garak88 Posted July 21, 2002 Share Posted July 21, 2002 This is one of the best threads in this forum, mostly due to DaJo Kesea's constant updates and long responses. I'm really excited about this map, it should be great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaJo Kesea Posted July 21, 2002 Author Share Posted July 21, 2002 Thank you very much. You guys are making it great for me, too. I'm feeding off of your positive energy. Hanch, I believe Rich placed trigger throws above the water in his map so that players who love the force grip- and push-off-a-ledge combo can't always win a battle that way. That's not what I meant exactly. I think I might make part of the stone wall in the VIP area (Count Dooku's platform) breakable, so that a player can slip through and hit the arena floor with maybe 20 points of damage. Sort of a cross between the balcony scene in Spiderman, and what really happened to Mace Windu in Episode II. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaJo Kesea Posted July 21, 2002 Author Share Posted July 21, 2002 Winner_rex..to answer your question... I chose thickened bevels because in some cases I need to move the point where the two arches meet so that the arch has a more natural, rocky look. I also want more of a point than a nice, smooth, rounded off arc. These types of arches are called "blade arches" and can be found in churches from the Romanesque and Gothic era. Hmm, I need to locate a nice, smooth sandstone texture for the arena walls near to the floor. Any help on finding/creating textures from this point forward will be recognized and fully appreciated! I promise to make the arena as interesting as I can, though I think many people will be happy with just having the battleground to pit themselves against battle droids and other Jedi. Anyone know if a Droideka is being built? Hmm...Droideka with a lightsaber might not look quite right, but it would certainly be sweet for a SP version of this map! Stay tuned. Once I overcome the texture hurdle, up the walls will go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hanch Saode Posted July 21, 2002 Share Posted July 21, 2002 Ah! ok...now I follow... Sounds good nonetheless But I ain't seen Spiderman...yet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winner_rex Posted July 21, 2002 Share Posted July 21, 2002 why make arches w/ bevels instead of endcaps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inbredyokel Posted July 21, 2002 Share Posted July 21, 2002 It's a pity force push can't slow a fall. It would make players much more mobile in tall levels like this. As far as adding destructability to this level, the more the better. As a co-op level, keeping this map interesting shouldn't be a problem since everyone will be too busy raking down battle droids. But for regular MP with only a few people, it could get a little boring being in an empty arena. If there will be back corridors to hide in, you want to give people an incentive to stay out in the open where they're exposed and fight. Any kind of traps, etc. would add a lot to make the actual arena the most interesting part of the level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaJo Kesea Posted July 22, 2002 Author Share Posted July 22, 2002 This new server that they moved to seems a lot slower than the old one. I hope it will eventually be a change for the better. My posts are being placed out of order for some reason. Winner_rex and inbredyokel, you'll have to scroll up to get my reply to you, unless this post is placed somewhere in the middle as well. I hope you all find it! <<EDIT: Lucasforums clock must have been messed up yesterday. My post is where it belongs.>> I managed to fix my arch. Still not sure what was going on with the inner arch pulling away from the rest of it, even using a thickened endcap, but I read that bending a square cylinder is actually the best way to go for this shape. So that's what I did, and it looks fine! The shadows are even better around it. The only problem I see with this map is that sometimes if you are backed into a corner and you jump to get out of the way, the camera sometimes swings behind the patches, revealing the caulking, and thus creating the hall of mirror effect. It goes away, of course, once the camera angle resolves, so I'm not too concerned about it. But if you have any workarounds, I'll listen. The next update will be soon, so keep checking in. Need to keep yourself occupied until then? Lift up your right arm and try to lick your elbow. (That'll keep ya busy!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D@rth M@ul Posted July 22, 2002 Share Posted July 22, 2002 I just reviewed your site. Great job. I really like what you did with the sand texture, I hope jk2's engine will act as halo's, even though the ground isn't three-d it will seem that way by adding shadows in a paint program and allowing light to move over it if you know what I mean. I really like that sand, and nice bryce image.. hehe the jedi's fought in a big pond did they? keep up the good work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hanch Saode Posted July 22, 2002 Share Posted July 22, 2002 Yeah...the sand tex. is really looking good!! I like that part.. But one thing that I am really exited is to see the surrounding "skybox" or what it was you decided to call it... I'm thinking of the big cliff formations and the surroundings of the arena....can't wait to see what you end up with that Great work so far Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eklin