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Hi there.
I'm finding this hard to explain. Please bare with me.

I have been messing around with different styles of game for a while and having just got DBPro my problem is this.

I want to try to build a very open 1st person game. I want to be able to walk around in the open, use vehicles and go into buildings. Much of the modeling and physics for vehicles and stuff is done but i cant seem to find a good way of building a landscape.
I have experimented with bsp and although it allows me to texture and model the landscape in some detail, it is a strange beast to operate and i have read that the culling would be bad for an open plan world.
I also experimented with terrain. I thought it was the answer but then i discovered that there is no way to mess with the texture tiling.
Again i tried the Matrix. This is ok but lots of programming just to make a hill or to put a texture in the right place. Also i have read that the matrix can be quite slow.

This whole thing stems from my games need to have grass verges at the sides of a road. I want to be able to shape and texture things like verges, kerbs, mounds and the like as part of my landscape, which i can then detect groundheight from.
My question is this. Whats the best approach for the kind of game i am trying to build?
It's the matrix isn't it?
Please dont tell me it's the matrix.
Tell me there's an easy way to detect ground height from a 3ds or .x.

Sorry for rambling.

Generally, you'd want to use a matrix for vast landscapes, and bsp for indoor work.

Thanks mate.
That is what i feared.

Use a matrix editor or make yourself one so you can adjust the matrix on the fly and drop things like trees and buildings onto it. Once you've got your editor it will make creating your outdoor landscapes easier. Your probably doing that already but just incase. Haven't messed around with the terrain commands yet so I don't know how they compare. I get the impression you can get greater detail and control with a matrix though.

Basically it's matrix for open worlds so far....My open world game is on hold since one year now..One 30x30 matrix,2 buildings,5 objects and 100 '2-plane' trees bring frame rate down to 27 in DB and down to 45 in DBP..and i need ten times more of that stuff for 1 level.
I'm stuck..there's no workaround with the cam settings..it still 'feels' all the objects despite you are miles away from them or set the range as close as possible..
I hope the new 3D engine will give this a kick..
Otherwise i will be stuck..and will have to change my plans and projects
Cheers