*MOD* JK 4: Rise of the Shadow (Suggestion)

[afi]

Well one person wouldn't change much when it comes to a huge project like that imo. No offense, but there were 20-30 people working on that for years and it still wasn't enough. I think the best idea would be making JKB an open community project

[z3filus]

Any mod should be.   It's already been proven that if you try to work with a " team of experts " , the fine work is left unfinished, and nothing is ever released, thus all work is in vain.

This is why I suggested to focus on creating short episodes, with anyone who happens to be online. Map files can be combined, so it's not like a map should be done over one weekend.

You can do it slowly, little by little; you get some sort of starting point for your map this month, and another area next month, in between there can be 1 or 2 skins sent to you.

Eventually you'll have something you can call a mod. And as @ said, and open community project would better ensure that the mod will someday be finished.

 

 

Why not just tell us, what would the first mission be? Would you like to start a mission from inside a spacestation? from inside a Ship? from a hangar? A landing platform?

Should it be an Imperial base? a hangar at Nar Shaddaa? a cave at Yavin?? I'm sure there are mappers here who can quickly create something, that will be just passed on

to other mappers, who ever has the time to help you out. I'd like to be part of it, I may not have time to create an entire map for you, and I'm sure I'm not the only one...

[dark_apprentice]

At first I want to make sure that at least 5 people are interested and agree, also now I want to see what Jason would say about my other comment above so that we can talk about JKB and I could get more into it, see what's done already, what have to be done etc. And after that I can try to bring here some personal ideas of like: mission 1 is this, i see it on this map, etc etc.. do you agree, if yes why and if not - what must be changed or scrap or just do a new one.

@ well you could be right about that and so much people working on from long time, but as I said, I am not really familiar at the moment with this project and mostly with it's story-line. The idea I gave on the beginning of this topic, is based on a wiki-story (i guess a fan-made), that I personally find atm, as the best for a continuing of the dark side ending of Jaden Korr. And I really would like to see a continuing of the story, that is like "10-20" years later or whatever, but with old Kyle (white hair, white beard, black clothes) cuz I'm a little bit tired from the usual Kyle and maybe a bit older Luke (not as much old as it seems to be in the new SW-7 movie lol) and Jaden Korr with some new outfits, a chance to choose more saber hilts (perhaps not only the regular JKA hilts), but some of the already released packs have good models inside and it's red + the Sith Scepter with some more effect, cuz I tried one scepter that gives you the same one that Tavion uses, it works like a lightsaber with f-ing long blade, that just kick the enemy away... and I want to see it more useful like what Tavion do in the final battle with Korr, like the bombing effect (or the repulse-a-like whatever), the re-loading your character's health with the red waves.

(damn i really must go drink my morning coffee finally)

[Xycaleth]

I had an idea about starting another "JK series" type thing but with there not being enough hours in the day, and not wanting to feel like a potato sitting at home all day, I never got round to starting it. It should help determine if anyone's interested a little better. Get the ball rolling by creating one map. This will help in a lot of ways: it would introduce the player into a new story line, give you a better idea of just how much work goes into just creating a single map with well thought out story line, game play, level design (i.e. pacing, map flow), texturing, coding (if any), sound effects, weapons and so on. If you find you're unable to get anyone to do one of those development "areas", then you're unlikely to be able to complete an entire series. But what you do get out of it is hopefully a good looking map which you can put up for multiplayer - the level design probably won't be quite right for multiplayer, but it would probably be good for role players where game play isn't such an issue. If you do succeed in creating the first map, you can hopefully get more people interested by showing what you've done so far.

[Jason Black]

@zeƒilus That's a really intriguing method. I'll bring it to the attention of the team who aren't already present in this discussion.

@dark_apprentice Sounds like a long conversation. I'd say sign up on the forums and I'll let you have a poke around and get a feel for what we have. It'll atleast give you some idea what you're in for with the development of a full mod.

[Rooxon]

I'll join in here, guys. @@dark_apprentice Most of all, I agree with zefilus and Xycaleth; both stated very good points. But whether a mod gets completed or not depends only on the team members themselves and their devotion. For example, we all know ourselves as computer geeks very good; we'd lie if we said, we're not at least an hour in front of the computer each day. Some do this, others that, I use most of my time in front of the comp for modding. Getting the RIGHT team members together, who share your view, your ambitions and goals is a must above all, so that they devote themselves to the project just as much as you do. Believe me, I've worked in teams before too and I noticed that these are the requirements for getting a mod completed, hard working and devoted people.

Other than that, creating the first stage schouldn't be too hard. I mean, I've learned to map back in the day and done a small scripted 3 room map in a few hours. Cutscenes and all. That would be a perfect start to attract people to helping you out.. but if it's too much for you,
do something a bit smaller but still in range of the presentation of your project, like I don't know... characters, concepts, more detailed ideas and so on. For example, you told us the point of the project, the story... Do you have any more detailed ideas about that ready to share?

[dark_apprentice]

@@Rooxon at the moment I don't have much time, but I can at least start to put some sketches on a paper, so I can bring my thoughts in a good ways before sharing any new ideas, around levels/missions. Just right now I'm packing my entire house and mostly the home-recording studio, to move it into the new house, where I'm moving with my lady and wanna build a bit bigger studio in one of the rooms. Also I agree with you about the working progress, I myself have never worked before in a modding team here or anywhere else, but I might use my experience from my band, because we are mostly working on the comps and do lots of traveling so i guess it can be helpful here too.

