New Jedi Knight Game Rumors

[CrisG]

too bad ..i agree that rumor sounds pretty iffy. JKA and JKO remain two of the best full figure action and enviornment games yet. They are really superb..and a follow up for LA could be a real winner. Maybe they are melting a bit... i always keep the hopes strong.

[Tinny]

Guys remember how the Obi Wan game was a disappointment but was eventually followed by JO? Hopefully its the same way with Force Unleashed.

[setlec]

I think that a Star Wars FPS is not viable nowadays. With LA focusing only on the console market we PC fanboys are doomed! What we could do it to create our own JK-like game, of course that means alot of investment such time dedicated for it (3d modeling, FX sounds, music, etc!). we could use ETQW as base or use any Open source game engine, say Xreal for example!

[Rodders]

It's been a while since i've visited these forums and i was hoping that there'd be some news. Alas, it doesn't seem so. I can't understand it. JK was a well received and successful game. Surely it's going to be worth their while to make JK4.

[DeadYorick]

I think that a Star Wars FPS is not viable nowadays. With LA focusing only on the console market we PC fanboys are doomed! What we could do it to create our own JK-like game, of course that means alot of investment such time dedicated for it (3d modeling, FX sounds, music, etc!). we could use ETQW as base or use any Open source game engine, say Xreal for example!

 

How would a Star Wars FPS be not viable. The FPS is the utter king of the console market. The most famous console games being ones like Call of Duty and Halo. It would make them an exceedingly large amount of money if they played their cards correctly.

[setlec]

well FPS on console is way too different than fps on pc, the interaction is different! i've been for a very long a PC gamer and playing games for PC and trying to play the very same game on console is quite confusing (honestly i never liked console).

[-=*Raz0r*=-]

Apart from graphics, why would it need a brand new engine?

 

..Heh, let me give you a few before & after shots. These are straight from JA and are not modified in any way, shape, or form.

Before & After

Before & After

Before & After

 

That is an early screenshot of HDR (High dynamic range) in JA using pixel shaders.

Never before done, we're still exploring what we can do.

Next up: Bloom, motion blur (Already been done, but not perfectly), normal mapping, depth-of-field, etc.

 

 

We don't need a new engine. We just need to keep exploring new options in the current engine (Which, to be honest, is freakin' great)

I don't want JK4 to be made.

• It'd kill off what's left of JA (Trust me, there's a lot - especially in the modding community)
  
• It would be terrible. Sorry, but I don't think I trust anyone to make a good game today.

[DeadYorick]

• It'd kill off what's left of JA (Trust me, there's a lot - especially in the modding community)
  
• It would be terrible. Sorry, but I don't think I trust anyone to make a good game today.

 

I have a few concerns with these statements.

 

Jedi Academy is owned by Raven, the guys who developed it. They own a Master Server which all other servers plug into. If they take down said Master Server, no JA multiplayer for anyone unless someone starts their own. But even then, it means you would have to download a special program and barely anyone would go on it. (Look at Dark Forces 2, or Aliens Versus Predator 2 for an example).

 

Now Raven is keeping up Jedi Outcast and Academy's Master Server for purely fanservice. They know the modding community is going to keep it afloat for a few more years. But this isn't indefinate. If Raven makes another game and it bombs, they'll shut down the Master Server to try and alleviate these costs. Or worser if Jedi Academy's multiplayer players go down they might find it too much of a hassle to keep it up.

 

Jedi Academy will die one day. That is to be expected by all around. It is impossible to avoid. The Quake 3 Engine while interesting and amazing, is old. It was made almost 10 years ago and doesn't support any special or modern technology such as anti-alaising or bump mapping. If you take an engine like The Force Unleashed's. It's modern and I could imagine Lucasarts commissioning a development company to make a game out of that.

 

My two cents, but Jedi Academy will die eventually, mostly due to the multiplayer finally being euthanized. This occurred with Jedi Academy's predecessor Dark Forces 2 when the MSN gaming Zone went down.

[-=*Raz0r*=-]

The Quake 3 Engine while interesting and amazing, is old. It was made almost 10 years ago and doesn't support any special or modern technology such as anti-alaising or bump mapping. If you take an engine like The Force Unleashed's. It's modern and I could imagine Lucasarts commissioning a development company to make a game out of that.

Though you raise some good points with the master server (Though ehm, I do know people who can set up their own master server to use), I have to argue with this point.

 

My last post showed an early demonstration of HDR using pixel shaders. Next up is bloom and normal/bump mapping.

Sure, this engine was made some time ago. It was then enhanced by Raven.

It has been the base for many other games/engines.

It will continue to be enhanced.

I think we'll have normal mapping in JA in roughly..2-4 months? It really wouldn't surprise me.

[DeadYorick]

If they take down said Master Server, no JA multiplayer for anyone unless someone starts their own. But even then, it means you would have to download a special program and barely anyone would go on it. (Look at Dark Forces 2, or Aliens Versus Predator 2 for an example).

 

Might need to repeat this part.

 

My last post showed an early demonstration of HDR using pixel shaders. Next up is bloom and normal/bump mapping.

Sure, this engine was made some time ago. It was then enhanced by Raven.

It has been the base for many other games/engines.

It will continue to be enhanced.

I think we'll have normal mapping in JA in roughly..2-4 months? It really wouldn't surprise me.

 

While this may be the case it still only puts the Quake 3 Engine on Life Support, so to speak. It is still not capable of the things engines such as Source or even Doom 3's. Even though Doom 3 on a technical standpoint is obsolete since Id is working on IDTech 5, and it's the Quake 3 Engine's successor.

