Planet Descent
Community => Descent Levels/ Mods => Topic started by: Hunter on July 12, 2016, 04:27:26 AM
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I've been debating with myself for years if I should finish any of my Descent 3 projects. The most notable of which is the single-player Hyperspace campaign I was working on. Originally conceived not long after Basewars (2006) it was intended to be a single player campaign that utilized assets from Basewars. The original campaign was going to have seven storyline missions - But about half way through the project I ditched the idea. Procrastination played a large part in that decision, but it was also due to being unsatisfied with the missions themselves and the general lack of interest. It just didn't quite work. But I had some fun with it.
I decided to re-write the campaign and compress it into 5 missions at a later date, but again that just idea went into limbo. As time went by it became more and more pointless as Descent 3 was all but dead. Even simple modding tools became nearly impossible to use once Windows 7 arrived. But the idea keeps popping up in my head every so often, simply because it's like a gnawing feeling of something left undone. And there are so many other projects I never finished (Omens, Ground Control, FLUX, Subterra - All Descent 3 levels/mods) but the problem is those projects were too big and fancy. Omens went from being a single level to a 4 level campaign set similar to the D3 main campaign. FLUX was a kind of D3X upgrade project. Subterra was a version of Command and Conquer set underground. Ground Control was basically Battlezone in Descent. But none of those projects will ever see the light of day - it's too much work and it's kind of pointless at this late date to dig them up. But the Hyperspace project is still viable because A. The assets (objects, textures, etc) are mostly already built & B. Hyperspace missions aren't as time consuming to put together & C. There are at least *some* people left who remember it and wanted it.
So assuming I could get everything up and running again (editor, tools, scripting etc) would anyone be interested in seeing a finished campaign?
Is there anyone left who would actually play it? :P
Feel free to fire any questions at me regarding the above projects.
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I, for one, would love to see it finished.
Sadly, though, I have to agree D3 is all but dead. I can't help but think that perhaps your talents and energy would be put to better use in Overload or Sol Contingency, if that's even possible.
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I, also for one, have been very pro for this project since the beginning, so my opinions about it would be rather bias. But since you've asked, yes, yes you should finish it. ;D
But that being said, I can certainly understand your hesitation to do so. D3 certainly is no longer the center of the fanbase's attention anymore, and I agree looking into possibly doing the project for one of the upcoming games may be more worthwhile. WillyP mentioned Overload and SolC, and I would add DU in on that as it will support modding upon release as well (indeed, I think that engine-wise, DU might be the best option of that list).
But that being said, I think there's still players out there that would happily accept a new D3 mission to play, just like I know there are still players that happily accept new D1/D2 missions as well, so I certainly think there would still be people who'd play it. :)
I really wish I could do something to pitch in to help with it's development, but I never really did have a good grasp on D3Edit and it's like tools. :-\
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Not only do I remember this, I occasionally think to myself, "I wonder if Hunter will ever finish that Hyperspace project?" :P I remember playing Basewars for a couple of hours when you were beta testing some years ago and had a freakin' blast. Probably moreso than any multiplayer game before or since. I would love to see the singleplayer project completed.
It wouldn't be much at all, but I'd be more than happy to toss a couple of US dollars your way in the form of a donation if only for motivational purposes. ;)
All that said, though, I would understand why you would not want to complete the project if the audience is so small. D3 is something of a cult classic now, more so than D1 or D2 (I have friends that played 1 and 2 and never even knew a third existed). We're a pretty hungry fanbase, and (mostly) easy-to-please, as you surely well know. If you made it - or even just one or two missions, everyone here would love it. But if you don't, I think everyone also understands.
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I can't help but think that perhaps your talents and energy would be put to better use in Overload or Sol Contingency, if that's even possible.
I was definitely planning on doing some levels for Overload and possibly Underground. But we're still quite a way from a finished product with those games - The Underground map editor is still very limited. There is more than enough time to finish at least one more D3 project until then :)
@D2Disciple I still fire up Basewars from time to time. I don't know how I managed to build that thing in such a short time :P
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If you don't finish it, I will... I will... I will do something! ;)
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I say yes -- I would love to play this and, more importantly, it sounds like it's what you want to do.
So who cares if you have a reason?
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Whether or not somebody else plays it you still will never have their experience of it. So do it for yourself.
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Hunter, since I don't really frequent on them and wouldn't know, have you inquired about this on other Descent forums? DBB and the forums for places like Overload and DU? It would help you get input from as much of the Descent fanbase as you could about how much interest there would be, and as much as I hate to admit it, PD's no longer really a flurry of activity here anymore. :-\
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That maybe so, but this is where Hyperspace started on the old PlanetDescent forums back in 2003. I don't really need to ask in those places, as those who remember Hyperspace are pretty much confined to these forums. Besides, this is more of a 'cult' following than a Descent fanbase thing. If the cult wants it, that's good enough for me. I can post it to the other forums if it's ever finished :P
I've already re-installed D3, D3EDIT, the SDK & looked through some content. Most tools seems to work fine, except for the OOFEditor. It's just a matter of getting that to work and then I'll get cracking.
