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C&C: Renegade --> Dying since 2003™, resurrected in 2024!
Here's the link to the level I'm working on for A Path Beyond. I wouldn't refuse considering a version for Renegade, however. http://www.bluehellproductions.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=24175 If you can't get to that link, I'll just post up the screenshots here. They are in chronological order, sorted from the time I began work on it (Saturday, the 21st) to today. http://www.3dholmes.com/images/APB/Fjord.jpg http://www.3dholmes.com/images/APB/Fjord1.jpg http://www.3dholmes.com/images/APB/Fjord2.jpg http://www.3dholmes.com/images/APB/Fjord3.jpg http://www.3dholmes.com/images/APB/Fjord4.jpg http://www.3dholmes.com/images/APB/Fjord5.jpg http://www.3dholmes.com/images/APB/Fjord6.jpg http://www.3dholmes.com/images/APB/Fjord7.jpg http://www.3dholmes.com/images/APB/Fjord8.jpg http://www.3dholmes.com/images/APB/Fjord9.jpg http://www.3dholmes.com/images/APB/Fjord10.jpg http://www.3dholmes.com/images/APB/Fjord11.jpg http://www.3dholmes.com/images/APB/Fjord12.jpg http://www.3dholmes.com/images/APB/Fjord13.jpg http://www.3dholmes.com/images/APB/Fjord14.jpg http://www.3dholmes.com/images/APB/Fjord15.jpg http://www.3dholmes.com/images/APB/Fjord16.jpg http://www.3dholmes.com/images/APB/Fjord17.jpg
Excellent work.
Map looks really nice. I'd love to play this in Ren, tbh.
Thanks - I appreciate it a lot. Here's the civilian building that I'll be duplicating to make the mining town, it's pretty much finished at this point. I will probably add props to it, thinking of adding a bed, a desk, and some assorted things like electric lamps and whatnot. I don't want to add too much, it will make it difficult to move around inside of them. http://www.3dholmes.com/images/APB/Fjord18.jpg http://www.3dholmes.com/images/APB/Fjord19.jpg http://www.3dholmes.com/images/APB/Fjord20.jpg
yea looks good ACK continue making maps for Renegade
Here's my latest progress. I've been sick for a while so I was taking it a bit easier today than I was the other two days. I've mostly finished the underground area's geometry. I will be adding support beams and other mining tools. Also, notice the Glacier-esque stalagmites on the cliffs above ground, plenty of places to hide and pop out to attack. I've included the scale to make it easier for people to figure out how large this is. Still waiting on someone to get me a Mammoth Tank chassis in Max form so I can make sure that there is enough maneuvering space. http://www.3dholmes.com/images/APB/Fjord21.jpg http://www.3dholmes.com/images/APB/Fjord22.jpg http://www.3dholmes.com/images/APB/Fjord23.jpg
why not just w3d import the mammy to check.
Because I don't have a suitable version of 3DSM to import it with.
Renx w3d importer will work in 3ds max 8 or 9 got it working in both. I'm using 3dsmax 8 with the renx pack. What version are you using the newest version 2012 or something.
I use 2011, upgrading to 2012 before my student license expires.
Not bad, not bad at all. I'd add some rocks here and there for some detail. A renegade version would be pretty neat.
I'd like to see if someone can get me the 3DSM versions of all of the Renegade buildings. I'd like to add Tiberium Silos, Repair Facilities, and Construction Yards. Maybe even Communication Centers. I'd also like to get hold of all of the two-floor buildings so I can light map the Nod interiors.
Some maps don't translate well from APB <---> Renegade because of the size, vehicles and other gameplay aspects that have to be considered when making a map for each game. I'd be interested to see how it would play in each game... I would love it if you was more on board with MP-Gaming, where we could assist you in the promotion of the map in APB, run it on the official server, mention it on the MOTD, and possibly offer assistance with some aspects of the map. Many of the staff at BHP are moderators at MP-Gaming, and half the admins are BHP staff. It looks fantastic environmentally and I'm sure it will be a fan favourite.
I honestly designed it so that it would be usable in Renegade, APB, and UDK. It's really not that big, so it should play better than the current maps in APB due to its smaller size; it should conversely give Renegade players a little bit of breathing room for a change. I'm not sure what you mean by "on board with MP-gaming". How would I go about doing that?
If you was more of an active member in MP-Gaming I'm sure it would lead to a natural progression. Most of the BHP APB staff are there and half the admins are staff at BHP. A couple of us are TT devs too. It seems like a good place to launch your map and any ideas you have. We do consult with BHP over changes we make, but ultimately the only server that players use is ours, and the decision lies with us.
