Sotha

Looks good. I see instantanously maps with plots where you use that baby to fire a moveable boulder at a bank vault or something to gain entry. Not very stealthy, but a cool distraction..

No no no! Don't take my word for it, I've no qualifications for sound evaluation. We need more opinions. Test the sounds, it's really easy, just install the linked test FM and fire it up as usual.

Yeah, I really is a mystery to me. It is like we speak the same language but we don't speak the same language. I understand every point Spring has made thus far and they make perfect sense to me. Your responses, on the other hand, seem very.. interesting. I suppose since you're on the opposing side of the mystical field, our messages to you seem garbled as well. Please check signal cable. But I have to agree, forgive me for saying this, that you're (deliberately?) misinterpreting Springs words. But why? Data obtained with science are often incompatible with religious dogma. A defence mechanism for the dogma? I'm just curious. I think we are approaching something really interesting here. I want to understand. It is easy to make the mistake that atheism is a belief. You cannot devise a scientific experiment which would show whether or not god exist. You can believe she exist, or that she doesen't. The only result science and rationality can give you is agnosticism. But here is the catch: in science you need a "positive signal" to prove whether something exists or not. There is no need to prove whether god exists or not, since there is no rational starting premise to begin with. The only starting motivation for this kind of experiment is the fact that there has always been the religious community which thinks that of course god exists. But we have to take into account the fact that we descend from a really primitive origins so primitive irrational thoughts are embedded in our culture. Oh, I thought we covered this already? Well, no problem it is not difficult for me to write this again. I was evaluating the bible as the thing it is to me: an outdated storybook. Usually people can freely express whether they like the plot on a book or not. But of course a true Tolkien fan will get upset if you criticize the lord of the rings. I can only imagine what the result will be if you're, instead of fandom, taught to revere the words in the storybook. Should have taken that into account. But I'll not change my way of handling something only because others have been <I don't know what word to put here>. What I can do is to mitigate the effect and use softer words. I'd say that it is okay to succumb to irrationality if: you are given a choice to do so.you're filled first with the correct unaltered facts which peer reviewed science has to offer.But it is not ok if people are misguided with mixing propaganda with the science. I'll just leave it at that.

On ASE exported and DR: DR can be used to make (in good detail) virtually any object that is bigger than a table.Smaller objects cannot be made with DR since they look blocky due to minimal brush size.Now here is the thought: if the ASE exporter worked flawlessly, a mapper who cannot model like me, could easily create a HUGE accurate good looking teacup in DR. A detailed teacup of the size of a house. Then export the huge teacup to ASE, open it in blender and rescale (I do know how to rescale models in Blender) it into an ordinary sized teacup. Basically this means mappers could create detailed custom simple small objects themselves, without learning the arcane secrets of true modeling! It would be really nice since custom mission target loot would be cool: "Steal Lord Worthforths golden knickers." On collision models: At present if I create a multibrush moveable, it won't work at all since the game cannot generate a collision model for it. It seems that CM's are generated only for simple brushes. The only way I know for making a working multibrush moveable is to have each separate moveable brush bound together. But that is tedious. It's probably useful if I could make the brush into a model+collisionmodel and put it in the game. Disclaimer: I don't know much about modeling, so please forgive me if these sound totally daft ideas.

The more sounds the mappers have the more immersive the maps will be soundwise. I tested the sounds and I'll put my impressions here in the order I experienced them: After opening the default box the new box sounded nicely refreshing. I felt that the new sound is what these boxes really should sound like. I felt was is a top notch sound.I opened and closed both of the chests and listened some more.The creaking, while it sounded good the first time, started to somehow bug me when I turned the lid a few times. I realized that not all chests in the world have creaky lids.. If this sound is to replace the default one, the creaking should be made more quiet. OR maybe making two sounds, one without the creaking and other with it. The mappers could then choose to put a creaky lid every now and then. But the default sound for a box really would need to sound.. well, default, like the average of all box lids, and in my mind I cannot see the default box lid to creak so loudly.The sound otherwise beats the default sound, but you really need to do something about the creaking. The opening sound before the creaking and the closing THUNK are very good.I hope this helps! I'll gladly test new revisions.

