The forgotten outpost - RELEASED

[Thothie]

i suddenly need a horror wave

*shiver* - just remember Horrors are flying critters, and thus have really horrible navigation (get stuck on anything and everything). You may have to work out a series of monster clips or even trigger_push brushes to direct them proper. I don't recommend a 'pure' horror wave either - they really need some sort of ground backup.

one question though, what about bludgeon demons? would it take long to fix them?

I... Really don't think you want those... I actually have a whole series of Bludgeons for little G's map, that he'll likely never actually make. The Bludgeon model is so pathetically stiff and awful looking though... The current Bludgeon's are kinda fun since they jump all over - but the "fixed" ones would likely just walk up and whack you.

oh and, i'd like the trolls to be a little pushy if you can do that

I can add push velocity, maybe push and/or stun attack to any new troll scripts without consuming any real time.

well, if you give me some basic instructions i'll try reskinning for the troll chief guy

All I can say is grab Jed's HLMV - export the textures, open the BMP's in Photoshop, or whatever you like to use. You can edit in 24-bit and change the palette all you want, but make sure you save in 256 colors. Then re-import and save the model under a new name.

One model I have for a Trollish thing that may not require any editing is the original MS 1.35 troll. (Which looks just like an Ice Troll, but isn't blue). If you wanna troll type based on that, I can arrange it... Although I wouldn't be sure what to call it. (Desert troll maybe?)

Annoying thing is, our Trolls look more like Ogres, and I have a model I intend to use soon that is a defacto-Troll. (green guy in the upper left of this set)

since this map is going up up up in level requirements, once its out i'd advise changing the rewards in that chest (perhaps a good location for some new items?)

Hmm... I was under the impression that the reward would be in the Outpost on this map. :\ In anycase, as I said, I'll adjust the chest script up or down after I see the map.

 

[evilsquirrel]

so...why exactly does the hawk not use that uber-awesome-looking model on that sheet?


and i was talking about fixing the bludgeons so they dont kill the map...

IE: i made a box with a bludgeon demon and a spawn, and it wont load the map

seems like whenever a bludgeon demon is on the map, the map wont load :\

 

[Thothie]

so...why exactly does the hawk not use that uber-awesome-looking model on that sheet?

Mostly cuz I didn't think a replacement hawk was worth increasing the size of the beta-package. In the final, surely. Sadly, it's the only thing that nifty model is good for, as it only has the 1 animation.

i made a box with a bludgeon demon and a spawn, and it wont load the map

Ummm... Works fine on my test map... The actual script is "monsters/bludgeon" - try him, he's fun. Actually, if you mix him in with some other critters, he may be an effective distraction as he is, in addition to comic relief. (jumps all over, v. hard to hit sometimes, ocasionally hits players pretty hard.)

 

[evilsquirrel]

that is the script i used...perhaps you have changed something somewhere to make him work, after the august 4th patch?

i even attatched it to a msarea_monsterspawn this time, and it still refuses to do anything...so, maybe a fix is in order

 

[Avoozl]

He works, does some crazy Jet Li attacks that defy physics but other than that..

 

[evilsquirrel]

yeah, thothie gave me a map with him on it...might examine it later via decompiler to see what i did wrong on mine...


other than that, i'll be working on my map for alot of today, i've got to get these papers written at some point but...yeah im workin on my map.

 

[evilsquirrel]

so, after a test of a full compile i've found a (minor) visual bug...

seems that when its night time, and you look around, the edges of your screen act as if it were daytime, and you can see the skybox texture...any way to fix it or is it a MSC bug?

(monsters still do not work properly - 12:18pm)

 

[evilsquirrel]

triple post...i'm on a roll

anyways, the monsters now come in waves and the waves work and all that...things break open when they're supposed to...etc...

to do list:

1) figure out how the ms_npcscript works and make certain monsters stronger with it

2) place all of the correct monsters in the correct waves
3) remake the fort thingy
4) add lighting to cave...in some way...
5) add wave messages ("the second wave approaches!")
6) test compile and testing with MiB
7) full compile and release


as you can see...its very close to being released, and could be released tomorow if all goes well...but, things rarely go like that...i might need thothie to explain how to use ms_npcscript if i cant get what i need out of decompiling edana and looking at edrin...but ah, placing the monsters is no problem...could have that done in under an hour...redoing the fort, also not really a problem, its going to look alot like the entrance looks now (and i'll have two this time)....the wave messages baffle me, they're technically "there" right now, but they dont show...i'll have to play around with them or find some messages to look at with a decompiler...other than that, a test compile takes just a few seconds....test for an hour or so with mib, and then the full compile will go overnight.

 

[Thothie]

I setup a tutorial for ms_npcscript - but DON'T PLAY IT ON [FN] (not that that's a real issue ATM).

Ye Download Linky

When viewing the map in game (both RMF and BSP are provided), try to CRAWL or WALK to the buttons - I forgot how sensitive the hearing on the Voldar Warrior is, and they'll move of place. Sadly, I can't think of another monster with Roam 0 and enough HP to let you know quad_health is working that doesn't have the same sensitive hearing.

