Jump to content
The Dark Mod Forums

Campaign Announcement


Goldchocobo

Recommended Posts

Hello everyone,

I'd like to "officially" announce a 3 mission campaign for TDM. It's been in the making for the past 9 months, and I excited to let everyone know that it, well, exists.

Each level follows a wonderfully convoluted storyline, and is T2 size. My play throughs of the campaign are taking me longer then beating many modern day FPS games. I find this satisfying, and I hope everyone else does too.

 

We are currently bug testing, cleaning up, making cutscenes, doing voiceovers, etc... rather then pin the release date it on an actual date, I'll simply say "when its done sometime within the vicinity of next month". So yes, hopefully next month, everyone will have a nice juicy injection of TDM goodness!

 

Here are some pics:

 

BNE.jpg

Nothing like a good ol' B & E.

towers.jpg

Towering towers are towery... a lot of effort was put into making the city portions feel big.

 

 

shot00010.jpg

What's a good thief level without a bar?

 

 

lake.jpg

Each reed/boat move and sway in the wind/water, rather then sitting stale.

 

 

gate.jpg

Again, each flower sways in the wind. Looks very nice in game.

 

 

forest2-2.jpg

Literally over 4000 trees have been hand placed.

 

 

forest-1.jpg

Veer from the path to find secrety goodness!

 

 

dock.jpg

Note: The inn on the right is enter able - there are many secrets and B & E's to be done in the city portions. Search hard enough, and you'll even encounter new, optional objectives.

 

 

city1-1.jpg

Some more city. Again, many back alley's to run around and explore.

 

 

bar.jpg

Again, the city is very large in scale, but performs quite nicely. Details without the slowdowns.

 

 

I hope everyone enjoys the pics... be sure to let others know of the upcoming campaign, and to download TDM!

 

GC

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jesus, you'd better post some minimum system specs... that is unless you have some how become the shadow shifting master of darkness and figured out a secret squirrell way of keeping FPS down through the mystical manipulation of Vis portals and other such arcane skills with a obsessively compulsive super human attention to detail...

 

Here are some pics:

  • Nothing like a good ol' B & E.
  • Towering towers are towery... a lot of effort was put into making the city portions feel big.
  • Each reed/boat move and sway in the wind/water, rather then sitting stale.
  • Again, each flower sways in the wind. Looks very nice in game.
  • Literally over 4000 trees have been hand placed.

 

Ok I have to ask as Im sure other want to know aswell...

 

  • how did you do the dust/mist beams on the lights..?
  • How did you do the mist in the tower..?
  • Now your just showing of, I didnt know doom could do physx..
  • Is this a stock entity/object then that has a param for movement..?
  • 4k of trees..? how the F.... is it possible to have that many objectes, verts, polys and not have a slow down..?
  • And lastly I didn't think it was possible to link one mission to another to form a campain...?

Awesome screenies btw

 

ps. I want to learn about all the above skills btw, so no holding back over in the editors section and if you need any voicing done I'm happy to offer my generic english accent to the mix.

 

 

.

Edited by Bikerdude
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmm on that subject, we need decals or something where the water meets the side of the bank and where the grass meets the gravel path..

 

OT:

Sure, I'll make an alpha edge piece for my grass (the current ones dont have blades etc, so it would look pretty random) - it wont always be useful but under low light it should be fine. Good idea :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmm on that subject, we need decals or something where the water meets the side of the bank and where the grass meets the gravel path..

Textures can be blended. I guess that technique should rather be used here or even better, a combination of both.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Textures can be blended. I guess that technique should rather be used here or even better, a combination of both.

What, we can do that with the D3 engine, how exactly..?

 

nb. Sorry getting of topic, gold maybe you should start a thread over in the editing section so I can ask lost of annoying questions over there lol

Edited by Bikerdude
Link to comment
Share on other sites

What, we can do that with the D3 engine, how exactly..?

 

nb. Sorry getting of topic, gold maybe you should start a thread over in the editing section so I can ask lost of annoying questions over there lol

I am not very familiar with the details, but just to point you in the right direction, go here. :) The technique applied here is called vertex blending and it can only be used on models. So you would have to export your map geometry and do the rest in your preferred 3d app.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am not very familiar with the details, but just to point you in the right direction, go here. :) The technique applied here is called vertex blending and it can only be used on models. So you would have to export your map geometry and do the rest in your preferred 3d app.

