Jedi Academy mod: Star Wars ~ Episode VII

[ChalklYne]

if youve already got a feel for max Id stay there. doesnt really matter what program you use. you know what you need to do before you check out jka or saber modelling tutorials? just look at gmax tutorials. get the basics. learn how to extrude edges and faces and get a feel for the overall workflow of the program. just watch the basics tutorials for gmax and you will understand that you don't need anything from us besides making a .sab and adding a few tags. the rest is all universal modelling dude. a lot of people try to make a saber or a weapon and are like... "how do you get the cylinder on the screen". those kind of questions arent jka related XD spend today learning gmax without jka in mind. then tomorrow you'll know what to do. then getting it ingame after you have it modelled and textured, we can totally help u there. But none of us are really going to walk anyone through the basics and navigation of any paricular program. no offense it honestly is easier on you as well as us if you learn the basics of the program before posting questions regarding sai program. The gmax saber modelling tutorial is for after youve been thru the basics

Learn the navigation and ui and selection parts first

[hka1894]

Sooo ChalklYne, are you working on a TFU mod of Jedi Academy?

[ChalklYne]

Relentlessly

[Circa]

Sooo ChalklYne, are you working on a TFU mod of Jedi Academy?

http://jkhub.org/forum/52-unleashed-15/

 

Have a look around JKHub. There's some cool projects and topics going on. (Also some entertaining ones)

[ChalklYne]

@@Circa Thank you kind sir

[hka1894]

That's cool. Really cool. If I ever, and I probably won't, I'm probably going to have to give up on this idea because it's obvious not cut out for this stuff and everyone else is too busy, anyway, if I ever get to where I can "reskin" things or whatever then I might ask to use your Starkiller skin. All I would do to it is make his hair grayish white and give him some Senator/Chancellor clothes...

*obvious I'm not cut out for this stuff

[ChalklYne]

Everything I'm releasing has full permissions to do with what you want. I will also be releasing the source files such as wireframed uvmaps and xsi files for characters. And I thank you for your kind words concerning the mod. Funny thing is... you'd already be done with the basics tutorials if you would have just done it and youd be ready to make that saber tonight. "Not cut out for this" or is it "Not motivated enough to learn this"

 

*Choose wisely*

[hka1894]

lol more like "too tired and not enough time to learn this". So, did you play TFU2? And if you did, did you ever choose the Dark Side ending?

[Circa]

Meh. I understand where he's coming from. I haven't really learned how to model yet either because it just doesn't really interest me enough to take the time to learn it.

[Prometheus]

Errr i'm a newb at modding too so I probably shouldnt overstep my boundaries here but uhh...I think you guys should help him out... I mean he seems more like a "director" than a "crew member" if u all know what I mean. i personally would love to see this "machinima"

[Circa]

Errr i'm a newb at modding too so I probably shouldnt overstep my boundaries here but uhh...I think you guys should help him out... I mean he seems more like a "director" than a "crew member" if u all know what I mean. i personally would love to see this "machinima"

That's not how the modding world works. A director pays people to do what they do. If they didn't pay, nobody would want to do it.

 

With modding, if you just want people to do all the work for you, nobody is going to want to even consider it.

 

There's a difference between a request and a project announcement/WIP. This was definitely an announcement and a plea for help getting started.

 

We're trying to help him get started.

[Prometheus]

So u want him to do all the work himself and just give him little tips as he goes along? lol I can see how he's getting discouraged. Just saying lol. What if he did pay u all? Would you do that, hka1894? XD

[hka1894]

Naw, man lol I can't afford to pay all the people that would be necessary to do this. I just got fired from my job and I'm looking for another one.

[Circa]

So u want him to do all the work himself and just give him little tips as he goes along? lol I can see how he's getting discouraged. Just saying lol. What if he did pay u all? Would you do that, hka1894? XD

No, not all the work. But he should be willing to start it up and show us what he's already done. That's just how it is. Nobody else wants this project but him. Mods like this take a lot of time.

