[Aleks]

Just a little tease: I really enjoyed map 8, it was pretty long once again and had some crazy colours, but sold it's theme very well and had some particularly well used one-liners. It seems to be one of the more open maps so far too, but didn't feel too spammy and I somehow didn't die, despite some intense encounters.

Playing map 9, about 30 minutes (and 200+ enemies) in, design-wise it might be my favourite so far and I kinda like that given at which point it is located in the game. Gotta say the "futuristic" vibe and locations remind me a lot of the Hengsha in Deus Ex: Human Revolution.

[ck3D]

Aleks' video beta reports of every level up to and including number ten are all in. They've all been incredibly helpful so far when it comes to spotting mistakes and various unplanned and undesired scenarii, so I can't thank him enough for the extra perspective. So far it's looking like only one map out of the recent ones is due for a consequential new pass on gameplay, but even that now I know exactly how to tackle. There's one effect that's particularly crucial to the episode that seems to break in Polymost for now, which is weird and I need to look into (well quite the amount of stuff has been breaking in Polymost so far, but all that I think I know how to fix).

I'm also 95% done with populating the boss map, also been going around and retexturing or redesigning some of the older bits I had made on a whim but then never really looked back on. The sprite limit in this one will be a bitch until the very end but I should be able to just barely manage. Once done with that one, I think I'll be awaiting Aleks' report, then polish as much as possible in every level for a version to send to new testers (I already have them) while I tackle the gameplay in the secret map(s). Also been working on centralizing all of Aleks' vids to try starting to edit the video trailer sometime (actually most of that centralization work is on him since I failed to download a lot of those a first time around - I suck!).

[asbestos]

Really looking forward to playing this!

[ck3D]

Thanks for the motivation asbestos!

I just got done adding gameplay to the boss map, so now it's technically traversable but still requires one more pass before being ready for testing - still needs its multiplayer starts, a few ambient sounds here and there, and most importantly I'll have to find and kill at least 400 decorative sprites to ensure the map (ideally) never crashes - but otherwise everything else is in.

Some good news is I actually went back to look at the confirmed secret level for the first time in a while and realized that contrary to what I had been thinking, I still have a lot of sprites left in that one and so implementing its gameplay should be fast as I won't have to battle against that particular limit so much (having to for the boss map ended up being tedious and slowing me down a lot).

Besides all of that, now all there is left to do on the mapping front is quickly adjusting gameplay in level 11 and adding one effect to the epilogue map; and then one more global round to address all the issues Aleks spotted (again those are rather numerous but I know how to solve most of them, so shouldn't take ages) before we get to testing phase two with more people. I still want to populate the second secret level too, still very tempted but that may wait a bit for now as I feel like I've been doing a lot in a short time and I don't exactly want to burn out.

[ck3D]

Started adding gameplay to level 14/(confirmed) secret 1, casually but map is rather small and so getting fast progress nonetheless. I'd say about 20%, 25% is in. Here are some screenshots from a test session (in the penultimate one I'm in deep shit - literally how it feels to chew zero gum - this sort of scenario might happen to you quite a bit). This map is especially dedicated to those who remember rock and roll radio.

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[ck3D]

Some casual confirmed/first secret level stats, 80/85% of the gameplay is in and that's already about 45/50 minutes of gameplay with 200+ monsters (the encounters are a bit more sparse in that level than in most others, you'll see) and 8 secrets so far (because yes I've started adding them to secret levels after all, this one will end up with a lot more too I'm pretty sure). So far plays well and may be the first ever city level with zero doors? (don't quote me on that)

Working on that one is especially meta since it's based on parts of my hometown (as the Anarchy City series was), and the design actually really resembles the real places. And so I've been finding myself working on it on rainy days where I don't want to go out, but it still kinds of feels like stepping into my immediate environment outside. And it also rains in the map too.

[Mark]

Large open areas and bright colorful texture choices. I'm so surprised.

Lots of maps too. I hope you don't get fired for doing so much mapping on company time.

[ck3D]

Level 14/secret 1 is done and was just sent to Aleks for beta testing. Here's a megaton of screenshots from one of my latest testing sessions, I don't mind showing quite a bit of this level since it's a remake and rougher versions of the same real-life locations one has been able to visit for nearly 20 years now in the old Anarchy City maps (thereby making it the least secret secret level ever). Final product totals 21 secrets, 380+ monsters on CGS and takes me 80 minutes to visit and kill everything (but probably could take 10 if not 5 tops by exploiting some more or less obscure skips).

