Sotha

Nice pictures and impressive work when considering the old engine. Good old T2 has been pushed to the limit there, but modern TDM will easily beat it in terms of graphics. I won't compare gameplay, since these are different games. I'm pretty sure that on some point those heroic T1&2 mappers will try out DR, be delighted and create even more beautiful masterpieces using modern technology. The winning side for T1&2 is low machine specs, it plays wonderfully on almost any machine, while TDM is annoyingly choppy for low enders.

Yes. I'm checking my configuration now and I have done no changes. tdm_launcher.exe should simply work without any fuss. Maybe you should check your tdmlauncher.log for clues. Mine looks like this: So it looks like tdm_launcher.exe should autodetect your steam config and starts it properly. What does your log say? Especially the parts I've bolded in my log are probably important.

Well I don't. I'll check what my setting are, but I don't remember doing anything special when installing TDM. It just works with tdmlauncher.

How odd. It should just work. At least works for me. Win7 issue? Is your darkmod installation ok? Could there be a path issue, like tdmlauncher, doom3 or steam unable to handle the odd "(" characters in your path? You could check this by moving steam assets to another folder without ( ) marks in the path and test. https://support.stea...=7418-YUBN-8129 I'm just blind guessing here. I'll check my config once I get back home and post back.

I got steam version. The game saves into /steamapps/common/doom3 I simply start the game from tdmlauncher.exe and I've created a shortcut there. There never was any fuss on this.

Yay! Thanks! But remember, the true geniuses here are the people doing the heroic feat of making such missions possible. The tool creators: The Coders, The Artists and Other Mod Heroes.

Okay, now I'm stuck. I'm basically at this situation: I got the normalmap baked (?) on the model and I would now like to put the model in DR to see what I got. I've got the normal map as a .tga file. I got two normalmap files in .tga format, one made as in #13, the other made as in #28. Normally I've exported .ase at this point and edited the file with a text editor and put paths to TDM texture assets I use. But now since this all involves a new file, my normalmap, I'm uncertain how to proceed. What should I do? Simply put the normalmap.tga in TDM assets, set the .ase normalmap path to it and everything should work? Or should I create a material file? How? Also: I never did the highpoly version, why should I do that?I made the normalmap as in #13. Why the normalmap is done again in #28? Is the idea that first I make normalmap as per #13, save it, load it on blender, set the normalmap, then open GIMP and do the normal as per #28 and overwrite the normalmap.tga and *this* normal map is the one that goes to the tdm assets? Sorry, I'm a bit confused now. Thanks in advance!

Kappas! Kiva että täällä on muitakin suomalaisia! Yep, there is actually this phrase, which goes: "joy without booze is pretension," which pretty much tells what's the situation in here. Sometimes I'm convinced that finnish people are innately somewhat socially disabled, shyness seems to be some kind of national trait. People need some kind of social relaxant to be able to 'open up' and have fun. While I myself do drink alcohol, it is quite troubling that statistically large amount of finnish population glorifies drunkenness so much. Everything in moderation. So far, I've been able to dodge FB altogether. I'm of that generation who can live without it, by I'm pretty sure that for younger folks you either are in FB or your social life is gone. Not much options for those who feel reluctant about it.

Black skin with red eyes, mapper binds some flames Glenham style? EDIT: could be also done on a simple black horse with normal eyes. Bind prop red gems (or something) as red eyes. Bind bones sticking out of the body.

Holy crap, Arcturus! That just about doubles my Blender knowledge. Looks rather technical and difficult at times, but I'll definately try it out later. Thank you very much for your help! For its likely entertainment value, here is my current unwrapping.

Thanks for insight. I'll try to get a screenie later today or tomorrow, depending how I have time. I think I just placed a single seam on the cylindrical edge and said 'unwrap.'

Thanks for feedback, it is nice to see a discussion forming around the medal. As always, feedback is greatly appreciated. For me, the medal looks just fine, but that is because I'm taking into account my skill level on this field. Naturally the models by the proficient people with years of experience look much, much better. I've modeled only for a month or so. I've no idea how to create a texture and where to obtain a suitable high quality photo reference. Most likely there is no photo of a medal fitting this one perfectly, so the texture should probably be created from scratch. I've no graphic editing skills, except schematic drawing on inkscape. And then there are them normal maps and all that kind of weird stuff I know nothing about. Basically the problem is that I don't know how I should get started. This would be certainly interesting thing to learn. I promise to try to look at it, but only if someone would be kind enough to provide detailed information (for dummies) how to do it properly.

Hm.. They should have developed similar attitude towards engine change suggestions as in this forum.

Ouch. Well, I'm better with DR than Blender. And I needed this particular loot for the mission and there was none in TDM assets, so there you have it.

Agreed. It looked too rigid somehow. Like he had a stick with a plastic hand holding the lantern.

Aliens are AI controlled. They're not very clever, they just rush you. But there are some ranged attacker as well. The playing team consists of 4 marines. If you have only 2 players, you still have 4 marines, two of which are AI controlled. EDIT: I also tried Tremulous once. Was a bit too fast for my old man reflexes. In this game, the speed is well thought of. Challenging but not too fast.

