roadmap.txt

The current features I plan to implement are:

DONE - means is working as currently required
ATM - means is being worked on at the moment

1. [DONE] implement an ongoing timer that doesn't stop as long as the game is being played. It can be paused however,
   for example when the player is looking at the world map.

2. [DONE] add NPCs to the world who just stand at one point all day

3. [DONE] make updates to the display and AI of the NPCs depending on the time

4. [DONE] Implementing A* Pathfinding for NPCs
   1. [DONE] Create a datacontainer class that can keep the necessary properties needed for squares in A* pathfinding
      1. [DONE] x and y coordinates
      2. [DONE] array index
	  3. [DONE] flag that indicates whether the node is passable or not
   2. [DONE] Create a node class that is specifically used to store A* information
	  1. [DONE] an internal square property
	  2. [DONE] F, G and H values
	  3. [DONE] a reference to its parent
   3. [DONE] Load in the gridSquares of each map at instantiation
   4. [DONE] create a method for NPCs where they can be told where to go. Just this: a target global position. 
	  The NPC then uses an implementation of A* to figure out the immediate path and a larger scale mapPath using Depth-First, 
	  and sets its currentActivity to walk. The entire way is calculated before starting to move.
   5. [DONE] Make it possible to walk between maps, and to "be" at different maps than the player. Basically, keep the 
	  simulation going no matter what the player does or where he is. Requires a larger scale inter-map system
	  of pathfinding. In order to do that:
   6. [DONE] Create parent-child relationship to maps, for dungeons and towns etc. This means creating a proper datastructure

5. Enable NPCs to do other various things
   1. Be spoken to when clicked upon
   2. [DONE] Automatically select the appropriate animation according to the direction of movement, or at no movement

6. [ATM] implement a streamlined process for NPC AI routines, that can be composed or built and therefore easily 
   changed, and fed to the NPC, that describe the movement actions given in point 4. A script file as XML would be a
   viable option. There I can determine at what times the NPC must walk to what global positions for example. Maybe entire
   dialogues and more can be stored there.

8. display dialogue text



Minor changes:

- experiment with collision grid: make tree collision boxes smaller
- [DONE] diagonal movement of avatar must be the given speed limit in magnitude
- [DONE] even though NPCs are added to stage, if their currentMapIndex state variable states that they aren't actually 
  actors on the current map of the player, disable collision and their visiblity