Although we’re still experimenting with the ideal look for Trudy’s maps, we’ve already done a large amount of work on the game’s environments. Of course as an iPad game, there were various technical and usability issues we had to take into consideration:

• In order to clearly indicate unit size and movement, we utilized a traditional grid structure. To properly accommodate for the iPad’s touch interface, though, the on-screen grid had to be big enough to allow easy and accurate finger-control.
• Short-bursts of gameplay are great for handheld devices, so we made our maps relatively small. As a starting point, we settled on a 20×15 grid to match the iPad’s 4:3 aspect ratio.
• Maps that scroll require additional input and brainpower to keep track of all the units, so we decided to squeeze everything into one screen. This went hand-in-hand with our small maps approach, and had the added benefit of giving off a boardgame-like vibe (which is also perfect for potential multiplayer modes).
• In order to set ourselves apart from other tactics games, we went with a fully 3D environment. This allowed us more flexibility with the level design, but presented the rather large issue of camera position/angle. Although we’re committed to an orthogonal projection, we’re still messing around with traditional top-down vs. isometric views, and some hybrid ones as well.

Below you can see the early evolution of Trudy’s test map:

The initial layout of an area in the sewer-like Underworld.

A superimposed grid detailing the map's composition.

Early texturing pass for a dimetric view. Although it makes for some interesting shapes, it also wastes a ton of screen real-estate.

Conversely, the top-down view uses every inch of the screen, but still looks much flatter. Ambient occlusion would help it pop a bit more, but not nearly as much as a skewed camera angle.

A perspective view of the test map. It's not properly lit just yet, but it already utilizes diffuse, normal, specular and glow maps.

We’ve stress-tested the map with the maximum number of units and got a pretty good frame rate. Of course it’s expected to drop once we add shader and particle effects, as well as HUD pieces, but we’re pretty confident we can lock it at a steady 30 FPS.