I'm testing some graphics engines to chose one of them to use in a game.
The game is a tactic game (like Final Fantasy Tactics or Tactical Ogre). So, i'm searching for best way to draw the map, remembering that it should be divided into squares.
I think in two ways: Load a map file designed in gtkradiant and divide into squares using irrlicht. The second way is create a editor, in the editor has the possibility of specify the terrain material and the level (-5 to +5) and in the irrlicht i read the file generated by editor (maybe a xml) and mount using aabbox or adding cube by cube in the scene editor
I'm sure that whichever engine you choose, you can most certainly do this.
The grid could just be a layer you put on top of the level mesh.
The grid layer could then draw its squares, and then you could look up the middle coordinate of the squares, when moving your units.
It may not be neccesary to actual divide the level into squares.
The are some small problems though. If the squares have 5 levels in height, the underlying map sounds like it have a curved terrain, which complicates drawing the squares a bit. This is because it should then follow the curved terrain. but this can be solved by drawing small line pieces which clamps to the height at the terrain in that coordinate.