Posted July 23, 2002 Share Posted July 23, 2002 This is likely the BEST map that is in progress for JK2. Those sand textures look ****ing amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lo5t_h0pe Posted July 23, 2002 Share Posted July 23, 2002 the sand textures are good. the only thing i say you might want to do is cut down on the orange-ness of it. the screenshot you have of the arena without seats is about the right color, i think, but that might just me. might also be the lighting color. either way, seems a bit orange and fake to me. that's all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wes Marrakesh Posted July 23, 2002 Share Posted July 23, 2002 hey, NICE LEVEL! Keep up the good work! I better start looking at this thread more *gets attacked by everyone reading this becasue he hasn't been following it*:hit: <== me ok nm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaJo Kesea Posted July 23, 2002 Author Share Posted July 23, 2002 :::In his best Yoda voice::: Mmmm! Attracting new visitors, I am! Hmm? Welcome, all. Thanks for your input. However, the lighting is what is casting the orange glow throughout the screenshots already posted. I'll tackle this soon, but I don't think I can get the JKII map as realistically hazy and golden as I could in Bryce. We'll just have to see. Remember, though, that in the movie, the late afternoon sun over Geonosia did make the rocks appear reddish in color, and the sand a moderate peach. You can see this best in the scene where Anakin, Padme, and Obi-Wan are all on the back of the Reek, surrounded by Droidekas. I think that the Geonosian rocks are colored the same as some of the sandstone in Utah. (I've been doing a lot of color matching recently in photoshop, using actual movie photos as my reference points. I think you'll be happy with the accuracy.) I have moved out onto the arena floor now. The entry point room has been duplicated nine times (slows down the editor a bit, but not too much), and I have placed these rooms in an oval, exits facing inward. I'll connect these rooms with concave bevels to form the ground walls. It will be a challenge, but one that will not be too hard to overcome. My only question is, what do I do if the frame rate in game is really choppy? Please stay tuned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winner_rex Posted July 23, 2002 Share Posted July 23, 2002 remember, the editor gets slow 10x more easily than the game does. If it does get choppy, put doors on the entry points with areaportals and cheat a little here and there... 2 new ideas: A cushion brush placed on the floor of the arena will block fall damage...you could use that if you want. Also, what about an animated shader of faraway geonosian crowds? BTW, it's Geonosis:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lo5t_h0pe Posted July 23, 2002 Share Posted July 23, 2002 probably just missed the s, but the name does look funny. kind of like canadia. . .anyway. i thought the light might be making the funny coloring, but that's no prob and is something to be fixed after the level is betaed and such ans seen what other people think of it in action. as for the FPS. . .in editor, rex is right and that's never a good way to tell. in game, that's a different story. from what i've read, caulking will help if you haven't already, and patches will KILL any FPS that you thought you wanted. i'm not sure if you've been using those, but if ingame is dead and those are present heavily, that is probably your problem right there. like there is a new MP level out now called icecave, and it's interesting enough, but the tunnels are curvey patches, and if you stare down one of the tunnels and try to look around, the thing skips like no other. kind of sucks. that's about all i can tell you, because i don't know that much about it. just this and that. anyway, other than that, keep up the good work. i look forward to seeing the arena floor in action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inbredyokel Posted July 24, 2002 Share Posted July 24, 2002 Just out of curiosity, did you include any kind of back doors to the rooms surrounding the arena? I don't know if they were actually shown anywhere in the movie, but I'd presume that there was another back entrance to bring people into each room. It would kind be anti-climatic if people sentenced to be executed were led into the main arena in front of everyone, brought to their respective rooms, and then brought out again to actually be executed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lo5t_h0pe Posted July 24, 2002 Share Posted July 24, 2002 i believe he said that he was working on a connecting hallway in the back. i could be wrong, but i think i remember something to that effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaJo Kesea Posted July 24, 2002 Author Share Posted July 24, 2002 Hi again. Thanks for all of your input. Area Portal might be a good idea if this stupid thing keeps deleting my textures and duplicating my brushes when I move rooms around after free rotate. Grr... I have to replace all the rooms except the master because of walls falling apart. What a mess, and a setback. But I'll fix it. Is it possible to line up all the different rooms on the grid, and use area portal to jump back and forth between these rooms and the arena floor, WHILE still having the arena floor visible through the portal in the correct orientation? There will be a back hallway on the ground level. I haven't showed