[Danukem]

How do you make the cars kill the player but not enemies (since I know you don't code) ?

[ck3D]

Very simply: the cars themselves are harmless in the first place but the car body sectors are contained inside bigger parent sectors with a pal 0 space sky, and since both the outside and inside sectors have the L.A. sky, one can't see it. Works with two-way trains too. I actually haven't checked whether or not they killed enemies to be honest but from my basic knowledge of the game's code they shouldn't, since what happens in space sectors technically is just a brutal -1000 to the player's HP.

This particular set-up is actually pretty fair to the player too; being ran over head on is insta death but grazing the wall from the side mostly nudges the player back, even when jumping or flying unless they really insist.

[Danukem]

ck3D, on 24 June 2022 - 08:28 PM, said:

Very simply: the cars themselves are harmless in the first place but the car body sectors are contained inside bigger parent sectors with a pal 0 space sky, and since both the outside and inside sectors have the L.A. sky, one can't see it. Works with two-way trains too. I actually haven't checked whether or not they killed enemies to be honest but from my basic knowledge of the game's code they shouldn't, since what happens in space sectors technically is just a brutal -1000 to the player's HP.

This particular set-up is actually pretty fair to the player too; being ran over head on is insta death but grazing the wall from the side mostly nudges the player back, even when jumping or flying unless they really insist.

That's clever! Should work great as long as Duke doesn't put on his space suit.

[Aleks]

ck3D, on 24 June 2022 - 08:28 PM, said:

Very simply: the cars themselves are harmless in the first place but the car body sectors are contained inside bigger parent sectors with a pal 0 space sky, and since both the outside and inside sectors have the L.A. sky, one can't see it. Works with two-way trains too. I actually haven't checked whether or not they killed enemies to be honest but from my basic knowledge of the game's code they shouldn't, since what happens in space sectors technically is just a brutal -1000 to the player's HP.

This particular set-up is actually pretty fair to the player too; being ran over head on is insta death but grazing the wall from the side mostly nudges the player back, even when jumping or flying unless they really insist.

Hah yeah was wondering when I saw your post on the previous page and figured out it would have to do with big orbit sky. Also I'm not sure if I understood the construction from your description here, but I don't think this additional sector is required around the train, as long as it doesn't touch any white walls, only the outer parallax sky texture should be displayed.

[ck3D]

Aleks, on 25 June 2022 - 02:34 AM, said:

Hah yeah was wondering when I saw your post on the previous page and figured out it would have to do with big orbit sky. Also I'm not sure if I understood the construction from your description here, but I don't think this additional sector is required around the train, as long as it doesn't touch any white walls, only the outer parallax sky texture should be displayed.

The parent sector is mostly there for the disconnected parts of the bodies of each vehicle to move in unison, without them they would articulate around the locators independently and look detached from one another in the process, at least I know that's how I make 'complex' subway trains with a sometimes visible, sometimes invisible parent sector and then a network of independent nested sectors within (also allows you room for spritework etc.) - but that's just how subways have always worked anyway, isn't it? That also allows you to determine the vehicle's exact 'hitbox' with the sector's form. I also think you need a rather thick margin (or a slow vehicle) for that trick to work since I remember trying to use it years ago in the context of an entirely different map that only had a few units worth of space in between the parent and child sectors and IIRC it wouldn't work there as the player would consistently clip back into safe space before the game could realize they had entered a no-no spot.

[ck3D]

I started a new speed map two days ago and it's already almost done, designed and with gameplay implemented all the way until the third keycard, I think I can finish it sometime this weekend. It's a very basic map and like I was mentioning in another thread, a Red Light District x L.A. Rumble reimagining (so Red Light Rumble). The screenshots are from earlier tonight and already outdated. Should make for 15/20 minutes of gameplay, it really is on the classic side just with Neo L.A. aesthetics.

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[ck3D]

Wanted to be done with this map as early as tonight but it turns out I need sleep sometimes, so I'll be releasing it sometime this weekend, structure and 95% of the gameplay are done though, I just need to add a few last pigs, sounds, DM starts and babes (in no particular order).

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[Sanek]

Aymeric, stop humiliating us with your skill, speed and other god-like abilities, please!

[Ninety-Six]

Starting to notice you have a particularly distinct style when it comes to amount of colored lighting and how they fit together.

[ck3D]

@Sanek whatever it is I'm doing, anyone can do it too, I'm just showing one approach that is possible out of many, and to be fair this week I've been mapping way more than I reasonably should be in general (but I really needed the fuck off time and it also rained a lot). Just recently you released a full project you made in the span of a few days, that's also really cool and I wish I could do that.

