Is my Quake MOD any good or does it suck monkeyballs?

[hardcore_gamer]

As some of you might have already guessed by my earlier posts, I am new to Quake mapping (though I am not new to mapping in general).

I have been working somewhat on my own Quake mod.

The idea is to make 3 episodes that contain about 3-4 maps each. 1 episode with a base theme, 1 with a medieval theme, and one with a dark demonic theme.

So far, I have finished making for the most part the intro level (where you select difficulty and episode) and parts of the first map for the first episode.

EDIT: Because the old gameplay videos are no longer representative of the mod they have been removed from this post. Here is a more recent video:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIp9rUz5W8s&feature=player_embedded]Shroudghoul for Quake-Work in progress3 - YouTube[/ame]

As you can see I used Darkplaces while recording the video.

Well, is this worth anything? Or does it suck monkeyballs?

EDIT: Shit I forgot. The story!

Since I am going to type this as fast as I can before anyone sees the un-edited thread I won't go into super details. The story happens after the events of the original Quake. There is a demon thingy that goes by the name of Shroudghoul (the MOD is in fact called "Shroudghoul for Quake") who want to take over the world. You find your way into a secret place somewhere where you discover gates to blah blah blah...

I will explain the story in a bit more detail later.

EDIT: After having watched the video again on youtube it appears that the messages are too small to read properly. In case you are wondering they say the fallowing:

First message: "Shroudghoul: Welcome to my domain!"
Second message: "Shroudghoul: Select your difficulty!"

The next four messenges near the slipgates are about Shroudghoul's comments on each difficulty where he mocks or praises you depending on the difficulty level. His comments are as fallowing:

Easy: "Easy? Coward!"
Normal: "Normal? Fair enough."
Hard: "Hard? Impressive!".
Nightmare: "You bet this will be a nightmare!"

The last 4 messages are about the episodes in the mod. The first message you get after selecting a difficulty level says "Select your episode!".

The other 3 appear when entering near a slipgate that takes you to an episode and informs you about the episode name. The episode's names are:

Episode 1: Perfection Punishment!
Episode 2: The Devil's Labyrinth...
Episode 3: The End of Everything...

EDIT: Ok, I have made a lot of progress in my mapping.

Also, in a interesting twist of presentation the mod will be presented as if it were one of those CD add-ons that were released for Quake while it was still at the hight of its popularity.

This means that I actually designed CD covers that will come with the folder that the mod will be in, as well as a readme/manual to make it appear as if this were a real CD add-on that actually existed.

Plus it will allow me to make my own personal fantasy of actually creating a new Quake game a reality, since I intend to print these and burn the mod into a actual game disc when it is finished!

In fact, I might even do so later tonight and then show you guys (the actual CD will still be empty though, obviously)!

For now I can only show you the digial version, though. I tried to make it so that they look like real video game covers. Here they are:





These are obviously first drafts, though I personally rather like the back cover. I might change the front cover though, since it doesn't look very impressive. If any artist is willing to create a cooler front cover that would be super.

EDIT: Ok guys, I just went a step further and created a whole game manual in PDF format that is suppose to look like a real manual that you would expect to see come with a game. It includes things such as the story and descriptions of the new features.

You can read the manual online here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/149386611/...r-Quake-Manual

The actual file itself will also come with the mod itself once it is finished.

Also, this mod now uses the Quoth mod for the more monsters and mapping features.

EDIT: Also, I have made some changes to my Qukeblast website to make it easier for those interested in getting updated about the mod. In addition to the site now having a whole page about this mod which you can find here you also now have the ability to subsribe to my site so that you are automatically alerted when there are updates. This also will inform you when new reviews for other peoples mods/levels are released by the way.

Thoughts? Comments?

