Darkmod: Inspiration thread

[Bikerdude]

want

See the link above for the test map mista :-)

 

http://forums.thedarkmod.com/topic/11610-darkmod-inspiration-thread/page__st__500__p__306506#entry306506

[Bikerdude]

It's not that far from what you can actually see IRL in Hansaetic cities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bikerdude]

I think when I get home this evening I am gonna do a mockup of the last shot. It looks suitably cramped and detailed :-D

[Springheel]

Ahh, beautiful stuff there. I think when I finish my current map I'm going to do nothing but city speed-builds.

[Bikerdude]

Walking past Carnaby st this morning...

 

 

[Baddcog]

quote= it's not that far off... *couldn't find the post to quote

 

Well, those posted pic by biker after that really look nothing like it. They have structure all the way up the walls. Not just one huge brick wall 200 feet high. They have windows and arches... Much more interesting and also believable as there is actually something there.

 

There is only the canal pic, the pic looking up at the tower and the cathedral that have anything near that scale. Everything else is 3 stories max and MUCH more interesting. Also more believable.

 

This last posted pic is the best, it has a grand scale arch there that makes the player feel really small, and the proportions make it very believable. Concept artist very often go overboard, then when you see it in game it is actually much tamer and realstic. It helps them push the mapper towards a more interesting scene but the mapper has to get good gameplay areas set in place.

 

I completely disagree, sorry. In medieval cities you can definitely find high walls like these and sometimes crazy elevation, maybe not as tall, mind you, but pretty similar anyway and I know what I'm talking about. Besides, it doesn't look out of place at all in TDM and Sotha's points are very true. Daytime lighting may make it look 'flat' or something, but I'm sure that with proper night-time lighting it could be more believable for you.

 

I for one would love to roam around in a city such as this in TDM.

 

I still disagree, part of it isn't only looks but gameplay space. Like I said in TF2 it would give soly and demos room to jump around. In TDM from the ground level all you would see is one huge tiling wall of small stones. From the camera position the scene is interesting but would it be from the playable area?

 

Likewise, I doubt I would like it anymore from night lighting than daytime lighting. It would just be a huge wall of stone in the dark. What's going to make it so interesting? A few little dots of yellow where there are windows? They are too far away from anything to light anything else up (ground/other walls).

A couple street lamps lighting up a tiny portion of the wall and some ground? You'd barely be able to see any stars. Just some huge dark walls.

 

A large part of the scene is that the huge walls (with a few windows) imply that there are inside spaces. But they only put 1 small window on every other floor? Why would they build a 100 foot wall to stick a 10 foot tudor place on top?

 

Not knocking biker's rendition, I already said he did a good job recreating it. Just saying the concept is not that great to begin with. It's over done and over exaggerated. (though I could nitpick things like the over hang tudor... there's no way those little and very long planks would hold the weight of that and the roof...If that concept/map shot were shown at polycount it would be ripped apart for the inconsistancies)

 

Whether or not you like to have realistic proportions in TDM or not. Overdoing exaggeration that much looks pretty bad imo.

[Bikerdude]

Guys this is supposed to be an inspiration thread, does it really matter wither the shots I did were realistic, no. Consider it flavour, that mappers can use to create stuff in thier own maps etc.

[Sotha]

Heh.. Was a bit bored today and wanted to play something new, so I picked up Urban Terror, a fun jump&run shooter game under the disguise of counter-strike. Good for blowing off some steam.

 

Anyhow, I was surprised by the level geometry. It was very simple, but still very beautiful. Mappers should have a look at these shots.

 

See how the style is deliberately low-poly, but still the scene looks.. well, if not photo realistic... Virtual realistic. Minimal detail, but the detail was used exactly on the things that you would expect to see. Looks like the level artist analyzed a medieval-styled location and enlarged the 'pixel size' to make a representation in the style they have in that game. Very effective visuals.

 

The map name is Austria, if someone wants to download the game and walk around it.

 

Images:

[Shadowhide]

@Sotha:it looks good only for such lowpoly game without bump mapping and dynamic light and shadows

it would need more details if it were TDM.

"The Sword" map remake by Komag looks not as good in TDM as original level looked in T1

Edited March 15, 2013 by Shadowhide

[SeriousToni]

@Sotha:it looks good only for such lowpoly game without bump mapping and dynamic light and shadows

it would need more details if it were TDM.

That's exactly the same what I thought! It's strange that the more detailed engine looks more repetive and flat as the old engine in this case, but it's true.

[Baddcog]

Well, it could be expectations for one.

 

When you play T1 and the ai have 650 polys and triangular heads basic geometry fits. When you see our ai with 5000 tris that can make the terrain seem very simple. Plus having detail on normal maps can really show off hard square edges. You need more details to mask that a bit.

You also have shading painted into textures (heavily painted in) to make T1 look better. We don't even have light AO in most textures.

 

It's like seeing a person in color in a black and white photo.

[Melan]

Expectations definitely play a part. A few days ago I browsed through screenshots from my Thief missions, and most of my houses are larger rectangles with smaller rectangles cut into them, with an occasional pyramid or cylinder thrown into the mix. Granted, the missions are focused on gameplay and ambience, but today, when I've got time, I can do much better graphics... and I am still very far from the TDM state of the art.

[Baddcog]

I will say however, even though those shots are pretty low poly they are of an interesting layout. Looks like a fun area to crawl around, some nice vertical changes and basic details.

 

Would be a great city area in T2 as is. Would just like to see more details layered on top in TDM.

[RPGista]

Its funny that Sotha couldnt take that last screenshot without having to defend himself while doing it. You can hear him saying, alright you morons, you wont let me browse around in peace will you, say hello to my little friend!

[demagogue]

Ich bin ein Hamburger.

 

[Bikerdude]

Awesome, I can just imagine sneaking up those steps and knocking out a guard...

[Bikerdude]

Using the same creative commons textures as us in thier concepts (I thought those textures werent free for commercial use though?), might have to replicate me some glass lanterns...

 

[SeriousToni]

Is that a brothel?

[Bikerdude]

Looks like it, dosent it.

[SeriousToni]

It's all redish and .. there are breasts .. so .. yes?

[Bikerdude]

Just come across this...

 

http://www.messynessychic.com/2013/01/20/the-italian-hotel-built-inside-abandoned-medieval-grottos/

 

 

 

[demagogue]

It's all redish and .. there are breasts .. so .. yes?

 

Yes, its art for the Brothel level in T4, and some review sites have already got to play (some of) it & given reviews.

 

The real question is, can you find Garrett?

[Bikerdude]

yeah,

middle top right

[demagogue]

I saw this posted today.

Venus Castle, Mount Erice, Sicily, Italy.

 

[Sotha]

I saw this posted today.

Venus Castle, Mount Erice, Sicily, Italy.

 

 

Hmm. All it takes is:

1 x good skybox.

1 x relatively simple brushwork castle

1 x patchwork mountain

 

Very doable in DR, overall structure sort of like the canyon chasm in Half-life 1: