221 replies to this topic

[Chasarsis]

Depending on your compression settings, Unreal may not use the high-res imported texture, and may instead use the highest resolution valid mip-map.

I used the TC_Default compression method for all of them before, but I changed the normalmaps to use TC_normalmap right before I uploaded to svn.

I put the source files on svn as well, under src/datarun/models; and I'll be able to start rigging it this wednesday, so more updates around then

Edited by Chasarsis, 19 October 2008 - 03:05 PM.

[kinjutsu]

Hey everyone I'm Kinjutsu, Ambershee had contacted me about helping out with modeling environments and props. I wasn't able to be here for the meeting, but I've taken a look at the thread and the wiki to try and get myself up to speed on the project. I'm really liking the character model, very cool design.

This will be my first time working on a mod so bear with me if I sound like a noob.
Hopefully I can get started modeling very soon, looking forward to working with everyone

[ambershee]

Welcome aboard. Hopefully we'll find something for you to do soon - hold tight.

Edit: As an update, I've put out a few adverts for additional assistance in concept art and environmental / prop 3d. I'll let you know how we get on.

If you happen to know any talented artists - give them a shout and try to drag them into the fold.

Edited by ambershee, 21 October 2008 - 06:00 PM.

[ambershee]

An eagerly awaited update, the summary of summaries has arrived - version 3.5 of the design documentation, primarily focusing on game mechanics.

It's sketchy in places, but I'll work to fill things out more as we approach them. I'll also work on bringing the wiki back into force.


I'm currently talking to an interested skilled concept artist, and a skilled composer, so hopefully we'll have them on-board shortly, I'll let you know how things get on, and we'll schedule a new meeting fairly soon. Please make sure you pass this information on to anyone else in the team when you see them.

 dr350.doc   203KB   102 downloads

Edited by ambershee, 24 October 2008 - 01:05 AM.

[Chasarsis]

Sorry, I'm gonna make myself keep everyone else updated as to what I'm doing.
I've rigged the player in maya; my current task is now getting him ingame

[Myles Lambert]

Sorry guys,
Im doing some competition mapping work, one more week and its over.
Back soon

[ambershee]

Hi guys,

An update on the concept artist score - we're still lacking and haven't had much luck. We'll discuss this at the meeting, but it's pretty important we get some concept work out soon, if you guys are going to not be generating your own.

As for the musical side of things, we've got someone who will be starting right away - so you should have audio shaping up alongside the level design work.

Thanks,

Luke

[Darknet]

Here an update for my model. I just need to get the texture right.

[Bunnyjen]

Hey everyone...been working on some ideas for the Dead City. I tried to add samples of Mayan structures as suggested, but I'm not sure if they work so they were kept minimal. Here is an initial pencil sketch:

http://i68.photobuck...cityconcept.jpg

and this is a colour one:

http://i68.photobuck...cityconcept.jpg

Thought it might be interesting to have it as a hidden city, so the only way it can be accessed is via one route. The city is over a large lake of mist and is there for suspended on large platforms above the mist. Moving from different areas of the city to others would involve using suspension bridges. I thought it might be a cool idea to have a dark character who takes you to the city via a boat. Almost like the Grimm reaper on a boat, like these kind of images:

http://www.cartoonst...es/gth0332l.jpg

http://www.freewebs....andleholder.jpg

Anyway there we go, I'm trying to approach this with some kind of game design in mind, rather than just pretty pictures, using the steep terrain to block the player in and have no other access route into the city etc etc....The dark figures you can see on the mountain were an interpretation of 'The Lost.' Let me know what you think, if i the idea sucks say so I can take it and re-think it haha Gimmi a shout on msn for larger versions.

[ambershee]

Hey everyone...been working on some ideas for the Dead City. I tried to add samples of Mayan structures as suggested, but I'm not sure if they work so they were kept minimal. Here is an initial pencil sketch:

I wouldn't worry too much about Mayan architecture in the Dead City, as it's unlikely there'd be a huge amount of influence. It's looking pretty good though.

