[Release] Gene-Tech: Before the Storm

[Nash]

Aha! That does seem to make a difference. Of course, that does mean that it might not be fixable. I'll see if I can move it forward enough to fix the glitch but not so much that it looks bad for other reasons. If not, I guess it will stay as it is. Thanks. :)

What you can do is move the model forward, then scale it up to compensate for the loss of size relative to the screen... you won't get exact results but maybe close. :)

[Enjay]

Thanks but, after moving the model, I actually quite like how the repositioning worked out. It lets you see a bit more of the weapon and it looks OK in my opinion. I tried the scaling idea but I had difficulty scaling it (not sure why but some of my scaling seemed to get ignored - even huge values made little difference if they were applied across the X, Y and Z but individual values worked. (Maybe something to do with it being a HUD weapon? World actors still scale as I would expect.)

Anyway, I like the effect gained from simply moving the model and leaving it scaled as it always was. I also added a few more details on the skin because the Quake2 skins are very low-res and messy, especially in areas that weren't really seen very well (or at all) in the original game. My edit isn't exactly Turner Prize winning art, but I think it improves things a bit.

1920x1200 (scaled down for forum use)


640x480


Original skin


I've got a couple of (unrelated) things I need to do but I'll upload the newest version later on tonight.

[Enjay]

The update is now online (original link in first post).
viewtopic.php?f=19&t=46718

I have also reported the "models too near the camera" thing just in case something can be done about it:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=62156

[Graf Zahl]

If this is what I think it is, it is indeed not fixable. When stuff gets too close to the camera the depth buffer stops working, thanks to how the projection must be set up.

[Enjay]

That would certainly fit with how things look in game.

[SyntherAugustus]

This was a lot of fun playing again knowing where all of the secrets are. Love to see more.

[Enjay]

For what it's worth, I have uploaded a version that fixes visual glitches caused by poor normals on some of the models (caused by the way Misfit Model 3D creates normals as discussed here viewtopic.php?f=2&t=62350).

This console is now much more evenly lit.

Fixed


Both the crate and the little ceiling lamp have problems in this shot.

Fixed


Many of the models have been updated with new normals but, for most, the differences are nothing like as obvious as the above (if they can even be noticed at all). A small number of models have been replaced with better ones, but the differences are basically very minor cosmetic changes.

I also converted all the weapons to the MD3 format. It doesn't fix the wobbly vertices of the original MD2s that they were converted from (because the MD2 format already messed them up in an unrecoverable way) but it did allow me to check and, I hope, fix normals for them and the vertices won't get any worse now if I need to edit the models for some reason. There are a few other cosmetic tweaks/fixes to some of the decorations (again, minor stuff). The only major group of models that are still mostly in MD2 format are the Quake 2 enemies (which, of course, is their native game format).


The download link is still the same in the original post ( viewtopic.php?f=19&t=46718 ). The map/game is still basically the same so unless you have a burning desire to get the fixed version, there is no need.

[dpJudas]

Thanks for updating this mod - it might be minor cosmetic changes, but it is my favorite mod to test 3d models with. I just love its visuals.

[Nash]

Yes, thank you Enjay, I've also been using this mod to test a lot of 3D-related stuff in the engine (already played through the entire mod countless times in the past ;D). Hats off to you for continuing to maintain this mod way beyond its initial release!

[Rachael]

Thanks for updating this mod - it might be minor cosmetic changes, but it is my favorite mod to test 3d models with. I just love its visuals.

Same here. What little contributions I made towards the 3D modeling code and to GZDoom's timing code as it relates to 3D models, I made using this mod. So - thanks!

[Enjay]

Oh my goodness! Thank you all very much.

[Enjay]

Sorry to do this but I just spotted a problem with the attack animation of one of the Strogg soldiers (the machine gunner). A fix has been uploaded. If you don't want to download the whole thing again, the fix is in:

actors/enemies/strogg/soldier.txt

line 448 (in actor StroggSoldier3) now reads:

Code: Select all

    MOD4 D 0 A_CheckLOF ("Missile3", CLOFF_JUMP_ON_MISS|CLOFF_MUSTBESOLID|CLOFF_JUMPOBJECT, 2048, 0, 0, 0, 24, 0, AAPTR_DEFAULT)

It used to read:

Code: Select all

    MOD4 A 0 A_CheckLOF ("Missile3", CLOFF_JUMP_ON_MISS|CLOFF_MUSTBESOLID|CLOFF_JUMPOBJECT, 2048, 0, 0, 0, 24, 0, AAPTR_DEFAULT)

ie "MOD4 A" was changed to "MOD4 D"

The change was merely to make this 0 duration line use frame D instead of frame A. When it was frame A, even though the state had a duration of 0, GZDoom (quite correctly) tried to interpolate back to frame A every attack cycle, making the enemy vibrate ridiculously every time he fired. He no longer does that and now merely has the minor (intended) twitch caused by the recoil of his weapon.

[Kzer-Za]

It's a very impressive mod! I do have some gripes, but on the whole I liked it very much.

