The Dark Mod Grand Christmas FM Contest!

[Fidcal]

Yes, don't worry - this happens to us all at some times. As MD says, if you can upload the map we might be able to find the problem.

 

It's likely that either the extra brushwork added some complexity or adding or changing the AI added pathfinding complexity.

 

I hope you save frequently with a different name so you can at least go back to a save that's only half an hour or an hour's work lost.

 

Another method of finding a blind error is to delete half the map, caulk up the rest to seal it and save it with a new name. If that is OK it suggests the error is in the other half. You repeat the process with the bad half until you narrow down the location of the error. This is not infallible if it's a complexity issue because both sides might work on their own!

[Xonze]

I don't see anything wrong with the dmap info (Although it was a good idea to delete the proc, aas, and cm files; sometimes you can get a bogus dmap compile.) Something must be happening at runtime: and that usually means a bad spawnarg, a target problem, or another entity problem.

 

If you don't mind, you can upload your map for one of us to to look at. Sometimes the problem is far from obvious, and another set of eyes is always good.

 

What do you mean by target problem, what would cause an issue there? I'm gonna try a few things before I post it so if it's something stupid on my part I don't waste anyone's time. Thanks for the replies, and yes I do have a number of saves so the most I'd lose would be a half hour of work (practice from using Dromed ) I'll start playing with enties now that I know it isn't an issue with it dmapping or some such.

 

Thanks again

[Fidcal]

Ironically I had my own map crash today and Dark Radiant wouldn't even load it! Fortunately I had another save only an hour earlier so didn't really lose much so I couldn't even be bothered to try to find out what had gone wrong.

[Xonze]

Ironically I had my own map crash today and Dark Radiant wouldn't even load it! Fortunately I had another save only an hour earlier so didn't really lose much so I couldn't even be bothered to try to find out what had gone wrong.

 

It's the revenge of DromEd

 

Anyway I got it fixed, it turned out to be a bad entity door that I had made, once deleted the map loaded up. I've now got one AI patrolling and will be working on others tomorrow as well as loot and stuff. Dunno if I'll make the deadline but I'm gonna try to get this all done before next week, we'll see

 

Thanks again for the help,

[Fidcal]

As FMs are completed and ready for beta testing you should know how to package it up because all FMs should be in the 'official' FM format - in a pk4 file - exactly like players will download Dark Mod FMs in the future once they have the main Dark Mod installed.

 

http://wiki.thedarkmod.com/index.php?title=How_to_pack_your_Mission

 

And read this thread for general tips about releasing an FM and particularly about beta testing:

 

http://forums.thedarkmod.com/topic/10349-how-to-release-a-fan-mission/

 

Once your FM is finished (and you don't have to wait till Christmas day - anytime from now till say, end of January) you need to open a thread both at ttlg fan missions and at dark mod fan missions. At the dark mod fms you should set up a poll as shown in the image below. Put a link in your ttlg thread to the darkmod poll you set up.

 

As a reminder: each FM will have its own thread for voting a score in three categories:

 

Gameplay

Appearance

Story & Text

 

[EDIT] Scoring will be weight as follows:

Gameplay: 3

Appearance: 2

Story & Text: 1

 

So a score of 4 for appearance will count as 8 points. This will have to be evaluated manually later.

 

As usual, any problem with any of the above just ask for help.

 

Incidentally, I see no reason why any FM maker in the future shouldn't create a poll like the above just for fun feedback on your FM.

 

[Bikerdude]

Morning

 

I have a question, how hard would it be for me, a computer tech of 12yrs with intuitive software skills, but no programing or 3d design knowledge to have a go at this in the time allowed.

Edited December 11, 2009 by Bikerdude

[Fidcal]

Yes it's possible, (assuming you have an hour or two a day and maybe two or three on Saturdays and Sundays) I've allowed until end January. I recommend you spend a day or two or three at most going through the tutorial @

 

http://wiki.thedarkmod.com/index.php?title=A_-_Z_Beginner_Full_Guide_Start_Here%21

 

I urge you to skip as much as possible - that is, read through but just get the basics and don't get tangled up fiddling with time-wasting parts.

 

Next, get the startpack from the link in the info @ http://wiki.thedarkmod.com/index.php?title=Startpack_Mappers%27_Guide

 

I recommend for now you don't waste time studying the early part about project v common map folder but just set up a common maps folder in your darkmod folder and use that. When you are done if you want help setting up the game folder and packaging then ask for help.

 

Basically, if you didn't know, the startpack is already a working FM. You copy it and your FM is already working with test weapons, inventory, AI, readables, basic simple objectives working etc. You just build rooms, drag and drop AI and readables etc and delete the stuff you don't want later.

 

Obviously think small and avoid anything that might be technically tricky. I can guarantee if you use the startpack you will have something at the end because you start with an FM to begin with. The quality is up to you but hell it's Christmas and have some fun!

 

Start your own thread over at dark mod editing forum http://forums.thedarkmod.com/forum/54-tdm-editors-guild/ named say BikerDude FM help or whatever and don't hesitate to keep asking for help if you need it.

