Test of adding some objects to level 1 and 3 to add movement.

[mdgunn]

Not necessarily final.  If people think there is too much, not enough, or anything else not right let me know. 

 

 

This level 3 is maybe a bit busy. Wanted to really fill it up and see what it looked like and if it hit performance at all.

 

 

[aiaf]

I really like the third level from your movie.

 

For first level i dont think the green props fit in.Maybe change color or remove green ones and add a few more cuboids.

Rest are good especially the large ones.

 

A few other things:

• The respawn on death to level 3 also is really needed.
• Add back the cursor so things can be selected with palm icon as before

 

 

 

[mdgunn]

I'll look into the things you mention though I have not actually changed ANY of those things on purpose.  The green items in level 1 are not really green, they look green because the original level author has a green light I guess.  I did not add this. I have purposely NOT tried to change anything in either levels except I removed the black and white filter in level 3 and rotated the light source to match the direction of the sun in the sky map.  I think for level 3 I used level3a as it had the altered level geometry already done (and I'd purposefully avoided saving over the usual level3 file) so maybe that was missing the things you mention. I will look into it.

Thanks for the information on what seems to have changed though as I have not purposefully changed these things and did not create either level originally so am not familiar with specifics and would not necessarily know if something was not right.  This is partly why I held of on putting these changes in and did the examples a while ago in a copy of the level.  I will look into these things.

I am unsure at this stage if level 3 is considered complete of it needs changes to fit more with going back and forwards to cryo level or something. I think you mentioned coming back and forwards to do stages.  If you explain how you saw it happening I can see if I can make it do what you want in your level 3 or leave it to you if you want and I will make the changes to cryo level to match what you want.

I still plan to bring everything together and have everything tied together into something you can do end to end.  It will still take some more time (probably minimum 2 weeks) but I think there is a finite set of things to do now rather than a more uncertain or infinite list.  

 

[aiaf]

Rgr

Imo we can consider the state of level 3 now final with respect to modelling.You agree ? or want to do more things here modeling wise.

I want to make the first VR encounter shorter, to not scare the player, to simplify the dialog.

To be more exact i want to have only one command inside VR that will affect the cryo room in some way.Maybe unlock the door or activate something, it must have some gameplay effect in cryo room.Welcome to suggestion here maybe you can do this gameplay effect in cryo room so i just trigger it from vr.

Later we can add more stuff to VR the mechanics are there.

 

So lets merge things up into level 3 , we need just one map to work on to wrap things up.

 

 

[mdgunn]

For level 3 I was thinking it would nice to have some particle effects on it with it is inactive and possibly when active. Usually I have something gentle when inactive and something more vigorous when it activates and then the user is moved (possible after a fade to white).

It would need some sound effects for teleport (forget if there are any there right now).

Possibly some background music like level 1 currently has. Probably should be different track so it's not making you think you are in the dream level. 

Possibly a background ambient noise as well (e.g. low background rumble or something not intrusive).

 

Are the torch pistol and podium no longer required in the VR bit. I think they have appeared in there in the past and I think I saw the pistol still there?

I will add some steps to the cryo room which can be unlocked/enabled by actions in VR as enabling some system or disabling a lock. The things that come to mind (though not fully committed to quite yet) would be

• Override alarm and bring online minimal emergency systems (physical switch in cryo room/subroom) - Maybe this should enable VR system.
• Enable health station - wake up initially with reduced health.
• Reinstate AI ship control - Thinking incoming sphere(from cube) takes over systems and so various things need to be controlled again through manual or VR intervension. - I'm considering some small simple AI room where you would see physical representation of AI unit which would maybe have a robot head as a representation and also perhaps the monolith as the 'case' of the computer the AI is physically in.  
• Unlock cryo room doors
• Unlock airlock and or outer doors.
• Supress/Disable Viral control over robot awakenings.

 

After hero has unlocked doors from the second room hangar area there is short air lock room where there can be level switch point if it seems a good spot.  After this I have started putting together a short section which takes the hero from the ship through a part man-made natural section (a bit cave-like but also a bit temple like).  Will be a few small rooms were there can be a bit of additional combat (cam bots dropping in from vents in ceiling for example) in a controlled area and possibly some info logs to pick up.  

Here are a few sample shots.   This was part of a prototype I did earlier.   I am also considering integrating in the the very first map I did to get some reuse out of that.

 

 

 

 

These short rooms would lead up to an excavation area (mostly primitive tech - wood, utensils etc) of local inhabitants.  Once up out of the excavation pit maybe we just end here with enemies appearing from protruding vents and the temple area.   Beyond this I think we'd be entering into into a different phase of the game.  There could be option to fight on a low poly terrain, or to raise the ship up as an 'island' by activating some tech or protruding panels in the local area and then we have some of the island concepts and other design doc sections coming in but I think for a long time I've thought that getting a sort of preview or prequel of what might be a larger game (as defined in the doc) is probably a practical goal.

Let me know your thoughts. 

 

[mdgunn]

This map is in Test/prototypes/ship-cave.map.

I've had a look through some of the other maps.  There are quite a few of them.  I was unsure if anyone had intended any of these to be integrated into the game.  Some could have had some potential but I think some are lacking the 3D files (e.g. Blender files) so I'm probably not able to work with them and get them into the game in the absence of the original author.

 

[aiaf]

Yes this is good.

