Escape Yavin IV REVAMPED

[TheWhitePhoenix]

No I just moved a few times in the last year. I still am working on it! Just some very busy family stuff got in the way. Jeff and a few others have been helping tremendously making models that I'm using in the mod. If its one thing I learned about JA, it never dies, it just hibernates!

Legends never die. They just sleep. Until they're needed again.

[McGroose]

This is such a cool little project you've been working on! If you don't intend on finishing it, could you at least possible release whatever custom assets you've added or changed?

 

And if not even that can we still at least get that sexy Yavin skybox?

 

Also I did some additional playthroughts with the mod. I used openJK, a big saber mod and the UltimateWeapons mod and I changed nearly half of all models (both their in game appearance and their display on the menu). I can confirm that while OpenJK is a definite big help, it's not perfect. There are some instances, like the engine room on the Kel Dor's ship, where it is almost impossible not to crash the game with additional assets. If you plan on overhauling this mod, then good luck to you working around the bugs.

 

I also narrowed down the cause of a really bad bug. In the first Jedi Council cutscene, sometimes the cutscene freezes mid conversation between Not-Windu and Not-Yoda. I figured out this only happens for some reason on the highest difficulty setting. IDK why, but it is especially disappointing and I have no idea why it would do that.

[Basil Bonehead]

This is such a cool little project you've been working on! If you don't intend on finishing it, could you at least possible release whatever custom assets you've added or changed?

 

And if not even that can we still at least get that sexy Yavin skybox?

 

Also I did some additional playthroughts with the mod. I used openJK, a big saber mod and the UltimateWeapons mod and I changed nearly half of all models (both their in game appearance and their display on the menu). I can confirm that while OpenJK is a definite big help, it's not perfect. There are some instances, like the engine room on the Kel Dor's ship, where it is almost impossible not to crash the game with additional assets. If you plan on overhauling this mod, then good luck to you working around the bugs.

 

I also narrowed down the cause of a really bad bug. In the first Jedi Council cutscene, sometimes the cutscene freezes mid conversation between Not-Windu and Not-Yoda. I figured out this only happens for some reason on the highest difficulty setting. IDK why, but it is especially disappointing and I have no idea why it would do that.

will not-windu and not-yoda be replaced? if so, who will take their place?

[TheWhitePhoenix]

will not-windu and not-yoda be replaced? if so, who will take their place?

Luke and Leia. Obviously.

[Basil Bonehead]

Luke and Leia. Obviously.

so you're involved with this mod too... lol

[Basil Bonehead]

i also hope the skins get replaced with something more... i think lore friendly is the right term to use.

 

immersion is a helpful thing and the overhauling of NPC's with their approptiate looks or replacing them with something else that makes more since will be a well needed facelift for this mod

[Basil Bonehead]

also will there be an overhauling to the voice acting too?

[TheWhitePhoenix]

so you're involved with this mod too... lol

Umm, did you look at the first page of this forum? XD

[MusicForThePiano]

I am only using aliens from the original trilogy and the ancient times (sith species for example) trying not to expand it into prequel territory minus the double-bladed lightsabers The scripts in the menu list some of the species as totally wrong smh, like geonosians are the mutant howler with wings, the umbarans are masked warriors, etc. There was a lot of things that didn't fit, like tuskens underground and jawas as well, these are all being replaced. Raptors with missing animations, will replace those with some other predatory creature. The biggest plot hole is the presence of Rosh, who would be dead if this follows the darkside ending of JA, so he will be replaced, but none of this will be complete without menu overhauls and voiceovers.

 

My first goal was to remove everything prequel-related from the mod.

 

Then it was to give the mod a total Yavin feel to it, either you're in the jungle or in some dark facility underground, but with moderate aesthetic appeal.

 

Then I wanted to re-introduce something that hasn't been done yet in a star wars game that would be possible here due to the massive number of npcs available with the current scripts, and thats to have it be a total nostalgic trilogy feel because the aliens would be there with much much less of a clone effect.

 

Then I wanted it to be a real sequel to Jedi Academy, the Dark Side ending, making Jaden have ragged clothes much like his re-skin from the novels. 

 

The things I want to change are some of the scripts, and I would like to have someone re-compile all the maps with just some physical changes (like repeating textures) and voiceovers to give the story a little twist.

 

The premise is:

 

Jaden turned to the dark side from ending of JA, 30 + years later a Sith Lord and his brothers appeared and destroyed much of the New Jedi Order, started siphoning resources from planets and collecting species for slave labor (much like Rakatans). 

Thats why theres so many aliens on Yavin. There is no Empire, just remnants, I wanted to replace all the map objects of imperial spaceships with different skins to look like a different faction took over the empire's resources but the skins I made for the ships wouldn't replace the objects in the maps unless I de-compiled then recompiled everything.