 

If i could get help doing this, I am open to the suggestion... I've tried finding someone to help with to avail.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

SHHH ITS A SECRET :ph34r:

 

(I've spent well over 70 man-hours in the past several months helping script special content, bugfix, cleanup, and optimize these maps)

 

EDIT: surprisingly, most of my optimizing was NOT concerning visportaling. Clever use of func_static has boosted my framerate +10 in large indoors areas. Obsessive-compulsive light placement, and custom-drawn light textures, has reduced/removed the need to make models cast shadows in a few outdoors.

yay seuss crease touss dome in ouss nose tair

Link to comment
Share on other sites

SHHH ITS A SECRET :ph34r:

 

(I've spent well over 70 man-hours in the past several months helping script special content, bugfix, cleanup, and optimize these maps)

 

EDIT: surprisingly, most of my optimizing was NOT concerning visportaling. Clever use of func_static has boosted my framerate +10 in large indoors areas. Obsessive-compulsive light placement, and custom-drawn light textures, has reduced/removed the need to make models cast shadows in a few outdoors.

 

Ah I really should have mentioned... MD here taught me everything I know regarding map optimization. He's also my "main man" for the campaign, including writing insane AI relations scripts...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is absolutely beautiful. New standards are being set. :)

Come the time of peril, did the ground gape, and did the dead rest unquiet 'gainst us. Our bands of iron and hammers of stone prevailed not, and some did doubt the Builder's plan. But the seals held strong, and the few did triumph, and the doubters were lain into the foundations of the new sanctum. -- Collected letters of the Smith-in-Exile, Civitas Approved

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Big congrats on the advanced stage of your campaign. I'm sure those pics only show a tiny fraction of the goodies in store. Bad time of day (early morning) for me to be seeing them at their best but those images still look good. :)

 

Learning how to model your terrain is a lengthy task at this stage unless someone else can do it for you. I've been struggling with slow progress. Two other options for blending:

 

Crumb textures. If you look at some of the dirt decals and ash you can see how it's done. A grass one could be made using the same alpha map and existing grass texture. But it's not perfect. I tried supercrumb but there were issues with variations with the player view.

 

Another possibility I've only just started exploring is model generic blending panels that can be modified to any two textures. But this is in an early stage and I am currently trying to get the scale to match our default brush textures. My idea was to make a few rectangular and curved panels that one could overlay. Problem is of course they would be limited in shape so I don't even know if it's worth proceeding: This is a test panel I made. No bump map on this and its very low res but you get the idea. The panel could be changed to any two textures and overlaid to align with existing textures. Basically I'm just trying to find a method to make it easier for mappers. You can hardly tell on this but yes, that's grass texture and some stone or other. I'll try and do a better quality one.

 

post-400-126898542797_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Big congrats on the advanced stage of your campaign. I'm sure those pics only show a tiny fraction of the goodies in store. Bad time of day (early morning) for me to be seeing them at their best but those images still look good. :)

 

Learning how to model your terrain is a lengthy task at this stage unless someone else can do it for you. I've been struggling with slow progress. Two other options for blending:

 

Crumb textures. If you look at some of the dirt decals and ash you can see how it's done. A grass one could be made using the same alpha map and existing grass texture. But it's not perfect. I tried supercrumb but there were issues with variations with the player view.

 

Another possibility I've only just started exploring is model generic blending panels that can be modified to any two textures. But this is in an early stage and I am currently trying to get the scale to match our default brush textures. My idea was to make a few rectangular and curved panels that one could overlay. Problem is of course they would be limited in shape so I don't even know if it's worth proceeding: This is a test panel I made. No bump map on this and its very low res but you get the idea. The panel could be changed to any two textures and overlaid to align with existing textures. Basically I'm just trying to find a method to make it easier for mappers. You can hardly tell on this but yes, that's grass texture and some stone or other. I'll try and do a better quality one.

 

post-400-126898542797_thumb.jpg

TBH, unless someone wants to do it for me, it won't happen. So many other things to take care of.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmn, lengthy task? Select the parts of your map, you want blended, export, import into 3d app, perform blending (colorize verts), export. I'd say, Two to four hours depending on your experience. I would even do it for you, if I knew Lightwave or Maya. At this point, I am still trying to find proper ways for working with 3ds max and TDM.

