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Ancient Rome map WIP

User is offline   Mark 

#61

This mod is meant to be run with the HRP and POLYMER so be sure the boxes are checked in the startup menu. I have not tried it with DUKEPLUS.

Some of the files might overwrite your existing ones so I suggest making a new Eduke folder for this mod. After you have done that,unzip the ROME file to the main Eduke folder. Choose user map at the main menu and choose AROME.

This is an incomplete project. The frame rate drops way low in some places so I never bothered to finish this. There are no enemies and some textures and models may not be 100 percent correct. It has just been sitting around on my drive for far too long so I figured I would release what I have. There is a hidden modern base, a couple of small underwater areas, a lot of "fake room over room" stuff by using sprite floors and ceilings. There are lots of new graphics and models. Feel free to "rip" them.

For those of you who might remember, more than a year ago when I started this project it was my first map ever. I have learned a bit more since making this one but it's still my first release. Don't be too harsh with your critique. I might cry... http://forums2.duke4...tyle_emoticons/default/tongue.gif

Download the zip file here:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=T84926T5

EDIT: Its a 50MB download and I don't think the website is very fast, but its free.

This post has been edited by Marked: 18 December 2010 - 01:15 PM

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User is offline   Mike Norvak 

  • Music Producer

#62

Interesting, downloadin' right now.
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User is offline   chicken 

  • Fashionable Modeler

#63

Downloaded and tried it.
Looks really epic. I really hope you finish this some day.
The framerate was an issue for me too, it is all one big outside area.
But i would really like to see this finished. Maybe some day?

All in all it's a bit masochistic to make this as a first map. http://forums2.duke4...tyle_emoticons/default/tongue.gif
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User is offline   Mark 

#64

Yeah, I should have started with a smaller project. Just a smaller map and no new stuff.

But I released it as-is. If anyone wants to mess with it, go ahead. I didn't want to see it sitting on my hard drive enjoyed by nobody. Now I can concentrate on my Graveyard project.

This post has been edited by Marked: 19 December 2010 - 02:48 PM

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User is offline   Mark 

#65

So, has anyone else downloaded and tried out the mod?

I know its not a complete project but I'd still like to hear about what you think was good and what might have been lame about it so I learn from any mistakes.
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User is offline   Mike Norvak 

  • Music Producer

#66

Yeah, i liked what the map would be. It has a neat style, u got a good use of all those new textures and models. The only thing that sucks is the framerate (even playing without polymer) considering it hasn´t any enemy. That´s one of the shortcomings of build engine using HRP content, u can´t make a realistic playable big city due the framerate. Try to give a balance beetween open spaces and playability. Another flaw i noticed were the doors and archs, they're too big and tall imho.

It scares me (or bothers me) to think how many projects and unfinished maps like this will never be released. http://forums2.duke4...tyle_emoticons/default/mad.gif Surely in your new project we may see more of this nice style, at least that motivates me a little :rolleyes:
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User is offline   Mark 

#67

I think I goofed up when creating the original zip file for the mod.

Here is a small fix to correct the problem. I think a whole lot of models and some textures did not show up before.

Just unzip this file to the main folder. Let it it overwrite previous files. Not to worry, its only the AROME.def and duke3d.def files.

Things should look better after this fix.

Attached File(s)


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User is offline   Mikko 

  • Honored Donor

#68

It's ok as a demonstration map; some structures look nice with Polymer lighting, but I have no idea how you planned to turn this into a playable map in the first place. Its open, unlinear nature doesn't only make it hard to implement any kind of gameplay but the map is also close to being unplayable in Polymer and without Polymer the map has little to give.
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User is offline   Mark 

#69

I had planned for this to be more of an explore for clues to activate hidden switches to free the 2 trapped "GODS" and find the hidden base, then to return home.

Not a fast paced, shoot 300 enemies, hit exit button.

I agree it would have been tougher to bring together the way I planned because of my lack of experience. I asked a few people here if they wanted to help out. One person did have the time to help with a few small things but the others were busy with their own projects. I should have asked for help again later with the new enemies and gameplay features I wanted to use. But it was going nowhere for the last few months so I thought I'll release it as-is and move on to other things.

For my first map I think I "bit off more than I can chew" as the saying goes. :P

I remember TX warning me about something like this very early on. :P

Thanks for trying out the mod and your feedback.
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User is offline   Master Fibbles 

  • I have the power!

#70

I sat down and loaded this up.

This is a really pretty map. I was able to run through it pretty easily with decent FPS (it drops down to around 13 at some places but mostly only when I'm flying around.
I really liked the command center esque thing hidden behind a wall.