[Melan]

Bikerdude: if you can manage the time, you should be able to whip up something. A lot of it is very straightforward, and the rest, I guess, can be asked here. It helps that this is a non-anonymous contest.

[Bikerdude]

Hmm,

 

I imagine I can do basic mapping, its just all the other things like lighting, path finding, object/.buiulding scale etc. if I do have a go at this i would want it to be dirty like DrK's fms, lots of little plats to hide, crawl, clime etc..

 

I will be out of work over the xmas period so should nothing else come up work wise I could have a go at this..

[Melan]

Lights are very easy (even compared to TDP/TMA where you always had to readjust them), and pathfinding is IIRC automatic. Use the startpack mission, and that takes care of basic objectives and stuff. Scaling might be a tricky, but hardly rocket science (I use colourful AI-sized markers for a visual indicator).

 

A dirty look is not entirely problem-free yet, since most textures are on the cleaner side. Still, decals and texture selection can be helpful.

[Bikerdude]

A dirty look is not entirely problem-free yet, since most textures are on the cleaner side. Still, decals and texture selection can be helpful.

Hmmm, every Tdm fm I have played thus far has looked too clean in the texture dept, perhaps just keeping things cramped and closed in(which is what I love about DrK missions) will suffice...

[Melan]

Something that could work - and I am thinking of this - is to take some of the default textures that are already tiled and normalmapped, darken them in an image editor and repackage them for the mission with a custom material file. That may work. OTOH, it is not a hopeless cause even with default resources:

 

 

(This is without decals and some further work I did afterwards)

[Fidcal]

Hmmm, every Tdm fm I have played thus far has looked too clean in the texture dept, perhaps just keeping things cramped and closed in(which is what I love about DrK missions) will suffice...

You may get problems with AI getting stuck in tight corners. It can be done but as with adding grime and dirt it all takes extra time. For quick building I recommend you keep it simple. But choosing darker textures takes no longer than choosing lighter ones. Make your lights dim and with small radii to make more gloom should not take long because you will mostly be adjusting them anyway. You might of course, aim to finish early then after some intial alpha testing to prove it all works you might have time to add more grime. Or you can decide the 'dirty look' is more important and just release your FM later - it doesn't have to go in the competition.

[Melan]

Still no guarantees that I will have a mission ready by New Year's, but I thought I would post a new screenie for inspiration. Here:

 

 

The downside is that I suspect the mission will murder a slower PC, even after visportaling. It doesn't run very well on my laptop at all.

[Springheel]

Wow, looks great!

[Fidcal]

Reallly good - I must make an effort to improve my own architecture.

[Serpentine]

Wow, that looks great Melan :3

 

As for performance, make sure that your visportals are actually working using r_showTris 3, I've often made a whole load of changes only to notice that visportals(specially in 'open' city areas like streets etc) arnt working correctly. Then you can either battle merging portals or try to close in with sky portal(or whatever is applicable for your map)

[Mortem Desino]

If you turn on "r_showportals", you can see portals outlined in green (for open) or red (for closed.) If you don't see an outline where you know you put a portal, triple-check that the edges touch worldspawn and not func_static (a mistake I make all the time. )

 

r_showtris is good, too. You can see where geometry is getting sliced into tris, and you can see if there are sections of the map being unneccessarily rendered.

 

That's looking great, Melan. I totally creamed when I saw that screenshot.

[Bikerdude]

hah, its further than me, all Ive learned so far is how to create a box room, texture it and add a light source and some movable entities...

 

http://rapidshare.com/files/320511957/tut20..zip.html

Edited December 14, 2009 by Bikerdude

[Melan]

hah, its further than me, all Ive learned so far is how to create a box room, texture it and add a light source and some movable entities...

 

http://rapidshare.co...tut20..zip.html

 

That's a good start, if that works, you've already got the basics. The rest is a matter of practice (my first TDM experiment was also just like that - a throne room, an AI, a few moveables and a connecting corridor with basic trim and a vaulted ceiling made out of patches. Oh, yeah: learning patches is the logical next step to take, so continue with that.

 

[edit] If you have previously tried Dromed, familiarise yourself with TDM's scale. I underestimated terrain dimensions, and my architecture turned out larger than initially expected - e.g. a narrow street became much less narrow when finished.

Edited December 14, 2009 by Melan

[Bikerdude]

Oh, yeah: learning patches is the logical next step to take, so continue with that.

 

[edit] If you have previously tried Dromed, familiarise yourself with TDM's scale. I underestimated terrain dimensions, and my architecture turned out larger than initially expected - e.g. a narrow street became much less narrow when finished.

sweet thanks, if do some streets etc I will be making them dark and closed in like DrKs missions...

Edited December 14, 2009 by Bikerdude

[Sonosuke]

I think it will take a week more...

[Nielsen74]

Im on batetest round 2 so relese maby one of these days

[Melan]

I've got about seven days between Christmas and New Year - that's for patrols, ambients, objectives, testing and maybe a few architectural extras. We'll see (said the blind man).

[Fidcal]

Well if you haven't already got objectives started and haven't got startpack then I recommend you insert the objectives prefab which already working basic objectives so you just modify them. Otherwise you may struggle (= need time) to get to grips with objectives from scratch.

 

[edit] the prefab is under misc