Spam Blog? ...Updates Anyway!

One of the members of the Sky Gaming Organization notified me yesterday
that my blog was offline.
This blog contains parts of my portfolio as well as my brothers (check out
the awesome video of his left 4 dead campaign below).

As soon as the misunderstanding with blogspot.com gets situated, I'll begin
posting video segments of the new left 4 dead 2 add-on content that I personally
created for our steamgroup at Sky Gaming Organization Steamgroup

I'll also be releasing new screenshots of an upcoming level designed specifically
for the plugins that we run, so hopefully you guys will love that!


Talk to you later!

A Twist or Two

It's been a while since my previous update, so here goes an explanation on that.
On New Years, the graphics card in this laptop went to the grave. Fortunately,
I've ordered a new laptop that should finally be here in a few days. Check out
these specs:

1gb nvidia geforce gt 250
500gb hdd
17.3" LED Monitor
Dual Intel Core i7 1.77ghz (Turbo Boost to 3.2ghz)
8gb ddr3 ram (2dimm)

With that out of the way, I'd like to take some time to post about my brothers
upcoming campaign. I think it deserves some major attention due to the amount
of time and effort he is putting into it. Soul & I come from the Quake era, before
we had prefabricated objects, static meshes, and total rooms created from programs
such as Maya and 3DSMax. With that in mind, he's taken the effort to MANUALLY
create many of these amazing areas himself. Unfortunately, he's pushing the
Source engine to its limit to such an extent that his modeling team has had to
create entire rooms out of models. Below is a video of one of his most recent updates
and a link to his project site. A good number of high quality modelers and texture
artists are working to bring this campaign to life, not to mention a custom musical
score being created by a composer specifically for this campaign.

Check it out:




And the website: http://purojekutozero.wordpress.com/

Chapter 3 In-Development!

These are in development photos of chapter 3 in the new upcoming Left 4 Dead 1
and Left 4 Dead 2 Campaign. It will be released to testers with Coop/Versus capability.
As these photos are shot during development, there is usually a lack of detail and
there may also be numerous changes before the private release. The frame rate also
suffers during development as the map is not closed to leaks.

Last Resort Photos

This post will be updated occasionally with new photos of the campaign.
Clicking on the photo will show you its full size.
Newest to Oldest.
Suggestions, comments, etc are
encouraged, thanks!

Also, when I'm editing, I'm also streaming my level editor at Rebirth Gaming on Justin.TV

I've copied and pasted a post I wrote at L4DMaps.com

"Level layouts and weather, among things can be randomly created in
Left 4 Dead 1. If you wish it to be randomized without requiring a
map restart, you simply do not use logic_auto.

In regards to panic events, in my current campaign, I have created
a panic event that doesn't expire naturally. I have created a unique
"Objective-Based" panic event. In one sense it is a race, where if
all survivors reach the destination point and none are incapped or dead,
the event is terminated by players blocking the path with which they
entered. On the other hand, if all four players do not make it, they are
penalized and must complete an additional objective.

This is just one scenario. The reason for this is during this event, the
ai director will, using logic cases (several, actually) determine the most
fair (or what my logic determines to be) path for the survivors.
To up the ante, there are random explosions or level changes (such as
debris or floors falling apart) to prevent survivors from simply memorizing
one path.

While it sounds cruel and unusual, I assure you that it has been
created with a just sense. The only thing that will make this event
difficult is when players attempt to leave other players "Left for Dead."

In regards to weather, the ai director properly (and not randomly as in
hard rain for l4d2) creates more "challenging" weather conditions for
survivors based on their performance (time & health are two of the
factors) on the fly.

All of these I have accomplished using the Left 4 Dead engine.

Perhaps it isn't designed as a random pub campaign, but it pushes
the thing that made Left 4 Dead great---team work.

I hope I've answered the question here about the open level layouts.
Yes, level layouts can be determined on the fly, at the start of a map,
and even during previous levels (entities can be carried over as well as
their state)

This campaign is a 4-stage campaign scheduled for release in January
for both Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2."

Left 4 Dead 2 Campaign Early, EARLY Build

I'd like to point out this compilation is from Left 4 Dead 1, as I'm producing a L4D1 and L4D2 version(s) of the campaign, the difference between the two will merely be texture and (s)light level differences.
As I was hoping to not be publishing any photos in such an early stage, I've decided to do so anyway, even with the multitude of errors and problems at this stage. This is the first compilation of the level, with blood decals and other items missing via errors or simply omitted. Lighting, at this point in development ceases to currently exist as it's one of the last stages of development for me. Hopefully these two photos give you an early idea of what the first level in this four-level campaign offers.
Also, when I'm editing, I'm also streaming my level editor at Rebirth Gaming on Justin.TV

Left 4 Dead 2 Campaign Announced!

