EchoQuest v0.21.0: 6-Layer Map System
Until now, every map in EchoQuest had two tile layers: Ground (terrain you walk on) and Walls (structures that block movement). It worked, but it meant everything was flat. You couldn’t walk under a tree canopy or see a dirt path worn through grass. Version 0.21.0 changes that with a 6-layer map system that adds real visual depth to every map.
Four tile layers
Maps now support up to four tile layers, each with a specific purpose:
- Ground 0 — Base terrain. Grass, stone, sand, water. The foundation of every map.
- Ground 1 — Detail overlays. Dirt paths through grass, puddles on stone, shadow effects under trees, floor patterns in interiors. These render above the base terrain but below everything else.
- Wall 0 — Structures and collision. Buildings, fences, rocks, furniture. This is where collision lives — anything here blocks movement.
- Wall 1 — Upper decorations that render above player characters. Roof overhangs, tree canopy, bridge decks, archways. Walk under a building’s eave and the overhang draws on top of your character, creating genuine depth.
Plus the existing Properties (bitmask collision) and Objects (spawn zones, exits, interactables) layers, for a total of six layers the engine processes per map.
Depth ordering
Getting the depth right was the key challenge. Wall 0 renders at depth 8, below player entities at depth 10. Wall 1 renders at depth 15, above players. This means you can walk behind a fence (Wall 0 occludes you) and under a bridge (Wall 1 overlaps you) on the same map. Hazard zones, interactables, and corpses all got depth adjustments to slot correctly into the new ordering.
Backwards compatible
Existing maps with the old Ground and Walls layer names continue to work without changes. The engine tries the new layer names first and falls back to legacy names automatically. This means we can upgrade maps to the new system one at a time without breaking anything. Collision processing now iterates all four tile layers, and the Properties bitmask covers new layers too.
The Level Editor Guide has been rewritten with a full depth table, a “When to Use Each Layer” guide, and notes on interaction behavior (Wall 1 tiles don’t block mouse clicks, so players can still interact with things underneath overhangs).
Try the EchoQuest Demo — free in your browser. Full game coming to Steam.