Interesting Work Guys. Question.

[Subjective Effect]

Obviously I've been interested in this mod from the start but since I'm involved in some other issues I've not made any comments. The screens you've show so far are very nice.

 

I don't recognise anyone on the team from other mods or FMs except ModeTwo from TUT and NB. How experienced are you guys? And how are you finding it?

 

My main query is - what will you do if we get the TDS editor? There will be a bit of a software conflict with people making FMs for TDS whilst you guys work on this. Given that you have stated that this will only be out next year at the earliest do you not think that many of your ideas will be overtaken?

 

Don't get me wrong - I'm not trying to bring a negative vibe - I'm just being realistic.

 

I don't have Doom3 and won't get it until XMas at the earliest (as that is probably when I'll get my new gfx card). I have a NB/TDS map/FM in the works. It's really a SP FM but I can adapt it to NB MP. If the TDS editor is released I will make it for that 1st. But now I have an MP version designed I want to take to NB eventually anyway. And if there is no TDS editor then I'd love to make it for The Dark Mod as that is the only way the real atmosphere and plot will come out. Can someone explain the SDK/editor score with Doom3? What comes with it and what can you DL? And what are it's limitiation, what is it's scope?

[Renzatic]

I've worked on the ill fated Vamp Noir mod and have done various maps for other games in the past...nothing quite this big before, though. I know that Alexius is working on the Hammerite Imperium campaign, and we have a couple of guys from Thief 2D onboard as well.

 

But even if the Thief 3 SDK were to get released we'd still push on with the mod. There might be certain things that are more desirable about using Doom 3 over ISA's tweaked Ued. I think that if the Thief 3 editor were to get released that we should change the focus of the mod more towards a co-op multiplayer experience...but as of right now no plans are concrete and we're gonna continue as-is.

[jay pettitt]

I'd guess that any textures, noises, models and what-not created by these guys would be available to FM authors for T:DS also...

 

Its an interesting prospect. T:DS obviously has quite a head start on the Doomed project. Sensible people might jump ship and focus resources there instead. Here's hoping that Eidos and Ion Storm make some kind of decision one way or the other soonish.

 

Currently a level editor is supplied with Doom 3. Some simple mods are possible by hacking texture, model and other files. I could be wrong, but I think that the format for 3d models is the .md5 file type - which has been used by John Carmack and team for years and is well supported with utilities and file converters. ID have promissed to release the full software development kit shortly - which should allow for some pretty serious modding - similar in scope to the situation with Half Life and the Unreal games.

Edited September 9, 2004 by jay pettitt

[Subjective Effect]

Well if you guys know what you are doing the Doom3 SDK release will allow for some serious alterations. I guess it'll come down to the limitations of the engine and, more importantly, the AI.

 

If there is no TDS editor then the Dark Mod makes perfect sense.

 

But if there IS a TDS editor then SP FMs will be made for it and Nightblade is already waaaaay ahead of you guys for the MP. It depends on the way it is done though. You have to realise that there would be massive crossover.

[New Horizon]

Hey there Subjective Effect! Good to see you popping in. Even if there were to be a Thief DS level editor I don't think it should deter us from our goal. Thief deadly shadows is a fun game, but in many ways it lacks a certain thiefness. The early concept shots that we have on display here have captured the look of the previous games but with updated graphics. I think once things fall into place with the SDK the atmosphere will follow. It already seems to be there in the screen shots.

 

Since I'm in early prep for a Thief 2 fan mission I'm primed to get some voice sets done for the Dark Mod. I'm thinking I'll do two versions as I'm recording to save some time and that way should a Deadly shadows editor ever arrive they can be used just as easily with that.

[DeepOmega]

I've been involved in a few UT/UT2K3 mods, and a few Deus Ex mods. Oddly enough, even tho I've been doing modelling and animation for four years or so, I've never been an artist before this mod. Hmm.

 

As for releasing this if TDS gets an editor - we're all in agreement here. I'll lay it out flat: Doom 3 has an incredibly powerful engine. It is the first of the Nexy Generation. It runs more efficiently, can have bigger levels, and is built with future hardware in mind. Can you say specular and normal maps? How about full-on pixel shader control, even without an SDK? Normal mapping at a reasonable resolution? There ain't no reason to drop this project.

[Renzatic]

Gonna play devils advocate for a sec...

 

The Thief 3 SDK can have levels at least almost as large as what we saw in Thief 2 assuming that ISA didn't build a memory cap into the editor itself...which I don't believe they did. But for everthing else Doom 3 is a much better engine. Considering how versatile the SDK is apparently gonna be, it doesn't seem to be a matter of if the engine can handle a Thief-like game, but rather if we have the skills necessary to make it handle it.

 

Course if there is one thing the TTLG crew is good at it's making some amazing stuff with clunky and limited tools, if the T3 editor is released we'll see some great FM's no matter how awesome or crappy it is. But no matter what happens we'll still be over here working on Darkmod simply...well...I guess cuz we want to and it's fun.

[New Horizon]

Hmmm, you're probably right about the T3 engine being able to handle the larger missions. I just wonder if it wouldn't bog down since it doesn't seem to be as finely tuned as the doom engine.

[Springheel]

Besides, what are the chances of getting the whole SDK for T3, even if we do get lucky enough to get an editor? Without one, most of the things we didn't like about T3 would still be present in FM. Here, we have a chance to make it the way we want it to be.

[Renzatic]

The editor in and of itself will allow for some versatility. But you won't be able to add things in like rope arrows and whatnot...at least not without going through some major hacking headaches.

[modetwo]

I don't recognise anyone on the team from other mods or FMs except ModeTwo from TUT and NB.

I'm not a part of the Dark Mod team actually, I can't code, do models or textures anyway. Kinda dedicated to Black Cat Games aswell...

 

I'm just hosting the forums for Fingernail and the crew.

[Fingernail]

I think perhaps our focus would shift slightly, maybe we'd focus more on a campaign/levels than on the raw stuff, to draw more attention. And of course, it remains to be seen:

 

a) whether the T3 editor will be released, and more importantly,

if it's actually any good.