UE4 feasibility test (porting Kejim WiP)

[ensiform]

Thanks everyone, I appreciate it.

 

@@ensiform, the tool I use to export the models is called Noesis.  It basically converts quake maps and md3 files to *.obj or *.FBX files - including their textures and material ID's.  Sure, that's all you would need for the most basic material shader in UE4 but just using that would be a total waste for an engine that uses physically based rendering.  It would not look good or "updated" at all.

 

So, to answer your question, I try not to make any 3D asset from scratch - I just use the source models and maps.  I cannot avoid, however, re-texturing all of the assets.

This is the tool that I have used: https://forums.unrealengine.com/showthread.php?94470-HammUEr-a-Hammer-Worldcraft-map-importer-for-Unreal-Engine

[RAILBACK]

OMG! Look at the rock texture! Soooooo non-repetitive. 

[DT.]

If there were enough developers interested to team up, then I would totally move DF2 over to UE4.

[SomaZ]

So, to answer your question, I try not to make any 3D asset from scratch - I just use the source models and maps. I cannot avoid, however, re-texturing all of the assets.

If you are an Angel and recreate the textures for pbr, could you please pack your textures like red channel: roughness, green channel: metalness, blue channel: occlusion? Some people here, including me, would highly appreciate it. <3

 

Good job of porting it to UE4.

[ClydeFrog]

Hello again everybody,

I finally had some time this past week to start working on my project again, this time on some interior sections of Kejim.  I decided to work backwards and start building from the end of the map.

 

@@SomaZ - I already RMA pack all of my textures.  I also use the alpha of the base color for height maps, and the alpha of the RMA for emissive maps (so technically I do RMAE).  

 

When I'm finished, I plan on releasing everything I've done to anyone who wants it (map, textures, shaders, etc..)

 

Here are some more screen shots:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Langerd]

They would make game like that... damn... Jedi Outcast 2017 Edition 

[DT.]

We should all band together and create a basic Star Wars shooter and saber combat on UE4.

[ClydeFrog]

We should all band together and create a basic Star Wars shooter and saber combat on UE4.

 

Just the saber combat alone would be worth doing, considering that it's been 15 years.

[General Howard]

Just the saber combat alone would be worth doing, considering that it's been 15 years.

Agreed! Hopefully Battlefront II (2017) lives up to that expectation (in some way).

[Noodle]

We should all band together and create a basic Star Wars shooter and saber combat on UE4.

 

I wouldn't even care for saber combat, just a star wars shooter with UE4 graphics would be neat. 

[afi]

I wouldn't even care for a saber combat, just a star wars shooter with UE4 graphics would be neat. 

 

I wouldn't even care for Star Wars, a saber melee game with UE4 graphics would be neat.

[ClydeFrog]

Personally, I think the best thing to do would be something similar to the way Epic Games is doing the new Unreal Tournament.  It's entirely community driven, where anybody can contribute by adding maps, code, models, animations etc.  Of course, that doesn't mean anybody can add anything they want and expect it to be in the final game (in the case of Unreal Tournament, Epic ultimately decides what community content makes the grade) but as long as there are some clear guidelines and goals it certainly can be done.

 

My personal preference would be a saber melee game - multiplayer (and/or bots) combat.  I think it's vital to start with something as manageable as possible.  Start with only one map and only one game mode (for example one duel map).  Put the project on Git hub so everybody has access to contribute, using only the main branch on some dedicated servers for public consumption and testing.  Keep iterating and updating the combat system until the community is happy with it - then start adding the polish.

[afi]

Personally, I think the best thing to do would be something similar to the way Epic Games is doing the new Unreal Tournament.  It's entirely community driven, where anybody can contribute by adding maps, code, models, animations etc.  Of course, that doesn't mean anybody can add anything they want and expect it to be in the final game (in the case of Unreal Tournament, Epic ultimately decides what community content makes the grade) but as long as there are some clear guidelines and goals it certainly can be done.