you my latest work as of yet, but I created another door, much smaller, on the opposite side of the entry point room. I'll have the "execution" hallway connect to those. The majority of this map is made of patches. I'm being cautious of how many I'm actually placing in full view, though, and also how long my tunnels are. Can't talk too much about framerate right now, though. I have to get to a point where I can seal everything up for testing. I'll be in touch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lo5t_h0pe Posted July 24, 2002 Share Posted July 24, 2002 sounds good. again, watch the patches. they have the ability to kill a good map. which is really sad, because they look the best. also, as far as when you release this, i would be willing to beta test for you. my system can handle quite a bit. it's not high end, but i've got the "setup" to where i can do anything at good FPS (except 3dstudiomax rendering. that will make any computer look old, dumb, and impotent, though. . .). so if you want someone that will look at the details of it and give you tips and compliments on anything and everything objectively, i am your man. buddy me and PM me when you get to that point. i know it will take time, so no rush. just. . .when you get there, look me up. i'll help you on that front. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t3rr0r Posted July 24, 2002 Share Posted July 24, 2002 i had an idea about "pillars" (those huge odd-shaped supports), etc... maybe you could model the "pillars" and other things. it could be less of a stress on fps, and easier to give it an organic look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaJo Kesea Posted July 24, 2002 Author Share Posted July 24, 2002 Actually, I'm on a 500mHz machine (oldie by today's standards), and I still experience about 24fps in a room with 4 pillars consisting of 5 dense cylinders, and large wall patch meshes. Oh, that reminds me...I'm only going by sight and gameplay experience here when I mention FPS. How do I actually turn on the FPS indicator in game? Looks like once I free-rotate the rooms, I have to leave them completely alone for them to keep their brushes in tact. Actually, I left most of the rooms alone, but when I moved one or two, all of them were suddenly destroyed. Not sure what happened! I will delete those rooms and reacreate them off the master. Just for purposes of sanity, I might keep the rooms as aligned to the grid as possible and just angle the doorways. Also, I might edit down the patches in the master room a bit as well. Lots of work to do yet! I'll keep you posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winner_rex Posted July 25, 2002 Share Posted July 25, 2002 i think it's cg_drawFPS 1 dont hold me to that... I think the curves are not as bad as they are made out to be... Again, in a lot of cases they can be advantagious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaJo Kesea Posted July 26, 2002 Author Share Posted July 26, 2002 This post belongs several posts down. What the heck is going on??? Thanks for all your responses. Hmm... I can't remember how the Geonosian guards opened the doors for the arena beasts to come out...whether they were swung open or if they rose. I also can't remember what the gate texture looked like, so I'll give it my best guess. Maybe I'll just leave two large gates resting in their open position. It would realistically take a long time to open such large doors anyway, and that would slow down gameplay. The only unfortunate thing I think I'm going to run into here is that due to the lack of doors and area portals (you can see through gate doors, remember), the game engine will have nothing to stop it from drawing every triangle in the map from the moment you set foot on the arena floor to the moment you exit the program, which may be very quickly if the frame rate is as affected as I think it just might be! Well, we'll just have to wait and see. I'm cutting back on patch density where density is not needed, so I'm hoping that will be enough. I'm not as optimistic as I once was, but I'm still trucking along. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaJo Kesea Posted July 26, 2002 Author Share Posted July 26, 2002 Hi! Wow! This room has lost its activity. I'm just posting to let you know that I have indeed been working on the map. I have been a little hesitant to promote the progress of the arena lately because of Radiant's inability to keep my rooms intact after I rotate them. I have now placed three master rooms off to the side, each completely aligned with the grid, and stable. Once I like how they look, I'll duplicate them and rotate the new ones into place, and leave them alone! I have learned from Rich that once you free-rotate a room, you can no longer touch that room (except to modify textures, hopefully?). The tricky part will be connecting these rooms without accidentally dragging them around. Boy, I sure hope this works! 3 questions: 1. How do I cut holes in a curve/patch, much like the clipper tool cuts away parts of brushes? 2. How do I make a gate texture, transparent in some spots, and seemingly 3D? 3. How do I make a door swing out, as if it is on a hinge, as opposed to sliding up/down/left/right? As always, thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winner_rex Posted July 26, 2002 Share Posted July 26, 2002 1. I'm not so sure you can 2. Don't know 3. Can't Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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