[hgdagon]

Maybe I'm classic, but what's a fiend doing in a base level? The idea's cool, I like it, the differently-themed episodes, base to midieval to hellish. Add some story to it, some riddles/puzzles, hard-to-get keys/power-ups and it's gonna be cool, imo. The level in the video looks more like a Quake II level, but it's a base level, so I think it's okay. But I still think the fiend doesn't fit there... From the video, I thought the Dock was pointless (unless you attach some story it...) Use some new textures from Simonoc (menu on the right. There's env maps and textures)
I'm making a mission pack myself, so I'll follow this thread. I like it on the whole!

[nahuel]

are you runing your maps with smc ? Nice maps :3

[MadGypsy]

I like it. It's different. It probably sucks donkey balls a little bit, but keep at it and it will be awesome. I'll subscribe to your thread.

"You have gained 2 follower(s). You need 8 more to unlock the super uzi"

PS> I agree with hgdagon about the dock. I also realized the demon thing after he said it, but I don't think it's a big deal. It might be a big deal if it was really a demon, but for it to really be a demon you would just be playing Quake. Having some rogue Snogbreaths (or whatever you called it) running around is all part of your game, right?

[damage_inc]

I see some good things and I see some "bad", but suck monkeyballs, NOPE!

I only have a slight point of reference for what I see. When I first edited images it was a struggle for me to create anything I liked... ANYTHING! So alot of the times I would just delete what it was I spent a day or two on. SUCKS. I had some time to myself due to a motocross crash/injury and I made myself make a damn desktop wallpaper!

That's it, just finish a wallpaper! It took me a week, but I did it! From that point on I got better and it got easier. BUT, and this is what I see in your video, it took some time for me to develop a sense of "style" and so... earlier things I created which were fine at the time looked silly to me later on. It's called "polish".

Now this is strictly my opinion and since you asked this is it.

You obviously have cool idea's and want to implement them. But getting those idea's into a "cohesive" look and feel is tricky and takes time and practice. Sometimes understated simplicity works wonders and sometimes creative complexity does as well.

Which only means some people have a knack to do MORE with less and some do more with MORE Both can work but it's the artist's vision and implementation that counts.

Watching the video gives me a sense of someone with some advanced mapping idea's while at the same time feels like a "first" map. Not trying to be hurtful or anything so don't take it that way please.

Overall I'd say hell yeah continue on... and have fun doing it

[MadGypsy]

One thing I would change is black around the lights. Your youTube image is a perfect example. Look at all those lights (that are not deeply inset) casting black on everything. The texture around the lights is non-existent.

There is a compile switch for darkplaces that allows you to set the minimum light globally across the entire map. Almost any value you use will destroy absolute black. I don't remember the switch, I'll tell ya in a minute...hold up.

back...the switch is

-minlight 20

it can accept values between 0 and 255 (20 was an example and probably too high). You would have to use hmap2 to compile at least the light for your map. If you are going for darkplaces as your target engine, you should probably just use hmap2 for everything.

also, if you do use hmap2, make sure you read the read me and do it in anything other than notepad. Notepad will not retain any of the formatting and it will be akin to trying to read a 3 page long paragraph. Wordpad will work though.

[hardcore_gamer]

Maybe I'm classic, but what's a fiend doing in a base level?

I personally am no fan of how only soldiers/grunts are used as enemies in the base maps for the original Quake. It made the base maps feel more boring then they had to. In the original Doom some of the tougher demons did not appear until later episodes, but there were still monsters in the first episode and not just zombies. I fail to see what's so bad with throwing some beasts into a base map.

The level in the video looks more like a Quake II level

How so?

I thought the Dock was pointless (unless you attach some story it...)

There is in fact a story reason. I don't think you can see it in the video, but next to the player at the start is a small wooden boat powered by a motor which the player used to get to the dock. The story involves the player somehow (I haven't worked out all of the details) finding this magical place
and docking his boat there. Then he starts his adventure.

Watching the video gives me a sense of someone with some advanced mapping idea's while at the same time feels like a "first" map.

That is because this IS my first map. Well my first QUAKE map anyways. I have made dozens of maps for Doom/Doom 2 and about 3 or 4 for Doom 3.