Load the WAD included into Hammer and restart it before viewing the RMF, or you maybe missing textures. (It is not required in-game) Comments appear in the RMF in red blocks.

There's also an elaborate looping ambient sound system in there that Crow might be interested in... and a fun acid trap to clear out the orcs when yer done with em.

Also tried to demonstrate some good mapping habits while I was there.

 

[Crow]

:O


As far as lighting goes, I'd suggest glowing crystals. If you're not exactly sure how to go about making glowing crystals, send me a pm, or talk to J.M., as he is the one who showed me how to do it in the first place.


__________________________
Artwork by Adam Phillips
http://www.biteycastle.com/html.shtml

 

[evilsquirrel]

well, i was going to have the lighting come from torches, but that isn't working...because the only thing that appears is apples, apples, and more apples....


i'll consider some glowing crystals, but i'd rather get the torches working...somehow...


(as for now, i'm working on an english paper due monday)

 

[evilsquirrel]

good news for all of you who have been waiting for this map to come out...

tomorow (hopefully) i'll be releasing my OMFG I HOPE ITS NOT BUGGED version of the map...its map name will be foutpost_rc1

(RC stands for Release Candidate)


it will include the following, a brand spanking new outpost, lighting in the cave, full waves of monsters who hopefully do not go braindead, some moved around rocks and such, fixed textures on certain objects, and it will have the transition zones in the map...though they wont go anywhere quite yet, theyre there!


if i dont manage to get all that done tonight, sorry

 

[Thothie]

well, i was going to have the lighting come from torches, but that isn't working...because the only thing that appears is apples, apples, and more apples....

[/me Plays around with env_model in hammer...] Odd, I coulda *sworn* that the Body attribute worked on env_model... Maybe it be busted :\ Darn. It's possible to extract the individual model out or take the one from MSC, but you'll have to export the model with your map.

*MOST* mappers, including Crow there, use a wedge and a block with a flame and glow sprite to form a torch. It's easier on the polys for something that's going to be hard to see through flame anyways.

Crystals are easy to make too. Just stick two blocks together at an angle, make them illusionary, and set their rendermode to Color of your choosing. Put a playerclip around them if you need them to act solid when touched. If you have a crystal texture you can use that as well.

 

[Thothie]

*Gah* Stupid ffing... If you are using that ms_npcscript tutorial, download it again:

http://www.thothie.com/msc/ms_npcscript_tutor2.rar

I messed up and uploaded the RMF I put up before testing, rather than the one I did after (I'm guessing I exported the map without saving the RMF). In anycase, the RMF and the BSP should match now.

Doesn't seem to be saving my visual groups - so comments may not be in red as promissed. Just keep an eye out for point entities named "remark_thothie"

 

[evilsquirrel]

ah, you're too late thothie

i've already done a full compile of my map...and it's about to be downloadable...

i've moved a few things around, and i used a sort of crystal to emmit the light for the caves...its kind of like a red ball...but i'll call them enchanted rubies

alright, as for the download...



DOWNLOAD

http://www.alienelement.org/downloads/foutpost.rar

 

[Crow]

fatal error: models/weapons/smallarms/darkkhopesh_rviewT.mdl not found
FAIL


__________________________
Artwork by Adam Phillips
http://www.biteycastle.com/html.shtml

 

[evilsquirrel]

eh? theres no dark_koseph model in my map >.<

i'll put a version up that includes that model i guess....wait, isn't that a default model? get thothie's patch >.<[/u]

 

[J-M v2.5.5]

It is a standard model.
Crow? Fail

 

[The Man In Black]

This map is not for soloers or low levels. The char I was using was level 32 and I was dying fairly often (I think I joined during the later waves).

Problems: There's a ladder that still has the black background thing. The guy who you're supposed to protect does nothing when he dies. He was dead by the time I was in and we made it to the end, killing Graznux and all.

Thothie, suggestions on how to make him work?

 

[Crow]

well... i dl'ed everything i could find, and my version still doesnt match the newest... thothie help me out here


__________________________
Artwork by Adam Phillips
http://www.biteycastle.com/html.shtml

 

[The Man In Black]

JM: I don't know why it just crashed, but I'm gonna quicktest my map (Feel free to join) and then I'll load it on my server

 

[J-M v2.5.5]

I don't see your server (yet?) and if it's VAC-secured, I can't join.

Edit: It's J-M, not JM

 

[The Man In Black]

It's up, and I'll kill you for that J[/-]M

 

[evilsquirrel]

i'm fixing bugs i spotted while playing it, should be done fairly soon...

also, i think that i know what was causing the insane lag during the map...pretty sure it was the fire shamans, because of that 'sticky sprite' bug, so the sprites just kept building up and causing lag...

but anyways, i'll be taking those out (for the most part) and fixing the ladder...and a few other things...

 

[evilsquirrel]

methinks i've a problem...bigger than the orc shaman...

after i added the outpost itself, i checked the wpoly count with r_speeds 1...

when you;re entering the outpost its somewhere around 2000 T_T


not a major deal as you're not fighting there, and the wpoly count on the battlefield is somewhere near 300-600...but if you turn and run you might get hit with a lagspike from the outpost being drawn >.<