 

My personal preference would be a saber melee game - multiplayer (and/or bots) combat.  I think it's vital to start with something as manageable as possible.  Start with only one map and only one game mode (for example one duel map).  Put the project on Git hub so everybody has access to contribute, using only the main branch on some dedicated servers for public consumption and testing.  Keep iterating and updating the combat system until the community is happy with it - then start adding the polish.

 

Exactly this would be a personal dream. I think it would be possible but organizing and finding people to contribute would take a lot of time and effort.

[DT.]

Personally, I think the best thing to do would be something similar to the way Epic Games is doing the new Unreal Tournament.  It's entirely community driven, where anybody can contribute by adding maps, code, models, animations etc.  Of course, that doesn't mean anybody can add anything they want and expect it to be in the final game (in the case of Unreal Tournament, Epic ultimately decides what community content makes the grade) but as long as there are some clear guidelines and goals it certainly can be done.

 

This would be a great idea. We can start with getting a fully playable, first level of JK2. Need a coder to come get a base game going, though.

[minilogoguy18]

Those screen shots don't really look much better than JK2 does with all the settings cranked up.

 

I feel like updating the visuals of this engine would be a better approach rather than rebuilding everything from the ground up.

[Teancum]

Those screen shots don't really look much better than JK2 does with all the settings cranked up.

 

I feel like updating the visuals of this engine would be a better approach rather than rebuilding everything from the ground up.

Seconded. It's a noble attempt, but in the end what UE4 does is show how non-detailed the environments are when put in a modern engine. We find it quite passable in the original because it's ID Tech 3 and the level of detail we see is expected. 

[Lancelot]

From what I see, the goal of this project is merely to show that it is possible to transfer the assets of Jedi Outcast to Unreal Engine 4.

And because most of the assets are taken 1:1 from the original game, we can't expect that the whole thing will automatically transform into a better looking map.

The whole revising can be done later, when the main goal is done.

 

Personally, I think this is a great project. There is so much potential. It would be interesting to see every map reimagined into a modern engine.

And by the way, is it possible to put all the maps from a mission seamlessly together? I mean, for example, Kejim has two chapters, Kejim Base and Kejim Post.

Putting both together would make a complete map.

[Aidor]

Seconded. It's a noble attempt, but in the end what UE4 does is show how non-detailed the environments are when put in a modern engine. We find it quite passable in the original because it's ID Tech 3 and the level of detail we see is expected.

 

In Spain we say 'a nadie le amarga un dulce', that in english would be something like 'sweet things never made anyone bitter', and that's what I have to say about this project (if its already a 'project').

 

And well, about the improved look, I guess we can't judge with only a few pics. Not everything is geometry and textures (which I guess it won't change a lot), there's iluminattion, postprocess effects, global occlusion, and all this stuff, that will look much better with UE4, I guess.

........

 

About if only a saber combat game or only a star wars shooter game, well, why change what it works? I would prefer a game like JK/JO: a shooter plus saber combats, the perfect combination, and that system is already done: JK and JO. No need to think or squeeze the brain.

[ClydeFrog]

From what I see, the goal of this project is merely to show that it is possible to transfer the assets of Jedi Outcast to Unreal Engine 4.

And because most of the assets are taken 1:1 from the original game, we can't expect that the whole thing will automatically transform into a better looking map.

The whole revising can be done later, when the main goal is done.

 

Personally, I think this is a great project. There is so much potential. It would be interesting to see every map reimagined into a modern engine.

And by the way, is it be possible to put all the maps from a mission seamlessly together? I mean, for example, Kejim has two chapters, Kejim Base and Kejim Post.

Putting both together would make a complete map.

 

Yes, that is exactly the goal of this project.  And I do agree with Teancum, a sparse environment will always look like a sparse environment...especially when we are all used to the detailed environments of modern games.  Geometry "clutter" goes a long way in making an environment more realistic (pipes, cables, debris, etc.) - and there is absolutely none in JO.  As Lancelot mentioned, adding extra geometry and polish would come later.  And yes, it is possible to add missions (maps) together via streaming based on player position (like what is done in open world games) or even the old fashioned way, by actually merging both mission maps and positioning them correctly.

