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xaGe Joined: 01 Mar 2006 Posts: 329 Location: Upstate, New York |

Posted: Sun May 27, 2007 2:23 am Post subject: |

..video looked GREAT... mapped looked better in play then the previous screen shot...

Quote:
I really do suck tremendously as a modeler, though, so maybe I'll have to nick something from another mod or go kind of minimalist

..MAYBE some one will donate a new skin or replacement model...
..Any way..looking great...can't wait...

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CocoT Joined: 14 Dec 2004 Posts: 599 Location: Belly-Gum |

Posted: Sun May 27, 2007 6:18 pm Post subject: |

Today I changed the grenade into a (vaguely) UT-style-looking translocator... Flashes every 4 seconds or so and makes a little "beep". I'll look into polishing it for the final version. I'm not sure about the translocator-launcher for this release, though...
I also changed the pentagrams into something a little different, if only not to be too reminiscent of the original power-ups
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Kell Joined: 12 Sep 2006 Posts: 11 |

Posted: Sun May 27, 2007 9:38 pm Post subject: |

CocoT wrote:
Hehe, thanks guys Well, there won't be any new model in the demo but I'd like to have something done for the full release, certainly. I really do suck tremendously as a modeler, though, so maybe I'll have to nick something from another mod or go kind of minimalist

I'll make new weapon and projectile models for you.
Just...not right now, ok?

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CocoT Joined: 14 Dec 2004 Posts: 599 Location: Belly-Gum |

Posted: Sun May 27, 2007 10:12 pm Post subject: |

Oooooh, that would super-nice, Kell, thanks!! And, yeah, it can wait, obviously I am myself really busy and, between you and me, really shoudln't be doing all this for the moment... So I'll probably take a little break away from it once the demo is out there and probably will map again for it only in the end of June. So no hurry
The demo is almost done, so you'll soon be able to see how it feels to play it. As I said, I have tried to model a little translocator (not the launcher, though), but it's rather simple...
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CocoT Joined: 14 Dec 2004 Posts: 599 Location: Belly-Gum |

Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 8:11 pm Post subject: |

So here is it, TRANSLOQUAKE DEMO 1! http://www.fileplanet.com/177465/download/Transloquake-Demo-1 (note: if no file is showing at the address, it will soon. I've just uploaded it and maybe it needs to be accepted first by FilePlanet) http://rapidshare.com/files/34123075/transloquake-demo1.rar.html
(for those who would prefer a mirror)
It comes with a help document that is pretty self-explanatory, but maybe there are a couple of things I might want to add.
- The mod was built using Darkplaces and I thus really encourage you to use it when playing. I've tried other engines but obviously the mod is not optimized for them and you'd be missing one or more elements (demos, music, skyboxes...)
- It comes with code source and map source, feel free to play around with them.
- Maps have not been vissed. It would have taken a lot of time on my computer (a little more than a day) and, since I'm also using my laptop for work, I really could not afford it. I think maps are still playing fine, though. I'll work on vissing my maps using a friend's computer for the "bigger" releases.
- The code is not what I spent the most time on. If you see ways to optimize it, fix stuff or add things to make it better, don't hesitate to point them out. I'll welcome any positive change and will be willing to include your code suggestions in the following versions of the mod. Obviously, it's my goal to improve it myself, too, but, well, you see what I mean...
- I haven't included (for lack of time) extras_r4 into the mod. If you want to do so (if only to add rising water and create "reverse" Hurried-Descentesque levels), go ahead and don't hesitate to upload your new source code, so that it will be a feature that will be available to mappers in the next versions.
- Remember that the music included is not freely re-redistrubable, but everything else is (just give me some credits if you reuse the maps, mmokay? ).
- Oh, yeah, and, I've changed the bonus1 map slightly since the video. I've made the older skybox (chaoscity) still available if you really prefer it.
- The tutorial map is called "tr4"... I know, not the most practical, but, don't worry, all this will be fixed for the full release (I thought it didn't really matter at this point and didn't bother changing some of the specific info in the code)
Mmm... I think it's about it! I hope you enjoy this little demo and, who knows, that it might inspire you to build maps!
As I was explaining earlier, I have a lot of work in my profesional life waiting for me, so I probably will pause for a couple of weeks before being able to keep on working on this, but I will certainly keep on checking the forums and follow up on your feedback
Note: The best I did on the bonus map is to have only 2 keys left... I'm sure it's beatable, though (make sure you grab a handy little bonus hidden in it, however)... The one that posts a demo (that runs under DP, please and without fiddling with the code!!) of him/herself beating it will see it becoming the new official "demo1" of the next releases!
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Entar Joined: 05 Nov 2004 Posts: 422 Location: At my computer |

Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 9:58 pm Post subject: |

I played the tutorial level tr4, but I didn't finish it... it's a lot of fun at first, but I got rather frustrated when I missed, for three reasons:

* There seems to be a bit of a lag when you translocate, which throws off the timing. Not cool.
* When I fall, I have to start over entirely, which is a reeeeeeal pain. I guess quicksaves are going to be a huge thing in this.
* If I know that I missed, I can't just shoot again. My only hope is that it lands in some invalid area and it doesn't let me translocate. Otherwise, I'm doomed to start over.