 

Just look at the 3 main mods being worked on in the mod project forums. The Castelvania mod was started by Botdra. He already had a few maps well on their way, some skins and weapons, etc. People started joining in because they saw the potential in his project and were also interested in it. Then there's the DFII mod that DT85 started by himself with maps and models and even code edits. He's doing awesome and a couple people have offered to help (although DT is really doing most of it by himself). And Chalk's TFU mod as well.

 

Most mods never make it off the ground because the one starting it doesn't have enough motivation to continue with it and gain team members.

[Prometheus]

so...what you're saying is...that even though it's not really a mod, just a machinima and even though its an amazing and awesome idea that a lot of people would love to watch, you're not going to do anything for him just because he's a newb? I mean, I've researched the modding tactics used for this game and it apparently takes YEARS to learn how to mod this game very well and like he said in one of his earlier posts, he doesn't have that much time since he'll be starting college this time next year...

 

I'm not trying to start an argument, I'm just the type of guy that likes to try and see into the future on things and I put myself in other people's shoes.

[eezstreet]

so...what you're saying is...that even though it's not really a mod, just a machinima and even though its an amazing and awesome idea that a lot of people would love to watch, you're not going to do anything for him just because he's a newb? I mean, I've researched the modding tactics used for this game and it apparently takes YEARS to learn how to mod this game very well and like he said in one of his earlier posts, he doesn't have that much time since he'll be starting college this time next year...

 

I'm not trying to start an argument, I'm just the type of guy that likes to try and see into the future on things and I put myself in other people's shoes.

So what you're saying is, we're not trying to help him, and we should do everything for him? I don't have time myself to really offer too much help, let alone actually physically do anything to help.

[Circa]

We are trying to help him. Helping doesn't always mean doing everything for that person, but teaching him to do it himself. And really it doesn't take years to learn to mod, what takes years is actually modding.

 

Like eez said, nobody really has time to start up another project. They are either too busy with their own mods, too busy with real life, or both. Most likely both for everyone.

 

I understand you are putting yourself in his shoes, which is something I do a lot as well.

[Prometheus]

No, not everything but maybe if he could just do all the hilts and write the dialouge/script, whatever u wanna call it, then maybe since everything else is so advanced, u could do that for him. Since, a few of the people that hav replied to him know how to make hilts then obviously they learned from somewhere so you could point him in the direction of the gmax tutorial that you all watched. Telling someone to google "gmax tutorial" and hoping to find one that is actually good is like telling someone to find a needle in a haystack.

[Circa]

Any tutorial is going to help. There's no right or wrong one. I pointed him to a good one.

 

The conversation is still going as well. We're trying to help him out still.

 

But really, if he wants to do it that bad, he should be able to find lots of tutorials on YouTube that can help him just by searching. That's what anyone would do right now if we were to post ones for him.

[hka1894]

Just forget it, guys. I should have known this was too grand of an idea to propose... I'm giving up... Thanks for everybody who viewed this and a special thanks to Prometheus for being a great cheerleader, even though it was a short career for him...

[Prometheus]

NOOOOO!!!!!! don't give up, buddy!!!!!!!!!

 

 

DAMMMMMNNNNNN ITTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hka1894]

No, bro, I give up. Like I said, I'm not cut out for this and apparently nobody is very interested in it and even if they were, they're too busy

[therfiles]

Sorry that it didn't work out for you! I wouldn't say that modding takes years to understand, just a little bit of dedication and tinkering. I hope you don't think that we hated this project - we really don't. It's just that people are willing to help but need some assurance that the mod will get done and that it's worth their time. Showing people that you can mod and have a little bit of proof of concept done would go a long way to help convince lots of people. As to tutorials, @@Circa is right. When learning JKA tools there are a bevy of resources available, from here on JKHub to Youtube. It just requires putting time in and being willing to learn. Modding is extremely frustrating and tiresome, but your hard work always pays off, you just have to give it some time.

 

So I hope you don't give up modding completely, man. When you find that you have a bit more free time, I hope you'll come back and give it another go! Good luck!

[ChalklYne]

So u want him to do all the work himself and just give him little tips as he goes along? 

No. We want him to share a fair portion of the contribution, and learn a bit about what he's talking about that way he knows the possibilities and general criteria of this game's engine.

