So, what are you working on right now?

[jaxa]

I guess Riften is a lot more wooden. There are a bunch of bridges, railings, understreet areas next to a canal, etc.

 

[Sotha]

Everyone else and their mum has been showing off some really impressive screenshots recently.

 

I just wanted to show the opening scene of Ulysses 2.

 

 

 

[Goldwell]

Everyone else and their mum has been showing off some really impressive screenshots recently.

 

I just wanted to show the opening scene of Ulysses 2.

 

 

 

 

Wow!

 

Can't wait Sotha! The first one was badass!!

[Moonbo]

The manor library, inspired by the one from the T2 mission 'Casing the Joint'. I'll probably need to get Bikerdude's help to optimize it, since the layout almost requires overlapping lights to get a decent illumination and there are spots where the primitive count goes up to 2500 (and I still think it's pretty dark). Goes to show that Dromed architecture doesn't always fit with DarkRadiant I guess. Crits appreciated as always:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bikerdude]

I just wanted to show the opening scene of Ulysses 2.

Nice manor out in the country there mister...

The manor library, inspired by the one from the T2 mission 'Casing the Joint'. I'll probably need to get Bikerdude's help to optimize it, since the layout almost requires overlapping lights to get a decent illumination and there are spots where the primitive count goes up to 2500 (and I still think it's pretty dark). Goes to show that Dromed architecture doesn't always fit with DarkRadiant I guess. Crits appreciated as always:

Ah now this is very impressive, this has a T2 vibe writen all over it. In fact Im sure I have seen that gorgeous fireplace location somewheres before ;-)

[skacky]

Yeah that really feels like Gervaisius' library.

[Melan]

Only a brave man or a fool would claim to be inspired by Casing/Masks, the poorest missions in Thief 2. However, you just might be the person to pull it off, so for the time being, let's stay with "brave man".

[skacky]

Come on, taken on its own Masks is fantastic. It's actually one of my favorites from T2. Too bad the rather horrid Casing really spoils it.

[Melan]

No, I genuinely dislike Masks as well; generi-Victorian setting with mostly uninteresting gameplay. If we compare it to other classic manor missions like Ramirez and Bafford - well, we don't, because there is no comparison - but if we did, it would come out very poorly; a mediocre fan mission with a high production values cutscene. Which is why I am curious if Moonbo can do something good with the premise.

[Bikerdude]

Which is why I am curious if Moonbo can do something good with the premise.

Well he did with Requiem, so why not with his next installment :-)

[Moonbo]

No pressure then :-P. It's only this particular section that's being inspired by Casing the Joint/Masks, but hopefully it'll be an interesting bit.

[nbohr1more]

Time for Demagogue to retort with his pro-T2 / con-T1 POV ?

 

Fight, fight, fight!

[SeriousToni]

I never understood why this mission had to be played twice really.

[PranQster]

I am continuing work on my pagan village map after several months of inactivity.

Also I just discovered that some things in siegeshop have broken since version 2.0x, namely the translation times of the drawbridge lifting chains. Those suddenly are taking 5 minutes to fully translate instead of 15 seconds

[Paralytik]

briefing video

Woooow, that is amazing! Who is that voice actor? The audio quality and acting is top notch!

[Moonbo]

Just a quick update on optimization of that library scene - all the bookshelves, along with the railing on the second floor were func_statics. The simple act of converting them all back into worldspawn reduced the draw count from 2600 to 2000, which I can live with. I wanted to mention it just as a reminder that, contrary to common wisdom, sometimes worldspawn can be much more optimal than bunching everything into func_statics.

[Goldwell]

Woooow, that is amazing! Who is that voice actor? The audio quality and acting is top notch!

That would be me

 

And thanks for the kind words!

[Paralytik]

I'll remember to poke you when I need some lines recorded.

[Goldwell]

My first screenshot from the redesign of The Accountant 2: New In Town, this was taken down near the starting area in the docks

 

 

This will be my first attempt at a big open city mission with plenty of places to go, areas to explore & secrets to find.

[Bikerdude]

Nice.

[Springheel]

Looking good. Maybe you haven't gotten to that stage yet, but the building faces could really use some dirt decals. That and props (crates, barrels, rope, etc) will go a long way towards bringing the scene to life.

[Goldwell]

Looking good. Maybe you haven't gotten to that stage yet, but the building faces could really use some dirt decals. That and props (crates, barrels, rope, etc) will go a long way towards bringing the scene to life.

 

I had not done any detailing as of that time but I just spent the past few hours doing my first detail pass and I feel pretty happy with how its turned out.

 

So lets go on a journey through the City Watch docks building!

 

On the outside it looks very gritty and dirty but still the nicest building on the block (I haven't touched the other houses yet btw)

 

Inside we find two taffers playing cards but more importantly both are being distracted

 

Continuing up the stairs to the first floor theres a rather dark and somewhat creepy hallway in front of us... this must be where they keep the prisoners

 

And yes indeed it is.. in the first cell we explore there is a poor looking pagan who was probably locked up on false charges, the hatred of the city watch is not limited to criminals such as ourselves, anyone them or their higher ups deem as not suitable for society usually end up in such a place.

 

Checking the adjacent cell we see another prisoner who doesn't look like he is in the best of health... perhaps this is the unfortunate fate that awaits the pagan next door?

 

After sneaking past a guard we found a third cell on this level, interestingly this one has no windows and after a quick peek inside we can quickly see why

 

Now there's one more level left... this must be the Guard Captains office...

 

And low and behold it is.. however we must be cautious in here otherwise we may end up in the same shape as the poor prisoners below... but all of this risk is of course worth something... The evidence lockup room in the corner of the room is bound to be holding some treasures...

 

But that my friends.. is a story we will have to discover another time

Edited January 10, 2015 by Goldwell

[Moonbo]

Looking really good Goldwell! The only minor crit I have is that the bricks in the second picture seem a bit too clean. Even just adding a mild decal like scattered_dirt_02 on top would probably get rid of the shininess.

[Lux]

@Goldwell, In your last screenshot, I've seen this in many missions and not just from you. The "Oriental" or "Persian" rug on the floor. I don't know that you've ever seen this type of rug in a home/store/etc., maybe you have, but they are very thick (around 1/4") or more and they get shuffled around on the floor. Pushed around, etc. but the edges of them remain straight unless the rug is physically "bunched up" because furniture is holding it in position in one place er whatever. The edges would only look as they do in the screenshot if the rug patch came up off the floor and the rug was not laid flat. Otherwise the edges remain pretty much completely straight.

 

For me its an immersion thing, when I see a rug like that it isn't believable. Yes a rug gets shuffled out of square with the room, lays off angle, but the edges never are wavy like that. The fringe on the ends gets flipped up/backward/all over the place unless groomed but we can't change that in DR.

 

Just a detail. Quite a beautiful room otherwise.

Edited January 10, 2015 by Lux

[Obsttorte]

Nice catch, Lux.