I just now tried playing again, with quicksaving, and when I tried to load my quicksave, it says "Host_Error: PRVM_ExecuteProgram: qc function self.think is missing"
Overall, I think this mod has a lot of potential, but it needs a fair amount of polishing.
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http://entar.quakedev.com
games fascination - My Game Development Blog/Journal

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CocoT Joined: 14 Dec 2004 Posts: 599 Location: Belly-Gum |

Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 10:22 pm Post subject: |

Heya Entar, thanks for trying it out Lots of good points, too I realize that the tutorial map can be frustrating, particularly, well, since people are learning the ropes and it's easy to fall. I think maybe what I'll do for the next version of the map is add some triggers (like invisible teleporters under the platforms) that teleport you nearer to where you shot last. It might not reflect what the rest of the game will be about, but at least it might keep people from giving up on the whole thing too quickly. The falling business is, of course, part of the mod and its challenges... but it's true, once again, that the tutorial map should be more beginner-friendly. My way to make it so was to put only water at the bottom but that's obviously not enough... (I hesitated at the last minute to fill it with electric fish, then didn't... that's how twisted I am)... hehe.
The fact that you can't shoot after you missed is also, in a way, part of the game. The problem is that, if you knew you could fire as many times as you wanted, then there wouldn't really be much of a challenge. In a map like the one filled with lava (see earlier screenshots), you could basically save yourself from dying every single time. So there would be virtually no way you could not reach the top of the map every time. But I see your point. And I realize that this mod has a way stronger potential at making players frustrated than many, many others... hehehe. I think maybe an option would be to give players a limited amount of tries, say, like they could refuse to translocate 2 or 3 times in a game but after that, they'd have no other choice. What do you think? Maybe I could also add a pentagram which would give players more chances... Those might not be bad ideas at all... Plus, we could imagine that the tutorial map would, for example, be the only map where you'd be given an unlimited amount of tries. I like that... more than the teleport triggers, actually (which might be confusing to the players)... Ok, I'm rambling, now
Oh, and note, too, that the tutorial map has relatively few platforms. My hope is that, in the other maps, the chances that you would fall onto a platform hanging under you are much bigger (since there are a lot more of them). It's not always true (you can get pretty unlucky and fall from the almost-very-top to the flat bottom), but much more frequent than on that map. I guess I could add a couple of platforms to the tutorial map, but then I'm afraid it's going to become a little confusing (since you're supposed to follow a particular path).
Yeah, I noticed the problem linked with saving, too... I must admit it's the first time I'm working on a SP mod and I don't really know what to look into to fix that. Maybe someone here will be able to enlighten us
Oh, and about the lag... it's true I also had the feeling I always translocated a little later than I had thought. I guess I've played it so much that now I'm completely used to unconsciously taking it into consideration
I'm glad you liked the idea all in all and that you see potential in it. Obviously, I released this demo because, well, there aren't many mod being released nowadays and thought it'd be fun sharing a little something. I do think, too, that it need to be polished up. But it's cool, because just from your feedback, I'm already thinking about ways to do so!
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Entar Joined: 05 Nov 2004 Posts: 422 Location: At my computer |

Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 10:43 pm Post subject: |

CocoT wrote:
The fact that you can't shoot after you missed is also, in a way, part of the game. The problem is that, if you knew you could fire as many times as you wanted, then there wouldn't really be much of a challenge. In a map like the one filled with lava (see earlier screenshots), you could basically save yourself from dying every single time. So there would be virtually no way you could not reach the top of the map every time.

The trouble comes when you shoot, know you missed, and don't translocate - the penalty should come when you think you hit and hit the T button (that's where the lag that needs fixing comes in). Then you're just sitting up there, like, "well this is boring."

CocoT wrote:
I think maybe an option would be to give players a limited amount of tries, say, like they could refuse to translocate 2 or 3 times in a game but after that, they'd have no other choice. What do you think? Maybe I could also add a pentagram which would give players more chances...

Hmm, that's a start. You could also give the player more/less chances to shoot depending on the difficulty he's playing on. Bonus shots from powerups is also a good idea.
I would recommend adding a (very simple for starters) start.bsp so that people can hit the new game button in the menu and actually start playing. To me, that's a must in any mod.
Something interesting, I tried playing it in Vr2, and it worked, for the most part. A few things were a bit odd, and a feature or two was missing, but for the most part it was fine. Maybe it was just me, but some of the time it seemed like the lag problem was decreased. Also, quicksaving/loading worked, though there were some error things in the console, but it worked ok anyway. Just something interesting.
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games fascination - My Game Development Blog/Journal

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CocoT Joined: 14 Dec 2004 Posts: 599 Location: Belly-Gum |

Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 10:54 pm Post subject: |

Yeah, that's very interesting, indeed! I must admit I really had little time to check it under other engines, but that's definitely an interesting topic and something we'll have to look into (with your insights and those of the others)... Hopefully there'll be an "easy" way to have quicksave work on all engines. And, yeah, that decreased lag when translocating is also intriguing
And yup, I see the difference you make between knowing you've missed your shot and thinking you haven't but being wrong. It's true it's painful to have to press "t" even though you now quite well, you're going to reappear at the very bottom of that water... and believe me, it's even worse when you see your translocator plunging into lava... hehehe. I don't really see how to make the mod "know" the difference, though, except maybe by deciding that if the translocator is below a certain "line" (like below the water or lava level at the bottom of these maps), then you automatically don't translocate. That's an option.
Yeah, the number of chances could be defined by the difficulty setting (that's a good idea), and the amounts set by a couple of values attached to each map. I like that
Yup, the tutorial map will be the start map. Or do you guys think the tutorial should be kept seperate? Too difficult for a start map?
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Entar Joined: 05 Nov 2004 Posts: 422 Location: At my computer |

Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 11:12 pm Post subject: |

CocoT wrote:
I don't really see how to make the mod "know" the difference, though

It doesn't have to. The difference is between hitting T to translocate willingly, or just shooting again (and the old translocator disappears). Of course, if the player has shot the number of allowed shots since his last actual translocation already, the next time he tries to shoot, it won't do anything, and he's screwed.
I think the tutorial map will be fine, once the issues have been polished.
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woh... feelin woozy... too much cider...
http://entar.quakedev.com
games fascination - My Game Development Blog/Journal

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CocoT Joined: 14 Dec 2004 Posts: 599 Location: Belly-Gum |

Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 11:22 pm Post subject: |

I see... Well, then I guess the "limited (or unlimited in the case of the tutorial map) tries" option is probably best. The idea of a special power-up sounds really good, too. It's cool I hadn't really thought about it but it does correct the overall "problem" of difficulty in the mod (which can become quite severe on some of the other maps) and simultaneously makes the tutorial map much beginner-friendlier...
Thanks!
Oh, and, on a side note, the power-up of the "portable portal" can also be used to avoid situations where you screw up. I don't know if you've reached that one yet on the tutorial map (I admit it's a bit high... maybe I should put it earlier). But then of course, it's a one-time thing and you do translocate wherever you set it, not where you last shot from. It's useful, though, because it helps precisely in those moments when you thought you did ok and translocated, which in fact happen a lot more in the other maps because, on the whole, there are way less "big" platforms like those floating temples, and way more "smaller" platforms, so, more often than not, you don't know whether you screwed up or not when you press the "T" button. ... which makes me wonder if I should modify the gravity of that translocator and make it bounce a little less. What do you think?
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CocoT Joined: 14 Dec 2004 Posts: 599 Location: Belly-Gum |

Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 2:37 pm Post subject: Lightbugs in Transloquake... I mean, literally. |

A little new youtube video for you guys: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZumdVNhhrCI To tell you the truth, I haven't been "working" much at all on Transloquake in the past few weeks, so progress has been really slow. I did work on this new map in the end of June/beginning of July, though, and thought some of you might enjoy having a peek. The map is a little inspired by some of those "forests" maps of UT2004 and I had fun implementing fireflies. Obviously, this is a map in construction, I still have to add tree tops and bottoms, as well as bonuses and keys and proper teleportation.
I'm still going to be pretty busy in the next few months (with little hope of it stopping any time soon), but I hope to work on this from time to time and I'll keep you updated
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Last edited by CocoT on Sat Sep 22, 2007 4:19 pm; edited 2 times in total

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neg!ke Guest |

Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 10:24 am Post subject: |

Looks cool. I like the way the geometry corresponds to the skybox. Where do you get all those skyboxes from anyway?

Quote:
I think maybe an option would be to give players a limited amount of tries, say, like they could refuse to translocate 2 or 3 times in a game but after that, they'd have no other choice.

Or items scattered throughout the map giving them more tries - either for one-time use or permanently (for the duration of the map). The latter could be made a little less easy by requiring to collect a certain amount of those items first.
By the way: Don't use carve!

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CocoT Joined: 14 Dec 2004 Posts: 599 Location: Belly-Gum |

Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 4:25 pm Post subject: |

Thanks I think almost all the skyboxes I used so far are from The Wadfather. Yes, I haven't really done much code-wise when it comes to that new bonus, but it'd be a good idea to make it possible to offer one or more tries, maybe according to chosen difficulty, and of course have one or more in the level
I started this mod as a pretty much totally newbie mapper and it is true that, with time, I realized the evil of carving There is still some carving going in this map, it's true (is it visible?) and that does limit my freedom in going for more complex structures. When I'll polish up this map (and others), I might work in redoing some of the architecture to get rid of the complicated ones created by carving...
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Kools Joined: 05 Jan 2005 Posts: 37 Location: The Netherlands |

Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2007 11:24 pm Post subject: |

This game keeps looking better and better. I really like the feel of the trees map. Can't wait to try it out. _________________ Forum lurker

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