[WIP] Virus - Episode 1 "Shareware Release"

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Shadelight
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Post by Shadelight »

Looks pretty interesting...neat style..:)
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Phobus
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Post by Phobus »

Meshwalker finished! It's a big war machine, made out of a strong, but highly flexible rubbery mesh, so it takes damage quite well (2000 health). It's attacks are the main concern though, rather than taking it down. It's missiles are too big for it's missile pods, but that's the wonder of a world that plays by the rules of those who define them - it doesn't matter!

I will admit that these sprites were hard, so I cut a lot of corners, and most of the animations look a bit off... it looks like it's doing a robot dance sometimes, and a lot of the sprites look quite similar to eachother. You can tell what it's doing however, and if you can't, you'll learn quickly enough.
Spoiler: New screen
Next up... I'll do it tomorrow :P
spoone
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Post by spoone »

Hey phobus i know your proably not quite ready yet but i can be a beta tester when you need one.
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Risen
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Post by Risen »

I'm definitely thinking a model there would be awesome.
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XutaWoo
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Post by XutaWoo »

What Phobus really needs is a modeler. I can't tell what the heck that wireframe thing is supposed to be. Looks kinda like a Revenant.
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Phobus
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Post by Phobus »

It's basically a tall, man-shaped wireframe, with two missile launchers, and a blaster.

As for the model idea, I don't think models of half of my monsters would be very easy, especially if you try to keep the polycount low. If you look at some of them (like the Spore and the MeshWalker), you'll see they are curved shapes, or quite complex. Making a model of, and then animating, them, might be quite difficult (though the Spore only needs gunflash and death animations). I mean, if somebody is really desperate to make models of what I've done, perhaps they can try... but it looks like a lot of work, and it would sort of invalidate the days (4) that I've spent spriting them.

Admittadly, the Prism and the Turret would be perfect model cases, as they are simple shapes.

I will point out though, that I don't like OpenGL rendered Doom much, and I don't intend to make the wad for it... so I suppose it'd have to be something along the lines of a third party add-on, if it did happen.

I'll do the Virus monster itself today, and then it's just the boss to go... and I'm still working out how I want that to look.
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Nash
 
 
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Post by Nash »

Those "curves" can be faked using alpha-channeled textures on the models, essentially, they're single polygons but the texture has transparency so it "looks" like a complex mesh.

Looking at your monster design in the screenshot, I already have an idea on how could the geometry be built - it can be made with around 200-300 polys.

Anyway, I don't think you'll want this project to be in OpenGL because GZDoom does not have the Doom fog - everything in OpenGL will look flat and navigation will be difficult.
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Phobus
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Post by Phobus »

That is a fair point, the last one... so yeah, I'll stick to my original idea of ZDoom and sprites.

As a progress update, I was messing about with the test map I made (after making ammo and backpack pickups), and looking at the automap made me decide that the Doom HUD needed to go. So I've done that, and it now just gets replaced by a nice HOM style clip of whatever you were looking at, to go under the map. As it is, my scripted HUD is fine for everything (it has health, armour, weapon info, ammo for the weapons which have it, and icons to indicate which powerups you have (and the like). Now, there only problem is the time part on the automap, as it's hidden by the current weapon selected, but moving it about would look silly (as I'd have to move that entire side of the HUD down low enough to accomodate the time, and it might not work for all screen sizes anyway)... so I'll just leave that hidden (makes sense to me, as there won't be an intermission screen).

Now, HUD issues aside (I've mentioned them all in the text file as known bugs, and offered solutions) I've picked out the remaining graphics that I intend to replace (TITLEPIC, CREDIT, M_SKULL* and M_DOOM) and have added an ammo pickup, and a pickup which serves as a backpack. Next step is to do the remaining two monsters, and THEN do the replacement graphics for the aforementioned lumps.

So I'll make the Virus monster sprites now (something quite simple).
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Phobus
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Post by Phobus »

And there we are, it's done. A Virus is nothing more than a malignant piece of code. When you fight a Virus, you are actually fighting the capsule designed to distribute it, and the Virus is the projectile which rips through your body, subverting you. You'd be wise to avoid contact with a Virus, else you die, and then the Virus is placed inside of you to control you, just like all of the other things you've been "saving".
Spoiler: New Screen
So next I have the boss to do... and you won't get a screen of that :P
spoone
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Post by spoone »

So wait by fly you mean your in a ship in this game?Cool
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Phobus
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Post by Phobus »

No, you are a flying entity in my little world... you just look a bit like a small aircraft.
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Phobus
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Post by Phobus »

For all of you who (like me) really like a bit of information and stuff, here's a pre-release of the background info I put together to make the whole deal seem more kosher (and understandable). Comment if you like, though really it's more theory than anything else :P

BTW, ph33r my typos :P There's probably a couple in there somewhere.
spoone
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Post by spoone »

Thanks for posting that phobus.
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Phobus
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Re: [WIP] Virus - Screens page 1+3; Download the 'manual' page 3

Post by Phobus »

Ok, I'll admit that I've met a slight hitch. Basically, as of late, time's been flying by and I've not had any real time to get the resources finished... and I'm even more inhibited by my complete lack of ideas for the boss monster. When I get an idea, I'll do it and then I can get on my way again...
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bagheadspidey
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Re: [WIP] Virus - Screens page 1+3; Download the 'manual' page 3

Post by bagheadspidey »

Phobus wrote:... and I'm even more inhibited by my complete lack of ideas for the boss monster. When I get an idea, I'll do it and then I can get on my way again...
How about one of those descent-style reactor cores, or some kind of "room" that tries to kill you and has to be "destroyed?"

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