Well, at this point, I want to push this level farther than any other I've done. I would like to add all of the missing buildings to this one. I've been redeveloping the Advanced Communications Center so that it can be light mapped. Here's the GDI Construction Yard in W3D Viewer with light maps enabled. Here is the Advanced Communications Center after I've cleaned up the original WS mesh, repainted it, and added some extra detailing (skylight, rear door, cleaned and properly scaled UVs with shattering windows) to the model. The windows also break independently, each pane breaks instead of the entire window. I plan on releasing these structures to the public so they can be used outside of Fjord. I figure everyone would like access to improved interiors that have actual light maps. I need to light map the Shrine of Nod in addition to the Advanced Communication Center. I also need to do the Nod Communication Center and Nod Construction Yard. I think this level might benefit from enabling flying units. I'd like to add Helipads to it and rework the way Orcas/Apaches work by making them need to reload at the Helipad instead of being able to constantly fly around and attack units. However, they would also get much more improved armor so that n00b cannons wouldn't be able to hurt them anymore.
Hmm, do you have a counter to the reworked air units planned? I've been putting a small amount of time each week into my beginner map, those light mapped building would be useful, although it will only have Weapons Factory, Airstrip and both sides' Refinery.
Well, I'd like to ideally go back and make all missiles homing. In addition, Nod would get SAM Sites that keep the Orcas at bay.
Hmm, hooming only seems to work around 1/3rd of the time with the engine, I experience this in both Renegade and APB. I vaguely recall that APB Beta's Rocket Soldiers didn't have hooming but they had some ridiculous area of effect that would damage air units even when the missile didn't hit the air unit being shot at. Although I'm not sure about that, it's been a long time since I played APB before I started playing it again after Gamma got released.
Those buildings look amazing for renegade, your ideas sound great! I need to play this map and experience what I should of been able to a long time ago! Fantastic!
Well, reborn, I'm glad you're excited to see this. I'll probably need some help initializing everything since I haven't worked in LevelEdit for five years. Setting up reloading Helipads, Repair Facilities that repair (or allow you to repair for credits) without breaking the game's C4 mines ala Glacier_Flying, and Construction Yard base repairs along with tying beacon purchases to the Shrine of Nod/ACC will require some technical expertise that I've forgotten over the years, and I would like to have some assistance to make it possible for this level.
Got some more work done. I think I'm finished with the interior. I've added the second floor multiplayer TV sets above the MCT. The lighting should be finished, as well. I was considering adding more to the building's interior, but I felt that it wouldn't fit into Renegade's current MP interiors which are generally bare. Right now, I have made space on Fjord for the following buildings: GDI: Construction Yard, Barracks, Weapons Factory, Adv. Comm Center, Repair Facility, Helipad, Tiberium Refinery, Tiberium Silo, Advanced Guard Tower. Nod: Construction Yard, Hand of Nod, Airstrip, Comm Center, Repair Facility, Helipad, Tiberium Refinery, Tiberium Silo, Obelisk of Light, Shrine of Nod, Turrets, and SAM Sites. I'd like to surround each base with walls and base gates. I will probably end up taking out the major base defenses, and leave only SAM Sites, Turrets, and Guard Towers. I may also end up creating a new Guard Tower model that's more in-line with the old Tiberian Dawn version, since the one in Renegade looks completely non-functional and ugly.
Here's another update, I modeled a 90 polygon Tiberium sponge and brought it into Mudbox to create an ambient occlusion map that I can use to paint the diffuse map. I was going to use tiber_02.tga from Renegade, since it has a sponge texture, but the whole thing is 128 pixels. I want something that's 256. http://www.3dholmes.com/images/APB/tiberium.jpg
Before I go to bed, here's the finished Tiberium sponge. I painted it in Mudbox and used the AO map to give the diffuse map some definition. It's now 200 polygons instead of the 260,000 or so it was in Mudbox. I can easily spread it around in the Tiberium fields of Fjord without causing any framerate clogging. I think it will look pretty nice with some diffuse-only lighting in LevelEdit. Of course, if I could have exported the normals and the spec map from Mudbox for use in UDK, it would look a whole lot better.
