Work in progress: New Republic Prison Ship from The Mandalorian

[OCD2]

Hello everyone,

For my first shared work in progress project, I'll be creating a multiplayer map version of the New Republic Prison Ship, as shown on The Mandalorian.

Here are a few alpha concept in-game screenshots:

https://jkhub.org/albums/LLsrIgO

 

More pictures will be added as progress is made,  while I iterate different layouts, textures, shaders and constructions.

 

Layout and Gameplay:

After researching the ship from the show scenes and images, it appears the layout is mainly 3 lanes of parallel prison cells. 

Each lane is divided into 3 sections.   Each section has two groupings of 4 parallel cells, bisected by a perpendicular connecting corridors that lead to the other lanes - with some variation.  A control room is at the top center of the lanes. 

The map is being designed for siege/movie battles objective style gameplay.   Intended as an extraction obj, the attackers are to release and escort a twilek npc to the ship checkpoint within a time limit to win.   

The tentative objective sequence is to emulate the episode:   

The attackers are to breach the control room.   Entering the control room will trigger the second obj, activating a prison cell door where the npc spawns.  The attackers then have to "hack" (which will be a simple button press with a few second delay because the map is so mobile and you need to watch for sudden flanks) open the cell door and then escort the npc to the ship checkpoint to win.    

Defenders sequence of objectives are to defend the control room, and then the cell, then prevent the npc from escaping.

An FFA mode will also be included.

 

Tentatively Planned Content Roadmap:

Rearrange/expand the layout of the map trying to keep authentic to the shows depiction as source material.  

Emphasis on custom textures to fully detail the main areas of the map to evoke scenes from the episode.   

Model the interior of the prison cell.  

New layout for the control room and new custom textures.

Rebuild construction of the prison cell doors and new and more detailed custom textures for the prison cell doors.

Custom "color changing"  lighting textures, to match the red lighting / strobing scenes in the show.

Shaders for the new lighting textures.

A basic, modelled interior of the Razor Crest.    This may be its own project - though useful if I (or anyone else) do a series of Mandalorian themed maps.

A working alarm system that emulates the shows depiction.  The alarm functionality is subject to change as the map is built out and tested to find out what works best.

A hidden compartment/upper level to the control room for ambushes/flanking, as shown in the series.

Potentially a few inmates that will heckle you if you pass their cell, as a reference the show and as a landmark to help keep track of and alert nearby players of your location on the map.  Would likely be animated shader on the cell door window texture that "pops up" and emits a snarl or noise.   Maybe they can be "silenced" (the trigger deactivated) by player weapons.

Plus some extra easter egg content.

 

Far Out Plans/Wishlist/Potential Collaborations Ideas:

I have zero modeling experience, though would like to eventually create the characters and the droid models that appeared in the episode.    

If you are familiar with MovieBattles2 Full Authentic mode,  another bucketlist item would be to recreate the episode with one side being Mando and gang, and the other side being the battle droids and the human crewmember Davan.   All having  weapons, abilities, models and voice taunts inspired from the show.

An intro screen cinematic, where the Razor Crest docks to the Prison ship - a recreation of the docking scene in the episode.

Exit cinematic scene :  attackers win -the razor crest flies away.  Defenders win - 3 x-wing fly by and blow up the docked razor crest.

Lastly, repurposing the map as a single player experience, with NPCs and story/plot/action that recreate the Mandalorian episode. 

If the map is well enough received, potentially I would be interested in making more fight scenes from the Mandalorian - looks like season 2 will have some fights vs Imperials that might make interesting maps.   

I'm also interested in mapping other locations from season 1.  The Client hideout, The asset extraction scene from the nikto gang,  Mandos vs everyone Navaro escape(which could be repurposed to moff gideon imperial fight), the village raider defense, the bar standoff climax scene - even small scale scenes like   Din Djarin and Baby Yoda vs Mudhorn (perhaps an opportunity learn to skin and kitbash by repurposing the reek model) or a Blurg Defense vs flying creaturea are potential options of future projects.   

I expect the next project will be to create a map based on some aspect of season 2 (as long as it has good content) after completing the Prison Ship map,  leading up to a Mandalorian themed map pack.

 

That is current tentative roadmap.   It will be some work, though I think it can realistically be realized to a fair degree of polish in a relatively short amount of time.    

 

Ideas, beta testers and constructive criticism (and help with some of the work)  welcome!

 

[Coolin]

man this all looks like a banger of a map

[OCD2]

On 10/24/2020 at 5:33 PM, Coolin said:

man this all looks like a banger of a map

Thanks!

This is only the early alpha.

I'm hoping it looks significantly better when it's done/released!

[Coolin]

i would reguarly host this map on the server im on, i just hope the play in there is as good as the map looks

[OCD2]

21 minutes ago, Coolin said:

i would reguarly host this map on the server im on, i just hope the play in there is as good as the map looks

Wow, thats quite a compliment thank you!

