The Limits of the Drawing Engine

In every Online game, there is a drawing engine which depicts in a window the virtual world you are visiting.  Some games use DHTML to display the game in an internet browser.  Other games, like Wizard 101, have their own game browser, which have been pre-loaded with graphic models of all the objects in the game, to help speed up the animation frame rate.

When you first install the W101 game browser, it comes pre-loaded with all of Wizard City.  But as you begin to get access to other worlds in the game (Yes, NOOBs, there are other worlds besides WC!), you will notice that you may have to wait to go to other places in the game until the "world data" is downloaded into your W101 game browser.

There are limits to the drawing engine.  To save processing time, things that are very far away are not drawn until the come into your field of view.   This is why the names of objects appear over their heads in large print.   You can see the names from pretty far away before you can see the object.   Watch the following video as I descend the Stairway To Heaven to visit my Myth House.   You will slowly see more and more detail as I get closer.

Frog Pet - SPEED DIVING

If you or a friend have a frog pet, go to the Wizard City Commons, and take the pet into the pond.   The pond is deep enough that the frog is completely submerged.  When you move, the frog follows, and the hop brings most of the frog out of the water and then he falls back in, completely out of view.   Try running in a circle by holding down the forward arrow key and a left or right turn arrow key.  The result is pretty funny.   Please excuse the captured video below taken from behind.   It's all I could do without someone's help.

Fun at Home - PIGGLE PACKING

Piggles cost 440 in gold, and can have their colors changed at the time of purchase.   Piggles have 2 colors, the main body and the tummy/nose-tip color.  How many piggles will fit in a small room?  The game puts an upper limit of how many pets it will allow in a house (around 40).   I was able to fit 30 piggles in a small room of the Island Getaway house.  In order to pack the piggles more closely, you have to rotate them so they are facing different directions.

Notice the spacing of their shadows on the floor.  That is how you can guide the movement of the piggles in edit mode to pack them more closely.   The next image shows what you will see when you turn the corner to look in the room.

SHARE THE LOVE!   So many piggles around me all you can see is my feet

WHO IS GOING TO CLEAN UP THIS MESS?

Happy Gaming!

Island Getaway - BEHIND THE SCENES

The Island Getaway is a home that you can purchase.   Most homes allow you to travel around all sides of the homes.   The Island Getaway only allows you to be on one side of the Island.  Using the Rug Trick (explained in another post), I was able to build a walkway of floating rugs that went around the entire island.

This island has flying fish.   From the grassy upper section of the grounds, you can see the entry point of the floating rugs going over the ocean.  If you try to walk into the ocean, you can only go a few steps.  I made the entry way long enough so you can get a good view of the flying fish

And even closer

In order to see the flying fish, you have to use the mouse to look upwards.

Now to explore around the island.   Let's go

The first thing I noticed were 2 flying fish floating in air below the ocean, side by side.   I think this must be some kind of mating ritual, or maybe they are just watching a movie.

As I moved to the right side of the island, I was surprised to see that the mountain scenery was like one-way glass.   From the front, you see a solid wall, from behind, you can see right through the wall as if it was not there.    Notice the trees floating in mid-air.  They are actually resting on top of an invisible mountain.

As I traveled around the back of the island, I could see the flying fish pop into existence below the water line, arc up above the water and back down, and then disappear into nothingness.   I found that some walls one can pass through, and some you cant.

Happy Gaming!

Especially For NOOBS - Wizard City - Commons - HIDDEN CAVE

If you are less than level 10, you may not have noticed a hidden cave behind the Rainbow Bridge Falls.  You can only see it from one angle, as if you were coming from the Unicorn Way going to Ravenwood.   Below is a picture with a map.

Krokotopia - Find the Beetles - WITH PICTURES/MAPS

Here is a series of pictures for each of the Beetles, in no particular order.  See the title on the map inset to know which part of Krokotopia where the picture was taken.

Wizard City - Find the Smiths - WITH PICTURES/MAPS

Here is a series of picturesfor each of the Smiths, in no particular order.  See the title on the map inset to know which part of Wizard City where the picture was taken.