Question about preparing iOS game design

Unity Engine
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1

Hi.

I have plan to develop 2D iOS game but problem is that game will have quite a lot of graphics. If we want the graphics to look nice, then we have to use gradients on level design. It is very special in our game, that level is very high (game is up and down scrolling) and all level design has to be unique. So there will be one large background picture (1024x1024px) and then 11 ground pictures (2048pxx407px) on top of each other. So level side will be put together from those 11 unique (2048x407px) images, what will certainly have gradients and we have to use alpha channel there, because those will move compared to background picture.

My question is, that can we use so much unique and large pictures (pictures that have high quality and use gradients and alpha) without any problems (memory or performance issues)? Do you also have any suggestion what format we should use later (PVRTC etc.)?

I ask because currently we have to prepare design and we dont know is our goal even reasonable to achieve in design side, that we will have so many large pictures with high quality , in one level?

Thanks and Have a nice end of the year.

2

Why not give it a try? Turn off mip-mapping, and see what the framerate is like if you try to display that many/sized textures at once.

(one would anticipate that performance might vary between iPhone/iPad models)

3

From what I’ve seen from working on our 2D game, that shouldn’t be a problem with newer (iPhone4 generation) devices.
Depends on how many objects for enemies and such you’re going to add, and if they all have transparency. Because too high overdraw because of the transparency is a killer.

As for compression: from my experience: NEVER let unity do the PVRT compression - it looks aweful. Use the PVRTexTool from Imagination Technologies. That compression nowadays is surprisingly good… except for the alpha channel. The alpha still looks horrible. So if you have delicate gradients in your alpha channels, it’s possible that you’d be forced to use uncompressed textures. Note that if you’re going for the PVRT route, you’ll need square textures.

Just give it a try, and there’s always some way to get it done.