I'm working lately on some soundtracks (like for movies), in my free time, I am not able to show right now, still in the learning process, but I can do my best on this, to provide some good Star Wars themed tracks for the mod, or some special effects (like for weapons/force sounds). I am studying sound engineering, BUT that does not make me one yet (for now). And I am open to learn as much new stuff in music as possible to become better, so maybe SW themed music will be very hard and yet pleasure to learn ;3

@@Jason Black with pleasure, tomorrow will do that and I will be glad to get into your world and talk with you on what's to be done and what's needed.

[Rooxon]

I partly understand exactly what you mean. I'm in the process of building my own house, though for now there's just the walls and the asphalt to the house done. Might take two or three more years before I save up enough money to complete it. I'm gonna have a recording studio in my own house, too as I'm a singer and guitarist. Probably merged with the computer room. Also, I'm playing the accordion and a little bit of the piano. Just love making music that can be played and sung real-time.

[Lazarus]

@zeƒilus this sounds a lot like what we used to do on map-craft.com.

 

We released some maps as we did the pass-me-arround map (an example here http://jediknight3.filefront.com/file/;105657  (( had good fun with shadering and texturing in this)) ) Why not do something like this as well for an SP mod map. Everybody can fill in their creativity in a map. Set a theme and let it go arround.

[Jango40]

I like the ''Episodes'' idea. Get the basic stuff like HUD, characters and story for the first map done, create the map, move on to another. Sounds great and it certainly has higher chances of succeeding than a single full release.

[dark_apprentice]

Ok, I am moving out of the city and into my new house after 4 days, so I'll not be able to answer/talk/work etc. Also it is very possible the first 1-2 weeks of February 2015 to be offline, till we get the internet and the other sh*t done, so I will be back ASAP.

[dark_apprentice]

Ok, I'm ready with the moving, just some small stuff left to do, but I am working on some ideas to put down on a paper, about the first map and to refresh my thoughts. Btw I have joined @@Jason Black team in JKB. I assume that I'll be able to get some real work in the next few weeks and keep you updated. Greets to all!

[dark_apprentice]

@@Jason Black and all of the others,

Ok, I've finally got some free time, to put down on a paper few missions and ideas about the mod. The whole story line is on the very first page on the beginning, it is a must to read, if you want to know what I'm talking about on the PDF files, because I took out just the important parts into missions. It's all in the story line.
Please

!Please, keep in mind! that the name in the PDF file, is just working title and it can be changed to whatever it needs to be:

Star Wars - Jedi Knight 4: Rise of the Shadow

[afi]

So you're not going to join the JKB team?

[dark_apprentice]

So you're not going to join the JKB team?

I did not say that lol. I am interested to help them as much as I am able to. As I said and will repeat again, this is my personal opinion, based on the story line I've used from Jaden Korr's SW Wiki page. As I think personally, that this is the best way to continue the original story if there are bonus missions, after the player takes path on the Dark Side of the Force

 

That means, that I am open for discussions, comments, suggestions and the story line, together with this PDF file with the Missions will be changed as much as needed, to provide the best result for all of the JKB members. If they like it and want to use some material based on this. 

 

If they do not like it. They are free to ignore it and do what they have in mind. I just give thoughts to think on and if we all work as a good collective/team and do this open discussion, I am sure it can lead the JKB Mod into releasing, when it's done. If any other questions, please feel free to ask me I'll be glad to help/support the team with what I can do.

[Syko]

I hate to rain in on your parade but it's almost completely impossible (99.99999%) for you to ever gather a team and actually complete the tiniest piece of a JK4 mod. I'd advise you to put your time into more meaningful endeavors. Jedi Betrayal was the last mod to ever attempt this and it went down the drain after two years. I worked on Jedi Betrayal during that time and I was probably the most enthusastic about making a JK4 mod. Looking back I'm actually really surprised that I thought that a mod of such a grand scope was possible. The amount of work we had to do was phenomenal, and we only actually completed like 2% of what we had planned for the mod. We all had a ton of grand ideas but no one actually wanted to do the work to make it a reality. That was like, 5 years ago now. The JK community has declined even further. so even in the nearly impossible event that you release something, nobody is going to really care. The payoff you would get for all that work would be like 100 downloads from people on this site. And even then, the quality of something fan made would be significantly worse than something a legit game developer would do. It wouldn't truly be JK4. It would be a shoddily made map pack by some people on JKHub. 

 

If you want to write a JK4 fanfic that's cool. It's probably the closest you'll get to a JK4 without a real studio making it. Just don't bother with trying to make a mod. It's not worth the investment of your time. 

[dark_apprentice]

Anyone has their own points of view Syko, and most of my time goes on much bigger project, with my band and recording debut album, plus working with other bands and learning in the university for sound engineer, so at my very little free time i could spend (or sometimes, when there is a bit more free time) i like to spend it with my family, outside the nature and around JKA. I think some of the cool idea-mods were dead, due to the reason that they were not open projects and open to discuss... and/or were not led by someone who actually cares and have the abilities to lead a team. That's why I said in my other comments here, that if the other members think and agree, that I am the one to lead it, ok if that's what they want to I can at least try, that doesn't cost me to loose anything. Sure time is money and is not good to waste, but hey.. it's my life so keep smiling, cuz life can be better if we make it so  

[dark_apprentice]

Dark Order War on Yavin IV has begun

Pic 1

Pic 2

[Jason Black]

@@Syko, you know you're a real downer sometimes    You retired to study. The rest of us have been busy with other projects for the past year. There's nothing we can't pick right back up again.