Giving all the maps their final pass soon before getting around to sending a somewhat credible build over to other testers. Honestly I've been feeling a tad burnt out lately (not just on mapping), so may be at cruise pace, but we're really getting there. As of currently, episode has 180 new sounds (not counting the music).

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[Quacken]

I'm getting a lot of Mt. Erebus vibes from this map with the sea of unidentifiable liquid and there being many different islands to visit. I'll be looking forward to playing it!

[ck3D]

I just went and watched video footage of that map and you know Quacken that's actually a pretty astute observation, I don't think I ever played (or remembered) that one but the principle of this level of mine is pretty similar, just applied to real-world designs and scale and also no corridors which makes me think this level sort of is some improbable mix of Mt. Erebus and, say, Maarten Van O.'s Duke 3D map Woudrichem War. This is making me think, in a game as fast but also as open as Duke it's pretty interesting or underrated in general to limit the player's horizontal, but not vertical movement (until they access the right items or unlock the right mechanisms that is). For the past few years or so I've always liked doing that, but never really consciously verbalized it that way I guess. I hope you'll like the map (and you'll still have to find it first!).

[ck3D]

Quick update: I started working on the manual layout and got 18 pages done (that's the whole enemy description and level lore sections and maybe a good 75% of it all). I've also started giving the maps their final pass before the beta testing phase and suspect I'll be on that for the next week or so before a build is semi-ready for that stage.

I also keep going back and forth making up my mind about including the second secret level or not, porting it would be a lot of work, but I started retexturing it for fun/out of boredom anyway. Guess if I naturally manage to finish it before or during the beta testing phase of the rest I'll include it and won't if I don't.

Polymost over classic seemingly injects so many issues (some big, most small) into and throughout the maps, I still want to go for compatibility as much as I can but at the end of the day this is a bit frustrating (can't understand why an effect that works in a renderer would break in another) so I might just say fuck it instead of wasting days figuring obscure why's out and just include a prominent mention recommending software mode at least for the initial release.

I'm more behind than I would like to be on everything video trailer-related but need to try tackling that soon.

[Ninety-Six]

I'm quite curious. What sort of issues are cropping up in polymost that aren't in classic? Usually it seems to be the other way around.

[ck3D]

Ninety-Six, on 05 November 2022 - 10:42 AM, said:

I'm quite curious. What sort of issues are cropping up in polymost that aren't in classic? Usually it seems to be the other way around.

It's mostly parallaxed skies and parallaxed sky-related effects that look off. All maps function flawlessly in classic but one of them has a sky that just breaks and turns into HOM from certain angles in Polymost, and one particularly crucial effect in a different level seems to break too in a way I'm not sure I understand (it triggers but the resulting visuals are way off and inconsistent with the intended result I'm getting in classic). I'll be looking into those hoping for optimal compatibility but I can barely run Polymost myself and so might end up just saying screw it, for the initial release at least.

The threshold for how many sprites can be loaded at once before clipping in and out of existence also seems different from renderer to renderer. I do not get any of that in any of the levels in classic mode, but Aleks keeps running into those situations in Polymost in a few of the more open levels (but that is potentially easy to adjust to an extent).

[ck3D]

It's December already so thought I'd drop a heads up. I've kept getting progress throughout this whole month, although subtle in appearance since at this stage we're mostly talking hours of testing and adjusting of tiny individual touches all spread around fifteen maps, yet that's a normal process that needs to happen. Project feels a bit stuck at 98% completion but I already realize only because those last remaining 2% are so crucial regarding quality altogether; would suck to rush things out of the door for no reason. I've been finding myself keeping working on the second secret level too, I think I really might want that one in after all (?). Manual is mostly done, and I would have started working on the video trailer already if it weren't for a sum of hardware-related issues that have been complicating things there a bit, but may force me to get creative. I feel a bit bad for not having been able to polish and prepare a semi-final test build yet but 'when it's done' I guess (a bit scary aren't they, these words).

[ck3D]

Screenshots... Maybe I've posted some of them on here, new ones in the mix for sure though: https://www.moddb.co...cember-4th-2022

I think I want to try and get a beta build compiled for one last pre-release barrage of testing by the end of the month or so, seems doable and enough of a challenge to motivate me via a kick in the ass. Not certain to make it on time for a Christmas release anymore at all because I've been getting busier, still shouldn't take too long though - early 2023 is a safe bet. Thank you for waiting.

