Terminus Machina - A DX Mod

[SilverSpook]

Not sure what it might be. If I set no alliance to player it works, if I set them -1 to player it doesn't. These are MJ12 guys and alliance is mj12. I tried not setting alliance at al and just -1 to player and doesn't work.

Oh, and it does this only if the conversation *owner* is -1 to the player. If the other guy is enemy of the player it still works.

[SilverSpook]

For the mappers: Do you usually design the floorplan first, and then add in the game objects later? Or do you build a little at a time in a "radial" fashion, making some level, then adding some game elements like enemies, computers, etc. then adding a little bit more architecture, etc.

Also, do you usually make a single 'path' or way to complete the level, and then go back and add alternative ways to finish it? Or do you kind of build all the methods of completing -- alternative routes, hacking, electrical, lockpicking, enviro-related options etc -- all at the same time?

[FastGamerr]

Without getting into too much detail, basically I'd make the major areas first. Afterwards I'd connect the major areas together, and the archi in those areas is usually very simple and involves a lot of copypasting between the levels - so it may seem like that vaguely nice looking areas are connected together with unimaginative rectangles. During/following that I'd add some details to all the rooms but even then I've opted out from it in some parts due to getting annoying BSP issues.

As for designing gameplay, most of the mod follows a "one way to finish the level with quite basic variations like stealth/going Rambo, using nanokeys/blowing doors up etc." pattern. Sadly I don't have the time or energy (and apparently never had it to begin with) to focus on making everything vastly open-ended, and it didn't help that I always keep on getting new ideas for variations for the already existing gameplay elements.

That's pretty much it. I just hope the combination of all these elements (among others) will prove to be satisfying to most.

[SilverSpook]

Ah, thanks for the input. I've basically been trying to scrape together my level-designing chops recently and have been kind of overloading my brain trying to think of a million ways to get through a billion and get stuck spending a day on one hallway >.<.

I'm replaying DX in tandem to try to get my head in that headspace of "Oh yeah, this stuff was fun!" when you're playing the game, and it seems like it really is the endless possibilities more than anything else that makes the game really crackle. I just hope I can add at least a few new factors into the equation to up the possibilities to another level.

[SilverSpook]

Does anyone else have problems getting pawns other than the player to trigger events when they touch a trigger? It seems like even if I set the trigger to "TT_PawnProximity" or "TT_AnyProximity" the only pawn that will trigger a trigger is the player.

[Neveos]

Without getting into too much detail, basically I'd make the major areas first. Afterwards I'd connect the major areas together, and the archi in those areas is usually very simple and involves a lot of copypasting between the levels - so it may seem like that vaguely nice looking areas are connected together with unimaginative rectangles

That's good advice, and definitely how the devs did things.

[DDL]

I just generally build..places. Then fill them with enough stuff to make them feel lived in. And then add vents everywhere.*


I figure your average DX player, even if presented with "go through the door immediately in front of you", would look for an alternative route: it's a game that rewards as little corridor shooting as possible.

Try to limit the number of A>>B type missions you have (though they can be wonderful -see TNM's server complex), and instead have things like "B is somewhere inside this giant area, find it" and so on. Don't make discrete explorable paths, make explorable environments.



*and then rebuild them all, only better...because I map like a cretin.

[SilverSpook]

Thanks for the tips guys! This will help a lot.

Also, has anyone tried making random patrol routes? I think this would help spice up the difficulty of stealth approaches. Just kind of figured it out right now using random triggers but if there's another way just randomizing the patrolpoints themselves that would be sweet.

[SilverSpook]

Is there any way to hide sections of level in Unreal Ed 1? Like I'm having trouble making multiple floors on top of each other because I keep mixing up brushes that are layered on top of each other or rooms next to each other when there's so much geometry in one area. It seems like it's taking an unnecessarily long time to finish a single hall.

[Neveos]

Is there any way to hide sections of level in Unreal Ed 1? Like I'm having trouble making multiple floors on top of each other because I keep mixing up brushes that are layered on top of each other or rooms next to each other when there's so much geometry in one area. It seems like it's taking an unnecessarily long time to finish a single hall.

Yeah you can ctrl alt drag select a bunch of stuff. Push "H" to hide stuff. I think you push H again to unhide stuff. Can't remember, but you can "unhide all" somewhere. You can also put things into groups like. "First_Floor" "Second_Floor". I never hide stuff, personally, but I can see how it would make things easier.

[FastGamerr]

Screenshot

The white arrow points to the button that will only make the selected items visible.

The pink arrow points to the button that will hide the selected items.

OFF will unhide everything.

[SilverSpook]

Cool thanks!

You can make groups in Unreal Ed 1? Where is that?

[SilverSpook]

How do you go about making fences, specifically, making it so that light can pass through them and NPCs can see through them?

[bjorn98009_91]

Cool thanks!

You can make groups in Unreal Ed 1? Where is that?

Nope, not to my knowledge. Or well you can probably just drop something in the group field in under Object, but you can't actually do anything with them as UED1 doesn't have a group browser.

[FastGamerr]

How do you go about making fences, specifically, making it so that light can pass through them and NPCs can see through them?

As for the "NPCs seeing through fences", once again FGR's School of Cheap UnrealED Usage (FGRSOCUEDU) might be of help. Due to my hatred of BSP, I've lately begun using 'BlockAll' items instead of those invisible brushes you put behind fences and such so that they'd feel solid. When you make a sheet brush, just insert BlockAll items in it so that it will be covered by the collision hulls. Enable 'Radii view' from the UED1 window options to make the process easier.

In other words, you might have to put a few dozen (or hundred, depending on how fastidious one can be) items to fully and more or less properly cover a fence (a shame only the collision height can be box-shaped).

Here's an example map.