OCD2

Dabbling with smoother doorframe models and various texture work today:

Earliest versions displayed, still more to come this weekend!     

Just a little optimization, and the beginning of texture upgrading.

The ceiling panels and floor borders were baked into new textures, removing a ton of brushes, and increasing the height profile of the hallways.

Before and after:

Still making adjustments to the ceiling textures, some textures will eventually need a light wear layer and also shaders.

More upgrades coming very soon!

19 hours ago, ZanderNao said:

You're coming along in leaps and bounds! I am happy to help. You starting this map energized the community in a way few things have recently, and the security droid and the textures are my little part to keep the momentum going! Looking so good! Thanks for doing what you're doing. The circle door improvements are great too! The ladder idea is perfect.

Was that an alternate thermal detonator skin to look like Baby Yoda's silver ball in the above pictures? lol

Everyone has been extremely helpful in this ambitious first map endeavor.

I could not take credit any increase in activity, that would be of the amazing work people put out recently in the contest and beyond.  Im happy to work on something with an end product that people can hopefully enjoy in multiple ways.   

After this project reaches a moving on point, im hoping to make a few other locations.    And hopefully at a quicker pace with everything ive been taught and learned along the way!     I have several ideas for follow up projects, all of them in a much more open environment lol!

Ah, you caught my attempt at a little easter egg style photo!     That is not my work, its actually a movie battles concussion grenade.      But making a simple baby yoda grenade ball could have been a fun entry to the contest!   Missed opportunity.

Something to look at today,  community member ZanderNao came through unexpectedly last night with some custom textures for the control room!

They are a good rendition of the control room monitors featured in the show, including "security camera" pictures taken within the map, and placed in the texture with an appropriate filter color to resemble the source material.     He also surprised me with the lighting panels and switches that do a good job at representing the source material! 

Here is the first rendition of slapping those textures on the walls that I did today at lunchtime (They need some alignment and placement adjustment, but worth a look!):

Its was a great gift that helped elevated the area, and helped jumpstart me to keep me moving on the rest of the map.

Moving along on the project now that some of my time has opened up,   and I have been receiving a ton of great tips and tricks from MJT, and several other really helpful community members!

Finally have a grasp on ase "modeling",  and have begun to add some more features to the map.

Here are a few of the aspects that were recently added:

Made a fully functional prison cell - panel hackable to open and close.    Yes you can toss people inside and lock them in like on the show!    Its fun! 

Also note the more rounded cell doorframe - another helpful tip from MJT on geometry construction!     A rounder, more visually appealing frame will be propagated through the map, which should improve the look immensely!

Made the interior Razor Crest ladder scalable.

Leading to the cockpit door.

And inside the cockpit.

And finally,  if you have not seen it yet, Zandernaos Security Droid is here!   Its an excellent rendition and the perfect companion piece!   Go download it!   

Gratuitous skirmish shots (with Doughnuts Din Djarin model - go download that also!): 

After much fussing around, and again guidance and assistance from community members, the Razor Crest is now open for business.

The ladder is now a model instead of fussy brushwork, and its scalable by pressing the use key to "ascend" the ladder.

This is the first build of the interior, made entirely today, so its barebones styling and cartoony first pass textures.    The ladder model will also be revised over time.     They both have a lot of work left to complete, though the process is underway.

Eventually the cockpit ladder will be made scalable, to a built out cockpit. 

44 minutes ago, ZanderNao said:

The texture pass is completed!

This is certainly a complex project with a lot to keep in mind. It's a little weird being a project organizer/commissioner, sort of translating the limitations of JA to try and keep everything working. I had to ask Phazzzer about the poly/vert count because this still looks too good to be true, haha. It'll be put into A-pose to make conversion into game easier. We talked with the mod conversion team about the skeleton issue and reached some compromises. I think we may try in the future to make a more accurate fit or custom skeleton, but given the time/cost/effort invested so far, goal one is to get a working version in game.

Looks outstanding!

Ive made some good progress on the map recently,  cant wait to see the models in the map!

9 minutes ago, Plague-Angel said:

Not force jumpable no, I've used an invisible lift (func_plat) to get you up there.

Thanks but I think I'm far to late to enter that contest!! 

I haven't given up on this I promise! Just had a lot on at home mapping my house in the real world with mdf, plywood, plaster board and decorators ""caulk" will get back on this over the weekend:-) 

It lives!

Sounds like you have been derailed by real life building, much like me.

I'm still working on my project as well, finally started getting some time to spend on it.  

Can't wait to see your project!

With much of insight from a lot of helpful people in the community, the first heckling prisoner concept is in the map!

An homage to the concept art from the episode, a 3 fingered hand reaches out to players who run this particular hallway.

The hand has some texture wonkiness on the end of the transparency, but now I have a baseline to introduce better quality renditions, and a better understanding of shaders, and some new tools for troubleshooting.

