Chapter 4 Perspective, Scene Design, and Basic Animation 107
Two and One-Half–Dimensional
Games
Two and one-half–dimensional (2.5D) games have two-dimen-
sional background graphics, but uses three-dimensional (3D) characters and
obstacles, Figure 4-18. This type of game is a hybrid. The graphics are
designed with three dimensions (length, width,
and depth), but the gameplay is still defi ned by
only length and width. This style of game has
3D characters and objects on a fl at background.
In a true 3D game, objects are programmed
to resize, re-shade, and shift view in relation to
the camera. In a 2.5D game, however, multiple
poses are used. These poses change similar
to a 2D character, but each sprite has a 3D
appearance.
To create a sprite character set for 2.5D
game, the characters and obstacles are all generated with length, width, and
depth. Multiple camera angles can be used with a 3D character to produce
Y axis
+
X axis
Coordinate
indicator
Top-left corner
is 0,0
+
Figure 4-17. This is a 2D frame where the origin of the frame’s coordinate system (0,0) is the top-left corner of the frame.
CHEAT CODE: HYBRID
A hybrid is created by combining features
from two different items. A hybrid car is
a combination of an electric car and a
car with an internal combustion engine.
A 2.5D game is a hybrid because it
combines 2D gameplay with
3D objects.