It's been several months since I've made any posts, so before I have any photos available for release I wanted to publicly announce this campaign. I don't want to discuss much of it at the moment, but the first level sets you back to a familiar environment, an hospital that's on fire. It's sort of a twist between Dead Center's "Apartments" and No Mercy's "Mount Hospital" levels. I should have some photos uploaded later in the week. Try Friday.

Beta Concept Brought to Life!

If you reference the concept below, you should recognise this room. While it is an early editor concept of the room, there is of course much to be done. While the entire unloading dock acts as a safe room, should the unlucky chance occur of a director horde, you can only guess where they will come from.
This level is absolutely unique in the sense that I have gone through great pains to provide an evolving, changing level based on the teams decision. While versus clans may claim it will be unfair as to match play, due to a difference in layout, that choice comes based on your teams choices. For instance... there is a set of doors, which opened in different orders will unlock/lock different doors, causing path changes. While these changes are minor, to simply avoid extreme advantage/disadvantage, they act through the logic relay of several entities, to prevent players from knowing exactly what caused which path to become available. I hope to have a demonstration video of this level available in the next few weeks.

Randomization of level structure, Left 4 Dead

As we know, Valve has announced that in Left 4 Dead 2, depending on how well or poor your team is playing, the director may change the level to assist or hinder you. What Valve hasn't announced is that you can set the AI director up to do this in Left 4 Dead 1. For those of you who may question this, refer to No Mercy 3. Turn left directly out of the safe room, and right at the dead end, until you're standing in front of that truck. The door here is occasionally open. Why is this? By using a handy method of scripting within the game, the level designer can inadvertently create level modifications prior to the player reaching that level. There are entities that can be placed, which, based on certain circumstances met could be carried over to the next level, at least their properties, and whether or not certain conditions were met or not. However, you can take this one step further and, with a handy work around with the scripting, make the director seem just as advanced as AI Director 2.0. With a little work of triggers and logic relays, you can have the game change the layout, add items, remove items, etc, etc., based on time or other variables, such as player health, among things. While currently buggy, I've produced this method in my upcoming campaign. I've produced changes in the environment that I am sure will surely surprise you.

The Hollows

Unfortunately, there are no videos or text to accompany this post as I prepare for a busy week. I'm going beyond the typical scripting in this campaign, and providing moments that should startle or just simply irritate the survivors, with an abundance of scripted events. As valve would describe the crescendos as gauntlets, such as making your way across a ravine, hitting a motion sensor on the spotlights, summoning a crescendo event, and having to fight your way across the rest of the ravine out of the motion detectors in order to end the flood of horde. Fun times? There are a lot of these wonderful, scripted events in the campaign, some of which I hope you'll enjoy. Remember, the motto of The Hollows is... There's no way out!

The Hollows, Beta Concept

After much revision, this is the new concept I have developed for the first level of my 3-level campaign. Note that the left side of the concept is generally set in stone, for the most part, at least the survivor starting area. The right side, not so much, but the final concept will be developed and published tomorrow. Note the length of the level, while the campaign is 3 levels short, each level is slightly longer than the typical valve campaign level.

Shanty Forest, alpha public

I've decided, due to the fact that I haven't had the will to play survival mode since I overplayed it during its initial release, I've created a small, cozy little forest enclave with a small cabin and a little shack to play a new survival level I created. While initial development time was only a few hours, I find it still to be quite fun, aside from the short demonstration in this video, where I once again understood why I stopped playing it with bots in the first place.



Download the file here (9mb)

More Updates!

I ask everyone to be patient... I'm in the process of uploading 1gb of videos (4 videos) to youtube at the moment, and they should all be displayed below in the next few hours (like... 4 or so.) As they are uploaded, I will be adding them to this post.

Due to Youtube's cap on video uploads, I've opted to a MPEG1 standard over the high definition of MPEG2, so you may notice a lower grade of quality on the video.

Thank-you for your patience.

The videos include the following:

Doom 3 Booster Pack; A demonstration of the weapons, graphical, audio, and monster modifcations made by my mod.
Doom 3 Physics Change; I've ported Rocket Launcher & Grenade physics from Quakeworld Team Fortress 2.9 to Doom 3 for use with the port of QWTF Rocketjump trick maps that I am currently transitioning over.
The Hollows, The Trail; Level 1 in the hollows left 4 dead campaign, an early alpha version demonstration.
The Hollows, The Town; Level 3 in the hollows left 4 dead campaign, an alpha version demonstration with commentary.

The Hollows - The Trail

Welcome to The Hollows, Level 1. It's a simple trail through the mountains that the survivors must follow. Simple, perilous, and a complete nightmare. After some time working on the level, I'm happy to show an early version of the level, rendered. Of course, this rope bridge is right around the 50% marker, so just try to imagine tank play in this area, and please look around at all the cliffs.

And I'll upload a photo of zombie action later today...

The Hollows... A Left 4 Dead Update!