 

Jaden must escape from Yavin and confront the Sith Lord to either aid or destroy what is left of the old republic / rebellion and jedi knights. I want this game to have a solitary and dark feel to it. The only thing I wish was in the original mod was some ruined yavin temple / hangar base from the movie / previous jedi knight games that would connect between two chapters.

 

Then I redid the music so literally no track repeats like it did in base JA.

 

Theres a lot more work I did on this, but everything I did is just editing the assets and the skins/textures/music/effects/weapons themselves, nothing more. I am not a mapper for JA, I could never figure that stuff out unfortunately, so that is where I may need help from others to make this totally complete. I will release what I have as well just not yet until it is all organized for a single download.

[MusicForThePiano]

This is such a cool little project you've been working on! If you don't intend on finishing it, could you at least possible release whatever custom assets you've added or changed?

 

And if not even that can we still at least get that sexy Yavin skybox?

 

Also I did some additional playthroughts with the mod. I used openJK, a big saber mod and the UltimateWeapons mod and I changed nearly half of all models (both their in game appearance and their display on the menu). I can confirm that while OpenJK is a definite big help, it's not perfect. There are some instances, like the engine room on the Kel Dor's ship, where it is almost impossible not to crash the game with additional assets. If you plan on overhauling this mod, then good luck to you working around the bugs.

 

I also narrowed down the cause of a really bad bug. In the first Jedi Council cutscene, sometimes the cutscene freezes mid conversation between Not-Windu and Not-Yoda. I figured out this only happens for some reason on the highest difficulty setting. IDK why, but it is especially disappointing and I have no idea why it would do that.

 

If you were able to do that then I may use your help for this, if you're willing to lol. I always had trouble trying to change the menu without giving myself the textureless gray screen.

[Basil Bonehead]

I am only using aliens from the original trilogy and the ancient times (sith species for example) trying not to expand it into prequel territory minus the double-bladed lightsabers The scripts in the menu list some of the species as totally wrong smh, like geonosians are the mutant howler with wings, the umbarans are masked warriors, etc. There was a lot of things that didn't fit, like tuskens underground and jawas as well, these are all being replaced. Raptors with missing animations, will replace those with some other predatory creature. The biggest plot hole is the presence of Rosh, who would be dead if this follows the darkside ending of JA, so he will be replaced, but none of this will be complete without menu overhauls and voiceovers.

 

My first goal was to remove everything prequel-related from the mod.

 

Then it was to give the mod a total Yavin feel to it, either you're in the jungle or in some dark facility underground, but with moderate aesthetic appeal.

 

Then I wanted to re-introduce something that hasn't been done yet in a star wars game that would be possible here due to the massive number of npcs available with the current scripts, and thats to have it be a total nostalgic trilogy feel because the aliens would be there with much much less of a clone effect.

 

Then I wanted it to be a real sequel to Jedi Academy, the Dark Side ending, making Jaden have ragged clothes much like his re-skin from the novels.

 

The things I want to change are some of the scripts, and I would like to have someone re-compile all the maps with just some physical changes (like repeating textures) and voiceovers to give the story a little twist.

 

The premise is:

 

Jaden turned to the dark side from ending of JA, 30 + years later a Sith Lord and his brothers appeared and destroyed much of the New Jedi Order, started siphoning resources from planets and collecting species for slave labor (much like Rakatans).

Thats why theres so many aliens on Yavin. There is no Empire, just remnants, I wanted to replace all the map objects of imperial spaceships with different skins to look like a different faction took over the empire's resources but the skins I made for the ships wouldn't replace the objects in the maps unless I de-compiled then recompiled everything.

 

Jaden must escape from Yavin and confront the Sith Lord to either aid or destroy what is left of the old republic / rebellion and jedi knights. I want this game to have a solitary and dark feel to it. The only thing I wish was in the original mod was some ruined yavin temple / hangar base from the movie / previous jedi knight games that would connect between two chapters.

 

Then I redid the music so literally no track repeats like it did in base JA.

 

Theres a lot more work I did on this, but everything I did is just editing the assets and the skins/textures/music/effects/weapons themselves, nothing more. I am not a mapper for JA, I could never figure that stuff out unfortunately, so that is where I may need help from others to make this totally complete. I will release what I have as well just not yet until it is all organized for a single download.

similarly to the lost maps release of escape yavin IV, could we get some sort of option that results in jaden redeeming himself and returning to the light side?

 

also i would like to offer toward providing new voice overs for the sith lord if possible. or at least edit the voice actors lines to make the sith lord sound scary

 

I also don’t mind voicing minor roles either

[TheWhitePhoenix]

Another improvement from the original mod is Jaden actually speaking. That's one glaring thing I never really understood in the original mod. What, did all the years Jaden spent in that prison suddenly make him mute?

