[MetHy]

Okay everyone, I have sent the full beta reports to everyone via PM. Please use the PM system to answer me as it's easier to keep track of everything if it's all in the same place.

Except for 2 or 3 maps there is really not much, but if you add all the stuff together this will be worth the betatest and the small fixes in the end, as it can only mean the end result will be well polished.
In any case it should only be a matter of a few minutes per person but I still wish good luck to everyone and keep the spirit up, I know we all want to be done with this and it's not fun to have to come back on each map for small things, but we're almost there and I'm telling you it will be worth it in the end.

Thanks to everybody for keeping this up and trust me, this is the last bit and the end result will be REALLY good!

Meanwhile, a few people including myself will finish working on a few surprises for the episode that will make the whole thing even better

[Mike Norvak]

I'm eager to play the episode!

[MetHy]

I'm going through the episode again as we speak to figure out the final map order. I'm getting there, I think. It won't be perfect but I don't think any order can be perfect considering how difefrent each map is, it'll be as good as I can make it. I'm going for an order that's sort of logical theme-wise rather than difficulty wise, I think that works better because difficulty wise, that would be a succession of maps that don't really fit together (and also because we don't all agree on the difficulty of every maps); but I'm still keeping some sort of logical difficulty progression.

Anyway the question is - initially I was thinking floor numbers should be the map number.
However, like Mr Sinister pointed out, that is a bit weird considering that the building seems REALLY huge (like 50 floors) and even starting map2, you can't see the bottom if you look through the windows.

What do you think is better? Random floor numbers, like map2 will be floor06, map3 will be floor 17, etc ; or should each map have the number of its map slot?

[Forge]

what impression do you think a player will have?

why did i just jump from the lobby to the fifth floor? did i miss something? how did i go from the fifth floor to the eighth floor? what's going on?

-or-

how is it i'm on the third floor, but when i look outside it seems like i'm on the twenty-third floor? not an uber-realistic impression here.


maybe have something in the lobby indicating the next map to be visited is on the twentieth floor (or whatever number), because the other floors are locked out by the aliens -or whatever excuse- then just number them sequentially in order after that

[MetHy]

That's an interesting idea but I think it'd just make things un-necessary complicated. Also, that'd be part of the 'story' and since the 'story' is to clean the building, that could give the feeling that the job isn't completely done due to those 'locked floors' we don't get to see.

To be honest even if people will realize the floor numbers don't make sense with the 'height' of the building we see in game, keeping the logical 1 by 1 order is less confusing, more random numbers could make the player feel like he's missing something.

Also I'm sure players will understand the reason the building is so high, is because we want him to die if he falls (like it's possible in many maps) so it's like this for a gameplay reason, or will just think that's the limit of the level design in duke3D and/or that the mappers wanted to care for. I don't believe anyone's going to complain even if they realize the issue, because you wouldn't expect that much realism into duke3D maps.

[Forge]

just tossing out ideas. not a big deal either way.
you can always make up something. have a view screen with a message saying EDF and local military and law enforcement agencies have captured the first twenty floors, but were unable to mount a sustained offensive force strong enough to get any farther due to their logistics being cut off when the aliens retook the lobby with a contingency that was hidden in the lower level parking garage. Duke is sent in to break the hold on the lobby then advance farther into the building while the allied forces regroup, resupply, and evacuate casualties.

doesn't have to be anything fancy or complicated. it's your concept, do what you think feels right

[MetHy]

I've decided to go with floor number being map order (well, except for the parking and rooftop of course; but i'm not even giving a number to the rooftop); i think it's not really needed to make things more complicated.

So I've sorted out the final map order. I think it's as good as I could do it, I've tried and thought of a lot of different orders.

Everybody's been sent their floor number (by PM as well) which is the last bit to add/change to your maps.

I've noticed that a few people haven't seen the beta report PM yet, I'll check again in a few days and try to contact people through another mean if they still haven't seen it.

[Paul B]

Im sure whatever you come up with Methy will be just fine.

[Micky C]

I suggest you use some mapster script to quickly shift each level to its approximate physical height.

[MetHy]

That wouldn't work with some levels, because there are plenty of levels where you physically can fall off the building; so that could mean the possibility of the player not dying from the fall.
Plus if we do that we might just as well copy/paste the more detailed ground level template I did in the lobby map to the next few maps; yeah that'd be cool I guess but all of that sounds like more trouble than it's worth (especially considering that for example, in the case of the 3rd map where you CUOLD see the ground level in this case, it's not as simple as copy pasting the ground tempalte I did, because that level also built stuff in the surrounding buildings with enemies shooting at the player from there; etc)

I'm sure that, even players who will realize the 'issue' will understand, and will also understand it doesn't really matter because 99% of all the levels takes place inside anyway.
I don't think it really matters and tbh it also sounds like a lot of not really necessary work for the episode, while I still have to finish doing that one thing for it which is already enough work (which is what I mentionned earlier, the 'little surprise', don't worry it's nothing that changes the concept of the episode or how your maps play out).

[Kyanos]

I didn't find it a big deal at all, if people want realism then duke3d isn't exactly the place to go.

[ck3D]

Drek, on 06 June 2014 - 03:37 PM, said:

I didn't find it a big deal at all, if people want realism then duke3d isn't exactly the place to go.

