Posted: Mar 22nd '09, 10:10
If you had somehow managed to come across my posts in "More earth-based scenarios?" a couple of months ago or so, you may have seen my attempts at creating exactly that. (If you haven't, then go take a look at that thread to see some earlier screenshots and development.)
Well, it's been a while, and I've been working on and off with this, sometimes working a little more than I should, and at other times not touching it for at least a week or so.
Since I have now amassed at least one collection of textures, and have fooled around with styles enough to create a scratch-up of what I can do here, I am officially bringing this thing into the light as an official project.
As such, I present to you:
Mr. Project Deluxe, Super Edition with Additional Interactive Gameplay (Experimental)
This is intended to become a total conversion, with high-res textures, and entirely new aspects to gameplay.
Currently, there are about 28 new textures, including unfinished switch textures which are looking promising.
There are also a good two scoops-worth of 3d objects, including lighting fixtures, a terminal-like control panel thing, furniture, an interactive vending machine (works via Lua), and some seemingly-2d objects which are just flat 3d objects given texture (ie puddles, posters, decals, etc...)
I have constructed one ridiculous level which was used to test all of these items on the go, and it looks like a piece of crap, but I have learned a lot about what I want to do and how I will do it. I doubt I will release this level, but I will construct a reasonable demo, and release it when appropriate.
No demo, but I do have some limited and vague screenshots to show you from the aforementioned ridiculous level:
[attachment=2567:01.png]
[attachment=2568:02.png]
[attachment=2569:03.png]
[attachment=2570:04.png]
Now, you may note some overlays on these screenshots. All the while I have been fooling with textures, 3d stuff, and mapping, I have also been spending an ungodly amount of time teaching myself all about the wonders of Lua, and have made a crude and awful script to show off my results. You may be thinking "Oh man, not another poorly implemented RPG-esque shoot-em-up...", and your fears would be right, but only if I knew enough about Lua to implement that kind of abomination.
Yes, there are some RPG like features, but nothing worse than say, Deus Ex, or any of the games before it. Unless I am able to magically create a lot more items instead of just altering them with MML (and somehow create a navigable inventory with items to be used on demand), I won't be able to create a real RPG-esque conversion, and the overlays provided in Lua are not quite up to the task either. As it stands, the closest I will get would be to add a kind of slapdash Rogue-like inventory and interaction system to the game. (Not that such a thing all by itself isn't tempting...)
But, moreover, I have used the power of Lua to add another layer of interaction on to the original model of Marathon-style play, and allow for a host of actions to take place while the player is not holding a weapon. Similar to Visual Mode's use of the microphone key to switch modes, hitting the mic key now disarms the player, and engages the secondary action mode. In this mode, there are two status displays which indicate the current actions possible with either of the player's two hands (and possibly a third status overlay for the player's 21'st appendage, should we include a Hot Coffee mod...). In secondary action mode, you can hit the weapon switch keys to switch between modes, and then when you hit the microphone key again, you will have your weapon return to your hand again.
I also figured out how to make the vending machines vend a specific item (later I will try to figure out a way to make it work more like a real vending machine, giving a variety of choices at different prices...) in the right place, regardless of what direction it is facing. Trigonometry actually is useful kids, study hard!
I implemented a better use for extravision, namely by creating a fictional high-grade synthetic drug which will fuck the player up for some time.
I even went so far to include a scheme to award the player XP for killing various monsters, which isn't hard with Lua at all. If I could master the wonders of tables, it would all fall together perfectly and in less lines, but unfortunately I am still learning, and have not the skill with Lua which some developers in our community have.
Here is the complete experimental Lua file, zipped for her pleasure. You can use it as is, (I've included the shit() cheat in there so you can play around and see how things work), or just take it apart and remark upon how shitty it is. Many aspects are dependent on a bunch of MML I have made to support certain features, and I will iron out what goes where when I write a clean version to go with the demo map.
Lua File: [attachment=2571:kurinn01.lua.zip]
In any case, I really could use some help making this thing happen...Textures: I have been having fair success with this myself, but am not entirely confident in all aspects of my technique.3d Models: Not all the software or skill required is present within myself.Scripting: Well, figure that out for yourself after looking at the Lua script above.Mapping: It's slower than molasses in January.Sounds, Music, etc: I have no fucking clue what I am doing. Yay!Expect me to post more material in the coming days, including a preview of the textures, some more ideas/discussion on Lua scripting, and the complete unauthorized biography of a Potato Anus.