Oh yeah! Right. Maybe I got the hint of this game from that burrick thread. Also I now remember seeing some alien hats in TF2. You get one in TF2 if you get a AS achievement. Nice. Just gave it a go on normal difficulty. Much more challenging and now you really need at least to move in pairs to survive. Some of the aliens seem to be designed so that killing them alone is really difficult, but in pairs you can outmaneuver them. After that I tested it on hard difficulty. At that level, moving as a team is a must. If you move alone, you die. If there is no medic on the team, you die. If there is no tech class with ammo satchels, you run out of ammo and you die. I love it! New equipment arrives really fast. You get something new and fancy almost after each successful mission. New guns need some skill, so I still prefer assault rifles and the autocannon. Especially auto-aim guns are nice. I tried a shotgun, and it is really effective but runs out of ammo quickly. I wonder if they are adding new content to this. The current maps probably get repetitive fast. But they are really well made. I was stunned in the slow-motion combat in the elevator. And after that, all hell breaks loose. Yep, I definately recommend this one.

Since there's been a lot of other game related off topic posts, I'll now submit my contribution as well. Got bored today, saw this free game by the name of "Alien Swarm" on steam. Decided to give it a go. Basically it is nice refreshing co-op online topdown brainless shooting game with low-level puzzle elements. Players are in a team of 4 marines armed to the teeth and try to accomplish missions while assaulted by a horde of aliens. Game reminds me a lot of good ol' Space Hulk boardgame/computer game and Aliens II movie. The game has an unlock system which gives the player new alien killing / marine buffing tools, which provide a slight addiction to see what you get next, like in the diablo games. New equipment changes the way the game plays, like in team fortress 2. So far I've played the offline practice mission and one easy online game. I had fun, although at this difficulty level each player could pretty much wander around the map on their own as the aliens were a pushover. The game promises that on higher difficulty, team work and tactics like welding doors shut are essential for team survival. I'll definately give the higher difficulties a go tonight. And I recommend this if you want to play something completely different for a change. It's fun, and won't cost a dime.

Heh. What I saw from the video, everything therein could be easily done with TDM. Except blocking the door with furniture and the AI is able to knock the blockade out.

Tack! Don't worry, after this mission I'm going to retire from mapping business until the end of this year. Three sixes in a ro.... I mean three missions in a year is enough. A matter of taste, of course. I like to keep this blog kind of thing of progress. I'm not sure whether people are interested in such a things, but I find it fun grabbing a screenie of particularily nice accomplishments. It makes me feel I'm making progress. I may also get constructive feedback for the area in question. The screenies I publish are always considered carefully so that no spoilers are seen. I'll be happy to betatest your map, if I happen to have time at that time. Typically I am quite able of arranging the time. Just make sure the work is as polished as possible before going beta. It is a "concise creative chaos." I create basic geometry first everywhere, the map framework. In this process I have one AI character what I use for size reference. After basic geometry is done over 90% I start building details here and there. When everything is ready the AI and paths are added. However, if at any stage I get an idea for a room or readables, I place them immediately so I won't forget them. Sometimes I drop the furniture I want to have in certain room inside the room randomly and move to build another area. Then I arrange the furniture later. Sometimes I stick to only one area until it is done. Basically I edit only the areas I find interesting at given time. I don't touch boring areas until I get interested in them. The described work method works quite well for me and typically when I place geometry of objects, they stay where they are. I seldom rework areas once they are done.

Here's a screenie of my friday night Blender modeling efforts. I made a custom loot medal. This is all the custom modeling I'm going to do for this map. The medal uses the metal/flat/gold texture for the metal parts and since there were no red cloth texture for the ribbon, I used red paint_paper instead. It is 102 polys. As for the map: basic geometry is done, I'm adding in details, almost all readables are done, some of the AI is placed. I'll probably get this almost finished before the new TDM version, so once I get everything done I'm going to put this on hold until v1.03 assets arrive.

I'd also like to know this. It would be useful in some situations to teleport in absence markers to make the AI crazy.

I read through everything until "Camera Movement" I did not do as told, but the instructions seem clear and easy to understand. Images clarify things nicely. I did not see any typos or anything. Looks good and educating so far.

Remember, instead of waiting for the models miraculously appearing, the mapper can take matters in his own hands and prepare his own mediocre models for the mission he is preparing. Blender for Beginners-thread contain essential information for basic object creation. I made the custom rod for my newest FM and today I'm planning to start blender and prepare some other crappy custom loot for the player to steal. My loot is not going to be as high quality as the stuff already on TDM, but at least I'm not limited by the lack of models, since I'm able of doing some basic stuff myself. And there will be at least some variation in the items for the player to steal in my map. Polygonwise the models I'm making are not very different from the stuff in TDM. The difference maker here is the texturing, which is essentially the thing which separates my crappy models from nice and beautiful TDM loot.

Probably the absence marker is covered by the new, empty frame. Howsabout you make the entire painting stealable? When the player frobs the painting, it disappears like normal loot. Probably would help with the absence marker. Also, does your object have the proper absence_alert property. Maybe the AI sees it missing, but it causes no alarm? One more possibility, is that if the painting is sunk in the wall, the absence marker is inside the wall, thus no alarm. I hope these help!