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Good news! I got the OOF Editor working and I've re-written the original script for the campaign. I've downscaled the size of the missions and ret-conned a few ideas - that way it doesn't get too bogged down and time consuming. This ofcourse will mean that more than half of the new ships I already built for Silent Fury will not get used in this campaign. I'm going to need a little time to get familiar with D3EDIT again, but once I'm ready I'll try and push forward on this project... I hate to use the word 'deadline' but let's say October for a BETA. I'll use weekends and some spare time in the evenings to get this done.
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Good news, indeed!
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Awesome! Looking forward to this! Nothing wrong with keeping it simple - heck, that's one reason we all love Descent, isn't it? ;D
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Well it turns out D3EDIT is like riding a bike - it just comes back to you. Let's hope everything keeps going smoothly :)
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Progress! 4 new models built for the campaign. Up next: Texturing those and then compiling an asset test hog.
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awesome!
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It still makes me sad that Basewars never saw any play after all the work put into it. Hope to see something awesome come out of this!
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Hey! I play Basewars! ...granted not in the multiplayer format intended, BUT STILL! :P
I think the reason why Basewars didn't catch on more with players is because it was so expansive. You could have the max number of players and it could still be hard to find other players to interact with (yet as I recall, it was rare to get the max number of players for games). But that's why I've been so keen about the single-player mod of Hyperspace. Basewars proved it was fun to go off, explore, and do your own thing solo, so I figure building a mod focused more for that will be additionally fun. :D
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Basewars was more popular as a Co-Op style level than a Teams game. It was too big for players to just jump into. Most of the PVP games were arranged in advance. I think it was played at one of the EU LANs, too. I still think it got played more than OG3 though ???
Speaking of Basewars, I recently posted a couple of the unposted soundtracks: http://sectorgame.com/d3/downloads/?nav=recent (http://sectorgame.com/d3/downloads/?nav=recent)
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Ah, OG3... Another wonderful mod I wish had seen more play. Don't think it even runs on the current version.
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Good news, I'm still working on this. The scripting is proving to be a challenge as D3 isn't really designed for this kind of thing, but I'm managing.
Here is a summary of what to expect from Silent Fury:
- 5 storyline missions - Whereas in Basewars you just roamed around, in this you'll be playing FreeSpace style missions within a simple story.
- Over 30 new custom objects - Including a new playership, NPC friendlies, enemies and some extras such as stations, new turret models and miscellaneous objects.
- New mechanics including an NPC support ship (I'm calling it The Shaman ;)), passive recharge for energy/shields, gadgets and wingmates.
- Basewars weapons have been entirely retweaked so it's more suited to single player.
- Texture pack ported over from Basewars, including a couple of entirely new textures and effects.
- And lots more cool stuff such as a return of deployable drones, a new Hyperspace enviroment and more...
This isn't a wish list. Except for the missions which I'm working on right now, everything else has been built.
I'll post a couple of preview pics when I've done some lighting :)
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This smiley accurately sums up my reaction to all of that: ;D
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I've been away from home the last few weeks, so haven't had time to work on this. I do have access to the files, but my home setup is so perfect right now I don't wanna mess around with D3 and D3EDIT on another setup I'm not satisfied with. So as soon as I get back in about a week, I'll be resuming.
Aiming for late November-early December :)
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Well we all know how procrastination can be ;) Although it's a been a mixed bag really - I've also moved home recently, so that certainly took up some time.
Anyway, here are some screenshots from the 'training' mission that I've been sitting on. I guess it will be the first of the 5 missions, as I doubt I'll doing 6.
Expect to see more previews later :) Consider these as alpha, not a final build.
(http://sectorgame.com/upload/preview2017020401.jpg)
(http://sectorgame.com/upload/preview2017020402.jpg)
(http://sectorgame.com/upload/preview2017020403.jpg)
(http://sectorgame.com/upload/preview2017020404.jpg)
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As always, cool (and excellent) work!
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Here I am going through a list of bugs as I wait for a level to be test-lighted. .
(http://sectorgame.com/fsfiles/repo/data/Hunter/152513.jpg)
Coming along 8)
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Yay! :D
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I'm nearly finished with the campaign. Just one more mission to put together.
Once I've done that, I will be doing several passes of the campaign to implement balancing, polishing and other aesthetic changes.
That will complete Act 1 - With any luck it will be out this spring. But to make that happen I'm going to need voice actors.
So if you're interested, PM me or e-mail to express your interest. There are 3-4 speaking parts with about 50~70 lines of dialogue each, and about 10-15 smaller parts.