We are, at present having the TDM summer vertical contest, which in my opinion is a most excellent thing as it: Generates new maps for the community.Encourages newcomers to try out mapping as it shows almost anyone can learn Dark RadiantIt really is a PR candy for TDM as it shows that the community is active, healthy and growing. The contests show that TDM means business. There are relatively few models in the game. A few chairs, a few tables. From a mapper point of view the options are dwindling, since everyone is using the same limited amount of furniture. There are quite low amount of prefabs as well. So here is my suggestion (well not mine, I suppose Fidcal talked first about engineering contest): When we have a contest next time, why won't we have a smaller contest beside it. A mapping contest like this and the previous one. Plus a small contest, like a prefab contest. The prefab contest topics could be: Create cool working mechanical devices (Like PranQster's drawbridge, steam belching machines, locomotives...)Create original furniture (while modeling is the way these should be done, DR could allow the creation of pompous golden throne seats, dining sets, etc)Create the most beautiful skybox.Create an elaborate lockbox/safe/chest/bankvault.Create musical instruments.Create the most elegant drawer desk/bookshelf with a secret compartment. Prefab contest's benefits would be: Those who have only little time to spare could still participate in a contest.A prefab project might be a manageable introduction to DR and TDM editing in general, introducing a easy inducement to try mapping.The best prefabs would be incorporated to the prefab bundle that comes with TDM, increasing our assets. This would result also in a nice two way action: map contest creates new maps for the community to play and the prefab contest creates new building blocks for the mappers to utilize. So.. Load your guns and prepare to shoot the idea down in flames.

Wow! If the issues are fixed that means that there will be lots of simple, but much needed, models to be created. But we could still have 'em as prefabs already. What's the use in the model? Well, okay, it is easier to find in DR. Are the collision models okay with DR created models?

Heh.. Word 'justice' is exactly the word I want to avoid and 'law' and 'order' are exactly the ones I want to elaborate. It is all about law and order without justice. But now I'm probably telling too much already! But anyway: thanks for help!

The images here from the various vertical maps look really good. WhenDoWeGetToPlay!?

I'm really sorry but you are responding to an argument that was never made. My original point was: You say: it is not a big deal that a huge portion of the population dissmisses stunningly virtually every branch of science. Then there was the point of religious people doing unnecessary damage to scientific progress as it has done so many times before. You dismissed the argument saying that it was a political decision and had nothing to do with religion. And now we get to my point. It is that you can more easily do such political maneuverings when most facts are withheld from the people. Political maneuverings to impede science. Maybe a political decision to start filtering more religious propaganda with science teaching to make things even worse. It was a mistake to mention the nukes. I was referring to the power and might of the US and not proposing they'd go to war. It was until after I read your post I understood that yes, my writing could be understood differently as I planned. My apologies. The point is that things that happen in the US typically spread to the world after a while. American culture is almost omnipresent in this planet. I'm not abolishing religion, I'd just like people to have the correct facts first, and then they can decide whether or not believe the bible-stuff. You comparison with internet abolishment is not fair, since you can pretty much *choose* what to read here. But if school spreads lies, you cannot avoid that. Your kids have to eat lies, even if the parents would prefer otherwise. A generation after generation is systematically lied to. Shivers. It should be obvious why spreading incorrect information should be shunned upon. It is blatant manipulation, in my opinion. Dangerous manipulation, since it perverts the way science is perceived. The most awful result is the thought that science is considered an alternate belief. It certainly would improve the world a great measure if people could trust that the information which is given in schools is reliable. Creationism makes darn sure it is not. I hope I cleared the point.

Thanks! Mapping started on 23.07.2010 for my own reference. The map will be my usual small/medium size category, but it will take much longer to complete than the previous map, since I'm going to spend less time mapping. Only for rainy days. At any rate, here is a teaser of the map showing also a fraction of the new skybox.

Hi! There was someone in this forum, who can speak latin. Can you help me? I'd like to have a plaque which says in latin "Honor and Duty. Law and Order." Now, I could easily check the words from a dictionary but I am aware that latin has difficult declension rules and I really would like it to be correct. Thanks!

But of course!

I've added instructions how to rotate the skybox without touching the info_portalsky to the wiki. http://wiki.thedarkmod.com/index.php?title=Skybox_Tutorial

First of all, wow! Never thought that this thread would get so declamatory. No, what danger does it pose considering there's a separation of church and state in the USA and there's no ban on literature saying otherwise? What danger does it pose that nearly half the population of the US, the nuke-wielding top-world-politics world-economic-superpower country, has a deliberately distorted views on the world around them? I can think of many problems, and this is the thing I am really worried about. Might be, but I'd say that it was religious conservatism behind the problems. In either case, your or mine, please think about how much easier it is to misuse religion to gain political power, if you have the backing of <insert-half-the-population-of-the-US> deliberately lie conditioned (avoiding the word brainwash here) people? Might a lot more difficult if the people's views were correct and they thought about it themselves, with the proper information. That's the thing that is dangerous. There is strength in numbers. A few mistaught people is not a problem but if there is a horde of them, there may be dangerous consequences. In the end creationism is really doing a big disservice to the world and it may take a long time to repair the damage. They even have their own wikipedia to aid misguiding people. On morality: Well, simply put I basically agree with Springheel on this one (post #73). I've not much to add there. I just got to mention that Springs morality here arises from science, not philosophy. Just to point out that morality, empathy and good life are programmed in some extent in us. Maybe it is -at least partially- evolutionary? People with certain traits have survived.

