Hello. I have a question.

[Chewy1015]

Hello there people. First off, I'm new to this forum, so allow me to introduce myself. My name is Matthew. I'm really looking foward to this MOD as I was a fan of Dark Forces since I first played it in early 1997. It was a Star Wars game that really brought me into the universe.

 

With that said, I have a question. Since this mod is not being done by any sort of developer and what-not, is there gonna be any voice acting in the cutscenes and what-not? Or are they gonna take the original recorded voice-overs and use those within the newly rendered cutscenes? Also, will the game have music as well? I know it sounds like a stupid question, but I just like making sure since this is being developed by one person and now an entire company of developers.

 

With that said, I just ordered Jedi Academy online. I'm buying it mainly for this. The game itself is great as I have already owned it for Xbox, but I'm willing to spend the neccessary bucks to play Dark Forces again.

 

I have the original Dark Forces game, but it doesn't work well on this newer PC, and the steps I've taken at DF-21 only help somewhat. So maybe a whole new game will do the job.

[Benevolence]

Welcome to the forums!

 

Well, I would answer your questions but I think I'd rather let you be pleseantly surprised when you get JA installed.

 

Just remember to update JA to the latest version and use the demo installer to install and launch the DF Demo.

[Chewy1015]

When you say update to the latest version, do you mean that once I have the game installed, I have to find a patch to download? If so, where do I go to do that?

[Benevolence]

When you say update to the latest version, do you mean that once I have the game installed, I have to find a patch to download?

 

Yes. Although if you are purchasing a new copy it may very well already be version 1.01.

 

 

If so, where do I go to do that?

 

 

Here:

 

http://support.lucasarts.com/patches/jediacademy.htm

[Chewy1015]

Thanks dude.

[Chewy1015]

Okay people, I got the game and played the demo. Now it's time for my critiques.

 

Overall, it is very well above average. I would say the gameplay part is about 90% perfect. The only couple of bugs in the gameplay part itself is a couple of graphic glitches, mainly in the water in the second level. Also, why is that water purple?

 

With that said, I was worried there would be too many changed to the original level design to take away from the feel I felt when playing the game back then. Thankfully, the changes don't affect the atmosphere. Most of the changes are generally good and make the level designs a bit more realistic. I noticed a couple of probe droids in the second mission on the way back to the ship. I personally think the probe droids can wait until the third mission. In the original DF, the probe droids weren't introduced until the third mission. That is what made the sewer mission so good was because it was the mission to introduce those enemies in particular. I loved the rain in the second mission. Really added to the flavor of that level. The additional voice acting is unneccessary. Please get rid of it. It isn't by any means bad, but it's just not right. The mission briefing voice acting is fine, but the only voice acting there should be other than that is what was in the original DF. Music is great. Love the MIDI. It's quite close to the original. Controls are smooth and couldn't be any smoother. Sounds effects are perfect and couldn't be any more perfect.

 

Now onto the cutscenes. This is where you fault at. It wasn't a bad idea at all to 3Dnize (is that a word?) the original cutscenes and put the original game's audio over that. There were basically two problems with the cutscenes: 1.) Characters don't move their mouths when speaking. If I'm not mistaken, this was discussed somewhere else, and I'm hoping you go and add lip-syncing for the full version. Honestly though, I think it would've been better just to use the original cartoon-like cutscenes. Why not? It would pay great homage to the original game and bring back memories. With that said, the second problem. 2.) Some of the lines of dialoge start before another line finishes. I hope that was as clear as I can make it. Basically a timing problem with some of the voice audio. That's another thing that should get fixed.

 

All-in-all, above average and I am looking foward to the rest of the game.

 

With that said, I need help with the third mission in the sewer. There's that part where you enter that one sewer area and flip the switch and flood a huge sewage room up to allow you to enter a door up above. Well, the flood is on a timer and will soon go back down. I go to the second sewage area, where that large room is, and while the flood hasn't drained yet, I can't seem to get that door open. How do I open that door? Is there a switch somewhere I have to pull? I could've sworn I pulled the switched in that little room before enetering that sewage room, and I even go to check back on it, but I always confirm the switch is already pulled.