Well, it's been a while, and I've been working on and off with this, sometimes working a little more than I should, and at other times not touching it for at least a week or so.
Since I have now amassed at least one collection of textures, and have fooled around with styles enough to create a scratch-up of what I can do here, I am officially bringing this thing into the light as an official project.
As such, I present to you:
Mr. Project Deluxe, Super Edition with Additional Interactive Gameplay (Experimental)
This is intended to become a total conversion, with high-res textures, and entirely new aspects to gameplay.
Currently, there are about 28 new textures, including unfinished switch textures which are looking promising.
There are also a good two scoops-worth of 3d objects, including lighting fixtures, a terminal-like control panel thing, furniture, an interactive vending machine (works via Lua), and some seemingly-2d objects which are just flat 3d objects given texture (ie puddles, posters, decals, etc...)
I have constructed one ridiculous level which was used to test all of these items on the go, and it looks like a piece of crap, but I have learned a lot about what I want to do and how I will do it. I doubt I will release this level, but I will construct a reasonable demo, and release it when appropriate.
No demo, but I do have some limited and vague screenshots to show you from the aforementioned ridiculous level:
[attachment=2567:01.png]
[attachment=2568:02.png]
[attachment=2569:03.png]
[attachment=2570:04.png]
Now, you may note some overlays on these screenshots. All the while I have been fooling with textures, 3d stuff, and mapping, I have also been spending an ungodly amount of time teaching myself all about the wonders of Lua, and have made a crude and awful script to show off my results. You may be thinking "Oh man, not another poorly implemented RPG-esque shoot-em-up...", and your fears would be right, but only if I knew enough about Lua to implement that kind of abomination.
Yes, there are some RPG like features, but nothing worse than say, Deus Ex, or any of the games before it. Unless I am able to magically create a lot more items instead of just altering them with MML (and somehow create a navigable inventory with items to be used on demand), I won't be able to create a real RPG-esque conversion, and the overlays provided in Lua are not quite up to the task either. As it stands, the closest I will get would be to add a kind of slapdash Rogue-like inventory and interaction system to the game. (Not that such a thing all by itself isn't tempting...)
But, moreover, I have used the power of Lua to add another layer of interaction on to the original model of Marathon-style play, and allow for a host of actions to take place while the player is not holding a weapon. Similar to Visual Mode's use of the microphone key to switch modes, hitting the mic key now disarms the player, and engages the secondary action mode. In this mode, there are two status displays which indicate the current actions possible with either of the player's two hands (and possibly a third status overlay for the player's 21'st appendage, should we include a Hot Coffee mod...). In secondary action mode, you can hit the weapon switch keys to switch between modes, and then when you hit the microphone key again, you will have your weapon return to your hand again.
I also figured out how to make the vending machines vend a specific item (later I will try to figure out a way to make it work more like a real vending machine, giving a variety of choices at different prices...) in the right place, regardless of what direction it is facing. Trigonometry actually is useful kids, study hard!
I implemented a better use for extravision, namely by creating a fictional high-grade synthetic drug which will fuck the player up for some time.
I even went so far to include a scheme to award the player XP for killing various monsters, which isn't hard with Lua at all. If I could master the wonders of tables, it would all fall together perfectly and in less lines, but unfortunately I am still learning, and have not the skill with Lua which some developers in our community have.
Here is the complete experimental Lua file, zipped for her pleasure. You can use it as is, (I've included the shit() cheat in there so you can play around and see how things work), or just take it apart and remark upon how shitty it is. Many aspects are dependent on a bunch of MML I have made to support certain features, and I will iron out what goes where when I write a clean version to go with the demo map.
Lua File: [attachment=2571:kurinn01.lua.zip]
In any case, I really could use some help making this thing happen...Textures: I have been having fair success with this myself, but am not entirely confident in all aspects of my technique.3d Models: Not all the software or skill required is present within myself.Scripting: Well, figure that out for yourself after looking at the Lua script above.Mapping: It's slower than molasses in January.Sounds, Music, etc: I have no fucking clue what I am doing. Yay!Expect me to post more material in the coming days, including a preview of the textures, some more ideas/discussion on Lua scripting, and the complete unauthorized biography of a Potato Anus.