So... You've seen "The Town," a current chapter in "The Hollows" Left 4 Dead Campaign. Now, it's time for an early editor screenshot of the very beginning of the campaign. You'll notice it closely resembles Blood Harvest... on crack, among other things. This campaign specializes in short, painfully painful survivor memories. While this is an early photo, you might get an idea of how terribly wrong this level is for survivors in many different ways. I have decided to release this campaign for public testing on my birthday, which is 10 days away!

Left 4 Dead Survival Map Design Process

I've decided to throw up photos from initial concept through to final product, of a quick Left 4 Dead Survival level that I decided to create this afternoon. I'll be adding new photos below as the development process moves along. This is a simple instructional level, that you may freely edit, and I will make available the different versions of the vmf file when it is completed.

Development Photos, Files

For anyone who is interested in seeing the process of development, through the pencil & paper -> 2-D Layouts -> 3-D Blockouts -> 3-D alpha, beta, and final levels of detail, as well as editor files of Left 4 Dead levels, I have included the first level, The_Town, in my latest campaign for your viewing pleasure, in two formats, 3-D Low-Detail (blockout) as well as in 3-D Beta Detail (Final before refinements).

I have also included two Unreal Tournament 2004 levels, for those of you who wish to see the Subtractive method, should you own a copy of UT2K4, I have included two levels, CTF-Claustrophobia and CTF-Rampage for editing and game play testing.

Another extra I have added is photos, of alpha -> beta -> final levels of detail for specific areas.

I strongly urge ANYONE who is interested in level design to take a look at the photos and levels included in this file, each are organized into carefully labeled folders.
And please, feel free to modify my work as you wish, but if you use it in your own work, simply throw in an easter-egg or reference for me.

Have fun developing!

Download the file here (24mb)

Doom 3 Fortress Evolution Team Update

This morning, there is an update to the Team for Doom 3 Fortress Evolution.

Taiaud has signed on to develop the core code as the programmer on the project, while I will develop the audio bits, as well as the physics portion. A few qw/tf maps are planned for port as well.

Doom 3 Fortress Evolution

This might actually shock a lot of people in the community, given the fact that Doom 3 has a rather small community at this point. However, because I simply have the desire to, I had begun work on a direct port of Quake World Team Fortress 2.9 to Doom 3.

Currently, the following has been completed on the project:

Grenade Type 1 (Standard Grenades)
Rocket Launcher
Shotgun (Single-shot)
Shotgun (Double-Shot)

Physics for these weapons have been tweaked, in relevance to TF2.9.
Generally, speaking, the Soldier class is relatively completed.

I have spent the last few hours rocketjumping in a level that I have been working
on.

While a lot of people might be curious as to what one person hopes to achieve in what is a very large project, I'd like to throw a few things out there.

I'm not designing a slew of levels. If anyone has contact with Photek, see if he would be willing to hand over the Doom 3 Fortress levels that were completed.
What I am doing is the following:

Physics, Player Classes, Audio, Weapons.
Simply put, the only thing I'm not doing is the level design portion.

Why?

I've been an avid level designer for years, 13 years, actually. At this point, I'd like to finish another one of my projects, and the general reason I began this project was simply to be able to rocket jump (trick maps) on the Doom 3 engine.
When I am finished everything else, I'll make a simple quad-level (2on2 map) for a portfolio demo, and then release the source to the public.

I'll update the community on this project as it moves along, and hopefully in the next month I'll have a chance to record myself with the soldier class in action.

Thanks for stopping by!

Doom 3 Update

Doom 3 Booster Pack

I've been working on updating the Doom 3 Game mechanics through the SDK, among things these past few days, and I've released the first version of updates.
Unfortunately, there is a really large list of updates, preventing it from being a simple enhancement. Among updates include sharper textures, realistic lighting and ambience, among some things. For the full scoop you'll need to check out the readme.txt included in the zip file.
Also, please refer to my Steam Forums Post about the update for a general overview of the update. I recommend having 1.3.1 installed, as well as starting a new game for settings to work. I urge testers to please inform me of any bugs or problems you encounter, as this is version 1.0a.

Also, look for Doom 3 Clan Arena as I am in the process of developing it, based off of Quake 1 Clan Arena. Also, for rocketjumping fanatics, I have been hard at work modifying game physics and rockets/grenades for rocket jumping as similar as possible to quake world team fortress rockets/grenades physics for trick maps.
I'm in need desperately of testers for both, and I'm also on the look out for talented 3d model artists and sound designers.
If you're interested, please email me with the appropriate subject header.

Enjoy the mod!

The Town - Crescendo

Evening,
As I move closer to completing the first level, it's time to throw in the details before moving on to the next level. While photos is all the community will see prior to the first beta, this new photo is of the end of the level, where you'll fight off a horde for two minutes, as your team frantically (just go with what I'm about to say) rings the door bell on this seemingly deserted house. After two minutes, the door will unlock and players can move inside to the safe room. As much as it saddens me to say it, this will be the last photo of this level displayed prior to the first beta release of the campaign, so drink up and enjoy!