Yes, an static objects are surrounded by monsterclip, an area which the AI cannot enter. This makes them nice easy obstacles for the AI to avoid. As a mapper, I'm slightly scared of putting a lot of moveables. If the moveables are on the ground, they could make the AI stuck!

I just checked the voting results so far and I have to say that I am astonished. I knew the mission was fine, but I did not anticipate this kind of success! Thank you very much! I'm really happy you liked the mission! I am eagerly waiting to see the other maps. Let's hope the quality is consistently high!

Yay! Looks like we had a discussion after all! I'm ecstatic! Ah, Philosophy. It's like an old friend that turned enemy to me. See, I was quite interested in the topic when I was younger. When I started by current studies I realised that philosophy is a messy candy. It looks like you are doing rational thinking, but since your starting premises have to be very fuzzy you end up in really weird results: "Woo, I could actually be a butterfly, having a dream I'm a human!" OR "Maybe I'm already dead but I don't know it and everything before me is just flashes of my past life, which I forgot in my death throes!" If you venture too far in the swamp that is philosophy, you will get stuck in useless basic questions you cannot answer. Philosophy: It's fun. It's makes good party talk in academic circles. But it does not provide reliable results. It's relatively useless. I've even sat a few university grade philosophy courses. They were fun, a mental candy, but useless as pointed out by stumpy. I've ended up in similar conclusions. Let's talk about Truth. A philosophical evaluation will lead to an incoherent mess. *Since there are many people in the world and each have their views on things, there cannot be Objective Truth. We are mostly incapable in objective thought. *There can only be Subjective Truth. You eyes and ears may lie to you. This leads to insanity, as you cannot rely on anything. Let's not go there. *What you can do, basically, is improve your personal Subjective Truth. Check it from multiple directions. Try different methods to observe it. If it looks solid, it is probably real. Ask you buddy. If he sees it as well and agrees to it's existence it is probably true. Show your results to a bunch of people. If they agree that yep, it's there, then you've created a Fact. Now later, when others wonder about something, they can rely on this Fact. The Fact is small. But many Facts combined provide a stable support on which to build new Facts. Sometimes a Fact is incorrect. It may even cause the foundation to crash. But then it gets replaced and the new foundation is more solid. Such is the progress of science. Science yields us relatively reliable information. It has provided us with the miracle of refigeration. The holy internal combustion engine! Even the blessed cell phone network. All of these are hard evidence that show that philosophist who claim that nothing can be understood and there is no truth are incorrect. Things can be mastered. If a natural phenomenon is understood well enough that we can make a neat application for it, the theories describing the phenomenon is probably True! Now we have found the truth! We needed no faith or god to get there. Well it helps to believe in your research but most important thing is to have an active and critical mind. And now we get to the creationism part. It is so wrong! Why teach the religious dogma in school? Why not simply teach the scientific facts and an active and critical mind. They can then add the religious part if they want to. I see the mixing science as a religious dogma adding lies to verified data, so that it is easier to swallow. That is brainwashing and lying. It is lying to say that science is just another belief system. Let the people have OPTION whether to be religious or not! From my point of view, brainwashing is far from the middle spot. Religion is fine as long as it does not pervert the results the scientific community produces. If a result emerges that is in contradiction to the dogma, conservative religious people will impede scientific progress. And that's not at all fun.

Thank you! Just few minor comments, if you will: *I'm not pushing anything. I'm just describing my aspect on things, just like everyone else in this thread so far, including you. *Also, you chose the words "pushing your beliefs." It scares me that peer reviewed science, which I am essentially recommending over belief, is considered only as a belief among others. *I'm not trying to strike up an image of smartness. Please fully read the paragraph beginning "I've tried to read the bible once." Also, read the few last sentences of the last paragraph. Anyone thinking these paragraphs are 'smart?' I think I've proved my point. *Also, it would be decent to read the whole post before going in such a drastic measures as accusing someone of ruining something. My post certainly is off-topic, but not much more than posts by you and Spring earlier. The problem with religion is also that it is apparently a very touchy subject. You can't talk about it at all without making some people angry. I hate topics that cannot be discussed, without the other party simply shutting down an interesting subject. One more downside. Is faith really so vulnerable that one must protect it by choosing not to read a silly post that might poison your beliefs? I am fascinated.

