(wip) Ashes 2063 TC - Back to Work

[xenoxols]

Why are you using the Duke 64 HUD? I mean it's not bad but it doesn't really fit the theme.

[matuloco]

If I may suggest, maybe with a little rust added the hud would fit the theme better.

[Vostyok]

Ah, my mistake. In my first post, I mentioned that the WIP version included the Duke64 hud. I should have been more specific.

It is a placeholder. I wanted to see if it could relay enough information without being as intrusive as the Doom STBAR. I was thinking about adding a weapons/ammo loadout hud at the top of the screen in the expanded hud, with the option of the corner readouts or readouts AND weapon bar.

I am going to adding my own graphics eventually, with plenty of rust

Update tonight if I produce anything worth looking at...

[Vostyok]

Hey, i liked that grenade launcher. Also, since you're doing all in your own, i can send you some flare variations i have here. That's the least i can do to help. What you say?

Sure. Thank you, I am leaning towards road flares, if you've seen them. Not sure if to have the road flare as a weapon sprite (think DooM3's flashlight, but centred on the player) that can then be tossed away, or to just have them as a flechettes style tossed inventory.

Would be funny to see CajunBots trying to figure out what the fuck they are, either way.

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If you haven't walked through a pitch black wood at 2 am holding a road flare, I advise you try it. So many feels.

[Vostyok]

Tiny Friday Update!

Okay, so there isn't much to say I'm afraid. Between work and personal life, most of my downtime has been working on Map01, so there isn't much to show, but it is growing quite nicely. Roughly twice the size of E1M1, I want it to give a good challenge while still giving plenty of stuff to do and explore. What I've knocked up this afternoon and evening was a new Titlepic:



The rather groovy font is Apocalypse regular from Naldz Graphics, which has some pretty good free resources. I'm still pondering whether the cannibals in the shadows should be greyscale or not, or whether there should be some more going on in the background.... welcome any comments and/or alterations.

Also, I've been working on these...



They will be available in different colors, even green I need to tidy up the flame but it looks awesome with the sparks and smoke in-game. I'm still working on a thrown and stationary sprite set, but if anyone wants to give a hand, that would be brilliant. (hint hint JDRedalert if you could send those sprites to have a look at, that would be grand). Actually JD, you'll notice if you zoom in on the flare the brand name... haha Red Alert Brand road flares. For giving me the idea

Anyway, I'm going to play Fallout again and then do some more mapping. Whatever....

[xenoxols]

That looks good, except the flame looks like it is floating above the flare.

[jdredalert]

Well, i don't have any sprites on my own, exept the ones originally made by Scalliano. But i can give you my modified version of the flares for you to use, and you'll just have to replace the default sprites with your own. Just give me some minutes.


EDIT - Here goes. Three colors included: red, green and blue. Press the default ZDoom inventory use key to toss 'em. With a little Decorate magic you can even merge them into your sprites, so the player can actually throw the flares or hold them while ignited. I can even do that for you later but now i'm at work, so there's not much i can do from here.

[Vostyok]

I can even do that for you later but now i'm at work, so there's not much i can do from here.

That's absolutely fine. The decorate touch up is no problem, I can do that. A framework to play around with will save me time. I'm just afraid I'm going to get off on a tangent with the art.

I'm a perfectionist when it comes to spriting - I'm never happy until I've been through several revisions. And before you mention it, yes, my flare is going to see a LOT of work before I am happy with it.

You should see the prototype of the cannibal, back from day one. If I had posted that first, I doubt this mod would have got off the ground.

Caution: Do not open the following if you have a heart condition or are showing this page to a easily startled child.

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The Horror....

[Kontra Kommando]

This looks amazing. I was actually thinking about how cool it would be it if there was a mod like this; a la Omega Man (1971), or like the Fallout series. Good luck with this project, I am interested in seeing the how the demo turns out.

[jdredalert]

I've been watching some youtube videos regarding road flares, and i think that maybe the flame color should change to red. It looks like a torch the way it is now. I tried to edit your original frame a little in order to give some reference for you but the result was this... crappy thing.

At least i tried...

[Enjay]

Emergency flares do indeed tend to be red. However, their purpose is mainly to alert others and help them spot a hazard/person needing to be rescued/whatever (they often also make a lot of red smoke to help this).

If the flare is being used primarily as a light source to let people see where they are going, then perhaps red isn't the obvious choice. I suppose you could argue that a red flare is less likely to mess up a person's night vision but the military flares intended to light an area that I have used were all a very bright white colour (and the big aerial ones can illuminate a pretty wide area for a long time - in fact, even the small ones (see spoiler) can light up a reasonable area for a while).

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I just took a picture of these sitting on my desk. They are all I have handy ATM. Anyway, as you can see, they are pretty small. You screw the silver bit (the flare) into the black handle and use the trigger on the side to activate it. It goes upwards (I dunno, maybe 35 feet), burns for about 30 seconds and can light up a reasonably sized clearing in the woods with bright white light.

I guess you go with whatever feels best in the mod though.

[Vostyok]

I tried to edit your original frame a little in order to give some reference for you but the result was this... crappy thing.

Looks good to me. They actually give off a lot of sparks and smoke so the 'flare' of the flare isn't always very visible. I think something closer to your effort. Hell, the ones used in Blood are basically exploding strobe lights/fireworks, so yeah still an improvement. I'm still working on it, but it's not a priority. Getting you guys something to actually play is main concern right now.

the military flares intended to light an area that I have used were all a very bright white colour ..

Haha where did you get those? Ah, yes this is something I already tried. I've used schermulys and ground illum flares and they are VERY effective, but DooM-wise they might end up being a potential spam problem in multiplayer, due to their massive radius. The road flare did effect night-vision, from what I remember, but as long as you remembered not to sit there watching it, you wouldn't notice a difference. And it illuminated a 5 metre circle around us. This would be better suited to what I'm intending. (Also, someone might complain that it didn't do any damage when you fired it at monsters, but whatever...).

[Enjay]

Haha where did you get those?

I've had them for ages. I used to get various pyrotechnics from paintball suppliers for running adventure games, modern LARP etc. I haven't bought any for a long time though.

Your points all make sense about the in-game version. It's all about what is fair, doable and feels right within the constraints of the project. It might well be a very simple matter for any present day soldier to light up an entire area with very simple, easily available equipment but if that detracts from the game, then it shouldn't be there. Of course, it still has to feel believable and logical within the game though (which the red flares should).

[Vostyok]

Haha where did you get those?

but if that detracts from the game, then it shouldn't be there..

Exactly. One of the reasons I decided against the earlier flare gun idea. And road flares would have a logical reason for lying around the boots of cars and in deserted petrol stations. I see where you are coming from though.

Right, back to mapping....

[Vostyok]

Duck And Cover Update!

Urgh. Glad that week is over. That was shit.

Map01 preview shots below, just to show how it's progressing, as well as the SKY1 texture. Not sure if a dark grey or murky blue sky would be better, but I like the dirty yellow clouds, which give a bit of color to the surroundings. There is going to be a lot more decoration as I expand each sector, but nothing that should get in the way of the player unless useful as cover.

The shots show the alleyway where the player starts, the front and rear loading area of the store, and the adjoining apartments with broken-down elevators. Hoping to get some shots soon of the shop floor, staff room and apartment rooms, but then it might be easier to just finish the thing.

Screenshots - WIP Map01

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Give me some input, if you have the time. Textures are a mix of Duke3d, Take No Prisoners, and some modified photographs of abandoned buildings in Dallas, which is oddly beginning to look like this in places...