I would absolutely take you up on that offer once the map is closer to its finished state -   Would love to be able to beta test it if you would consider hosting after more work is done.

 

[DarthValeria]

Quite amazing!

[OCD2]

A few pictures of progress:

Some geometry reworked, added first iteration doorframe, control room reworked,  functional ambush grate added (placeholder texture), textures and their layout slightly reworked.

Map model Din Djarin by community member GustavoPredador.

 

 

 

 

[OCD2]

Here is the prison ships overhead layout shown in the episode,  which I hope to follow closely.  If I can get a high res screen I will try to use it as the minimap as an easter egg.  (terrible resolution phone camera shots taken will working out and watching the show for reference!)

The top image shows the three large parallel lanes,  with what looks like nine smaller lanes that interconnect those main three lanes.   

The second photo shows the banks of prison cells in the area directly before the control center.  The side of each lane has 4 parallel cells, and the end seems to have a 5th smaller cell placed perpendicular in the connective corridors.

Its a relatively simplistic layout, so my focus in the end will be on making custom textures that match the images from the show closely/as close as possible.

 

 

 

 

[OCD2]

Had enough free time for a minor update today.

Lowered the whole map ceiling by one grid,  cleaned up a few textures and tried a few beveled constructions for the main hallways in attempt to create the hall angle.   Not quite there yet with the geometry, though will try to make some progress every day.

 

[Jeff]

Looks great.

[OCD2]

Not much extra time for today, so very minor additions.   

Small lighting change, npc files for models strictly to stage scenes from the show to photo as I build the map out, and a little editing of the .siege file.

And a few chairs.

 

Also concepting dialing back the complexity of the security system.   

Current thought is that attackers entering the control room obj will globally trigger the strobed/(blinking) hallway lights.    

Then if and when the attackers engage the npc (2nd obj), it triggers the red alert lighting, but under certain conditions.   Current thought is to have the red lighting only trigger in rooms where the main lane door has been closed off, and red lighting only on during the time the door is locked.  That way it's not a potential annoyance/troll being activated manually, or having entire rounds playing out in red lighting.

Still determining a reasonable way to implement the locking door system, may be simply on a timer and swap from lane to lane after the timer completes.   

 

[OCD2]

Thought of a potential fair and competitive way to implement the locking door system.

After the npc has been activated, there will be "hotspots" activated in each room - triggers simulating a surveillance system camera.    It will be made clear where the hotspot zones are located.

If the attacking team players step in a hotspot trigger, it closes all doors but one in the room and the lighting goes red.  All on a timer, you can wait it out or reroute.

I think that emulates the show fairly well, allows for more competitive play,  is reasonable to achieve, and is interactive and more fun.

[OCD2]

More minor updates for the night before Season 2.

 

Added concepted cell number texture above the doors, and added more texture detail to the door texture concept.

Remade and lowered cell door bevels.   They are wrong still, but this is where I stopped.   I looked at some reference material,  realized the construction of the door frame is actually recessed, which will make it easier to make and get a cleaner looking doorway using recessed cylinders.   As well as clean up the hallway of potential sticking points.

Added some concept bevels at the top of the hallways that I did not notice in the show originally.    Its subtle,  though there is an angle at the top of the hallway corner.

Added this little jawa-vacuum looking detail that was shown outside the control room.

 

 

Kindergarten geometry to be cleaned up this weekend when I have a stretch of free time.  Should go from impressionist painting version to a more accurate representation.

[Noodle]

So far it seems that your map is too broad in comparisson to the source. Try to make the passages a bit more narrow and it'd both be more intense for gunfights and accurate to the source material. 

[Circa]

3 minutes ago, Noodle said:

So far it seems that your map is too broad in comparisson to the source. Try to make the passages a bit more narrow and it'd both be more intense for gunfights and accurate to the source material. 

I was about to say the same thing. The reference shot above compared to the picture above it shows the scale is way off. Mando looks tiny in the game compared to the shot from the show.

This looks really good though, keep it up!

[OCD2]

On 10/30/2020 at 8:28 AM, Noodle said:

So far it seems that your map is too broad in comparisson to the source. Try to make the passages a bit more narrow and it'd both be more intense for gunfights and accurate to the source material. 

Thank you, that's exactly the criticism and guidance I need.   Much appreciated.

Last week I was rewatching the show before the new season starts,  saw this episode and realized that it was set in a perfect quake map layout!    I actually made the concepted corridors the same day I had the idea, and mostly from memory.       

I've found some amazing reference since then in some set photos, and diagrams that are highly detailed, which should be very helpful!

I'm a newer player and modder.   I have been working with the sdk for a few months in my spare time,  Ive read the manuals (gtk,shader,scripting) and worked though a good number of tutorials.   I can build and use the different aspects of the sdk, though I still sometimes have rudimentary questions,  and I do appreciate any help / advice / tips / and or jokes about the visuals or something I've created that could be improved.    

