vertical lines (Wesnoth geometry)
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vertical lines (Wesnoth geometry)
This is not a feature request, rather curiosity. Why was it chosen to have vertical lines?, while obviously (see below) horizontal ones seem more intuitive. What were the reasons? A long time ago, I coded a game with hex geometry (although with square tiles for simplicity, see below illustration). I then had to choose horizontal or vertical lines, and talked about that with friends (non-coders). The following arguments popped out:
(It is also easier to make illustrations to help us think right )
So, I am rather surprised of the choice made in Wesnoth. What were the reasons?
- There are horizontal lines everywhere in nature, and even more horizontal movements (even in the sky!).
- We write horizontally, indeed an arbitrary cultural choice, but maybe influenced by point 1.
- Maps are described as series of horizontal lines of codes, and stored that way as data files.
- We are used to process horizontal lines (my argument only, since friends were non-coders).
Code: Select all
The line #1 and all lines with odd horizontal index (i) are placed a little on the left.
Thus, tiles on adjacent lines (even number) with same i are a little on the right:
-------------------------------------------------------------
32 | | | | | | |i-1| i | | | | | | | |
-------------------------------------------------------------
33 | | | | | | | | i | | | | | | | |
-------------------------------------------------------------
34 | | | | | | |i-1| i | | | | | | | |
-------------------------------------------------------------
Adjacent tiles on adjacent lines thus have indexes i-1 and i. Conversely,
from a tile on an even line, adjacent tiles on adjacent lines have indexes i and i+1.
So, I am rather surprised of the choice made in Wesnoth. What were the reasons?