Zunnie from MP--Gaming is your man for level edit. I am sure he would be delighted to work with you on the map and be a valuable resource for the level edit work. What purpose will the Comm Center's and Shrine of Nod serve? Will they have any function, or just add to the environment? If they server no real purpose, I am not sure they should be anything more than part of the environment and should not be in the base, or at least not an area that is accessible. I could be wrong in my assumption of those buildings having no real purpose (possibly you intend for the Comm Center to be tied into the player's radar?), but I am sure you're missing a vital building, the Power Plant (which you could also perform some magic on and use the Advanced Power Plant).
The Adv. Comm Center and Shrine of Nod would ideally be used to control beacon purchases. From the strings database in Renegade, the Shrine of Nod MP description: This building provides spiritual guidance for Nod. In addition, it houses missiles for nuclear strikes. Destroy it to hamper Nod's nuclear capability. The Adv. Comm Center MP description: Enemies in proximity to an active GDI Communications Center have their radar scrambled. The Communications Center also enables GDI Ion Cannon strikes. Destroy it to hamper this ability. The Nod Comm Center would simply control radar as well. I did forget to mention Power Plants... They're going in.
What you've posted looks really excellent. Are you gonna give all buildings the multi-floor interior treatment and like a guy asked on the APB thread, are you gonna move the beacons so they do more damage?
I'm not adding additional floors. I'd have to redo the light mapping in the other buildings for that to work, since everyone hates elevators. The two-floor structures for GDI have light maps and elevators. I'm not sure how I'd go about making the beacons "do more damage". I guess he means increasing the radius of the beacons? I suppose I could do that, since the bases will be larger.
Here's the Adv. Comm Center interior light mapped inside of W3D Viewer. Light mapping in Renegade is such a pain in the dick. I came over from using UDK's oh-so-easy lighting tools with automatic unwrapping only to remember that Renegade is a different beast and requires a lot of extra work for no good reason. I also ended up going into Photoshop and using my tablet to paint in some fill lighting where the auto-unwrap in Max 8 was screwing things up.
Very nice Ack. I have been working a building pack with the correct Aggregates, damage , explosion animations, vis, vehicle blockers, ect for all the buildings. Almost all the leveledit work is already done for all the buildings. I can help you you setup everything. Keep up the nice work.
You have everything correct except for a few things: Those Repair Facilities are ugly as sin - the version called "Rep^Nod_Pad.gmax" is the one that you should use. It only utilizes the rep^nod_pad.tga texture for its surface and looks much more visually interesting. The GDI Comm Center should be an Adv. Comm Center. Looks good otherwise. Is this in 3DSM format? If so, could I grab a copy off you? I wouldn't mind collaborating with you if you want to help me get some buildings finished. Although I'm not sure what help I'd actually need considering the aggregates already exist in gmax form and are usually ready-to-export.
1. Rep^Nod_Pad.gmax is the one im using with textures rep^NOD_pad.tga , rep^GDI_pad.tga. There are these other 2 models in Ren Building Assets. 2. Haven't added Advance Com Center yet. My idea was Normal com Center for Radar. Advance Com Center and Nod Shrine for Beacons. I wasn't going to use the Adv com center but I can see you actually made the adv com center interiors that actually looks good. I modified some of the aggregates, for the most part they are all the same that are in the ren building asset pack. Some of the existing building packs like the ones that where on Renhelp.net for years had missing proxies our incorrectly named ones. Right now this is only in gmax a flying and non flying version. I might setup one for 3ds max not sure.
Frankly, if it isn't in Max format then I won't be able to use it. I was planning on importing the buildings from some of my old levels, like the GDI Power Plant, AGT, etc. I modified their textures or added elevators to the exterior and I'd like to keep some of that detail since it looks better than the stock buildings. Thanks for the offer, though. If you want the Adv. Comm Center, download it here. The proxies look weird, since they're not centered to 0 with the building. It should work unless something changed. If you'd like to help, though, you could go through to my old aggregates on River_RaidTS and make sure they're compatible with this building - renaming the meshes to mgacm^ or mgacm#, moving them if they need moved, etc. I needed to rename it to mgacm from mgacc because I don't want Renegade pulling in the interior from old levels like River_RaidTS/Mars/whatever else. /edit //This is the Repair Facility that's been properly textured /// ////It's under C&C Mode -> GDI -> mgrep -> pat_fx -> rep^Nod_pad.gmax
Do you have the silos , repair pads, heli pads, com centers in max. If not I will just convert them. I have all the other buildings.