 

It would be like if someone made the PS2 capable of running Crysis on it's lowest settings. Even then it's still only barely extending it's lifespan by putting it on life support

[-=*Raz0r*=-]

Might need to repeat this part.

In my experience, people have no problem downloading mods. It could easily be incorporated in any server/client mod.

 

While this may be the case it still only puts the Quake 3 Engine on Life Support, so to speak. It is still not capable of the things engines such as Source or even Doom 3's.

Mm, no.

Technically, we are capable of doing those super cool things that they pass off as games - we just haven't done it yet.

We've only recently (Last 2 months?) started playing around with this stuff. Much more to come I think.

[DeadYorick]

In my experience, people have no problem downloading mods. It could easily be incorporated in any server/client mod.

 

I think you misunderstand.

 

It's not that people would download said mod or not. It's that Raven will disconnect the master server when they notice barely anyone plays the game anymore. Jedi Academy's player based is nowhere near the amount it had a few years ago, and will not ever see those numbers again. Once it gets to the point where there's only a few people who actually play Jedi Academy anymore (it is foreseeable in the near future) they will disconnect it and only a handful of players will download mods to keep playing.

 

Technically, we are capable of doing those super cool things that they pass off as games - we just haven't done it yet.

We've only recently (Last 2 months?) started playing around with this stuff. Much more to come I think.

 

That is essentially talking about recoding the entire engine. With Jedi Academy on the decline I don't foresee that being something that brings back players. I myself don't play with custom HDR in other games because it really doesn't fit with the low poly textures and maps.

 

Now a complete high definition texture and remapping project, that's a completely different story. As games like Duke Nukem 3D and Deus Ex found their modding communities restarted due to that. But that's essentially remaking Jedi Academy. I found myself replaying Jedi Academy after several years just to play Escape Yavin 4 because it was so gigantic of a single player mod.

[-=*Raz0r*=-]

Once it gets to the point where there's only a few people who actually play Jedi Academy anymore (it is foreseeable in the near future) they will disconnect it and only a handful of players will download mods to keep playing.

Still don't agree with this, but eh, we'll see

 

That is essentially talking about recoding the entire engine. With Jedi Academy on the decline I don't foresee that being something that brings back players. I myself don't play with custom HDR in other games because it really doesn't fit with the low poly textures and maps.

Not at all. I didn't have to recode the engine to add in post-processing, pixel shaders, etc.

These things are very achievable

[Alexrd]

I think you misunderstand.

 

It's not that people would download said mod or not. It's that Raven will disconnect the master server when they notice barely anyone plays the game anymore. Jedi Academy's player based is nowhere near the amount it had a few years ago, and will not ever see those numbers again. Once it gets to the point where there's only a few people who actually play Jedi Academy anymore (it is foreseeable in the near future) they will disconnect it and only a handful of players will download mods to keep playing.

 

But that's only valid for the online multiplayer part of the game. (Which ends up being the main reason there still is a JA community.)

[DeadYorick]

But that's only valid for the online multiplayer part of the game. (Which ends up being the main reason there still is a JA community.)

 

Online Multiplayer is the main reason everybody plays Jedi Academy. Singleplayer was fun back in 2003 but no one except the new players play Singleplayer religiously.

 

Still don't agree with this, but eh, we'll see

 

Ive heard from several clan leaders over the years mention their biggest problem is lack of players. Many of which have had to close their clans because there would only be a max of 5 people on the server at peak times.

 

Granted the bigger and more popular clans still do have many players, but the smaller ones are steadily dying out.

[katanamaru]

Raz0r:

Silly question, but is all those graphical enhancements the result of coding, or will that be possible for the single player side?

[-=*Raz0r*=-]

Coding, unfortunately.

[Zwier Zak]

Well since we all want one. Might as well want one in a group hugh?

 

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=144823395561534&ref=ts

[Alexrd]

Before a Jedi Knight IV, I would like a Jedi Knight III.

[CrisG]

great pics RazOr, very interesting. I see a number of completed or in progress updating projects for SW games and some of them are amazing.

 

I am all for both keeping the Master Server up for infinity and for a new title or two or three. I remain hopeful and wildly optomistic. that is my nature.

[setlec]

Razor aren't you willing to try to use ioquake or XReaL engine and try to make something out? I know that Xreal src code is heavily modified and different compared to JA sdk. but it would be nice to see something done with those engines.

[-=*Raz0r*=-]

No. That's been done before. It's boring.

Don't you think something should be done with JA?

It's fun, I'm comfortable with it, the community deserves it. That's about it =p

[Tinny]

Razor, it looks like i missed this but are you recoding xreal to play ja?

[-=*Raz0r*=-]

Lol, no, this is purely ingame screenshots from JA.

 

Before | After

Before | After

 

 

Also, to expand on katanamaru's question earlier..

Silly question, but is all those graphical enhancements the result of coding, or will that be possible for the single player side?

It's possible in SP, but it'd be illegal. So naice though @_@

[Zwier Zak]

Lol, no, this is purely ingame screenshots from JA.

 

Before | After

Before | After

 

 

Also, to expand on katanamaru's question earlier..

It's possible in SP, but it'd be illegal. So naice though @_@

 

Nice stuff. Looking forward to playing with that. But since I am a strong JO supporter I must ask. Can it be done in Jedi Outcast? How did you do that anywho? Ravens source? Scripts?

 

Also why would it be illegal in SP?

 

As far as I know you can do what ever you want to a game exe file as long as you don't share it's source with the public. It's never as easy as saying "something is illegal", sometimes what's illegal in the US is completly legal in the EU.