[Ninety-Six]

I like the eggs on the twisted square corridor for some reason.

Also, did I spy a Duke clone in that last screenshot?

[ck3D]

Thanks, I've been enjoying playing with perspectives. Actually I wish I got to map more these days as in, physically drawing new stuff, there's a lot I'm inspired to try making but not until I finalize this first, which I've been struggling to find the time for. So as of lately there's been a lot of testing and refining, and only so much creating but bits and bobs of new detail here and there in existing levels. Still fun and cool though.

And yeah, Duke clone; already appeared in some screenshots I posted back in October, but was in the midst of a lot and so easy to miss. Actually it's the N.U.K.U.M. for New Ultra Killer Usurpator Man. Just you wait until you hear him. Here's a page from the WIP manual.

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[Ninety-Six]

ck3D, on 04 December 2022 - 09:36 AM, said:

Actually it's the N.U.K.U.M.

heh

[ck3D]

I had only gotten punctual progress for the past few weeks or so (which I'm only just now realizing actually did add up to a substantial amount - small individual tests and touches that in the moment felt like nothing, but the sum of which amounted to a world of difference in retrospect), due to being preoccupied with real life and work, but today I went in for like ten hours and designed the whole of the ending - the epilogue map was still lacking it, and honestly I had been waiting for the right note of inspiration for its configuration for months - I think I finally landed on a satisfying one though. That level is over the top if I've ever built some, honestly it's pretty silly too but I'm quite proud of it.

So now, the whole of the episode is traversable with gameplay implemented. I'm saying fuck it to the second secret map for now - it has some potential but would need too much work all the while being a bit redundant with the rest of the content but I might fix it up at a later stage, post episode release - so final product is looking like 13 maps + 1 secret totaling 14. New sound count is in the 210's. I'd say the three quarter of the levels are just about ready (but I'm always refining detail everywhere), and only a couple or so still need a bit of a more intense pass before all can be compiled in a build for testing. Shouldn't take too long.

[Quacken]

Nearly there! Keep at it! I hadn't paid attention to it earlier but I'm really liking the look of that manual screenshot you posted. If I didn't recognise the font in bold so easily I might have actually been fooled into thinking that was a legit manual from some obscure commercial Duke expansion! For NUKUM though, I'd suggest putting something there that brags about how scary he is instead of a bunch of question marks, similar to how Shadow Warrior tells you about the bosses in its manual (along with not showing Zilla's sprite). Regardless though, you're doing an excellent job!

[ck3D]

The encouragement and comment on the manual actually mean a lot Quacken, thanks! I always loved game manuals back in the day and earlier this year I actually took a deep dive into the various Duke/Build ones for inspiration before working on mine. Your description is just what I'm going for (including the deliberate use of Impact for a naive feel), I totally know what kind of intimidating vibe you're on about, too - now as far as the N.U.K.U.M. in particular is concerned, it's probably clinging to his question marks and pseudo-mystery status, but you shouldn't worry as I've never even posted about the most serious new foes yet. In fact the very next page of the manual already cranks the creepiness up to 11.

[ck3D]

I'm officially over lagging on this and trying to compile a 'definitive' test build by the end of this week tops. Been onto making all the last alterations needed around all the maps for the whole of tonight (the kind I had left for last for a reason, retouching some of those designs was finicky) and I think I can achieve the sum of it all within a couple of sessions. The extra perspective and practice from all the speed maps has really helped. Since I made the first 'when it's done' joke, the episode successfully lost at least three followers on ModDB. Stay tuned!

[ck3D]

OK, after nearly four years of development, I think Blast Radius is done. I'll still be refining stuff around the files for the next couple of hours, but a build is being sent to the testers tomorrow, worst case scenario Friday tops. Can hope for a public release in barely a few weeks now.

[Quacken]

Woohoo! It's done! Although I don't think I'm one of the testers, this is some exciting news anyway. Can't wait to play when it goes public, though!

[ck3D]

I don't know if you're one of the testers either Quacken; do you want to be? I was thinking of sharing that build with a few people in this thread who've been morally supporting me through this from the start - specifically, you and Ninety-Six. Not even expecting feedback either; just for you to have some early fun. The only reason why I held back from asking though is, after all this wait, I think I'd rather you experience the full quality product at once, instead of spoiling yourself with potentially broken stuff and ruining surprises early for no reason but impatience. To the both of you I can leave that choice up to, but - knowing what you'd be going in for - I'd encourage holding up just a wee bit more till public release for best effect. I don't think *that* much will fluctuate in the product by then, but what potentially might may be important or crucial, and turn out to make a difference in impact.

