Pandora Tincs - Multiplayer Shooter For Pandora (video)


'Muzz' said:
cant you just set the scale in blender to actual meters? i work in max, so i have no idea, ill just be using blender for exporting.

But if it was meters it would mean that working across is so much easier.
You can also set unit size in max. It's in the settings somewhere. There's global settings for the unit size, but I think you can also set it for the current file/scene.
 
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um yeah i know...

What i mean is setting it to the same units instead of using the generic units in BOTH programs.

Though reading my post i realize how stupid the question actually was!.
 
Looking great!I am a beginner programmer so I cant help much in that area but, I have made many great signatures with Photoshop and am starting to use Blender.I would love to start contributing to this game and will be creating character models, weapons, maps etc.... Keep in mind I am just starting but, I learn quick.I have had Photoshop for 1 1/2 weeks and I've made

qdzlkncvmjev3rfap9wu.jpg


z39pgptd28xq2nxwcyos.jpg


and

w058fu8c2yq73km6kg4.jpg


I hope I will be able to help you with this project and will get working right away!

Cheers!
 
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Glad to see your enthusiastic.

Do you have any work that isnt sigs? Namely 3d stuff?

What you have shown doesn't translate to good asset making skills.
 
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'Muzz' said:
Glad to see your enthusiastic.

Do you have any work that isnt sigs? Namely 3d stuff?

What you have shown doesn't translate to good asset making skills.
Your right....No not at the moment.I am currently working my way around blender so it may be a while :p .
 
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Hey guys. Just written up a quick overview of the mapping process in an email, decided it should probably go here so I can get some opinions. Blender is used, rather than our own mapping tool, because it's already a very functional suite that can be used for mapping, we don't have the time or resources to create anything that will compare.

There is still a good bunch to accomplish before we start with maps, (probably a good two weeks away). But I'm working on a early tutorial now, so mappers can hit the ground running. It's going to be a three stage system. The first, will be creating a static (but with animation if you want, i mean static as in no light or objectives/spawn points) map in Blender. Then, export it to our modeling format (JModel, I've got some resources about it on the Jottit site). Then load it into our custom tool that I will write (may be integrated into the game), in that tool, you will add stuff like per-pixel point lights, objectives and spawn points. It will be similar to the game itself, you will just be walking around in the level placing stuff down. Very simple. The final step is going to be a little bit of typing. Making sure texture filenames have properly exported, setting global map settings like ambient light. Then you package it up, say your map is called "Warzone", you would have a folder called "Warzone" with a "Warzone.jmdl" file (static mesh), a "Warzone.ini" file (will hold global settings), "Warzone.bin" file (will hold objectives, spawn points and ligths.

Warzone.jmdl : Made in Blender (Blender)
Warzone.ini : Typed up (Notepad)
Warzone.bin : Created, after loading up the static mesh and adding in final touches in our own program (Our Program)

Final part, is a /textures/ directory, within "Warzone", that will hold all of the textures for your map!

Done!

Oh, and to keep consistency, the game will take a hash check of the map, then compare the hash (mmm, hash :D), to the one on the server. If they don't match, the player won't be able to join. This is to stop players, editing the maps, taking out all of the walls so that they can wall hack. It's a simple measure.

EDIT: Here's some more from the email:

But, what we're really going to start needing is mappers. Mapping is great, because it's generally quite easy and lots of people have great ideas for maps. What's going to happen, is we're going to have a competition, everybody makes as many maps as they want, then we all play through them and choose our favorites. Those (probably about 6), will go into the game and the creators will be a permanent edition to our team. (Well, everybody is a permanent member, this is a community project, but these mappers will have more of a say than the average joe).
 
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'Butterman' said:
Final part, is a /textures/ directory, within "Warzone", that will hold all of the textures for your map!

Done!
That's not a good idea. Once there are a few maps with their own textures mappers are tired of making new textures again and again. They will be using some textures of their other maps. after a while there are so much texture people will be only using old textures instead of making new ones. If we store all textures in the game file this will use much more space than needed. People should points those in their .ini (or whatever file is used for this)

The same is for objects that fill the game world.

QUOTE


But, what we're really going to start needing is mappers. Mapping is great, because it's generally quite easy and lots of people have great ideas for maps. What's going to happen, is we're going to have a competition, everybody makes as many maps as they want, then we all play through them and choose our favorites. Those (probably about 6), will go into the game and the creators will be a permanent edition to our team. (Well, everybody is a permanent member, this is a community project, but these mappers will have more of a say than the average joe).



The game will be using cyberpunk so I can make "simulation lvls" which only use a one color texture, can't I? I love making those and I can test how special things work.
 
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Well. Hopefully, the /textures/ folder, will be mainly for stuff we don't have packaged already with the game, so we run a check to see if the texture is already loaded, if not and we don't have it, the mapper will have put this addition texture in the textures folder.

But, for now we won't have anything packaged with the game. I can't see any maps sharing textures at the moment either. So for now that's how it's going to work. Probably the textures for the six maps we chose will be in the final textures package.

