Background Image Maximum Size for Desktop 2D RPG Game.... ( DMG and EXE )

luke2125

Hi,

I've started on an 2D RPG game, but would like to know, what is the maximum size scrollable map background that GS can handle? I will have the main character and a camera attached to it, so character can roam throughout the map. Can I have a 20000 x 20000 scrollable background image? Would appreciate any feedback or tips on how best to accomplish this. Thanks and God Bless...

Sincerely,

Sunday

Socks

@luke2125 said:
What is the maximum size scrollable map background that GS can handle?

'Map' is a vague term, it could mean all sorts of things ?

@luke2125 said:
Can I have a 20000 x 20000 scrollable background image?

The largest size image GameSalad will allow you to import is 2048 x 2048 pixels, but there is no limit (at least that I am aware of) to the scene size, for example you can have a 10 million x 10 million pixel scene if you want (the width of 9,765 iPads) !

luke2125

Hi Sockets,

Thanks for the reply, what I mean by map, is that I'm looking to implement a background image ( terrain ) - map, then attach the camera to player, and move around freely on the map. So, since I can only import a maximum size of 2048 x 2048, and since my scene would be 1280 x 720 HD, how would I go about having an endless scrolling background map, do I need to spawn, destroy, spawn method or is there a better way in handling this......Thanks and God Bless...

Sincerely,

Sunday

luke2125

Ooops....I mean Socks......God Bless...

tatiang

Sockets is his full name but nobody calls him that except his mom. To notify someone on the forums, add the @ symbol before their username like this: @Socks.

Socks

@tatiang said:
Sockets is his full name but nobody calls him that except his mom.

Socks

@luke2125 said:
Thanks for the reply, what I mean by map, is that I'm looking to implement a background image ( terrain ) - map, then attach the camera to player, and move around freely on the map. So, since I can only import a maximum size of 2048 x 2048, and since my scene would be 1280 x 720 HD, how would I go about having an endless scrolling background map, do I need to spawn, destroy, spawn method or is there a better way in handling this......

Is your scene 1,290 x 720 or 20,000 x 20,000 pixels, I'm not 100% sure ?

luke2125

Hi Socks

Ok, I have 1280 x 720, but maybe I can increase the scene size to ex: 20,000 x 20,000 pixels, but then what would be the best method in incorporation a background 2048 x 2048, that's repeated as the player moves along with the camera. Please be aware, that this is a top-down RPG ( player moves up, down, left, right....). Should I just import each background as individuals, and place them accordingly in the scene, and have a destroy and spawn code when player reaches a passing limit to spawn same background into view are......Any help would be appreciated.....God Bless...

Sincerely,

Sunday

BlackCloakGS

I would recommend try to break up any large back ground in to tiles or smaller images and composite them in the scene editor inside creator instead of importing large backgrounds. You will get a much better preforming game if you do so.

luke2125

Hi BlackCloakGS,

Thanks for the advice, much appreciated it.....:) So then, it would be better to import one large tile, then use the Horizantal Wrap inside the actor, and use the Tile Choice.....? God Bless...

Sincerely,

Sunday

Socks

@luke2125 said:
Hi Socks

Ok, I have 1280 x 720, but maybe I can increase the scene size to ex: 20,000 x 20,000 pixels, but then what would be the best method in incorporation a background 2048 x 2048, that's repeated as the player moves along with the camera.

Usually backgrounds are 'built' from various elements, for example if you were constructing a large desert scene you might first create a basic sand 'tile', that could be as small as 256 x256, this would cover the whole of the background, then you could add in the occasional rock, for this you might make 6 or 7 different rock images that you distributor randomly, then you get a palm tree image and throw in a bunch of them, a river tile to create a river, a bridge image, an abandoned house . . . etc etc . . . building up the environment from various elements.

The advantages here are twofold, firstly it is far more memory efficient / lighter on the processor of your target device - and secondly you can interact with each element separately, with an image of a desert you might have trees and rocks (and so on) but you can't collide with them, or pick them up, or smash them with your tank (or whatever).

@luke2125 said:
Please be aware, that this is a top-down RPG ( player moves up, down, left, right....). Should I just import each background as individuals, and place them accordingly in the scene, and have a destroy and spawn code when player reaches a passing limit to spawn same background into view are......

How you do it will be individual to each game, but even a few very large images (2048*2048) can bog a game down - and generally speaking this is not the way to go, for example take a classic arcade game like Mario Bros, they wouldn't have used a massive picture for the background, it would have been built from lots of smaller elements.

luke2125

Hi Socks,

Thanks for the explanation and help, really appreciated it.....I was thinking of using Tiled, but I don't think GS recognizes the different layers, and it doesn't export to csv file to use in Tables within GameSalad......Thanks and God Bless...

Sincerely,

Sunday