 

 

In Spain we say 'a nadie le amarga un dulce', that in english would be something like 'sweet things never made anyone bitter', and that's what I have to say about this project (if its already a 'project').

 

And well, about the improved look, I guess we can't judge with only a few pics. Not everything is geometry and textures (which I guess it won't change a lot), there's iluminattion, postprocess effects, global occlusion, and all this stuff, that will look much better with UE4, I guess.

........

 

About if only a saber combat game or only a star wars shooter game, well, why change what it works? I would prefer a game like JK/JO: a shooter plus saber combats, the perfect combination, and that system is already done: JK and JO. No need to think or squeeze the brain.

 

Correct, there is no color grading, no post processing effects, no proper reflection.  Global illumination is the default for the baked light maps and there is no global occlusion at all, only the default "screen space" occlusion and the occlusion maps used by the textures.  

 

Yes, a shooter + saber combat would be the ideal, but one has to start somewhere :-)  I'm trying to put together a highly "tweak-able" animation system in UE4 for saber combat.  The point being so I can slap a single duel level on a server and ask all the fine people of this forum for some feedback.

[Aidor]

Correct, there is no color grading, no post processing effects, no proper reflection.  Global illumination is the default for the baked light maps and there is no global occlusion at all, only the default "screen space" occlusion and the occlusion maps used by the textures.  

 

Yes, a shooter + saber combat would be the ideal, but one has to start somewhere :-)  I'm trying to put together a highly "tweak-able" animation system in UE4 for saber combat.  The point being so I can slap a single duel level on a server and ask all the fine people of this forum for some feedback.

Sure, you have to start somewhere xD, and that's all up to you. Actually all the project is up to you xD. I just say my opinion, which seems to be the same that yours.

 

Glad to hear that you are 'putting together' and doing things with this project.

 

About the graphic stuff, I'm an absolute ignorant about modding JK and using UE4, but it seems quite obviuos that there will be an improvement.

 

Keep on the good work

 

EDIT: Actually I'm lying: One day I edited the NPC file to increase difficulty (increasing accuracy, health...) and put it in a pk3 file, and that's technically a 'mod',

[afi]

About if only a saber combat game or only a star wars shooter game, well, why change what it works? I would prefer a game like JK/JO: a shooter plus saber combats, the perfect combination, and that system is already done: JK and JO. No need to think or squeeze the brain.

 

What makes JKA and JKO truly unique is the saber system. But of course saber + guns wouldn't hurt either. It couldn't have any releation to Star Wars tho or Disney would sue you.

[DT.]

Afaik, the battlecry team is still powering on with their project on UE4. I think that so long as you don't sell it and don't make something that's going to compete with an upcoming game, then you should be fine.

[NightShadowR]

i'd be down to help, i use to work with FrontWire Studios on the SWGIT project before they got shut down and i left before they got dcmaed

, although i never really got use to ue4 but if someone showed me the way i'm sure i'd learn quick.

[afi]

My personal preference would be a saber melee game - multiplayer (and/or bots) combat.  I think it's vital to start with something as manageable as possible.  Start with only one map and only one game mode (for example one duel map).  Put the project on Git hub so everybody has access to contribute, using only the main branch on some dedicated servers for public consumption and testing.  Keep iterating and updating the combat system until the community is happy with it - then start adding the polish.

 

When it comes to a project using the Jedi Knight combat to make a modern game I'd gladly help out. I would have already started something like this if I was good in coding. Making it completely open source and let everyone contribute would be a good idea then (as mentioned). But again, porting content from Jedi Knight 2 or even just using intellectual property will lead to problems if the project attracts some attention. Personally I would focus completely on the multiplayer and rebuild some of the JKA/JK2 maps.

[Tompa9]

And what about do JK IV? alternative timeline project, sequel to Jedi Academy with the best things from JK2 and JA?