Because yes, the test build now finally does exist and just started going around. I'll probably be refining some of the end game stuff while the testers are on that version (best of luck to them with it), and finalizing the manual too. Ideally I'd be shooting for a release on February 8th if that sounds good.

Side note, but it is to be noted that as much as I wanted this project to be as compatible with different ports and mods in the first place, it sort of did spontaneously pigeonhole itself into being rather settings specific in the end. That is, some portions of the code (in particular the new projectiles) positively anchor it into Eduke32, and even then there seems to be rather remarkable discrepancies in behavior depending on how old of a build one uses, or which renderer. For instance, recent Eduke builds generate sprite flickering (due to overabundance) in some of the maps that never existed in the builds most of the project was made using (but it's not so bad, and since that seems to be accepted practice I'll probably include a safe Eduke build in the folder to address that); or the music sounds completely different (but I actually don't mind that, I think). And just a couple of important parallaxed sky tricks still break in Polymost. So we're really talking an Eduke32 episode with classic/software mode recommended at the end of the day, which I had announced before but can legitimately confirm now.

Ah and (note to self) one more last minute thing I need to do is learning to speedrun the other half of the maps I haven't yet to set the par and "3D Realms" times, a handful of the levels are still missing theirs.

[gibfrag]

I'm looking forward to this finally seeing release!

[Quacken]

February 6th actually happens to be my birthday, so I guess the public release is good timing then. To be honest, although I was kinda hoping I'd be a tester, truthfully I feel bad just blatantly asking you "Hey, can I test this highly anticipated Duke 3D mapset that is probably extremely jank and unfinished?". I'm not really the type of person to just ask to do or get things because I feel like I'm being too forceful on people. Of course, if you sent me the test build I'd give you tons of feedback, probably more than I usually do in my other reviews solely because it's a test build, and critiquing things in detail is just what I kinda do.

At the same time though, I think I'll probably just wait for the public release. I thought about it a while and I decided that I should wait it out until February. I trust that there'll be tons of surprises in store for Blast Radius and I feel that the jankiness of the test might dampen the excitement or shock factor.

Again, a huge congratulations for finally compiling a playable build from start to finish! Four years is a huge undertaking and it's far greater than I could ever imagine making a mapset for a silly game about shooting aliens.

[ck3D]

I may or may not have slipped into your DM's and tripped on a link somewhere, Quacken... Now the dilemma is on you! Again, I can extend the same offer to Ninety-Six for their patience. They've been commenting on every trace of progress on this since the very first map I (barely ever even) brought up and posted screenshots of. Only favor I'm asking in return is, no public spoilers until the project is released and the time is appropriate. I didn't exactly try and singled you out, Quacken - just the rest of the test crew had been established long before you even joined on here. But now you're here!

Four years indeed has been pretty insane a commitment and I knew it would be before I got into it. Then a couple of months after Poison Heart I started sketching out the first map for it, honestly out of mere curiosity; liked the results, kept going. Next thing you know, one morning I wake up and I'm sitting on 14 maps I needed to populate and make work. Nothing at all about this project was ever forced, until the very end where I naturally needed to have to structure things. But that really is the shared nature of anyone ever working on Duke/Build/game stuff. Individuals will make potentially social and professional suicidal choices in investments of time all the time for the sake of art and I think that's beautiful. Something I've learned over the years is it's absolutely pointless to second guess why one is feeling creatives urges that probably transcend their consciousness anyway and so there is no purpose in doubting (or being scared of) such impulses - giving into existentialism there only equates wasted time spent away from creating what you should be creating. I did run low on battery quite a few intimidating times whilst working on this, but that was my choice and I also made sure it never became too toxic or unhealthy. Now, visions I had been collecting since 1996 do positively exist as material others will get to experience and hopefully enjoy for the most part - I'm stoked!

[Ninety-Six]

ck3D, on 12 January 2023 - 10:22 PM, said:

Four years indeed has been pretty insane a commitment and I knew it would be before I got into it.

I refuse to believe it's been that long already. Feels like only last year this whole thing was announced and yet

[Merlijn]

Congrats on finishing the beta version! I hope I can test everything properly, will start this weekend