@Ninety-Six I'm kind of trying, maybe it's especially showing now that for the past few years or so (basically since after Poison Heart) I've actually been focused on the purpose of my colors more, if my maps are going to have color. I almost feel like a troll in some regards sometimes because it's so explicit - massive blue building will host or be accessible via the blue key, flashing yellow lights hint to the yellow key or lock, red will represent either the red key/lock or danger, green will represent victory line, goal or health, basically destination. Except spontaneously, now I'm designing as far as the building interiors to match, Blast Radius actually plays with colors non stop too which I think players will recognize in particular. Anyway, once those fundamental elements in a level are identified and marked, then everything else looks the way it does as a consequence, either the color hints spread around their general area or actually don't at all and to the contrary are magnified by clashing with surrounding opposite color palettes. It's probably my consistency in the shading technique that ties it all together eventually (I have very rigid patterns there). And then sometimes I'll allow myself a fun liberty or two, for instance here I think it's pretty funny to have all the lamp posts red so the place literally is a red light district (and on a more serious note, sometimes the most simple things result in the most character).

[Mark]

With your love of color I wish you had a system capable of using Polymer. I'm curious to see how you would use the colored lighting available to you.

[Aleks]

ck3D, on 02 July 2022 - 02:37 AM, said:

I almost feel like a troll in some regards sometimes because it's so explicit - massive blue building will host or be accessible via the blue key, flashing yellow lights hint to the yellow key or lock, red will represent either the red key/lock or danger, green will represent victory line, goal or health, basically destination.

Just throwing my 2 cents here, but regarding the basic Duke 3D logic and something that's super forged into my intuition by now, it's always been pal 2/"orange/red" for level ending/goal kind of thing, as I remember to the point I remember spending hours on end trying to get into that fast-closing door room in Tiberius Station as a kid thinking it's the intended progression. I sometimes get the impression you do overuse the palettes (especially pal 6 which I personally find too aggressive 90% of time ), but in Blast Radius this isn't explicit at all and used really smart, so I'm not complaining.

Anyway, some assorted screens since I've come back to mapping from a 2 months break a few weeks ago. They're still a bit WIP of course.

[Ninety-Six]

I've had dreams that looked a lot like those uncannily spacious outdoor shots.

[dandouglas]

Another WIP shot - I've more or less finalised the basic outdoor structure of my opening map, got a few interiors to revamp and a lot of detail still to add, but things are slowly coming together.

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[Aleks]

I fear I'm showing too many screens of this one, but then the map is so large and takes so long to finish anyway that people will have to rediscover everything once again during their playthroughs. Just interior shots this time, gotta admit I've had quite a blast designing this restaurant.

[William Gee]

Nice seats! nice angled sprites! I like that outdoor area with the big windows and the white table!!

[William Gee]

dandouglas, on 05 July 2022 - 07:14 AM, said:

Another WIP shot - I've more or less finalised the basic outdoor structure of my opening map, got a few interiors to revamp and a lot of detail still to add, but things are slowly coming together.

Looks pretty hot, awesome new art!

[dandouglas]

Aleks, on 08 July 2022 - 02:42 AM, said:

I fear I'm showing too many screens of this one, but then the map is so large and takes so long to finish anyway that people will have to rediscover everything once again during their playthroughs. Just interior shots this time, gotta admit I've had quite a blast designing this restaurant.

duke0108.png duke0110.png

Love the shadow work on this! So good.

[dandouglas]

So the street is still very WIP, but I'm super happy with how this effect worked out.

[Mark]

[Ninety-Six]

I love how it drives up, and then reverses out of there. That makes it extra comical for some reason. Technical limitation I'm sure but still.

[jimbob]

"the ultimate laser adventure" building demolished and broken great stuff

[dandouglas]

Ninety-Six, on 08 July 2022 - 08:16 AM, said:

I love how it drives up, and then reverses out of there. That makes it extra comical for some reason. Technical limitation I'm sure but still.

Haha yeah ideally the lorry would pause and then keep going forward, but I'm not sure if it's possible to achieve this effect with something triggered? If anyone knows of a way, please let me know!

[MrPink]

I think it's really funny just as is, hahaha! Absolutely great stuff.

[quakis]

I'd say keep the effect as is, I think its funny how it reverses the way it came. On and off the stage as if saying "nothing to see here folks, carry on!". It reminds me of those long canes in old cartoons that drag bad actors off stage.

[Merlijn]

Haha awesome stuff, Duke's line is also very fitting

Also great screens Aleks!

[Fox]

dandouglas, on 08 July 2022 - 07:11 AM, said:

So the street is still very WIP, but I'm super happy with how this effect worked out.

How big is Smoochem map?

[brullov]

*cricket sound*

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[Ninety-Six]

I don't know what that is but I'm already into it. The red glow is so simple but so effective.

[dandouglas]

Fox, on 09 July 2022 - 10:17 PM, said:

How big is Smoochem map?

Currently it's looking like 14 maps files in total, however several are joined using Danukem's hub map code so more like 8 separate areas. The individual maps are going to be relatively small, with very high wall-counts - I'm mindful of performance but everything runs fine on my 10-year-old PC.

The whole experience is going to be fairly linear, with Half-Life-style progression, targeting around an hour of gameplay for the average player.

I'm aware that 14 map files is extremely ambitious for a solo project, but I'm looking at this in terms of years instead of months. I knew nothing about mapping or modding a year ago and I'm still just really enjoying the learning process, so I'm in no rush to release. I still have no clue about enemy placement, balance or creating interesting combat scenarios so I'm studying a lot of user maps and mods to try and get an idea of what works.