Thought it might be interesting to have it as a hidden city, so the only way it can be accessed is via one route. The city is over a large lake of mist and is there for suspended on large platforms above the mist. Moving from different areas of the city to others would involve using suspension bridges. I thought it might be a cool idea to have a dark character who takes you to the city via a boat.

As it happens, the ideal representation of both the Dead City and the Massive would be to have them tucked away and hidden, and only accessible via a single route - as these are the two late-game locations. I really like the idea that the blocks would be independent and standing above the mist, as well as linking them via suspension bridges and what-not.

The only part I'm not sure of is the 'dark character' and the boat; the game specifically only has unidentifiable characters, with the exception of the player and the One. This is a deliberate use of anonymity and it's used to highlight that there's a difference between the 'Lost' and the 'Many' (the infected and the uninfected). It's also used to make the player and the One distinctly special.

It may be prudent to instead use something akin to a giant suspension bridge, or other, more static means of reaching the Dead City itself - which would be separated from the world via a loading section anyway; the long distance between the Dead City and the rest of the Open World the best excuse for the loading zone - and a matter of convenience for dealing with the world transition; as the Dead City is always within the dark world, and when the player returns, the rest of the world will have already transitioned.

As for colouration - keeping it largely devoid or saturated is a distinct possibility, as this will certainly give it a lot of character and will assist defining it as a unique location amongst the rest of the world. I'd be tempted to add some very striking and sickly hues to the mist, sky and occasional smoke however, just to keep it from becoming greyscale in it;s entirety.

[kinjutsu]

Here's a few doodles I came up with for possible areas of the Open World. I was trying to think about scale, and how the lab and Mayan settings might work together. Nothing detailed yet, hopefully I'll have more free time this week to work on more.

>

>

I'm liking the concept for the Dead City, the idea to have some kind of ferry to get there is neat. I know there aren't supposed to be specific characters but what if one of the many was the one to take you across in the boat?

[Darknet]

Cool Pic. Darn I miss the meeting >.< sorry about that just forgot it. I was doing something else.

[xiongmao]

Was having a beer with my new neighbors ^^. I believe it was an artist meeting .
Luke I'll talk to you on Msn to see what code tasks have to be done

[ambershee]

I think it may be prudent to schedule a programming / technical specific meeting outside of the standard meeting.

How does 20:00 GMT on the 15th via MSN messenger sound?

The standard meeting is to be 20:00 GMT on the 16th, and will likely focus mostly on environmental / art.

[Kasper]

Hey Folks,

I've created a short guide for using SVN: http://sheelabs.game...itle=Subversion

I hope that you will make use of it and subversion in the future, it will greatly help us share resources.

Ambershee - Good idea with the extra meeting, I'll be there if possible... got a Lich king to catch :-).

[xiongmao]

Aïe !! Weekend meeting is a nightmare for me Next saturday is my girlfriend's birthday.
I'll see you on msn during the week.

[ambershee]

Then we'll do it on the Monday instead. No point having a technical meeting with 1/3rd the tech-heads missing

[Chasarsis]

Got the model into the character selector. Just need to figure out why I'm not able to play him now . . . and then figure out how to get the material effects I want working. Hmm.

EDIT: Got the material effects I wanted working. It's just a matter of making it the parent parameter values. Now all I have to do is figure out how why its not smoothing, and how to get it to show up when I play the game.
It might be that to get it looking really professional looking and recognized by unreal, there are some elements I'd have to change, to take into account Unreal's character modularity as well. But I won't know until its actually in game and I see how the engine handles it.
Though the turn around for this would be a lot shorter.

Edited by Chasarsis, 16 November 2008 - 10:39 PM.

[kinjutsu]

Gaah, sorry I missed the meeting, it's finals week for me and my brain is fried. On the bright side 4 more days until break wooo.
Will someone be posting the log so I can see what I missed?