What is a scrolling panorama?
Dragon Fire uses scrolling background images that are much larger than the viewing area on the computer screen. As the player moves their character left or right across the screen, the panorama scrolls along revealing new portions of the scene, much like watching the scenery go by outside a car window.
The panoramas represent a 360 degree field of vision that surrounds the character.
Each panorama is created by placing as many as eight cameras in a wheel-like
pattern in a 3D art program. Each individual camera view is combined using software
called the "Panowarper" to create one single scrollable image.
How many of these panoramas will there be in the game?
There are around 80 panoramas in the game. Each one represents either a specific location in the Kingdom of Silmaria, or a generic location where combat encounters occur as the player explores the land.
Yosemite Entertainment announced this spring that Dragon Fire will be in full 16 bit color, rather than 8 bit as originally planned. Why was the decision made to change so late in the development process?
The 16 bit graphics used for Dragon Fire allow for much greater detail in the characters and backgrounds, and for detailed special effects. The game is no longer limited by a 256 color palette for all of the art in each scene. With 16 bit color, a much wider range of color can be used for characters, backgrounds, and effects like fire and magical spells. Protection spells create an eerie blue glow around the character. Fireballs glow fiercely, and light up the scenery as they roar by. Dragon Fire has an impressive number of 16 bit special effects that make the game look great!