Neverwinter Nights 2: Anthony Davis on World Map's

Anthony Davis seems to be jamming today. The man is on FIRE!

Linamishima made the following posts:

Hence we know:
1) Maps are special resources, made from an image (.tga) and then edited within a plugin to give them hotspots.
2) Map spots can have a script attached that returns TRUE if the spot is to be displayed, FALSE if it is to remain hidden.
3) Map spots can have a script attached which controlls exactly what happens when the spot is clicked.
4) Maps DO NOT redraw after having been displayed.
5) The script attached to map spots to control display of the map spot is only called when the display map GUI command is issued.

From other posts, not copied into the above, we know:
7) The map can be displayed by a scripting command.
8 ) Modules may use several different maps.

We can deduce from the above truths the following speculations:
a) As the map cannot be updated after it has been displayed, you cannot have a 'footprint' trail left as you travel along the map
b) The number of maps is limited only by the number of possible resrefs (that's a lot!)
c) If players are able to open a map at will at any point in the game, we can simply scupper their escape plans by not displaying anywhere to run to! *evil kakkle*

Finally, now that we know roughly what we know, and what is more than likely to be true, we can ask some important questions:
i) Does clicking on a map spot close the map GUI? Or is this determined by actions taken within the OnClick script for a map spot? If the map normally closes, could a StopMapClose() command be added?
ii) Can Map spots have textures associated with them, including an alpha channel?
iii) When calling the scripting command to display a map, posters have been presuming that this would be player specific (ie, the command takes a player object). Is this true?
iv) Can we please, please, please get a RedrawMap() scripting command!

The first question determines how limited in application the map would be. If it closes after use, the possibilities for interesting uses become quite limited.
The second question effects how dynamic the map can actually be - if places can literally appear on the map.
The third question is importatant, if not vital, for multiplayer.
And the last question...
The final question is in many respects the most important of them all!

If we can cause the map to refresh and dynamically change what it displays, this will infact give us back full GUI customisation!
And with delaycommand, those map trails will show once more, too!

I suspect it would only need a tiny ammount of code to allow this specialist (yet highly useful) functionality, too (as it is basically similar to the initial display map command).

Please let us refresh the map!

And yes I know its long, but context is everything! The second post:

Apparently you can't edit posts after a certain length of time

You see, I remembered another important set of questions I'd forgotten to ask! These are all essentially part of the same question, as they all relate to the same issue.

Obviously, the map is some form of GUI.
However, there are GUI frames, and there are GUI frames...

v) Will the map GUI frame have a border, or will maps have to feature edge work and transparencies? Could this be made optional?

If the frame has a border, it'll have a border. I doubt anyone would find issue with that. But if it doesn't, more artistic tallent would be needed to make the maps look nice.
However, there are clearly many advantages to allowing no border and transparent map pieces - old withered scrolls, for example, would look great!

vi) Map GUIs in games often have additional 'fluff' to one side of the map - cancel buttons, area lists, etc. How much of these will be required thanks to the map GUI?

Too much 'fluff' around a map (more than just a cancel button) could well hinder any attempts to use the map GUI for purposes other than a map. And that would significantly reduce the coolness factor.

vii) If some level of border and/or 'fluff' is to be present, how much customisability will we have over them? Could we change the text of a title bar, for example? Could we turn buttons off?

If fluff is to be had, or title bars, we would prefer if we could have some control over them.

Then Anthony Davis popped in and gave us this:

what we know list:
1. Yes. There are 2 scripts per mappoint node. One to determine if it should appear, and another to determine what to do when pressed.
2. That was Eric being colorful and describing the 'click' script. The events are there, but they do exactly what I described in #1.
3. What Eric meant was that since it is controlled through the script, you can do this 'zooming' functionality by calling up a world map with the zoomed in image. The end result is the same, but this is all handled through script and the toolset.
4. Yes, all doen through script. For example, mappoint node # 5 calls a script that does a random check (or whatever you want to script) that determines if you hav a random encounter. If you do, it loads up a different area/module, if not, it takes you to your destination.
5. Yes. TGAs.
6. Yes. Each mappoint node has 3 stats, normal, pressed, and hover. Though I believe I currently have a bug that the hover state isn't working.
7. Yes.
8. I believe this works.

what we don't know list:
1. Yeah, I don't remember. This needs to be improved right now to handle really large images better.
2. I fully expect to be blown away by what the community comes up with.
3. Yeah, it uses the scripting language - so go crazy.
4. Nope.
5. Not right now and not planned for the initial release.
6. Yes. The world map can be called up from the GUI panel *AND* from script. The triggers in game where we bring up the world map are being brought up via script command.
7. I have no idea.
8. No idea, not really sure I understand the question.

Then this here:

1. Yes.
2. Yes.
3. Yes.
4. Correct.
5. Correct.

No question 6.

7. Correct.
8. Correct.

a) Correct.
b) Correct.
c) Correct.

i) No, clicking on the 'Travel' button or the 'Close' button will close the World Map. It is possible to disable the Close buton through script so that you can for a travel (I believe this is working...need to double check).
ii) Yes.
iii) I don't believe so, but it has been a while since I looked at it.
iv) Probably not before release. Maybe in a content patch. The reason is that it is not a trivial amount of information that gets sent from the server to the client(s).

Wow thats a lot!!

Finally he finished off with this one here in response to larnakcaskcarver

No, that is not what I meant. The images are not streamed to the client.

What I should have said is POTENTIALLY there could be a non-trivial amount of information sent to the server. Also, for every mappoint node, the 'do I appear?' script would have to be fired again. It's just not the kind of thing that can be updated with every frame.

Sorry for the confusion.

Some very nice information for those who want to know. I know I did!

Read the full thread here.