I think the most beginer style looking area of the map is the first starting area for the base map (not the intro level). It was something that I just kind of crudely threw together while I was getting a feel for how Quake mapping works (it did not take long to learn using the editor though since I had already learned how Radiant works with Doom 3). I will probably re-design some parts of that first room/tower area.

One thing I would change is black around the lights. Your youTube image is a perfect example. Look at all those lights (that are not deeply inset) casting black on everything. The texture around the lights is non-existent.

There is a compile switch for darkplaces that allows you to set the minimum light globally across the entire map. Almost any value you use will destroy absolute black. I don't remember the switch, I'll tell ya in a minute...hold up.

back...the switch is

-minlight 20

it can accept values between 0 and 255 (20 was an example and probably too high). You would have to use hmap2 to compile at least the light for your map. If you are going for darkplaces as your target engine, you should probably just use hmap2 for everything.

also, if you do use hmap2, make sure you read the read me and do it in anything other than notepad. Notepad will not retain any of the formatting and it will be akin to trying to read a 3 page long paragraph. Wordpad will work though.

Ah! I was actually wondering why the "light" key in the worldspawn/map properties wasn't doing anything in darkplaces.

There is already a light key with a value of about 100 I think in the map, but while it works just fine in DirectQ everything was just completely dark in Darkplaces until I threw in some actual lights.

Wait a min.....is that why the engine is called darkplaces

[MadGypsy]

..why it's called darkplaces

Hah! +1 for cleverness

[Spiney]

The base enemies are the major reason base maps tends to be more stale gameplay wise. So put in anything you wish. Themes be damned.

And why not have both base and elder sections in the same map? Quake is awesome like that.

[hgdagon]

Well, I think that having only "real" enemies in a base map only makes sense, but it's just my oppinion. Why it like Quake II..................Hard to explain.... beacause it's a base map.. Okay, let's leave this one. About the dock: I didn't see the boat, that's why I said it was pointless... Anyway, I said I like the project, and I all but mean to discourage you. It's good. Keep up the good work.

[hardcore_gamer]

Hah! +1 for cleverness

So I was correct that the "light" key has no effect whatsoever in setting the global light level when the map is run in darkplaces? Does that mean the stuff you mentioned earlier is the only way to set global brightness in a darkplaces map?

T
And why not have both base and elder sections in the same map? Quake is awesome like that.

That would kind of defeat the point of having different episodes I think.

[Spiney]

You should make them episoups instead then.

[MadGypsy]

you know what you need?

1) you need the steamy effect seven uses in smc, for lava. There is a thread on here how to make just the steam. Search for TUT fog+summin+particle summin (lol)

2) the "mysterious place" your guy has ended up in (by boat) is completely surrounded by walls...lol. Get a skybox for that part, create some distance.

@DP question @ me -

I don't know. That's the actual answer. My educated guess is, if it didn't work, then it doesn't work.

[R00k]

Cool looking video.

[Mindf!3ldzX]

you know what you need?

1) you need the steamy effect seven uses in smc, for lava. There is a thread on here how to make just the steam. Search for TUT fog+summin+particle summin (lol)

2) the "mysterious place" your guy has ended up in (by boat) is completely surrounded by walls...lol. Get a skybox for that part, create some distance.

@DP question @ me -

I don't know. That's the actual answer. My educated guess is, if it didn't work, then it doesn't work.

I concur with 1) and 2) , these would add some serious depth with two small additions. Something missing from the lava of Q1 is also heatwave distortion effect.

I needed to know WHY heat distorted visually otherwise crisp clean airspace.... so I googled it lol

The reason that things look wavy in the heat, instead of appearing as a stable image of the sky, is that the air temperature is not stable. Hot air naturally rises, so as air comes off the hot surface, it rises for a bit before rapidly cooling and sinking to be heated again. This constant mixing of hot and cool air produces vibration, which translates into refracted images looking wavy in the heat.