Also, some of the conversion of brushwork to texture can be seen in the photos.

Little things,  but I'm happy to have some time to put in finally.

Actually had some time to continue optimizing this past weekend!

Reduced the columnway brushwork significantly.

Retextured the columnways.

Reduced brushwork in the endcap corridors, which in turn made the areas larger.

Optimized doorways.

Reduced brushwork in the maintenance access area.

You may not have even noticed, though the front of the columns need the "indent" line textured onto the shader texture.   And the sneak peak of a concept heckling prisoner.   

Both shaders did not work on my first attempt lol.     When I edited the texture file with the columnway shader, in the editor it tiled things with "shader not found".     

The hand is supposed to be a two sided alpha shader with transparency - that I simply may have made the shader incorrectly.     I'll have to give them another try, another day.

Though progress is being made, there are still ceiling and floor brushes down some halls that need to be baked into textures.   The areas that have a temporary texture do have a better depth/area of play.

Everything is still placeholder textures, hopefully not for much longer..

Just an idea for a mod: the season finale of Wandavision.

Could be a fun project.

9 hours ago, ZanderNao said:

Hahaha. I love that it was like a blind taste test! Throw them in without knowing it and they identified it.

Oh! Yes, I'm glad they found the bug so you could get rid of it! The perils of a map like this are getting turned around, reminds me of the Blockade Runner map by SSSID. I almost always had to noclip to figure out which direction to go.

Oi, yeah, the droid model looks like a model from a new game cause right now it's super HD. I'm trying to convince Phazzzer to sell the high quality versions of his models, lol.

Yes, that seemed like the best way to see if I was on the right track lol.

They also gave some interesting ideas for marking sections, like perhaps crates/appropriate miscellaneous landmarks down the dead end corridors.

This is getting ahead of the current map project, but we also discussed potential follow up projects, and have fun ideas for the next map.      It's down to 2-3 candidates which I'll share for input when that time comes.

And funny thing- the testor took an interest in perhaps making a mod themselves, and I walked them through using the editor.   We created a solid base for their mod, and messed with it for a bit.   Not sure if it will ever come to fruition, so I'll share the idea - they had interest in making a novelty map based on a fabled game called Jar Jars Jar Jar Jar.     

So we may potentially created another modder in the process of testing the prison ship map!

And finally, as an update to progress on my map, in the little time I've had, i've been streamlining the geometry by reducing brushework(on the columnways) and replacing them with textures.     The control room has also been modified a bit, though nothing worth sharing in pictures just yet.  But soon! ( I hope!)

Had the first internal beta test of the map last night, done by someone who had zero knowledge of the project or what it portrayed - but they are a star wars fan.

The first review:

Pros:  The visuals are fun and resemble the source- they knew what it was instantly.   It reminds them of the original Battlefront game.    They look forward to the further build out and detailing of the map.

Cons:    Because of the pattern of the map, its probably easy to get turned around/disoriented in the map.       

They also found the first bug!   An area with a patch where you could glitch out of the map.

They were smiling while they tried the map section, which I took as a good sign.   The con will be addressed,  its something I have already considered and have a solution (screaming and animated prisoners to help landmark location) to implement when I have time.

The tester was also blown away by Doughnuts Din Djarin model and remarked 'wow they even made the rifle', and when I showed them ZanderNaos WIP NR Security Droid model they could not believe it, saying that it looks like a model from a new game.

Im going to try to make this map as fun as possible.    The nice feedback from the tester was helpful and motivating, and im really looking forward to sharing the map with a wider group of people.

23 hours ago, Lazarus said:

since you re gonna do scripting, may i suggest your extraction is a random positioned prissoner, to make things more interesting (meaning different routes etc) target random to more than 1 spawner. And  script accordingly objectives (so prisoner is randomly placed in different cells so different actions or switches have to be triggered.)

Would the idea below be a viable method of implementing a random npc spawn?

Set up the three potential prison cells, each with an NPC spawner and a trigger on the door panels - both set to inactive.   

Is there a target random entity?   I've not used one before if that exists.   If so, I would imagine that I could link the target random to 3 separate target-activate that could activate one of the 3 npc spawner and the door panel sets.

Or is it more complicated than that, requiring actual scripting?

4 minutes ago, Lazarus said:

since you re gonna do scripting, may i suggest your extraction is a random positioned prissoner, to make things more interesting (meaning different routes etc) target random to more than 1 spawner. And  script accordingly objectives (so prisoner is randomly placed in different cells so different actions or switches have to be triggered.)

I was just thinking about the NPC and some scripting!     

Your idea sounds like something I would like to try, though I will likely need some pointers when the time comes.   I initially hoped for 3 potential locations where they could spawn, just to add some variety.    I will have to look into how to make all of that work- im sure ill have questions!