I have a lot of things in 3DSM format, including the Helipads and some other structures. I also have the Barracks ag_3 aggregate file which I will use to rebuild some aggregates for buildings like the Adv. Comm Center. Right now I'm getting all of the buildings into 3DSM with my own personal edits to textures/models. I made the changes so that the old buildings utilize the textures they're given in a logical manner, along with using texture space in a better fashion than the WS artists did. Some buildings were changed a lot, such as the Hand of Nod, which I've redeveloped into the E3-style Hand of Nod from 1999. In addition, I just ripped apart the hand holding the globe and added a lot more detail to it; it was previously nothing more than a sad collection of polygons resembling a hand clutching a globe. There are more changes, such as textures fixes to the Repair Facility, the redone Adv. Comm Center exterior, improved GDI signage on the buildings, etc... I'll be releasing this as a Max file for everyone to use so that buildings don't require RenX to be added into terrain.
Quote: without breaking the game's C4 mines ala Glacier_Flying I know both RR and 4.0 have that fixed, so you might not need to worry about it. That is, if you're talking about the same thing I am....Oh, and nice work. It'd be nice to see some more competitive gameplay maps out there, especially with 4.0 likely being released very soon.
I don't think they'll fix the FPS issues from the CPU being eaten alive by the bugged repair logic. I'll play it safe and use Jonwil's scripts unless I'm informed that everything is alright with the regular game logic.
Finished up the circuit breakers. I've begun the painting process for the entire level, which means I'm getting close to needing testers for this. Here's some progress, in a breakdown: Radio antenna added. Civilian buildings painted with fully modeled interiors. Electrical substation equipment painted. I'm not sure if I want to keep the Ore Refinery, but I can't say it looks out of place at all. Now, since this is done, I have to look at whether or not I'll take the Ore Truck I modeled and painted back in 2005 and upgrade it so that it can be a static prop for this level. Here's progress images:
Looking like a good map,i like all the extra details, how is it holding up for the polygon count?
The base mesh is 5,000 polygons, including the underground ore mines. With the Ore Refinery, the substation, the civilian structures, plus assorted things like power lines, towers, etc, it comes out to 49,000 or so. I haven't added trees yet, or any foliage. The substation is fenced off now. The Max renders are kind of iffy because I'm using area shadowing from the main light source, and it doesn't play well with alpha channels like the fence.
I'll consider it if I have enough time to implement it. So, for today's agenda: Added the chain link fence with razor wire around the substation. Will probably add a larger entrance to it in the rear so that there are three ways to get inside it for cover. Got new walls painted and set up. One of the things I wanted to do with this level is add base walls with gates. I took the walls from Renegade's level 10 3DS Max file which WS sent me in 2002 and kept the same geometry (after cleaning it), then repainted it in Mudbox. I decided to have "faction specific" walls with logos on them and some light to moderate scarring. There's a few pieces that go with this, but they're going to use the same texture. It has no end caps to the geometry since it's meant to be used modularly. They aren't finished yet, but what you see here is a good representation of the design I'm after.
Here are the walls in 3DS Max with a basic floor. I have the gate collars set up with a proxy to bring in the GDI and Nod gates. Will probably just bring the gate into Mudbox, although I could get away with the texture that's on them currently... I think it's comfortably detailed at this point, and I can reuse the texture for other wall segments in addition to different trim pieces for environments. [/quote]
Here's the Ore Refinery after being painted in Mudbox and brought into W3D Viewer.
After taking a break over the weekend, I've gotten back to work on it again. It's now being processed through the editor. I've been developing an aggregate for the level to contain the new particle systems I've developed specifically for it, such as the waterfalls you see here. This is a preview of the texture style I'm going for. I'm using a mixture of the Renegade 2 textures and the textures that Mike Amerson gave me to finish up Noddingham. I will likely create some textures for the environment as well, outside of all of the textures I've designed in Mudbox. I would like to add ice to the level to give it that "spring time" feel, since the mountains are rimmed with fresh grass. As I said earlier, the "base to base" concerns are unfounded - this level is large enough that you cannot see the enemy base from your own, so it would be impossible to hit their base from your own. Also, here's some music that I use for inspiration while working on this project: Hammock - Breathturn
Amazing stuff, makes me wanna tinker in my mudbox! But sadly i haven't touched it yet. Anyways looks great can't wait to see the finished product. Oh and nice new emitters/particles they look fantastic!
I've been following this thread every few days or so, but the work is so good that I didn't feel the need to post. Wanted to say those textures your thinking of using for the map, or the 'texture-style', per se, would be a really phenomenal addition. I generally dislike playing competitive game modes, and I know your slating RA_Fjord to most likely be a player vs player map, but given how much work your putting into it, the details, environment, terrain, textures and the like, I'd probably play it just to check out work you've put into the map. Anyways, those textures are a good choice. Would love to see them in-game for the map. Great work so far with the modeling, lighting, texturing, and map flow/design concept, along with everything else.