[Benevolence]

Okay people, I got the game and played the demo. Now it's time for my critiques.

 

Ok.

 

Overall, it is very well above average.

 

Thank you!

 

I would say the gameplay part is about 90% perfect. The only couple of bugs in the gameplay part itself is a couple of graphic glitches, mainly in the water in the second level. Also, why is that water purple?

 

Because Talay has purple water?

 

 

With that said, I was worried there would be too many changed to the original level design to take away from the feel I felt when playing the game back then. Thankfully, the changes don't affect the atmosphere. Most of the changes are generally good and make the level designs a bit more realistic.

 

Most of the team joined because when they heard about a DF Mod they got a "Well, if they are doing to do a DF Mod then I better join to make sure they do it right!" mentality. We are all fans of DF and take making changes or additions very seriously. I think it is fairly obvious that the designers of DF were pushing the limits of what compters back then could do. In many cases we took the concepts of the original and flesh them out more to take full advantage of the JA engine. Talay is larger and feels more like a post-war city for example. The surprise at the end of the sewers level is another example .

 

I noticed a couple of probe droids in the second mission on the way back to the ship. I personally think the probe droids can wait until the third mission. In the original DF, the probe droids weren't introduced until the third mission. That is what made the sewer mission so good was because it was the mission to introduce those enemies in particular.

 

A lot of what you say later has been discussed by others on the forum. However I don't think this issue was ever been brought up. You make a good point here and I'll pass it on to Salv and the team.

 

I loved the rain in the second mission. Really added to the flavor of that level.

 

It sure did.

 

The additional voice acting is unneccessary. Please get rid of it. It isn't by any means bad, but it's just not right.

 

It's already been addressed. It will very likely be pulled, redone, or toned down for the next release.

 

The mission briefing voice acting is fine, but the only voice acting there should be other than that is what was in the original DF.

 

All the voice acting for the briefings is finished (and actually couldn't be changed now if we wanted as both voice actresses moved away from the city I'm in). There will be some more voice acting here and there (for instance the surprise at the end of the sewers level and storm trooper conversation on Talay).

 

Music is great. Love the MIDI. It's quite close to the original.

 

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!

 

Controls are smooth and couldn't be any smoother. Sounds effects are perfect and couldn't be any more perfect.

 

Fracman and Darth_Linux did controls I believe. I helped with sound effects and helped "remaster" a lot of the originals so they didn't sound so muffled.

 

Now onto the cutscenes. This is where you fault at. It wasn't a bad idea at all to 3Dnize (is that a word?) the original cutscenes and put the original game's audio over that. There were basically two problems with the cutscenes: 1.) Characters don't move their mouths when speaking. If I'm not mistaken, this was discussed somewhere else, and I'm hoping you go and add lip-syncing for the full version. Honestly though, I think it would've been better just to use the original cartoon-like cutscenes. Why not? It would pay great homage to the original game and bring back memories. With that said, the second problem. 2.) Some of the lines of dialoge start before another line finishes. I hope that was as clear as I can make it. Basically a timing problem with some of the voice audio. That's another thing that should get fixed.

 

Chrustec spent a lot of time and effort while he was busy to get the cutscene ready for the demo. The cutscene is the hardest thing to render and change after the fact. He also didn't have the correct models to animate for the cutscene at the time. It will be redone for the final version. The soundtrack was taken straight from the game unedited except for the tie fighters swooshing by which was mixed in later.

 

All-in-all, above average and I am looking foward to the rest of the game.

 

Again, glad you enjoyed it!

 

With that said, I need help with the third mission in the sewer. There's that part where you enter that one sewer area and flip the switch and flood a huge sewage room up to allow you to enter a door up above. Well, the flood is on a timer and will soon go back down. I go to the second sewage area, where that large room is, and while the flood hasn't drained yet, I can't seem to get that door open. How do I open that door? Is there a switch somewhere I have to pull? I could've sworn I pulled the switched in that little room before enetering that sewage room, and I even go to check back on it, but I always confirm the switch is already pulled.