[Basil Bonehead]

Another improvement from the original mod is Jaden actually speaking. That's one glaring thing I never really understood in the original mod. What, did all the years Jaden spent in that prison suddenly make him mute?

as long as they sound like Philip Tanzini (Male Jadens voice) and Jennifer Hale (Female Jadens voice) I won't complain.

[Basil Bonehead]

If i may reccommend a new VO for Rosh so he sounds like Jason Christopher Marsden. There's a guy from the kotor modding community who i hope could lend a hand to the mod. he goes by Zhaboka. I think he'll make a better Rosh Penin than whoever did the voice in the original mod

[Lazarus]

The premise is:

 

Jaden turned to the dark side from ending of JA, 30 + years later a Sith Lord and his brothers appeared and destroyed much of the New Jedi Order, started siphoning resources from planets and collecting species for slave labor (much like Rakatans).

 

This sounds a lot like the plot of JKB I am curious how this is gonna play out. Gonna follow this with great interest.

 

Seeing your screenshots i do suggest you do something about your flat terrain quad or trisoup, make it more intresting, shape hills or gaps in it, cause it looks as unnatural as a fresh steamrolled highway

[MusicForThePiano]

This sounds a lot like the plot of JKB I am curious how this is gonna play out. Gonna follow this with great interest.

 

Seeing your screenshots i do suggest you do something about your flat terrain quad or trisoup, make it more intresting, shape hills or gaps in it, cause it looks as unnatural as a fresh steamrolled highway

 

I need a mapper to help me with that, I don't know how to de-compile the map to edit the terrain then recompile it so its functioning right. Do you? Or know anyone who does?

[Lazarus]

I need a mapper to help me with that, I don't know how to de-compile the map to edit the terrain then recompile it so its functioning right. Do you? Or know anyone who does?

 

Decompile is iffy, i never do it I map what comes out of my head, no need to decompile a map to see what is going on. I do have decompiled versions of base maps to figure out how certain scripts work, but still its iffy since i lose a lot of entities in decompile.

 

But if you want this can help you out: basically you need to run your commandline and give it a couple of parameters. Also as described on the old massasi temple website. 

 

q3map2 -game ja -convert -format map testmap.bsp

 

So what you need to do is navigate to your q3map2 tool (i have it saved actually in a whole different folder) and run that program via command line with the paramaters (except swap out of the name testmap.bsp with your map. Also i think you need to use absolute paths, everything from c:/program files/lucas arts/jka/gamedata/base/maps/yourmap.bsp

[Basil Bonehead]

Anything new to report? It’s been almost a year. Did you ever find that mapper or find a way to decompile and recompile the maps yourself? Etc etc

[MusicForThePiano]

The project is still where I left it, in my JA creative database folder. I started working on music projects again, and can only do so much at one time. I have not found a mapper yet, but I will get around to it. Been almost 16 years and JA still works great on my computer.

 

I will put up some more screens in my next post / update, what I last posted is not where I left off at.

 

There are 4 locations in the game, Yavin IV, Hypori, the Sith Command Ship, and a refueling depot, each one is designed to look very different. With different skyboxes etc. The Hypori planet in the vanilla mod just looked like an utapau crossed with corellia (city), I changed it to be more exotic colored and rocky with no foliage to be almost the complete opposite of what Yavin felt like for the majority of the game. Also the skybox in the sith command ship reflects it being in orbit over Hypori, as I've added a ring to the planet which can be seen in both the ship and on the surface.

[Basil Bonehead]

glad to know your still have it and working on it

 

btw, I am more than happy to provide sound effects for weapons and soundsets for character from various star wars games in regards to weapon sounds and the kotor games for the soundsets

[LukeJM28]

why dont you made discord server?
im just asking
Great work btw
(im mapper but small knowledge so how can i help i relly want to play this )

[MusicForThePiano]

Thanks for your interest Basil and LukeJM28,

 

I will have more time in May to get back into it. I'm pretty savantish about starting and stopping and it was hard to stop continuing on the project when I did halt only because I kept running into the roadblock of not being able to edit the maps :\

 

Once I do open up the files again I will post them somewhere where interested parties can copy their files to overwrite existing ones, voice effects and sound effects and such, and hopefully we can get someone to decompile the maps to edit them.

 

Note, all the textures weren't random, but because I couldn't actually open the maps up to see which textures were placed where, I guessed at all of the replacement ones, some were easy like the terrain on the outsides was all from the yavin or tatooine texture folders and easy to replace, but others, like all the lighting and panels and trim and borders was a constant editing process of: guess which texture would look good here --> open JA & load map --> if it looks wonky or out of place try another texture OR looks good and move on to the next texture

 

that whole process took a few weeks if I recall correctly. I want to overhaul everything so its a completely new SP game from JA. The original developers had the right idea, but didn't flesh it out all the way. They greatly updated the lightsaber battles to be increasingly more epic, plus I loved all the variations in lightsabers from dual staffs to extended staffs to light discs and light axes, really gave off a different vibe. 