Concerning the gripes, one minor thing I didn't like is that the Gunners were made hitscanners. A bigger problem is that the beginning of the game is much more difficult than the mid- and end-game. That's an issue in many of community-created maps, where it is not factored in that in the mid to end game you gather some weapons, ammo, and armor, so even with the tougher enemies you can deal more easily, while in the beginning you are essentially naked. Gene-tech is an example of that: the final battle I managed to beat on the first attempt (though a couple times I was rather near death) on the normal mode. But in the beginning, on the same normal mode, I had to savescum constantly.

One more thing is that keys could be made more noticeable. Or maybe not the keys themselves but the spots they are in. Or maybe that's just me, but the orange key I missed completely and was looking for it for nearly half an hour. During that time I several times visited the big white room it is in, but just couldn't see it! In the end it wasn't a complete waste of time, since in the course of this search I found two secrets that I otherwise would have missed, but it still was very frustrating.

But visually this mod is absolutely fantastic!

And I really like the changes to Quake 2 weapons that were made here. I just recently played Quake 2 for the first time and was totally unimpressed by its gameplay (Gene-Tech plays much better). One of the reasons is that shooting the guns in Quake 2 felt somehow very unsatisfying. I had the feeling that every gun's downsides outweigh its upsides. In Gene-Tech shooting the same weapons leaves a very different impression. In case of, e.g. machinegun the change is obvious: it climbs up during bursts much less and so is much more useful. But in case of the super shotgun I can't even say what exactly feels better about it, but it does! It has about the same fire rate and damage, still kills a Gunner in 2 point-blank shots, but somehow it gives the vibe that it packs a much greater punch than in Quake 2.

A very impressive job!

[CBM]

It's a very impressive mod! I do have some gripes, but on the whole I liked it very much.

Concerning the gripes, one minor thing I didn't like is that the Gunners were made hitscanners. A bigger problem is that the beginning of the game is much more difficult than the mid- and end-game. That's an issue in many of community-created maps, where it is not factored in that in the mid to end game you gather some weapons, ammo, and armor, so even with the tougher enemies you can deal more easily, while in the beginning you are essentially naked. Gene-tech is an example of that: the final battle I managed to beat on the first attempt (though a couple times I was rather near death) on the normal mode. But in the beginning, on the same normal mode, I had to savescum constantly.

One more thing is that keys could be made more noticeable. Or maybe not the keys themselves but the spots they are in. Or maybe that's just me, but the orange key I missed completely and was looking for it for nearly half an hour. During that time I several times visited the big white room it is in, but just couldn't see it! In the end it wasn't a complete waste of time, since in the course of this search I found two secrets that I otherwise would have missed, but it still was very frustrating.

But visually this mod is absolutely fantastic!

And I really like the changes to Quake 2 weapons that were made here. I just recently played Quake 2 for the first time and was totally unimpressed by its gameplay (Gene-Tech plays much better). One of the reasons is that shooting the guns in Quake 2 felt somehow very unsatisfying. I had the feeling that every gun's downsides outweigh its upsides. In Gene-Tech shooting the same weapons leaves a very different impression. In case of, e.g. machinegun the change is obvious: it climbs up during bursts much less and so is much more useful. But in case of the super shotgun I can't even say what exactly feels better about it, but it does! It has about the same fire rate and damage, still kills a Gunner in 2 point-blank shots, but somehow it gives the vibe that it packs a much greater punch than in Quake 2.

A very impressive job!

You replied to a 2 year old thread

but if you liked genetech as I did, then you will love after dawn... it is based on genetech with enjays permission

but instead of a single level, it will have 32 levels... check out the dev thread... I have several level geometries completed ... but it will be a while before anything will be made available for download

I will take note of your gripes with enjays mod and try to avoid them in after dawn... I too am no fan of hitscan enemies

however... progress is slow since I am project leader on the GZDoom-1 and GZFreedoom projects... and I have atleast 2 personal projects I am working on as well... but well... there is no rush

I already have several spinoff projects that are waiting (GZHero Quest, GZSpace Crusade, GZStar Trek, GZFallout and more )

current active personal projects... md3 3D model beastiary, after dawn, GZSpace Crusade (to practice my skills and make sure after dawn will become truly epic)

[Blue Shadow]

but if you liked genetech as I did, then you will love after dawn... it is based on genetech with enjays permission

but instead of a single level, it will have 32 levels... check out the dev thread... I have several level geometries completed ... but it will be a while before anything will be made available for download

I will take note of your gripes with enjays mod and try to avoid them in after dawn... I too am no fan of hitscan enemies

however... progress is slow since I am project leader on the GZDoom-1 and GZFreedoom projects... and I have atleast 2 personal projects I am working on as well... but well... there is no rush

I already have several spinoff projects that are waiting (GZHero Quest, GZSpace Crusade, GZStar Trek, GZFallout and more )

current active personal projects... md3 3D model beastiary, after dawn, GZSpace Crusade (to practice my skills and make sure after dawn will become truly epic)

Please don't use other people's project threads to talk about or advertise your own.