 

 

 

There are a total of three switches. One for the near door, one for the far door, and the timed switch which changed sewage level. You have to activate the two door switches first.

 

 

Hope that helps!

[Chewy1015]

Okay, I finally found my mistake and I completed the mission.

 

With that said, I loved what y'all did at the end of the mission. Rather than just finding Moff Rebus and that being it, you have Moff Rebus force Katarn to go up against four sentry gunners. That was ****ing sick (pardon french)! Kudos for all of you for that!

 

With that said, in continuing the demo, I do believe there is one or two other flaws that, yeah, has probably been discussed, and I apologize if I say so again. The first flaw was then when armed with the detonator and throwing it, your hand doesn't throw it. It's like, your hand stays holding it and the detonator comes out of your stomache. I'm confident that's an animation y'all will fix for the long run.

 

The second is a basic graphic issue in Talay, and it's a really small issue that you shouldn't have to worry about until the end of development. That is that there's these big rings occasionally in the level from them round-shape lights that are on the ceiling. Again, it's probably something that has been discussed and y'all are probably working on, and if it doesn't get worked on, then I'mma quit playing DF and I'll hate every one of you........................ I'm joking. Nah, it's just a small thing that stook out to me (it was especially noticable underwater, that's where I first noticed it).

 

With all that said, I loved the end credits and how y'all recommended other games of different sorts by different makers. Keep up the good work guys.

 

P.S. You all should check out the band 30 Seconds to Mars. They're super famous now, but listen to their first CD and tell me some of the stuff on it doesn't give you a Star Wars feel.

[Sir Vougalot]

Yes, I have a walkthrough question as well. Since someone already asked a question like that in this thread, I felt that it'd be best to ask my question here rather than in another thread, or to make a completely new thread.

 

My question is this: I cannot finish the sewers mission without cheating because I don't know how to cross a certain part without using the no clip cheat. After pulling one of those switches that manipulates the sludge (I think it's the third and final switch), you must get accross the low sludge to a pipe on the other side. However, it is impossible to jump to it at that hight. On the lower right side is another pipe leading back to the central era with the catwalk above those things that spin, but I know that that is deffinately not the way to go. So how do I get accross to that opening withou no-clipping? Or is there some other route to get over there?

[Chewy1015]

I forgot to say that it's not really you guys' fault that the hand doesn't move when you throw a detonator. I recently discovered that as a flaw in Jedi Academy, and by that I mean the professionally made game itself. So the question is why in the Uncle Sam hell did they not create a hand animation for the thermal detonator? Oh well, it's definately nothing you guys could've done about it. Now if y'all do have the ability to create a hand animation for throwing the detonator, then that would not just be lovely, but also HELPFUL. Because the main problem with no hand animation is that I can't clearly see where the daw-gawn detonator is going once I throw it, because the damn hand is in the way. Ah well, if y'all do it, great. If not, then it's definately not your bad.

 

With all that said, this forum has been dead for a while now. Not a single reply to anything in almost a week. Where's all the love?

[SlicerDude]

I think the mod team's said before that there were some technical issues preventing a throwing animation for the thermal detonator, so I don't know if they'll be able to do anything about that. As for the activity on this forum, remember that anything happening on the mod right now is behind the scenes, so there's not much going on from our perspective. Also, it looks to me like there's no more than 2 days between any two posts in this thread; hardly what I'd call "almost a week."

[Chewy1015]

I can understand if they can't do the hand animation for the detonator. Afterall, if LucasArts, Activision, and/or Raven couldn't do it, then the moderators for DF probably won't be able to.

[Sir Vougalot]

No takers for my question, eh?

[Chewy1015]

Well Zerimar, you sound like you're having the same problem I may have had, don't know. Once the flooding of that one room happens and that door you need to get to is open, you should be able to jump to it. It may look a bit high, but it's reachable, trust me.

[SlicerDude]

No takers for my question, eh?

 

It's been too long since I've played it for me to be able to help. Come to think of it, it's about time for me to play through the mod again. If Chewy's advice doesn't help and no one else comes around for a few days, I might be able to help.