 

I did the same editing process for the NPC's because the game files will use like 'monmothma' for a fighting reborn or 'bartender' for a sith zabrak, none of it made much sense so I had to write down what each npc in the base JA was coded to spawning in EY4.

 

The music was easy, I personally re-did JA's single player music to use all of John Williams cues from the OT and no repetitive tracks, aka all 26 levels from the base JA now have different action / ambient tracks and battle start & stop cues.

 

I may still make a new soundtrack for this mod since I my music studio is back up and running. 

 

Stay tuned!

[MusicForThePiano]

So I finally booted JA back up, but man is my JA database so cluttered, I have almost 20000 files and multiple remaster folders, some for the base game, some for mods. This is going to take some time to clean up. I think if this mod gets team attention, it could truly be the JA sequel we've all wanted for years. 

 

Here are the rest of the screeny's showcasing the different areas of the mod. I just took them an hour ago. (I don't know why imgur is only giving me 800x600 but I can try to change that later!)

 

finishing off Yavin are the new reactor areas from chapter 4:

 

 

 

 

all the graphics have been re-done, got so tired of seeing the kril'dor or taspir maps on every readout lol

 

this was one of my favorite areas from the mod, a little railway you would ride and it would display different holographic ambient graphics, now I've changed them to something completely new:

 

 

 

 

don't know why there is a resolution change here, but this is an older one, showing the NPC lineup for the level in front of some Sith religious symbol story thing, probably about the origin of the force or something

 

 

I also forgot to showcase the Sith temple on Yavin, literally every area has been re-done

 

starting with the temple underground:

 

 

 

 

now the temple above ground:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

sith apprentice's throne room:

[MusicForThePiano]

Here are the other three areas of the game not in Yavin: (remember this is just showcasing texture replacement and artistic flavor) 

 

1: Refueling Station (bleak, metallic, droid-infested, but lively in electrics, has a preview of the gothic flair that the new Sith adorns to their ships and sanctums)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2: The Sith Command Ship (already shown a few but here it is much more in-depth. Very brutal and gothic, almost organic like, note the ring circling the planet (Hypori) out of the window, we will see these same rings from the surface)

 

 

 

 

I know some of these may need some work, but the overall aesthetic is pretty consistent

 

 

sith ship corridors, just oozes with dark uncomfortable sensation

 

 

 

sith engine room:

 

 

sith hangar: I made reskins for all the vehicle placements like tie's and shuttles and dropships, but since they're part of the map none of the skins actually load into the maps

 

 

note the rings again

 

[MusicForThePiano]

3: Hypori (if possible I would like to rename it in the completed mod, but I tried to make it match the appearance from the clone wars episode plus give it an exotic feel like a place we've never been before, I probably had about ten different textures on this planet before I ended up sticking with this one.)

 

In the base mod it was basically an Utapau surface texture with the Dosuun (Rax Joris level) skybox, it had some dangling flora off the city to give it a vibe of having some sense of organic presence, I eventually decided to get rid of any trace of any natural flora by making the planet very stone-like, in stark contrast to the green lush wet Yavin you spend most of the mod in.

 

The planet is rock and mineral heavy, but also has lakes, which can be seen from space. It's defining feature is a series of rings orbiting it, which can be seen from the surface as well. There is a greenish hue in the atmosphere and the rocks get darker as you get higher in the mountains and fade lighter the more you are to the surface, something to do with the way the atmosphere processes the local sun's burning affect on the lower more open areas than the cluttered, high razor sharp mountainous regions.

 

Have a look:

 

 

 

 

 

the huge alliance hangar where a big battle takes place, there is a second set of maps where all the city is in ruins:

 

 

 

inside the first courtyard of the city:

 

 

notice here the stalactites replaced the original utapau leaves hanging down, showing the strange phenomena of the Alliance's city being rock-based.

 

 

looking out into the expanse

 

 

 

 

 

 

now we move deeper into the city itself:

 

 

 

 

one of the main jedi allies, a falleen species:

 

 

the battle inside the grand halls: note the architecture of the alliance combines alien and old republic themes, along with a more pure look also contrasting the nearly-demonic Sith structures

 

 

another shot of the grand hall, this time with the aid of the Whipid Jedi (who replaces the Wookiee)

 

 

outside the grand halls:

 

 

outside look of the throne room

 

 

 

lastly, my favorite shot from the mod: really breathtaking, you can see one of the lakes that you saw from space in the sith command ship

 

 

let me know what you guys think! Still praying for a mapper to fall out of the sky to help me finish this!