Agreed. It is cool to see that you are taking the leadership of this project to heart all that much and consider everything so heavily, but remember that 'botched realism' in Duke 3D is something everyone has come to expect, know and love. I think it is cool that the project should retain some kind of arcade-like feel (for the lack of a better word) with some believable elements in parts for the sake of immersion, but also some original Duke 3D flavor with more funky bits here and there. In my opinion, not being able to see the building exteriors as soon as the second floor should be at the dead bottom of your list of things to worry about. Good luck with managing what is left to manage of the project - you have been doing a great job from the start and keep killing it !

[MetHy]

So things are going pretty well so far, already half of the mappers have provided the final versions of their maps. In some cases the couple of changes done make quite a notable difference in a good way, so again this long betatesting+fixing phase will have been worth it.

Meanwhile; can anyone think of a music for the episode ? I can't think of anything in particular, but I was thinking of something that sounds epic, heavy and rocking at the same time (and it should be available in midi, too). Thanks

[Paul B]

Because this episode will be just as good or better than a built in episode I say we keep true to the Duke Theme by spotlighting the Vertex Guy's Duke theme found here:

http://www.vertexguy...ukem_Jam_HD.mp3

Then again I'm not sure if mp3 will play in the game?

That or either pick some Die Hard Theme song to go along with the title.

[Daedolon]

The Die Hard movies have only contemporary music as their themes.

[Hendricks266]

[Daedolon]

That would be a ridiculous credits song.

Lost it at "Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker!".

[Sixty Four]

mmph mmph where is it ?

[Cage]

Cage is a lazy wanker and he works on COOP-compatibility of his map ON the day of the DEADLINE, that's why you have to wait

Sorry!

[Micky C]

Cage, on 18 June 2014 - 01:39 AM, said:

Cage is a lazy wanker and he works on COOP-compatibility of his map ON the day of the DEADLINE, that's why you have to wait

Sorry!

What he lacks in dedication, efficiency, time-management and enthusiasm, he makes up for with, um...

[High Treason]

And I thought I was the one who'd held it back.

Ah, well, I'm sure it'll be done on time. I'm starting to really itch to play this now, usually by the time I'm done with a community project I never want to see it again; for example, I have never played CBP8 (Can't anyway with the frame rate), never played CBP9 and if I worked on anything else since I can't even remember (my head isn't working well right now anyway) whereas this one I'm still looking forward to it this late on. Might even have to LP it on YouTube just for shits and giggles whilst I criticize the work of everyone else and try to cover up the problems with my own.

[Micky C]

It's probably because you haven't seen the vast majority of the maps made for this, while with the other CBPs you probably saw the full thing at most if not all stages of development, and when anyone sees a map in mapster for that long, they'd probably want to claw their eyes out. I still need to do a first polishing run on the BCBP and send it off to CGS for review...

I also tried putting off coop compatibility and other stuff, but then Methy came along and gave me a friendly reminder, so I quickly got that out of the way. He's doing pretty well organising this IMO, especially considering the number of mappers involved.

[MetHy]

Cage, on 18 June 2014 - 01:39 AM, said:

Cage is a lazy wanker and he works on COOP-compatibility of his map ON the day of the DEADLINE, that's why you have to wait

Sorry!

I've also got no news of MRCK and Dukebot (edit: oh and also Steambull). I'm not too concerned about MRCK and Steambull because the changes required aren't very important (well, there is one place where the player can get crushed in MRCK's map but I don't think many players would go there), however I'm a little worried regarding Dukebot since I believe there is a fight which is really unfair and if it's not adressed many players could get frustrated there.
He's seen the beta report msg though, and I got no news, so I won't be waiting more, tomorrow at the latest is the last day.

And I've still got to do one last thing for the episode too

[Cage]

Oh and btw, since this is an episode, not a single CBP map, is there an easy way to include new art in a hassle-free way? I was only thinking about a Duke Hard title, nothing more.

By hassle-free I mean not interfering with other mods/addons etc.

I won't cry if the idea will be ditched/non-implementable

[Daedolon]

I'm also wrapping up the extra flair I'm adding on the episode, but my map is done.

[Jblade]

Cage, on 18 June 2014 - 04:24 AM, said:

Oh and btw, since this is an episode, not a single CBP map, is there an easy way to include new art in a hassle-free way? I was only thinking about a Duke Hard title, nothing more.

By hassle-free I mean not interfering with other mods/addons etc.

I won't cry if the idea will be ditched/non-implementable

You can define a tile replacement using a def file and the tilefromtexture line in it, so we can have a new title pic and/or a end of episode screen without having to increase the filesize with art tiles

[Daedolon]

There already is a title, though you could fix the text on it, msg me on IRC.

[ck3D]

I am working on polishing my map as we speak, i know it´s mostly minor fixes but i really couldn't find any spare time to get at it until today (today being the deadline being nothing but a coincidence - a happy or unhappy one, you decide). I hope i didn't hold the project back just myself for too long - i have been working so much lately that it has to be a genuine miracle that i eventually got to pump out a map - albeit a small one - for this, let alone give it some final touches. Methy, it should be in your email inbox by this afternoon local time.

[Steambull]

I have been without internet since I moved to a new apartment May 1st (my motherboard broke during the process so I didn't bother making an internet deal before I get a new rig). I'm now writing from work, but my friend is letting me use his place and PC while he's out of town, and this morning I had the opportunity to do all the fixes reported to me by the testers and Methy. I now only need an example of the template room with weaponless COOP implemented and then it's all done.

[MetHy]

Good! Thanks guys and don't worry, you're not the lasts.

Everybody's been very helpful at making the episode's quality consistant and actually considered most of what was reported in the beta report, which surprises me in a good way.
This beta testing + fixes phase has been quite long ( a whole month) but I think it was worth it, some maps have taken a considerable step up in quality.