 

Maybe ask in the private forums if someone would do the vertex blending for you. It would definitely improve your visuals. But considering they are already pretty damn impressive, you might as well keep it as it is... :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wowsa, looks really good! The only thing one could critize is that in the city, allmost surfaces on the street are flat and allmost all of them are at the same level (e.g. some hills, stairs, streets on different levels, sidewalks etc) would enhance it. It is clear that you already tried to "break" up the flat streetlevel by adding broken out blocks etc, but I think it could be done a lot more.

 

Basically, the ground looks like you started with a flat ground, then added little details - instead like in reallife, where the ground isn't flat, and you start to make it flat so people don't break their neck when they go out of the door :)

 

Anyway, looking forward to playing this. Must look wonderful with HDR! :wub:

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man." -- George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950)

 

"Remember: If the game lets you do it, it's not cheating." -- Xarax

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Big congrats on the advanced stage of your campaign. I'm sure those pics only show a tiny fraction of the goodies in store. Bad time of day (early morning) for me to be seeing them at their best but those images still look good. :)

 

Learning how to model your terrain is a lengthy task at this stage unless someone else can do it for you. I've been struggling with slow progress. Two other options for blending:

 

Crumb textures. If you look at some of the dirt decals and ash you can see how it's done. A grass one could be made using the same alpha map and existing grass texture. But it's not perfect. I tried supercrumb but there were issues with variations with the player view.

 

Another possibility I've only just started exploring is model generic blending panels that can be modified to any two textures. But this is in an early stage and I am currently trying to get the scale to match our default brush textures. My idea was to make a few rectangular and curved panels that one could overlay. Problem is of course they would be limited in shape so I don't even know if it's worth proceeding: This is a test panel I made. No bump map on this and its very low res but you get the idea. The panel could be changed to any two textures and overlaid to align with existing textures. Basically I'm just trying to find a method to make it easier for mappers. You can hardly tell on this but yes, that's grass texture and some stone or other. I'll try and do a better quality one.

 

post-400-126898542797_thumb.jpg

 

Also don't forget the grime decals! Even a simple "blob" of (mostly darker at the center) decal under each tree would improve it quite a lot. Right now the grass has the same color, near a tree, far from it etc. Adding stains and blobs and decals would help a lot to break the "sterile" look.

 

Of course, that is quite tedious :)

 

Edit: Also the trees seem to miss their base (where the trunk gets bigger and has roots as support). Maybe someone can make a model that one could "stick" at the base of each tree?

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man." -- George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950)

 

"Remember: If the game lets you do it, it's not cheating." -- Xarax

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmn, lengthy task? Select the parts of your map, you want blended, export, import into 3d app, perform blending (colorize verts), export. I'd say, Two to four hours depending on your experience. I would even do it for you, if I knew Lightwave or Maya.

Well you are describing how long the task itself would take. I was saying learning how to use a modelling program enough to do that task is lengthy. ;)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


  • Recent Status Updates

    • Ansome

      Finally got my PC back from the shop after my SSD got corrupted a week ago and damaged my motherboard. Scary stuff, but thank goodness it happened right after two months of FM development instead of wiping all my work before I could release it. New SSD, repaired Motherboard and BIOS, and we're ready to start working on my second FM with some added version control in the cloud just to be safe!
      · 0 replies
    • Petike the Taffer  »  DeTeEff

      I've updated the articles for your FMs and your author category at the wiki. Your newer nickname (DeTeEff) now comes first, and the one in parentheses is your older nickname (Fieldmedic). Just to avoid confusing people who played your FMs years ago and remember your older nickname. I've added a wiki article for your latest FM, Who Watches the Watcher?, as part of my current updating efforts. Unless I overlooked something, you have five different FMs so far.
      · 0 replies
    • Petike the Taffer

      I've finally managed to log in to The Dark Mod Wiki. I'm back in the saddle and before the holidays start in full, I'll be adding a few new FM articles and doing other updates. Written in Stone is already done.
      · 4 replies
    • nbohr1more

      TDM 15th Anniversary Contest is now active! Please declare your participation: https://forums.thedarkmod.com/index.php?/topic/22413-the-dark-mod-15th-anniversary-contest-entry-thread/
       
      · 0 replies
    • JackFarmer

      @TheUnbeholden
      You cannot receive PMs. Could you please be so kind and check your mailbox if it is full (or maybe you switched off the function)?
      · 1 reply
×
×
  • Create New...