Thanks for the feedback. If you're interested in a game that doesn't have any fighting and revolves around exploration, you might like the game I was developing before I started doing some work for Renegade again. Here's the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUZbMVtZ7P4
That is very appealing, although to be honest it is quite unclear what exactly the game will feature. The trailer and video description promises a lot, but more specific details about what the game-play will be like and whether it would be multiplayer or singleplayer would be nice to know. The concept though strikes me as... something to do with broad-space exploration (think of EVE Online), and then being able to explore locations on actual planets? (As hinted in the last section of the video. Something like MYST?) If you ever develop that game more, be sure to link a website with more information, perhaps to your 3dholmes.com portfolio -- I've actually visited there a number of times and saw the screenshots from Parhelion under the 'Environment Art (Current)' section. I only realized those screenshots were from Parhelion after watching the trailer. Definitely pass me a heads-up or link if things get rolling again. I check the Ren forums often enough that a private message should do fine. lordtnaismith-gaming [at] hotmail [dot] com, will also work. Looking forward to the release of this map, as well as the structures and models -- they are of a useful high quality.
It's more about exploring the environment. I can't say much more than that until I get farther with the project... Think something along the lines of Flower on PS3. When I get time to work on it more, it'll be obvious. I'll be posting a lot more work to my portfolio.
I really don't like the vertex lighting that this is limited to. I've attempted to move vertexes around to optimize shadows so they aren't all inaccurate and ugly. Unless I light map the level, this is the best it's going to look. I need to place lights in Max and export them to WLT so that I can get a more accurate global illumination simulation. I decided to make the GDI base the 1990s version of Hammerfest from Tiberian Sun. There are signs alluding to this on the outside of the gates. I think the GDI base layout will work well, but I'm not sure if I want advanced base defenses.
I'd switch the PP around with the CY, so that the non-vital buildings are in the back. Advanced base defences are a must for maps this size imo, I'd add a few Guard Towers to at least cover the PP and Refinery. Does the AGT cover the base so Stealth Black Hands/Stealth Tanks can't rush or sneak in?
By the looks of the screen shot there's only 5 entrances Iran, so it's probably not going to be easy to get in the base in the first place. I do agree with the guard tower suggestion though. I like the looks of the map as a whole very much, but I'm concerned that the gameplay may have it's exploits and such, because of the size of the map, and the amount of buildings and everything. I'm sure you have a decent handle on this and are aware of it, but I also hope that you're keeping gameplay a priority over visuals. I saw a tunnel system in one of the earlier pics, and am wondering where that connects to on the outside? Most tunnels are connected to both bases, but I'm assuming that's not the case because of the size of the map? I'm sure there will still be ways for infantry to do their sneaking around and such, right? Edit: Nvm, i just saw the tunnel entrance in the first ss, my mistake. Doesn't that sort of make it impossible for any sort of infantry rush to be successful though (if the air happened to have died)? It's hard to criticize or critique anything with only screen shots provided, so I could completely be missing the mark here, but will it be possible to even get to that entrance by the pp while the agt is still online?
From some earlier screenshots it looks if vehicles can go upwards to the elevation on the right (behind wf), the elevation is wider (and has an extra elevation) than shown in that screenshot from what I recall.
Look at the earlier screenshots. The ore mines have four entrances but none of them connect to the bases. I could make an additional entrance that pops out behind each base, but that will require gameplay testing so I can see how the current gameplay works. Before that happens, this needs to be put into a more finished state. When I get a test build out, I will let everyone know.
I would suggest something like field; so that enemies can enter the base via infantry, but the AGT will still spot them at the start. That way it's not easy to sneak in to the base, but it is possible
Marvelous! Keep up the good work.
Got more progress done today. The waterfall was widened, I started placing Tiberium in the level, and the river was placed with proper materials and blending. Having an issue with the waterfalls looking like they're clipping into the emitters with some odd triangulation, but otherwise it's coming together fine. I've also taken the liberty of using the original sound that accompanied any appearance of Tiberium in C&C95 so that it feels more "classic" in a sense. Also, all of the trees are proxied in.
The waterfall looks like nothing I've seen before for Renegade. It's beautiful.
I'd add some vertices here to prevent it from stretching the textures so much. Just a suggestion, no offence.
