level Level 05/06 - Baron's Hed

[Mark_the]

So, since I have been accepted and assigned to these maps, I thougt to make an "official" post in which I show you guys my progress and to have some feedback.

I'll upload some videos or pictures soon, hopefully more than three times a week

[MagSul]

Good luck on the project!

[Mark_the]

So, here's a quick update:

 

I decided to start the map from the beginning and here's two shots of how it is so far

 

 

 

 

For now I'm ok with it and I think it's better than the previous one I made, but it could be better. I hope I can post some more updates on Saturday or  on Sunday.

[minilogoguy18]

Let's get some tags next time

 

Looking better, kinda looked too much like the original game but probably shouldn't go too crazy on textures since they're just gonna get replaced but they may at least be used as a basis for the final ones.

 

You should also join the discord channel if you haven't already

[Mark_the]

Let's get some tags next time

 

Looking better, kinda looked too much like the original game but probably shouldn't go too crazy on textures since they're just gonna get replaced but they may at least be used as a basis for the final ones.

 

You should also join the discord channel if you haven't already

Yeah, sorry about the tag, but it was 2.00 am when I uploaded this and didn't really think about it.

 

Glad you're saaying it looks better than the previous one and I used the original textures only for the screenshots, since otherwise you couldn't really tell the floor from the water or the walls, so they're there just to give a general idea.

Anyways, regarding discord, I'd appreciate if you could link me the server

 

Edit - Also I'd really like to add some more details because this map, especially the first part before arriving into the city after the tunnel, even in the original game, looks and feels very empty and boring. Only problem is I'm not very imaginative and expert enough to come up with a good idea, so I am very open to suggestions! 

[Mark_the]

Here's another few images of what I managed to do today. Yes the lighting sucks, but I was just curious to see how it looks with some depth, but the basic structure is coming pretty well for now:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, I took some inspiration from a video I saw on youtube of this level in Jedi Outcast; I think it was Trank's, but I'm not 100% sure. And yes, I know it's dark and you can barely see, but I am still learning lighting, so I think that, when I'm done, I'll let someone better than me do the lighting, if that's possible of course

[Jedi_Mediator]

Great to see more progress. I can tell that you've started to add more detail. The "canal" setting here reminds me a lot of this level from Half-Life 2:

 

 

...especially at the start. Obviously, the HL2 level is more of an Earth-like setting, whereas Barons Hed is on some kind of desert planet. But maybe watching it would give you some architecture/lighting inspiration.

 

One thing I noticed in the shots you posted is that you have some sourceless lights. Meaning that, in the last three shots, the red/blue/green lights seem to be coming from nowhere. In real life, light always comes from somewhere (the sun, ambient daylight, a streetlight, etc.). Try to avoid placing any lights that don't have an obvious source.

 

Also, I recommend using fewer light colors in each area, and when you use multiple colors, try to pick colors that work together. Seeing red, blue, and green light together in one place is a little startling.

[Mark_the]

Yes, but, as I said, I put those lights there on the ceiling of the tunnel and on the bridges just to have a general idea, of course they won't be there like that, without any source, by the time I'm done. Also, I don't like the green light either, but I think that blue and red can kinda be together and I was thinking about putting some light sources on the sides of the bridges and on top of the tunnel.

I'd also really love to have the tunnel pretty dark. In the original it was quite lit but that place always gave me the idea of being like a sewer where people never really access, but only droids, so that's why imagine it dark, even if not as dark as in the screenshots, it has to be lit enough in order for the player to see where he's going.

 

Edit: oh and thanks for the video, but the point is that I have quite good ideas for lighting, but i still have to learn how to use it well in radiant.

[Mark_the]

So, I didn't really have a lot of time to progress with the map, but I did some fixes to the whole area before the city and I added some random textures and lighting to simply help to understand what you are watching, but of course that's not gonna be the final product, but overall I'd say that the basic structure of that river area is pretty much done, even if it definitely still needs some improvements:

 

 

Yes, I know there's no room with items on the left when you get out of that circular area, I forgot to add that, since I revisited most parts of the map. I'll add it later.

[Jedi_Mediator]

I disagree, I definitely see some progress! I like the new wood detailing on the platforms at the beginning, and the lighting looks much better than it did before--more consistent colors, and it all has a source. Looking good.

[Mark_the]

So, again, didn't really have much time and I took it easy, but I really do hope this place looks familiar:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mark_the]

Ok, I took a little break from the Baron's hed city and started working on the following level. I think it's a little bigger than the actual level, but it shouldn't be that much of a deal. Here's a video, let me know what you guys think

 

[hhunter6]

Looks pretty good.  This would be my recommendation to you, flesh out the level more.  If you can widen it out, and make it less sharp around the edges and more robust, that would be great.  This is what Darkstar Mojo told me back in the day during the DFMod.  Is while the goal is to bring back the the original game, you are on an engine that is way more robust than DFJK in the late 90's.  Make it your own and bring it to life!

