Hi again everyone :) I have been hard at work on the Mod again this week. So far Ive posted a couple pictures but I thought an in-game video would be fitting for a news post.
If you've browsed the recent pictures, you have already seen I fixed the overlays to be much more legible. The old scheme looked nice, but in-game it made one of my eyeballs explode trying to read it. Since I didnt think you all would enjoy exploding eyeballs, I went ahead and made it easy to read.
Next, I moved the HUD over to the left side of the screen, where it wasnt blocking the view of our beloved weapons. With the one eye I have left, I can now see the guns in all their glory. You'll notice a cartoonish reskin of the P90 - no, thats not quite final but its pretty close. Im going to add some detail to the reciever but thats about it. I've also added the custom 'Laser P90' sounds and muzzleflash but in all honesty, Im going to have to rework it. It just doesnt sound strong enough to me; I think the weapon should have a little more 'kick' to it and not sound so weak. I dont want it to sound quite as powerful and mean as the Pulse Rifle but right now it sounds like its a pea shooter.
Also, you may notice some animated signs in the video. I've been working on adding some life to the environments and that is the first step. Next will come some animated computer screens, and whatever else I can animate to bring some life to the levels.
Next comes the enemy models - I am once again tasked with tracking down the original creators to gain permission to use the models, so wish me luck on that one. The Combine sounds will be replaced wth custom battle sounds of course. You may also notice one take a ragdoll pose briefly - Im going to have to recompile it with the missing animations added in. No biggie. I honestly dont see why some modders complain about recompiling models - its just a couple clicks of the mouse and a few seconds wait time. (I use GUI StudioMDL; its so much more efficient)
Also, I havent added ANY custom soundowrk to the Lab worker NPCs. They will speak to you in the future, and ask you to help them with ther silent comrade who points and retreats into the Security Center. He is afraid they are infected and has locked them out, forcing them to fight the NovaCor Militia. When he points, he is saying YOU are infected too.
And finally, you may notice new wall textures in the video. I swapped out the old wall textures for something a little more fitting and better to look at. I will be working on new textures for quite a few I have now decided need replaced with something better.
As always, I go back and review what I have done during testing and think, 'how can I make this better?'. I am also considering replacing the computer station models in some of the Labs as they really dont look like they belong after adding all the other models that fit the theme.
As always, comments and suggestions are welcome. Some of you have had some GREAT suggestions in the past and I want you to know I carefully consider everthing that is suggested, and I thank you for your advice.
thAT FIRST GUY GOT ******
Lol yes, and he does every time I test. I will add some cover for the poor guy to use :P
A definite improvement! As I said before the lighting still needs work but I love the flashing red light you added, it adds a little more color.
Now for the lighting (and over all design) I'd say its still VERY repetitive. Every hall is almost the same save the items on the ground. You should add some panels on the walls or something.
Another way to help both lighting and the repetitive look would be to get rid of the constant lighting you have. Aside from the flashing red, the entire hall is lit with EXACTLY the same brightness level. Perhaps run a series of lights on the roof, then you can break a few of them either making them flicker or off all together.
Very good, i liked the weapon effect, and also the mapping looked awesome ;)
Looks good, but needs some ambiance. HL2 was always rather big on that, plus its better than silence.
I will work on changing up the lighting...some dark areas where the flashlight is needed should do nicely.
Also, Im finishing up compiling some new trim textures for this level. After I put the new main panel texure in, I felt that the trim didnt fit anymore. Ive already added the bumpmapping too, so hopefully all goes well in testing. Getting things just right can be tricky with bumpmapping AND reflectivity.
Once its just right, Ill get some new screens posted )
pew pew pew pew pew :D
video by xfire!!
Xfire FTW! Its pretty convenient to use and gets double the exposure :)
I notice your Text could do with some tweaking and trimming (for maximum neo-cyberpunk effectiveness..) Please feel free to PM me - I can quickly go over what you've written, and suggest some possible improvements. Everything else is looking sweet. Sincerely, Henry
Thank you :)
Ive just started adding the detail to the map, though Im not quite finished with basic construction. I just did a major layout overhaul today, but I did start adding lots of things to spice up the environment. Things like missing panels in the ceiling with pipes showing, missing floor tiles, environmental hazards (electrial, steam, fire, etc) room numbers (decals), wires hanging, all the good stuff that makes a map come to life. There are also bumpmaps and specular maps already created; I just rarely compile in HDR since I have to build the cubemaps with every test compile I do. Also the cubemap settings need adjusted and the HDR lighting settings - the floor and the glass are about the only things that I feel good about at the moment. Lastly, compiling with vvis on fast doesnt do justice to the reflectivity - and I compile fast vvis and normal vrad since I do everything myself, including testing. Its a big time-saver.
I'll have a new set of screens up in the near future to illustrate the additions :)