Thanks for the comments and suggestion. I'm aware that the texture was stretching in that position. I hadn't, at that point, applied any UV modifiers to that terrain since it's part of the cliffs that I hadn't worked on yet. It is fixed now, as part of the process of making sure the entire level is UVed correctly. I'm instancing more trees into the level and will put up more screenshots as I start importing the other pieces of the map, such as the power lines, civilian buildings, Ore Refinery, etc. The underground area also needs to be painted, but I'm thinking that it's going to get extended to reach both bases.
Aircraftkiller wrote on Sat, 16 July 2011 03:19 Thanks for the comments and suggestion. I'm aware that the texture was stretching in that position. I hadn't, at that point, applied any UV modifiers to that terrain since it's part of the cliffs that I hadn't worked on yet. It is fixed now, as part of the process of making sure the entire level is UVed correctly. I'm instancing more trees into the level and will put up more screenshots as I start importing the other pieces of the map, such as the power lines, civilian buildings, Ore Refinery, etc. The underground area also needs to be painted, but I'm thinking that it's going to get extended to reach both bases. Good work man
I had created a new Tiberium texture yesterday when someone mentioned that the painted-over version of Renegade's Tiberium ground wasn't as eye-appealing as the Tiberium sitting upon it. Will probably reduce it to 256x instead of 512x. I've begun cutting up the level's geometry to support a wide array of texture blending. I have also added several hundred trees and pieces of foliage that have been oriented to the camera to minimize polygon usage and maximize cover. They'll "fall down" if you look at them from above, which is the only drawback. I have Saberhawk's tool to fix that but it won't work for you if you're not using scripts 4.0... So I'll leave it the way it is. The third of the map comprising the GDI base needs some more trees and texture blends, and then it'll be finished. I also began painting the tunnels with a special "ore mine" technique that I've refined so that the veins of gold don't look out of place against the rock they're blending into.
Map is looking awesome, however I hate to say it but I think those tire tracks/ruts are looking a bit big (spacing wise) when compared to havoc... Then again, these are wide screen pics so maybe that is just messing with me.
This project is so large that I'm starting to forget certain things that I should be doing, like the Ore Refinery's exterior pieces. I finished the paint job in Mudbox a few minutes ago. I've made a lot of progress with the rest of the level, but there's too many tiny glitches for me to feel comfortable showing it yet. I'd have to spend a while defending my work against nitpickers! It would make more sense to finish it up a bit more so the inevitable concerns will be addressed beforehand. Speaking of concerns, I'm not sure if I want to put in the interior of the Ore Refinery. It's going to be a lot of work for something that will be so trivial, and will require a lot of extra textures to make it look "right", which may cause problems with framerates. I think I'll just seal off the entrances with doors and make the windows opaque. Either that or make the windows translucent but have a silhouette of the interior to see.
I don't know much about the original RA universe and its structures but if you were to sacrifice interior accuracy bypassing the lore, would it be possible to make the Refinery into a "dummy" structure (like the barn on Field)? With no doors so it can be walked into and perhaps a ladder/stairs to go to the two upper levels that have the large windows. I am only half-heartedly saying it though as I like your last idea of translucent windows with interior silhouette. edit: reworded
This map is coming along very nicely. I believe the ore refinery is going to be in the map like the barn in fields right? Correct me if Im wrong.
Look at some of the earlier screenshots. It's behind two civilian buildings. It's just a place to take cover.
I already reneged on my idea of not finishing the interior and completed it today. I did, however, rip out the basement; I felt that it was just too much space for the level to have. I would also need to add custom doors to it so that the smelting furnace didn't look weird. Here's a relatively large update for you. I've mapped out most of the ore mines and developed a nice little material for the ore veins so that they look natural against the rock. They darken and lighten where the rock does, making it look like part of the mine, instead of superimposed upon it. I've installed the radio tower, the civilian structures, and the Ore Refinery. I fixed up the road so that it looks more like a dirt road rather than some random tracks with grass perfectly lining it. The blending has hand-painted variable blends so that it looks different at every point in the center. The electrical substation was installed. Here's a frontal view of the Refinery with the two civilian buildings in the foreground. It's a bit dark so I may lighten it up a bit. The inside of the civilian structures, with a pot belly stove (Mudbox painted, of course), bunk beds, sinks, etc... And some views of the interior of the Refinery. It uses entirely stock Renegade textures, trying to avoid bloating the level's mix file any more than I already have.
The trees look a bit unnatural to me, besides that this is an awesome map! AIRCRAFTKILLER YOUR MAPS IS GREAT!
