Draggable OWR Viaducts vs OWR-Arrow Reduction Plugin

[memo33]

The draggable OWR height transitions do not override properly, if the OWR-arrow reduction plugin is installed.

This is because the plugin changes the IID of the orthogonal and diagonal OWR tiles. Originally, this was done to keep users from having to redrag all OWRs, if the plugin is installed for the first time (because the texture-based network is replaced by a model-based network).

Proposed fix:

As most users either already have this plugin or don't intend to use it at all, it would be more or less safe to switch the IIDs back to the original Maxis IIDs. If the files of the alternative IIDs are kept for legacy purposes, this will not require redragging of OWR networks (only if the plugin is installed for the first time).

Effectively, this will eliminate the need to consider this plugin in RUL2 code – thus, it would no longer be necessary to duplicate all OWR overrides.

[zsc4]

I think it is important to remember that we are getting a continual stream of new users; therefore, any solution must take into account new users of this plugin.

[memo33]

That's certainly true. For new users, my proposal would require redragging of existing OWR networks once, similar to what is required for RRW or for the GLR extension sets.

We have to weigh the convenience for the user against convenience of implementation (otherwise a lot of duplicate RULs and T21s). Even though the answer should be user-friendliness, if it results in issues like this one, the actual gain is questionable.

[zsc4]

OK, that sounds like a very good solution in that case.

[TarkusSC4]

I have written the necessary code to make the status quo work--only took about a dozen lines. That said, it's very easy to forget about the IID change with the ARP when you're making draggable OWR content (exactly what happened here), and with some other content (NWM, especially), the extra IIDs vastly inflate the size of the code needed for basic functionality.