I will probably voice 2 of the smaller parts myself, and I've got two other smaller parts already filled. :)
Keep in mind you may need to be available for Act 2 if I proceed with that later in the year.
I will need at least 2 female voices. If you know anyone who is interested (anyone know how to reach Bettina?) let me know.
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I absolutely love basewars, please do this.
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Nearing the end of development, moving onto post-production now (beautification, polish, balancing and fixes etc).
Also now starting the recording of dialogue.. if you are interested contact me!
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Awesome! Looking forward to playing this soon!
As far as female voice work is concerned, I'm not really sure where Bettina has been (although, if I recall, she kinda lurked around here for a short while some time ago). I'd suggest contacting Drakona, but I'm not sure she would be interested in anything D3-related or even if she has the equipment or means to record. I know there were other talented female pilots here for a while, but most of them have been gone for some time. Have you tried posting over at the DBB?
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I wouldn't get too excited, it's only a short campaign and a bit wonky in places ;D D3 really hates being a space game.
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Hey, I'm always excited to see a mod that really pushes an engine in ways that it was never meant to be used. Regardless of length, I'm sure it will be a fun little ride. ;D
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All 5 missions have been completed! I'm still working on a few tidbits here and there, but mostly the only things left to do now are record the dialogue + insert the music. As an addition, I'm whipping up a bonus 'mini' secret mission to throw in. :)
The final playtime for the campaign will be around the 120~140 minutes mark.
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Sounds good. Personally, I would think that's an ideal length for a mod... Not so long as to wear out its welcome, not so short as to feel like a mere proof of concept. I would always rather play a short, tight campaign over something that's artificially long.
Titanfall 2 is a great example of a very short (4-5 hour) campaign where I still feel like I got my 40 bucks worth and want to go back to again and again... But The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is a game I was absolutely sick of playing 20 hours into it's triple-padded 35-hour runtime. It's not about how long people play, it's about how much fun the player is having. ;)
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Some new screenshots!
(https://sectorgame.com/upload/preview2017071501.jpg)
(https://sectorgame.com/upload/preview2017071502.jpg)
(https://sectorgame.com/upload/preview2017071503.jpg)
(https://sectorgame.com/upload/preview2017071504.jpg)
(https://sectorgame.com/upload/preview2017071505.jpg)
(https://sectorgame.com/upload/preview2017071506.jpg)
(https://sectorgame.com/upload/preview2017071507.jpg)
(https://sectorgame.com/upload/preview2017071508.jpg)
(https://sectorgame.com/upload/preview2017071509.jpg)
(https://sectorgame.com/upload/preview2017071510.jpg)
(https://sectorgame.com/upload/preview2017071511.jpg)
(https://sectorgame.com/upload/preview2017071512.jpg)
(https://sectorgame.com/upload/preview2017071513.jpg)
(https://sectorgame.com/upload/preview2017071514.jpg)
(https://sectorgame.com/upload/preview2017071515.jpg)
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*studies the second screenshot for a second*
Hey, a countdown clock! Man, that is trouble! (http://www.portal2sounds.com/404#q%3Dcountdown)
:P
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Countdown clocks aren't going to be your problem ;D
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Did you get the dialogue, Scyphi? I'm looking to you for BETA testing. I've flown each mission about a hundred times due to bug fixing / polish, but I'll still need at least one other to fly through the campaign. It must be someone with a stable and working version of D3 as I can't cater to anything else.
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I did, my apologies for not making any sort of response back about that yet, but I haven't had a chance to sit down and record for the lines yet. With a little luck though, I might be able to this weekend. I'll try to keep you posted on that.
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Finished recording, and lines sent via email.
As for beta testing, I'm reasonably certain my copy of D3 is stable. At the very least, I have more than one way of playing it on D3, and more than one computer than I can try too, so I suppose if one doesn't work...
As for bug hunting...I can certainly make sure it plays as intended, but as I only have so much technical know-how, I don't know how much I can catch or miss, assuming it exists at all. But hey, you're the level builder, so... :)
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Cheers!
As for the bug hunting, well minor bugs are often not an issue (such as texture issues, which is entirely dependent on setup) or unsolvable graphical glitches. The real issues are mission breaking events or something that doesn't seem right. For example: should that pink elephant be there in place of that missile?
The campaign should work alright though. I've even managed to fix the crashing bug that used to occur when exiting Basewars, something that alluded me all those years ago.
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For example: should that pink elephant be there in place of that missile?
I would so play a space shooter where I got to fire pink elephants at robots... :P
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I'll need someone to proof-read the readme file, perhaps spruce it up a bit. Any takers? :) Sounds like something you'd be good at, Scyphi.
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Well, I AM an English major... :P Sure, I can give it a shot.
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Still waiting on a few voice actors to finish up - the project itself is pretty much finished.
I see someone finally voted not to bother. It's a bit late for that don't you think :P
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Undoubtedly a heretic anyway. :(