Excellent work. The frontal view of the ore Refinery has weird lighting. On the mountain behind it, the sun appears to be shining down on one side, yet the building on the right side has a shadow that contradicts that. Could just be a Ren thing, but it popped out at me for some reason.
You're most likely seeing fog and thinking it's lighting. The level is so large that a lot of it doesn't appear until you move closer to certain areas, and the lighting will look off until you notice the mountains coming into view... Otherwise it's just pure fog obscuring everything. Renegade only has a 300 meter view distance, so anything beyond that gets clipped. I may end up changing the lighting so that it hits the front of the Refinery instead of the side, so that the texture work I put into it will be more easily viewed.
there's a download out there somewhere that increases that view. It's a "hack" so to speak, but it's good for long range screen shot purposes.
It wouldn't be representative of what everyone would see in-game, so I'd prefer not to use it. I had gotten APB's view extended to 600+ meters back when I was still running it. It's just hard to get everyone to use the same file in Renegade.
This would make me consider reinstalling Renegade to see this thing in motion once it's complete.
I've been developing the underground mining area. Part of it is being overtaken by Tiberium, which is the reason why the mining village is recently abandoned. I've started adding lights to it, although I would prefer it if it stays mostly dark. I've also added a re-spawning machine gun turret on the top of a cliff face that both factions can easily access. In the last image, ignore the cliff... It's something I forgot to add matching smoothing groups to. Will be fixed by tomorrow. Also, for the observant among us, the light shafts become darker and lighter over the course of 10 seconds or so. It's meant to replicate the clouds moving across the sky.
Excellent work here, keep it up!
I had written a note to myself when I was fleshing out the GDI base. I wanted to make the base look more realistic, so I've added street lamps and concrete blockers (vertex matched so the light flows over them, instead of through them) and fixed the sidewalks on the road so that they're raised correctly instead of being mini-ramps. The base also has parking lots, directional arrows, warning signs painted on the ground, etc... I will probably put all of the buildings on a sidewalk like I have for most of them, except for the Weapons Factory and Repair Facility. The WF being so close to the road will make a .5 meter difference instead of a .25 meter height difference, which would make it unhoppable by vehicles. Here's the layout of Hammerfest with the new sidewalks, lamps, cargo, etc: A close-up shot of the street lamps I've designed. I was originally going to use nothing but Renegade textures for it, then realized that it would look terrible because there are no textures in Renegade that could give the same detail that painting a custom map in Mudbox could. So I spent a few hours yesterday modeling it and painting it in Mudbox, and here we are. It has a reflective glass lens, with a glowing mesh to simulate the light and some dust geometry that has a material which simulates flies and moths buzzing around it. I noticed someone had complained about the Advanced Communication Center's dishes. I found the dish texture that they were originally calling for. It apparently only exists inside of one of the zip files that Mike Amerson sent me 9 years ago. They are now modeled to fit the texture and look a lot better. Here's another close-up of the GDI base. I didn't feel that the Repair Facility needed a sidewalk for obvious reasons (It's a vehicle repair facility!). The structures that do have sidewalks will likely have some decorative foliage to adorn them. Even military bases have some kind of landscaping. When you come out of the ore mine that leads to the GDI base, the first thing you see besides the AGT and Guard Towers shooting at you is this: I'll need some gameplay testers within two weeks so I can start figuring out if infantry need some kind of access to each base that can bypass the base defenses.
Absolutely stunning work! I love your attention to detail. I stared at the street lamp shot for a few minutes. The redesigned AGT makes sense now, looks realistic, and downright sinister. It will be an honour to help test. I didn't know there was no way possible yet for infantry to sneak in. What came to mind were the infantry tunnels in Last Stand that added an additional side of gameplay to spice things up a bit. btw, that sign looks deadly. "GDI Hammerfest Command..." amazing! You did it so well that it churned my stomach and made me feel like an ordinary civilian. No joke. Authority just seems to be emanating from that sign. Excellent professional work!
Thanks guys. I think I'm going to connect some points in the GDI base to the ore mines and have the entrance be a destroyable piece of rubble similar to the sewer grating that you can shoot out in Metro. That way, infantry can have some extra mobility but they wouldn't have access to every structure.
Well, I've built an entire sewer system for Hammerfest. There are four grates that you can shoot out to access the system. The four grates are located by the Construction Yard (Away from the AGT's field of fire), the Tiberium Refinery, Barracks, and Advanced Communications Center. The sewers provide a lot of cover for infantry with little "peek" spots where you can duck in and avoid being seen as easily as you would if you were running through the narrow passageways. All four sewer lines converge on the main sewage dumping area beneath the Weapons Factory. There is an old tunnel connected to the ore mines which leads into the dumping area. I've laid out the geometry and mapped out most of the textures, but I still need to add a fence... Unless I set up a damage zone in the sewage water so that you die shortly after landing in it. I'll put up screenshots when it's more complete, should be sometime tomorrow.