It took me a while but I think I explored the entire map and I think it could be a decent dukematch level with a lot of people.
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User is offline   Mikko 

  • Honored Donor

#71

View PostMr.Flibble, on Jan 13 2011, 05:39 AM, said:

It took me a while but I think I explored the entire map and I think it could be a decent dukematch level with a lot of people.


A bit too dark without Polymer and if you were to play it in Polymer it'd be easily won by whoever has the highest fps.
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User is offline   Master Fibbles 

  • I have the power!

#72

That is probably true. It would take a lot optimizations on the engine end.
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User is offline   chicken 

  • Fashionable Modeler

#73

I always have to think of adventure games when looking at this map.

You would have to visit different locations of the city and solve riddles (like in Myst for example or resident evil where there are only occasional fights).
Everytime you solve a riddle you get a hint where to go next.
The battles, if there are any at all, could be placed in areas with high fps (underground).

So the player could just walk around the city, enjoy the athmosphere and solve a riddle here and there.

Downside is, that would require some heavy coding ...

This post has been edited by chicken: 13 January 2011 - 12:18 PM

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#74

Not heavy coding chicken. But creative coding :P
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User is offline   Mark 

#75

As I said earlier, if anyone wants to try and make this playable go ahead.
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User is offline   Stabs 

#76

I suggest to start using Dukeplus with it, it has tons of new polymer tweaks to make it run better, and constant indoor / outdoor lights that follow you and you can modify their color, so you could have moonlight color for outside and a greyish color for indoors
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User is offline   Mark 

#77

It certainly can't hurt to give DukePlus a try but I don't think my slowdowns were Polymer related.

I seem to remember low FPS in Polymost also. Its a matter of huge open areas and lots of sprites and models.
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User is offline   Micky C 

  • Honored Donor

#78

View PostMr.Flibble, on Jan 13 2011, 02:09 PM, said:

I sat down and loaded this up.
It took me a while but I think I explored the entire map and I think it could be a decent dukematch level with a lot of people.

View PostMikko_Sandt, on Jan 14 2011, 02:39 AM, said:

A bit too dark without Polymer and if you were to play it in Polymer it'd be easily won by whoever has the highest fps.


Since neither polymer nor the new multiplayer code is finished it doesn't really matter :( However eventually both could be finished and optimized to a high enough standard for this to happen.


View PostDanM, on Jan 14 2011, 12:35 PM, said:

I suggest to start using Dukeplus with it, it has tons of new polymer tweaks to make it run better, and constant indoor / outdoor lights that follow you and you can modify their color, so you could have moonlight color for outside and a greyish color for indoors


This is the first time I've heard about these lights, do they work with any map?

View PostMarked, on Jan 30 2011, 11:29 AM, said:

It certainly can't hurt to give DukePlus a try but I don't think my slowdowns were Polymer related.

I seem to remember low FPS in Polymost also. Its a matter of huge open areas and lots of sprites and models.


It's possible that the slowness in polymost was just caused by all the models, which aren't a problem in polymer, and that the slowdowns in polymer were because of all the lights, in which case DukePlus really would help.
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User is offline   Mark 

#79

I remember trying out a bunch of different approaches to increasing FPS.

I removed all SE lights and got only a 2-3 FPS increase.

I deleted all the "interior" rooms of the map that were built around the edges and thought about making them small seperate hubs. No FPS increase.

I spent many hours "unparallaxing" and adjusting the hundreds of ceiling sectors all to a matching height on the outside chance the level would render quicker. No change there either.

I also changed any textures using normal maps to ones without them. No difference.

The one thing that made a noticable increase was deleting somewhere around 600-700 sprites and models in the large outdoor area. It gave me about a 15 FPS increase but of course the level would be useless without them. I replaced a bunch of sprites with 3D models and not much difference.

As was discussed before, my main problem is the ability of the game to handle large and detailed outdoor areas. :(
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#80

Man, some of you guys are tough!

The architectural aspects of the map are amazing, but previous posters are right; it's unplayable in this state, due to both its enormity and open design. You also have some parallax/textural issues in the SW corner of the map. Personally, I'd take this map as the base for at least 4 different levels, blocking areas off and showing the player a hint of what's beyond the next wall (which would enable you to delete the other sections until the player hits those particular maps). If that doesn't make sense, I'll be happy to post some pics as an example.
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User is offline   Mark 

#81

Because of my proposed story line, I wanted to try and keep it as a large non-linear map where the player would explore for clues. And I wanted to be different by having wide open spaces as opposed to cramped city streets or all interior areas in many other maps.

Breaking it up was suggested before and realistically is the best solution. It would have required a lot more mapping and refiguring the puzzles and storyline that I had planned. It took me over a year, on and off, to get this far and I was tiring of it. So instead of spending more weeks and months on it I decided to release it as-is for now and move on to a few other projects I am working on.

This post has been edited by Marked: 30 January 2011 - 08:38 AM

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