A religion discussion! How wonderful! Must resist.. Do not reply... Move mouse away... Close the window... *Clicks reply* The only supernatural, the only magic there is, is the technology so advanced it appears to be magic. Like my cellphone. ARGH! I've tried to read the bible once. I halted the process because it was boring and full of nonsense. There was this hilarious part when someone had a zillion descendants and the most important was a daughter named Naama, which means 'face' in my language. And then she had a zillion of descendants. Belief-systems had their time and they were useful once in human history. Sitting by the campfire primitive people were wondering why the sky is blue and what the heck are the white dots up there. It was easy for the old crone sitting by the fire invent some stories about Higher Powers to entertain the audience and to sound wise. After that it was downhills full of zealous idiots. Just look at the damage the plethora of religions is causing us? Or well. Not the religions but the fundamentalists of each religion. Nowadays we have science. You can actually KNOW things. No need the believe. You set up a neat series of experiments and you prove that something works somehow. Then you figure out how it happens and why. Then you replicate the experiment just to be sure. Phenomenom is explained. If you don't want to bother doing experiments, buy a journal which describes the experiments done by others. If you have disagreements, you can just say 'prove it.' If the other proves it with valid experimentation, you do not have much to say to that, except 'You were right!" Information obtained by experiments show that the bible contains incorrect data. How could it contain realistic data? It is the 'bold and the beautiful' of its time. It is a storybook. Lord of the rings. The most important contents are the ambiguous moral lessons. Still some people stick to it zealously. I think there was a section where it tells you that it is entirely okay to stone to death a person who has more than two different fibers in their clothes. Frightening. You do not need the bible to live morally nice life. Stick to my guidlines: 0) Be nice to others 1) Don't be a prick. 2) Always be polite. 3) No backstabbing! 4) Try to avoid vices. And the other thing that frightens the crap out of me is creationism (or the modernized aspect of that). They teach that in schools somewhere! Irresponsible spreading of ignorance! Brainwashing! But hey, there is still room for faith beyond the topics understood by science for those who'd prefer to believe in God. These people just need to update their knowledge as new information sinks in. And in the end, while I think the way I do, I still think God isn't angry with me. If she is omnipotent, as she should be by definition, she should be able to forgive everything, including my heretical thoughts. I suppose she'd be happy if I simply will not accept religious dogma, but think with my own brains instead. I'm using the thinking powers she granted me in the first place. Thus, heaven place awaits me like everyone else. Should be a muslim, though. I heard they have zillions of virgins beauties in there. No wait... I think that was the fundamentalist terrorist section. *Closes door and windows, Puts on full riot gear, hides behind a table full of lab equipment and improvises a flamethrower using a bunsen burner and a gas pipe.*

Always bet on stupidity. I'm sure some people might be foolish enough.. I've started to despise and hate advertisements and it typically puts me in a difficult situation because I realise I cannot buy the product. Doing so would support the company which made the mind numbingly annoying advertisement. On the internet side, I'm using adblock and TV side.. Well I don't watch TV anymore. If I do watch, I'll watch it from the digibox so I can fast forward over the ads. If you want to see a good commercial, here it is. It is selling chicken minced meat in the good ol' soviet Estonia. Back in those days, they knew how to make a good and well structured ads..

I had to check the definition of ghosting from another thread: As I mapper I'll probably avoid actively designing a mission which can ALWAYS be completed without using any equipment and without being seen. I'd say that significant portion of player enjoyment comes from clever use of resources. I'd say that if you can get away with all situations with a conveniently placed shadow or a turning guard its not fun. But yes, replacing a valuable with a fake conforms to clever use of equipment. It is still using consumables, and thus not ghosting? But still. It is more important to make a fun mission than making it ghostable. Does the replacing thing really work? I think I tested it when I played the chalice and the guards never noticed the missing object, but I had turned the lights off near it so maybe the guards never saw it missing. Is there a tutorial how to set up the duplicate object so that it removes the loots absence-marker? I'm looking at the chalice.map in DR and the crown duplicate has no spawnargs which would indicate it to work somehow. What says Fidcal?

Sounds really neat, gotta give that a spin! Well done!

Have fun. Here are also a few prefab toy houses I made for the skybox seen earlier in this thread. Basically they are simple brush versions of the models seen in architecture/buildings/ But they'll react to light much better than rescaled models. I hope they get you started! Remember to rename them to .pfb toy_church.txt toy_house.txt toy_house_small.txt toy_tower.txt

Okay so some people wanted a Skybox Tutorial? Ask and ye shall receive! http://wiki.thedarkmod.com/index.php?title=Skybox_Tutorial I hope it makes sense.