Not bad. The cave looks rather low on polygons though. W3D can easily handle 1+ million polygons on 1 single map, especially with today's computers it's no problem. All you have to watch out for is too many materials. The grass/ground textures also look very low-res. 1024x1024 should be a minimum. Eitherway, keep up the good work!.
The geometry for the level is running at around 6k polygons. This includes the terrain only. The props, buildings, trees, bushes, etc - those push it around 100k and beyond. I'm aware of how many polygons it can "handle" but I'm not interested in wasting polygons for the sake of it. The grass and ground are generally 256 to 512. I see no reason to use 1024x. The textures are tiled correctly and have enough breaks in repetition that it's a non-issue. The only thing that requires a large texture is the Ore Refinery, which is a 2048x map. At 1024x or lower, the detail on it becomes indiscernible. As I've said to other people, I'm not developing this level based on arbitrary design limitations. I'm developing it with the original limitations in mind and exceeding them by roughly 150%. When or if I port this over to UDK, it will use a set of textures that are higher resolution with a full set of normals, specular highlights, etc.
Might it look better to use the Beta/RJC styled guardtowers that more resemble the look of the cnc95 guard towers? I don't really find the current small guardtowers fitting in. I would like to test your map when needed.
If I were to use different Guard Towers, I would end up modeling them and painting them in Mudbox - I'm not really interested in using anyone else's art assets for this. I'll keep it in mind.
This map looks really nice, good job I would also like to help test if you want
I'll put up a download link for anyone interested in testing. It will have a different filename than C&C_Fjord.mix so that it will not conflict with the release version. The sewers are completely painted and pretty much finished. I may make the fences shorter than they currently are. How it works: You shoot open the grates, since they're a shatter-able object. Once you do that, you can come and go from the sewer as you please. The Nod base will not have underground "tunnels", but will have several alternate ways of entering the base compared to the GDI base. The sewer exits at the aforementioned points, and the exits are clearly marked with signs such as "GBAR" and "GCON" so you know where you're popping out. The sewer dumping area isn't really spectacular, but does have some good lighting in it. I'm happy with the whole thing so far, but I do need to work on the transition from the ore mines to the sewers. This is a very early stage of the ore mine/sewer transition. I'm happy with how the rock meets the concrete, and will probably not need to change anything in that regard. I do need to finish mapping the ore mine's walls, but otherwise this part is basically finished. I'm putting a forest up on the Nod side of the level and should have a good amount of coverage by tomorrow.
Wow, looks great! I like how it incorporates so many aspects of renegade and real life things in it.
Is that your renegade icon? If so, mind sharing it?
It's RenDirCon, just a tool to connect to a server directly.
I think you should ask the maker for the icon. I could easily attach it to this post at the time I'm typing this but I do not know whether he'd like that Group of 7 icons; Smallest: 16*16 Largest: 256*256
Omar007 wrote on Tue, 02 August 2011 18:09 I think you should ask the maker for the icon. I could easily attach it to this post at the time I'm typing this but I do not know whether he'd like that Group of 7 icons; Smallest: 16*16 Largest: 256*256 How about a PM?
I'm working on the old "C&C rubble" that you'd find in Tiberian Dawn and Red Alert. I took my old rubble pieces from APB and modified them to the point that they were completely remade. I then applied UVs, stitched them together with an unwrap, exported to Mudbox, and painted them. The graffiti was the most fun of all of it. It was interesting trying to mix pieces with throwups and tags, and making it feel that several different artists had painted on the rubble... So each piece of graffiti is different and uses a mix of handwriting on my tablet. Here it is in W3D Viewer. It's using a 1024x texture but I could easily shrink it to 512 without a huge loss in quality. I'm still progressing on the level. I've been adding more forest to the Nod side of the map, and have been adding more Tiberium so that the atmosphere feels more like C&C95 with the random Tiberium patches growing in the woods.
Is that a 4 door bar in your earlier screen shot? If so, does it have a 2nd floor, or is it just the one? I'm curious to know which side (nearest base or wall) that the MCT/elevator is located at if it is indeed has 4 doors. I never really understood the purpose of a construction yard other than being another building that needs to be destroyed either...but i guess it does make the base look more "complete"