Quote

For level 3 I was thinking it would nice to have some particle effects on it with it is inactive and possibly when active. Usually I have something gentle when inactive and something more vigorous when it activates and then the user is moved (possible after a fade to white).

It would need some sound effects for teleport (forget if there are any there right now).

Possibly some background music like level 1 currently has. Probably should be different track so it's not making you think you are in the dream level. 

Possibly a background ambient noise as well (e.g. low background rumble or something not intrusive).

Totally agree this is needed.Can you do this, so we have only one GameMaps\level03\level.map.

No gun/spell is required in VR room, have them disabled, just need the selection with palm cursor.

 

Quote

I will add some steps to the cryo room which can be unlocked/enabled by actions in VR as enabling some system or disabling a lock. The things that come to mind (though not fully committed to quite yet) would be

• Override alarm and bring online minimal emergency systems (physical switch in cryo room/subroom) - Maybe this should enable VR system.
• Enable health station - wake up initially with reduced health.
• Reinstate AI ship control - Thinking incoming sphere(from cube) takes over systems and so various things need to be controlled again through manual or VR intervension. - I'm considering some small simple AI room where you would see physical representation of AI unit which would maybe have a robot head as a representation and also perhaps the monolith as the 'case' of the computer the AI is physically in.  
• Unlock cryo room doors
• Unlock airlock and or outer doors.
• Supress/Disable Viral control over robot awakenings.

Cool stuff here , maybe start with the enable health station and integrate it.

 

I like the plan going further from cryo room.

 

[aiaf]

Ok i fixed the problem with teleports not getting selected in level3 and showing the cursor by default.

 

Lost about an hour duh but finally figured it out...

The Use function from the entity was not being called so no palm icon was printed, seem was related with entity not being found by using FindEntity or whatever related.

The solution was to collapse the teleport_pad_v3 prefab.

 

I also overwrite the old level3 with the level3a, now it works seem.

But i dont see the changes you did with those many cubes around, maybe you didnt commit it yet ?

[mdgunn]

Hmmm possibly forgot a check-in yes.  I struggle to see the real check-ins required due LW often updating files for it's own reasons.  I've been at work. I'll check back at home later.

The thing with the use icon and model collapse is easy to get caught out on.  Especially as every time I import a model it then needs re-collapsing but it could be that I don't actually plan to touch that model at the time in LW and am really just wanting to export from Blender.  Not found a way to make blender collapse it down on export but maybe it is possible. 

[mdgunn]

6 hours ago, aiaf said:

But i dont see the changes you did with those many cubes around, maybe you didnt commit it yet ?

I'd done part of the change in level3a but then didn't check that one in. I saved back to level3 (not 3a) now.  Hopefully this has not lost any of your changes.

 

[aiaf]

Ill check it out when you push the changes.

[mdgunn]

Ah sorry I usually have it set to push on commit but must have unchecked it on my client.  There now.

 

[aiaf]

All works.

I did a commit for the dialogs and some fixes.

Now we have this commands inside VR, in braces what effects are still nedeed:

• Monolith activation (start of humming noise and effects on the monolith)
• Monolith restart (restart sound)
• exit vr (the level transition is done just need some sound or effect)
• activate health station in cryo room (some sound and activation of health station)

Also the red book in cryo room will contain a list of VR commands. Starting with the activate health station.

The rest of above are given to you by the monolith and also instructs you to go read the red book.

I can add any command with ease if we decide we need (like the ones you mentioned above).

Also need sound and effects for the teleports.

 

Other thing i noticed is that the cuboids start to go through the ground after some time , i dont know if its intended , but i kind of like it.

I still have to save to disk the state of the level and handle respawn.

Not sure here , maybe if you fall should be a penalty ?

Im thinking to make the holes on the ground somewhat random because we will come back to this level, what you think of this ?

 

[mdgunn]

I will look into the sound effects.

I noticed the cuboid thing just recently.  I hadn't noticed it before.   Probably best if it doesn't I suppose as it tends to look more than a bug than not.  I will look into it.

There should be killing floor (very large box beneath level) which does a reset.  I should be able to put this in and for now just send the user back to level start position.

Holes in the ground could be random.  My initial thought was that there would be many holes initially and then as user comes back more bits would be in place, perhaps more closely resembling a calm looking room....or could be a small cryo  like room with single pod, table etc and exit door. Basically simple re-use of current assets so no overhead.  I think we mentioned this briefly and not sure if it was going to fit with what you had planned.

Was playing with the idea of the cube sort of attacking the pillar as a representation of the struggle and urgency or regaining control of the ship with some lightning between the cube and pillar like this.  Maybe just comes on every now and then 4 or 5 times a minute for a short burst of a few seconds.  Interested in me putting this in place and if so anything to add?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[aiaf]

Ok i understand i like the concept, and looks great. Yes do that attack effect and simple respawn.

 

So i limited the commands to give in first VR encounter to just 3:

start computer, restart computer, exit vr

But i also really need this 2 effects:

• the monolith/computer start , some shimmering or particle effect near the monolith and humming noise.
• Computer restart effect and sound
   

After exit vr , some things will happen in cryo room, and maybe we get a second vr terminal in the second room after the doors.

Maybe there the computer will inform you about this attack , i dont want to change the first dialog that is in place, its already dense with information.

 

Quote

Override alarm and bring online minimal emergency systems (physical switch in cryo room/subroom) - Maybe this should enable VR system.

I think something like this is needed in cryo room, so that the player cant access the VR room from the start.

[mdgunn]

OK will see what I can do.