 

 

Telling someone to google "gmax tutorial" and hoping to find one that is actually good is like telling someone to find a needle in a haystack.

I asked him to learn the basics. There is not 1 wrong or useless basics tutorial out there. I just searched youtube for "gmax tutorial" and every single one that said "basics" would have worked. Hardly a needle in a haystack. 

 

 

I've researched the modding tactics used for this game and it apparently takes YEARS to learn how to mod this game very well 

You need no extra knowledge to model hilts in this game. You only need the basics of how to navigate and create shapes. You're not learning to "mod in jka" you are simply learning how to drop a shape onto the canvas and spin the camera around it. As I explained, anything particular to THIS game engine, we can help with. Tags, power of 2 texturing, etc. Those parts I said we would help with. The simple task of knowing the UI and how to move the camera and drop shapes in gmax can be learned in 5 minutes! 5 measly minutes that would help you and us. Compared to our weeks worth of work helping you. Good thing you researched

 

 

I'm not sorry. I'm thankful. Usually someone waits until we do half the work for them to abandon the mod and leave everybody feeling like idiots for helping him. I feel if you give up now, you would have given up later if we would have helped when we finished our stuff and all the weight was on you to finish yours. A 5 minute tutorial is wayyy too much work compared to the weeks of work we'd be helping you with for it. At least you gave up in the beginning. You asked us for weeks of work and we asked you to watch a SINGLE video on youtube for us. I understand how frustrated you are and shame on us for asking you to help us help you.

 

@@Prometheus you said you didnt want to step over any boundaries, then implied that we're all pompous and greedy with your tone.

 

Ahhh kindergarten.. anyone remember kindergarten? Where we could cry if we didnt get things handed to us exactly in the fashion we requested? And we didnt have to lift a finger to get it? This entire thread now is chalked full of milk and cookies and needs a nap. We were ALL willing to help you! and we're all busy people with RL obligations. We simply requested you learn the basics. And you gave up. Not the first time. Funniest part of it all is if you would have done what I asked... you'd have 2 hilts done. Go learn the basics and we'll help you. Once you leaarn the basics you'll have a better understanding of what to ask for, what you need, and how you can contribute. Don't get discouraged just watch the fuckin video! lmao I had to watch "Gone with the Wind" in like 8th grade and it was like 8 hours long so I don't wanna hear it XD

 

@@Prometheus   to give you a better understanding of where i'm coming from, think about this... I've been modding for jka maybe 6 years now... in that time, I've seen maybe 2 people a week do something like this. Maybe one a week. Still... and I have helped TONS of mod projects that went stale because the original author didn't know how to do anything but request. I personally have maybe 100 models that never went into the projects because of this exact problem. Fool me once, shame on u... fool me 100 models and 6 years later? lmfao no thanks. Bring something to the table first to calm our nerves a bit.

 

Just my 2 cents

 

*JKHub claims no responsibility for the emotional damaging views of ChalklYne*

[MagSul]

Maybe hilt modelling is just a bit too tedious for someone with no modding experience. So hilt modelling isn't your thing! Why not try your hand at skinning? I'm sure that would be a huge portion of the project. If there're any characters that don't require entirely new models, you could make a start on those! (Kyle, maybe?) All you need is Pakscape, Notepad and an image editor. Don't worry about notepad's role. Most of it is done for you. It's just a quick Ctrl+H / replace all traces of one word with another. You use Pakscape to open .pk3 files and extract the folder you want. Edit the images inside the model's folder in any way you want afterwards, then put it back in a brand new pk3 that matches the file directories required for JKA!

 

Here's a simple tutorial: http://jkhub.org/tutorials/article/18-valis-skinning-tutorial-part-1-basics/

 

My challenge to you: Create one custom skin. It doesn't have to be for your project in the long run. Just create a single custom skin. Even if it's a copy of Kyle or Luke with a red line drawn across their face or shirt. My only criteria is that it doesn't overwrite an existing one in Jedi Academy. (Hint: That's where Notepad comes in!)

 

Good luck, sir!

 

If you get stuck, prod me. I'll do my best to make you understand the process in it's simplest form, and provide examples if necessary.