 

You have a great start,  keep it up!

[Mark_the]

Yes, the thing is that I'm gonna do the basic brushwork for now, and then add the details.

 

In the meantime, here's some more "gameplay" of this level. Didn't have a lot of time to put textures, but I think that the structure, at least, is almost identical (I've compared it with the original level in zed) Don't worry about areas in which you see the skybox where you shouldn't see it, I'll fix it later, same thing with the elevator that takes you where the probe droids are. Other than that, I hope you enjoy it

Hopefully I will continue saturday or sunday.

 

 

Edit - Alright, I managed to fix the flickering castle thanks to Jedi_Mediator

Edited May 28, 2018 by lnigro94

[Ramikad]

Try increasing the distancecull value in the worldspawn to a bit more than the height of the skybox where the tower is, that should fix the visual problems with the tower.

[Mark_the]

So, I just wanted to say that the level 5 (the fallen city) is done. I still have to do some good mitre job and  add a little bit of details and it's pretty much done. I'm not home now, so I will upload some images later today or tomorrow (with also a comparison with the view from above in radiant and in ZED) and after that I'll try to record it as if it was the actual level; not sure when though

[Mark_the]

I apologize for being so late, but I am out of town because of work, so I don't really have a lot of spare time, but I managed to take some screenshots. I hope you like them

 

 

 

 

Fallen City

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dark Palace

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Teancum]

Nice! It's like a poly-for-poly conversion. Can't wait to see the enhancements that come.

[Lancelot]

I apologize for being so late, but I am out of town because of work, so I don't really have a lot of spare time, but I managed to take some screenshots. I hope you like them

 

 

 

 

Fallen City

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dark Palace

 

 

 

 

 

 

Impressive effort. It's really a good recreation.

 

I don't want to dictate how this map has to look like, but I want to add some suggestions if I may.

 

1. I don't know why, but looking at the map, it looks like a cross between the Tatooine spaceport and an ancient Asian village. Maybe you could take inspiration from both,

especially for the architecture.

 

2. The location on the 8th picture definitely has potential. There should be something like a marketplace.

 

3. From what I know, Baron's Hed is a place with two layers of society (high and low). It could be reflected like this:

- Low society areas are the ones you have to go through in order to complete the mission (in other words, the original path of the mission).

- High society areas should be in the background or just "decoration" to fill the rather boring parts of a map.

For example, instead of a plain wall, there could be an entrance to a fancy club.

[Mark_the]

Impressive effort. It's really a good recreation.

 

I don't want to dictate how this map has to look like, but I want to add some suggestions if I may.

 

1. I don't know why, but looking at the map, it looks like a cross between the Tatooine spaceport and an ancient Asian village. Maybe you could take inspiration from both,

especially for the architecture.

 

2. The location on the 8th picture definitely has potential. There should be something like a marketplace.

 

3. From what I know, Baron's Hed is a place with two layers of society (high and low). It could be reflected like this:

- Low society areas are the ones you have to go through in order to complete the mission (in other words, the original path of the mission).

- High society areas should be in the background or just "decoration" to fill the rather boring parts of a map.

For example, instead of a plain wall, there could be an entrance to a fancy club.

Thanks a lot, and yes, I thought about all of that, and have some ideas, so details will come, but later. Right now I'm focusing more on the basic achitecture, which is 98% done in the city, and about 40/50% for dark palace. The thing that is taking long for me isn't the scale of the map, but the fact that there are a lot of diagonal shapes, if it were only horizontal and vertical would be great lol (I tried to recreate yun's duel map, just for fun, I already know ashura is working on it, and it only took a couple minutes, and it's identical to what we see in the original game) once I'm done with the dark palace and mitre with both maps I'll go on details to make these maps look more interesting and less old. I'd also like to work on the following level, you know, the palace escape after yun's level, since it's currently unassigned, but we'll see about that

[Mark_the]

Just a little update

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[minilogoguy18]

@@Lancelot just gotta remember that like he said, architecture for now, all the textures are just placeholders so it's easier to look at. Every single one will get redone in way higher res PBR maps.

[Tempust85]

Looking good, but two things:

 

1) Switch looks massive. Please scale it down. Then go into thirdperson, and make sure it's mid-torso height.

2) Please change the lift/elevator texture from the "grill" texture to one of the textures located in "DF2_lifts" from the mod assets.

 

[Lancelot]

@@Lancelot just gotta remember that like he said, architecture for now, all the textures are just placeholders so it's easier to look at. Every single one will get redone in way higher res PBR maps.

I'm aware of that. I just wanted to share my suggestions.

[Mark_the]

@@DT85 Will do

Now, speaking about textures, some of the ones I need aren't in the texture folders I downloaded from here, so I had to extract the .mat file from the original game and convert them to jpg. Is that okay?