Unfortunately, I have really had nearly zero time to do real work on the project.    My winter was totally absorbed in work/unexpected home disaster repair, when typically in winter I have a flexible work schedule and time for an actual life and hobbies!    

I appreciate all of the ideas, support and insights everyone has been providing!     Its looking like I may have some free(ish) time coming in a week or so, so expect more work and questions soon!

1 hour ago, ZanderNao said:

WIP Progress Pic 3 (pre-JKA-Optimization)

Amazing!

5 hours ago, AshuraDX said:

Looks like your image went missing

EDIT:

I fixed it for you by grabbing the link from the posts edit history

 I've been exhausted with work for the past months and over-edited myself!

Object / Map screen ROUGH WIP.

Its an early raw map editor as the map photo, the map graphic (obviously) needs to be redone\restyled to presentable.

Mini map is partially functional (lol),  I think I still have a shader/script bug to resolve-  the mini map looks "unwrapped", and zoomed out.  

Moderator Edit (by AshuraDX):

Thinking about naming for when the map is (eventually) released.

They put a name to the ship in the second season,  calling that specific ship Bothan-5.   

I was thinking of using that as the map name, rather than New Republic Prison Ship.     

Also considering a few gameplay variations.   Currently the goal is to have the map be an npc escort, reflecting the show as source material.       I think its a feasible gameplay option - though I also thought that perhaps it becomes too campy for the defending team.       

Maybe the defenders could have an objective of boarding the razor crest in search of the child, somewhat like the show where the droid is playing hide and seek with baby yoda.       That way both sides have incentive to keep pressing, or gives each team different gameplay options in either defensive or offensive play.

1 hour ago, ZanderNao said:

Hahaha. It won't be texture. I thought about bringing it up last night cause I noticed the same thing but didn't want to rain on the parade. I guess I should mention it before he gets too far.

Its a really great rendition so far.   Maybe too good for the map!   

That little antennae piece looks like the only aspect not added yet.

Its certainly motivating to see, and makes me want to open up the editor and get to work!  

9 hours ago, ZanderNao said:

Speaking of characters for this map, here's the update on the New Republic security droid being modeled by Phazzzer. Keep in mind this is currently higher poly/vert count than the finished Jedi Academy model will be. It's still a sort of WIP.

It looks quite good!

Will the head antenna be texture, or do you suppose he just did not get to it yet?

1 hour ago, Noodle said:

I think the same, have been meaning to do some characters for some time now.

I would be grateful for anything you made.   

(and put your name on the prisoner list on one of the control room monitors)

I expected to be completing this map for some time now, so no worries there lol!       

I have been derailed many times the past few months, just extremely busy.     Though I put in time when I can, its always moving forward, even if its just testing the map solo for a few minutes an evening and looking for ways to improve.   

For fun :    Dollar store concept version of Rax Jorris as Ranzar Malk, the gang leader that offers Din the prison break job.

After the main work is done with the ship map,   I have interest in making all of the characters seen in the show.    Would be nice for a single player mod, that also includes the chop shop space station from the episode.    

I think it would be cool just to make the full roster of characters in the show -  I think even the concept art sbd-style security droids would be a fun addition.

1 hour ago, NumberWan said:

I would recommend to scale down these chairs: unfortunately they are slightly bigger than what the JO/JA characters use. I think modelscale 0.75 would do fine. If you have doubts, check the map_objects/cinematics/chair.md3 model for reference – it's the one used in a cutscene on Coruscant in Jedi Outcast.

Adding some 'imperfect side' to the textures would also help improving the general feel of realism to the walls, I think. Or shaders.

I'll send you a texture, which you might like to use in the map. If not for walls, then maybe for the floor. 

You're right, I just placed the chairs and some placeholder textures, so it wasnt just a grey room blockout.

I totally agree, the wall textures need some wear.   Its something I just have not got to yet.

There is a lot of work left to do, especially in "polishing" the map!

Quick shots of the unfinished control room:

Just attached the control room to a random incomplete point on the map to take a photo, the entryway hall will be different.    

The room may need some adjustments in length, though it's close - with textures it should take on a fair resemblance.

Potentially needs a new chair model to match the source.

The little panel is the first objective.   It simulates the scene where mayfeld finds the prisoner cell number on a monitor.   

The panel will activate the second objective, activating a trigger panel that when used. opens the prisoner cell door where the NPC is spawned. 

It also activates the first stage of the alarm system,  one set of blinking pillar lights that pulse in sequence from off to on (for ~ .5 seconds duration, repeated until the match is over),  the first sequence of the "blink" happening in the large corridors, followed by a blink down the second corridors, as shown in the episode.

(Currently the panel activates the emergency door system mock-up, triggering shutting doors when a player is "spotted", which is the second stage of the alarm system that occurs when the NPC is engaged)