I've been using using the thread as a sort of white board to concept ideas,   just letting the ideas flow, and then trying to select the better ideas and reeling back to an achievable goal.   

The thought process for the hallways to was maybe have them a bit larger to potentially accommodate a 32 player bloodbath lol, make sure there is some form of cover, and that all classes and an npc could navigate the map without too many sticking points.     Though I'm certainly open to resizing as I reiterate the map, to keep it closer to the source material.

I'm enthusiastic about following through with the map to a full featured end product that I can say I created, and hopefully at least a few people are happy to try out.

On 10/30/2020 at 8:33 AM, Circa said:

I was about to say the same thing. The reference shot above compared to the picture above it shows the scale is way off. Mando looks tiny in the game compared to the shot from the show.

This looks really good though, keep it up!

Agreed, see above!   Thank you for the critique and encouragement!

[OCD2]

Quick lunchtime geometry update.

Brought the hallways more inline with the source material,  resized the door control pads, added a small detail to the lighting/camera panel concept texture and made a quick pillar texture.

The width of the hallway definitely needs to be slimmed down, (as advised thanks!) which will be the next update.

[Lancelot]

This map is awesome. It's also from one of my favourite episodes!

It has the potential to be far more than just a FFA map. I see it as a map that gives you a certain mission, which requires stealth and tactics, just like in the show. It would be a shame if it becomes like one of those exclusive Moviebattles II maps in which the players are aimlessly shooting through the hallways.

[OCD2]

16 hours ago, Lancelot said:

This map is awesome. It's also from one of my favourite episodes!

It has the potential to be far more than just a FFA map. I see it as a map that gives you a certain mission, which requires stealth and tactics, just like in the show. It would be a shame if it becomes like one of those exclusive Moviebattles II maps in which the players are aimlessly shooting through the hallways.

 

Once it's staged out, there are plenty of options for gameplay - multiplayer obj, multiplayer ffa, single player, roleplay.  

That's partly why I'm so enthusiastic about the project -   there is a lot of potential utility to the map.   

I hope my idea of the "security system" plays out well.  I think I have a good idea now on how to make it give the feeling of having to play stealthy and avoid the "cameras" to win.

I think it's a great springboard project to learn all the aspects of developing a complete well rounded map/mod.

When I'm done, I should have the skillset to be able to put out a series of maps at a good pace    I have a ton of ideas, and I'm really enjoying the creative process.

 

[OCD2]

Height and width to scale for the main corridors / lanes and columns rebuilt to scale.   

Most of the time I had available to update was spent calculating the scale and measuring the various distances and column pieces to rebuild.

Column spacing still needs to be set to scale lengthwise.

[Noodle]

I've outlined with red some things you need to add for it to be more like in the show.

 

The structural support needs to have 2  square lights, one below and one on top. There's also a pair of rectangular light sources on top of the structure that your map is missing. 

The control panels on the pilllars aren't as wide as the pillar itself, trim it on the sides. 

Also, the light source on the roof isn't like the one you're doing on your map. You can change the texture on the sides to repeat more times so it looks closer to the show and change the one in the middle to be closer to the one in the reference picture. 

 

Hope it helps!

[OCD2]

7 hours ago, Noodle said:

I've outlined with red some things you need to add for it to be more like in the show.

 

The structural support needs to have 2  square lights, one below and one on top. There's also a pair of rectangular light sources on top of the structure that your map is missing. 

The control panels on the pilllars aren't as wide as the pillar itself, trim it on the sides. 

Also, the light source on the roof isn't like the one you're doing on your map. You can change the texture on the sides to repeat more times so it looks closer to the show and change the one in the middle to be closer to the one in the reference picture. 

 

Hope it helps!

Yes, thank you for pointing those out.

The console panels will become "embedded" as pillar textures.  They are currently all extra brushes slapped on the columns just for me to help visualize the end product.

I plan on making or remaking all of those textures you pointed out,  replacing my current fancy microsoft paint placeholder textures.

Still working on scale and layout, making a few hallways visually match the scenes in the show, and remaking the control center to scale.

 

[ZanderNao]

WOW! This is coming along really well! You're doing great!

It's so nice to see a new map being developed in detail bit by bit. I think you've got some great concepts and execution here. Keep up the great work!

[OCD2]

Thank you!

I was hoping that showing my commitment would serve to get feedback on my progress, tips on what I could do better, and maybe inspire others to try modding or mapping.

Im a very creative person, and willing to put in the work - though I will definitely still need support in certain aspects of developing my idea.   (Namely scripting and shader work)

I've had a lot of assistance from people in the community already as im learning and I really appreciate the help, as well as the constructive and motivational posts.

[OCD2]

Smallest update today.   

Slimmed the control panels for visual effect,  and put up the small corridor doorframe, which will still needs tweaking.