http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:1-2.jpg (http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:1-2.jpg)

http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:1-4.jpg (http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:1-4.jpg)

http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:1-5.jpg (http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:1-5.jpg)

http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:1-6.jpg (http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:1-6.jpg)

http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:2-3.jpg (http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:2-3.jpg)

Part of Littlefoot's sleeping area : http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:3-5.jpg (http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Image:3-5.jpg)
Title: Map - Great Valley
Post by: Belmont2500 on August 12, 2009, 09:16:25 PM
thank you for including a map key otherwise I wouldn't be able to tell what even ont thing is(cause it was drawn in pencil) but its a great map ,I can't wait till this is in the game  :)
Title: Map - Great Valley
Post by: Malte279 on November 07, 2009, 08:14:50 AM
Of lately I have been experimenting with different scales for a total map of the Great Valley. For the area of the Great Valley (that is the Big wall is completely inside this area and there would be a little rim of Mysterious Beyond on every end of the map) I am planning a square of 15kilometers or 225 square-kilometers (for reference, this would be roughly the area of the city (not the much larger metropolitan area) of Boston which covers roughly 232.14 square-kilometers ). Because of the need for small details (e.g. narrow gaps which would allow for a character of Ducky's or Petrie's size to fit through but not for a Littlefoot, Cera, or Spike sized) I was originally thinking of doing a map with a scale of 1pixel = 20 centimeters which would have resulted in a map of 75000pixels square. This proved just as unwieldy and space consuming (in every sense of the word) as a smaller version of 60000 pixels square which would have meant one pixel to cover 25 centimeters.
There is no way but to break it all up into several maps of different scales and after some experimenting I think the best system would be one of three scales with each map being 1500 pixels (quite manageable) square.
The largest scale would then be 1pixel = 10meters so the edge of the map would be 15kilometers of the game landscape. This map would be an overview of the Great Valley and copied and stretched sections from it (I must make sure to use a vector based graphic format) would serve as the rough basis for the much more detailed maps of a larger scale. This map would be way to rough as any basis for the 3D maps and is therefore only a reference to get an idea of the total valley.
This large map would be broken up into 25 smaller and more detailed maps in which one pixel would make for a distance of 2meters. In case of such a map the 1500 pixels edge would be 3 kilometers of the game landscape.
Maps of this scale could be used as a basis for 3D maps as 2meters per pixel offer enough detail while at the same time 9 square-kilometers (3x3kilometers) are large enough to allow for a sensible "section" of the Great Valley. For example the part of the Valley map we have seen so far (which will have to undergo some editing and refining) would probably fit easily on a map of this scale.
Finally this 9 square-kilometers could be broken down into yet another 25 units. In that scale 1pixel would equal 40 centimeters which I reckon would do for a passage sufficiently wide for the small but too narrow for the larger characters. The edges of such a map would be 600 meters in the landscape of the game. I do not think that it will be necessary to create a map in this scale for every corner of the Great Valley (that would otherwise be 625 maps!) but only for those section where there are tight spots like narrow paths, cliffs, causeways etc. For all parts of the Valley without such tight spots the 1 pixel = 2 meters scale should do.