metatile attributes vs attribute map

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FrankenGraphics
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metatile attributes vs attribute map

Post by FrankenGraphics »

Often, metatile (or metatile-like structures) store subpalette information tile/object. The cost of this efficiency is that if you want another setup, you need to clone the metatile/object information and alter it, and that off-grid placement gets tricky. And, of course, if your definition is coarse enough to just state 1 attribute for larger objects (like in metroid, where you can assign 1 attribute per instance of the object), you get same-coloured areas unless you add special attribute only-objects which overwrite attributes the specified location.

Just how bad would an RLE compressed attribute map for a level/room/area be? It can only be four different values, which would speak in favour of good run lengths. And run lengths can be more than horizontal slivers if something else suits better...

What are the facts? What's your opinion?
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