monsoontide

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone! Pahricida: I use Lightwave 9! (Been using it since it was on the old AMiga computers!!!) Here's the Skipray under attack (Still temporary textures) KABOOMCHA! What a difference a few trees make!

Guess this should be over in the modeling thread, but since it's for my map, it's over in this thread. Here's the Skipray Blastboat map model I've been working on for the map... Model is done... but I've only just started the textures.. hence they're just black lines at the moment... haven't even started the turret textures. Actually... if anyone could help me out by finishing the textures, that would be a huge help, as I really need to be spending my time finishing the map! It will just be a static model (that you can blow up! - ala Z-95 in beta map release)

Now that things are quieting down for the end of the year, I finally have time to work on this some more. Have a few compiling errors so am just trying to sort it all out...Things are going well... so far. Haven't yet put the tree models or skybox back in, or a lot of the details. Also haven't set the ambient light level or finalized the lighting... hence the VERY black shadows... View from structure where Karrde smoke at night while contemplating the future... New curving pipe "path" leading to storage shed. View from landing area toward storage shed... Showing relationship of 2nd tower, 1st tower, storage shed and path to landing field. Looking from storage shed past 2nd tower to landing field. View from 1st tower towards 2nd tower... More pix as things progress...

Also Patrick has been busy with work too and hasn't yet had a chance to get the Imperial Shuttle interior/exterior completed but hopefully he'll be getting back into it just as I am!

Alas not yet... work is keeping me busy pretty much full time (and freelance work is taking up my free time!!!)... don't forget it though, as I'll get back to it just as soon as I am able!

Still working on the new landscape... Its a real time eater.... These are fullbright images as its not yet compiling properly... and all taken from the same place on a crest separating the main compound from the trail to the landing field. (And no... you won't be able to get up here when I'm done!) Also cos I've moved a bunch of stuff around and cut out sections of the terrain, the alpha map (That sorts out where the textures go and how they blend) is no longer accurate - will have to make a new one soon. Anyways, you should be able to see some of the NEW parts... the 2nd tower (non enterable), the new curving power lines, a bit of the new beach, the landing field, etc. Takes forever to make these things look good, then forever more to make them "work" in the game. Heck, might even have to redo the landscape from scratch again if this doesn;t work!!! (Oh! The "missing" terrain sections have actually been rebuilt but I haven't properly set them up as part of the terrain entity, hence they don't show up and you can see how much I've been moving this stuff around to "fit" into what I'd already done! btw, if you're curious, a friend of mine is kindly hosting my old 2002 website (gallery) until I finish my new one. Still haven't fixed all the links on the game dev page, but it was just pix from some of the old maps I've worked on. Monsoontide Gallery

Well, finally starting to get somewhere with the changes... gonna take a while b4 I get some new screenshots up though as it looks like a dog's breakfast at the moment! Took some time to draw up a proper map of the lcoation on graphing paper to try and work of how things line up a bit better. Have shortened the whole "beach" and beachfront area considerably. Working on getting some decent terrain in there, but I find it hard to make custom terrain to match what I've already built. Move most of the buildings around and rebuilt some of those little ones with the radar thingies on top of them to match the scale a bit better. (Originally I made the central tower waaaaaaaaaaaay bigger, then found it was out of proprtion and scaled it, but I didn't do any of the other buildings, so they've just about all got to be redone t some degree. Did a few more wall textures to just to make things a little less repititive. Added the second (non-enterable) tower and the landing field. All just very rough at the moment, trying to get sizing and positoning correct. Taking a bit of artistic license to try and add more VIS blockers. Going to really need the help of someone familiar with Hint Brushes and map optimization. Do you happen to know anyone like that who may be able to help? Guess I'll have to spend some more time in Easygen. Sigh. (It doesn't make good cliffs)

Feedback has been helpful so far, just working on a revised layout... more images soon!

All good points Pahricida... I'm sure you know how it is... you look at these things so much that eventually you can't see the wood for the trees. I guess the reason the layout is as it is at the moment is because all I have is the first 6 Heir to the Empire comics... I hated the artwork for the other two series' so I didn't bother with them. Thus leaving me with a few spaces to make up myself. I'm aware the path behind the tower sort of curves around a cliff face around to the landing field where the falcon is (In the comic). Currently, the beach area is a bit redundant, not sure what to do with it really. Might make it a bit smaller. As for the FPS, haven't even thought about starting to optiize the VIS portals and whatnot yet!!! LOL Interested to hear how it plays though... (Since I only ever get the chance to play vs Bots)

Up at PCGAMEMODS now http://www.pcgamemods.com/mod/18989.html

pcgamemods.... well OK then. Should be there in about an 1 or so (i have to go out for 30mins right now)

OK...BETA all ready to test... um.... yeah. Well I think it is... Probably some missing files... you know, usual stuff that happens when you think everything is all go!

Well, just putting the last touches on the map ready for the Beta test. It's all PK3'd up now and nearly everything seems to be working OK. The botroute works mostly except for a couple of places so I'll eventually need to edit those - in fact will probably redo the whole thing after its been tested. Unfortunatley, I have to run one more compile - since I need to fix a couple of the new things I added that aren't quite right! Vornskr's are in the process of being UV unwrapped (I HATE doing that!!!) Greeata will hopefully make it to the siege version of the map (If it gets made) One more comp. One more test. And then it'll be ready for BETA! Yay!

Looks very "authentic" to the original. Hmm I have the PC version lurking around here somewhere... yep... always got to the Bobba Fett level before dying from being completely incompetant with the jetpack and falling to my doom. I think you need to really concentrate on one map at a time though.

Finished the toes/claws and did a version with a long tail. Still have to finish the eyes/face/muzzle. (Posed manually for render as it's not rigged yet) And yes Rena, the Ysalamiri are in the trees!!!