Advanced Bridges

[Icarus Featherfight]

Advanced Bridges
Demo

This tutorial explains how you can create bridges that your party can travel both over and under. In addition, it demonstrates the creation of a proper mountain rope bridge and a dungeon of disappearing bridges! To start it all off, here's a complete description of the event options you will need to use.

'Through'
When checked, this option ignores the passability data of the event, using the highest edited layer's data instead. It does not, automatically set tile to passable.

'Always on Top'
When checked, this option displays the event graphic over everything including the player. In addition, if the graphics of two events with this option enabled overlap the graphic of the event with the higher event id will be layered on top of those with a lower id.

First of all, create a variable and name it height, level, floor etc. Any time you go up or down a staircase, ladder, ramp etc. use a player touch event to change the variable to your new height. This will allow you to control the passability and visibility status of the bridge events.

Secondly, create the bridge itself. It's simple enough, each event only takes two pages. The first page for when you are under the bridge and the second for when you are on the same level or above the bridge.

Most Bridges

All Pages
Graphic: (Tileset) - Bridge

Page 1 (under the bridge)
No Conditions
Options: 'Through' and 'Always on Top' should both be checked.
Note: If 'Through' is not checked and the tile below is impassable (cliff, crevasse etc.) you will be able to walk right through it.

Page 2 (same level as bridge)
Condition: Variable Height = 1, 2 etc. (height of bridge)
No Options

Horizontal Railing, Rope and Stone Bridges

Bridges Charset


All Pages
Graphic: (Tileset) - Bridge or Bridges
Note: The included Bridges charset in the demo is used to create the front tile of each bridge. Make sure the event id of front piece is greater than those in the rear or else the bridge will not display properly.

Page 1 (under the bridge)
No Conditions
Options: 'Through' and 'Always on Top' should both be checked.
Note: If 'Through' is not checked and the tile below is impassable (cliff, crevasse etc.) you will be able to walk right through it.

Page 2 (same level as bridge)
Condition: Variable Height = 1, 2 etc. (height of bridge)
No Options

Finally, you need to create the ends of the bridge. Once again, it will take 2 pages.

Most Bridges

All Pages
Graphic: (Tileset) - Cliff Edge

Page 1 (under the bridge)
No Conditions
No Options

Page 2 (same level as bridge)
Condition: Variable Height = 1, 2 etc. (height of bridge)
Options: 'Through' should be checked.
Note: Be sure to replace the cliff edge under the event with ground tile (passable)

Horizontal Rope Bridge (overlaps cliff edge)

All Pages
Graphic: (Tileset) - End of Bridge or Bridges

Page 1 (under the bridge)
No Conditions
Options: 'Through' should be checked.

Page 2 (same level as bridge)
Condition: Variable Height = 1, 2 etc. (height of bridge)
No Options
Note: Don't replace the cliff edge under the event with ground tile (passable)

Be sure to add shadows under the bridges. If you are planning on having the bridge appear and disappear the shadows should be in events with 'Through' as an option.

To make the bridges invisible use a simple switch. Add it as a condition to both pages of the bridge event and page 2 of the cliff event with most bridges. If you are using the rope bridge both pages of the bridge end event should have it as a condition. In addition, be sure to add the switch to the bridge's shadow events.

Bridges in the Editor

Note: I made the lower cliff edge passable.

Bridges Ingame

Note: The statues are switches that make the bridges appear and disappear.

Thanks Kraft for pointing out that I should add shadows under the bridges.

Demo
Advanced Bridges

Alternate Methods
There are many other ways to construct overpass bridges.
For a scripted answer I recommend Ccoa's Tileset Swap.

[DonCreek]

Thanks for this tutorials...now i can use it in my game...does it work in isometric view maps?

[Icarus Featherfight]

Thanks for this tutorials...now i can use it in my game...does it work in isometric view maps?

Your welcome DonCreek. ^_^
As for isometric maps, I have no idea but I suspect that it wouldn't.

[DonCreek]

I'll try to mix some ideas so that it would work...thanks again