Well, the game isn't cyberpunk yet. The poll goes up on Sunday, we're not choosing "cyberpunk" or "steampunk", we're choosing unnamed concept art/concept models and from a small bit of text. Artists names will not be there either.

So everybody will just be deciding entirely on how it looks as a style, not because they just happen to like steampunk, or any other style. Or if they like one of the artists.

But yes. You can make levels with just one texture, to test gameplay.
 
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'Butterman' said:
You can make me a cool avatar if you want. Somthing that involves butter and a man. :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YK8KPVcJaUA

sorry couldnt help going a bit off topic
btw im currently making a 3d game with irrlicht (i hope to eventually get rid of it and replace it with my own 3d engine, but till then), the usual problem of exporting from 3dsmax, do you think its would work best if i imported it to blender added materials etc and then exported it

also do blender material work of TINCS, i believe you just claimed they do
 
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This will be a good bunch of Textures, if every map uses their own.
However, I can't promise to make a full map, I just can try to do something basic without Textures or decoration. And it will be sureley no Cyberpunk. :D
I have set a basic Map in Blender where you can walk around and control the Camera like in a First Person Shooter. WASD+Mouse, Space for Jumping, very nice but just borrowed from another example .blend file so don't expect that I have talent to make such tings by myself :D. However it helps to test the Map straight into Blender, I also have set the Sizes to 1Meter per Blender Unit so the Cam is ca. 1,70m high over ground.

Another Question. Will specific things like triggered Doors later be included with the Game-Editor?

There are some interesting Tutorial Videos about "Yo Frankie" how to make Maps and Stuff with Blender. They use a nice way to simply include pre modeled objects into the Maps like trees and stones etc... Maybe, the Users could share such Librarys of finished Objects for TINCS Maps?
CODE
http://www.yofrankie.org/download/

Amazing Videos there...even if some of this stufff is way over the top for my Blender Skills. \^_\^
 
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butterbutt, map making isnt quite as easy as you claim ;). It is actually a fairly difficult process to make a sexy map. Though for making test play maps its pretty easy.

Im currently doing a lot of experimentation with techniques trying to get the best detail to poly count ratio. Im not really experienced in map making so im trying to learn as fast as fucking possible.

anyways here is a few links for you potential map makers to get inspired.


CODE
http://www.chrisholden.net/tutor/modular.htm
http://boards.polycount.net/showthread.php?t=52743
http://boards.polycount.net/showthread.php?p=833213#post833213
http://udn.epicgames.com/Two/WorkflowAndModularity.html
 
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Do we need a story and an Artificial Intelligence?
I mean what kind of multiplayer game will this one be?
Users VS CPU or Users VS Users....
Sorry if that was already stated, I read all this thread but I didn't remember if it came out...
 
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emcp, I'm not sure about exporting with 3ds max, I've never used it! What I've noticed about Irrlicht, is that all of the model formats supported are either Id ones, or not game formats. You could skip the whole lot and just use the JModel format when I release the loading and drawing code later this week. Once I've finished with the additions, it will top any other game format out there. (For the uses of TINCS at least)

fuison_power I hope we have a lot of originality between maps, at the same time, the 6 best maps will have their texture information within the games texture package, so they can be re-used without duplicates. That said, I'm sure that everybody will have lots of space on their spacey SDHC cards. But we will never have duplicate textures in official releases.

Yeah, that sounds like a good way to test the map out straight in Blender. I'm not sure about doors yet, most multiplayer FPS don't use them, as they just open the game up to griefing and aren't really a large gameplay boost.

With the libraries of existing objects. Muzz has already said he is going to make a bunch of low-poly modular stuff, so we could probably use that.

Well, it's going to be predominantly played online. Via Internet connection and probably Ad-Hoc eventually. Most people have said they wouldn't like bots, as they take a while to make. But they're something I will add in the future. We do want some form of backstory. But that can lead off the art-style.
 
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Butterman, about your avatar:
lard.gif


Anyway, I used to be really good with Maya, but sadly I haven't used it in a long time. I'll try making a map, and particular poly count in an area we have to worry about?
 
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Hi again.I have learn much about 3d modeling and rendering.In the mean time I've made some quick fan art...Have a look.

p4yprm8siyafh4ik1zs9.jpg


It's not much but, I thought I'd post it here.
 
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Ok man, we will try and help out in any way you can.

Though if you are going to helping us with 3d work i suggest you get your self up to speed fast. We are trying to catapult our way through dev as fast as we can. Have a look at places like polycount.com and cg talk, places like that are the fastest way to learn. Post and get feedback on your work.
The thing is though, we are working on limited platform (as opposed to the pc) so we need to try and push as much art quality out the door as humanly possible with low poly models. So learning how to make clean meshes, and efficient textures is VITAL.

Psy, we still arent sure of the pandas full 3d strengths yet. For a rough estimate though, the psp can run 50000 polys on screen, so thats what we want to be aiming for. But we also plan to be effect heavy so that means that even though we have a more powerful system we shouldnt abuse it.

So i think aim for 15000-25000 tris. Though only use those extra polies IF YOU NEED THEM!
Character will prob be about 2-4 thousand tris.

So say you can see half the map on screen when you are on a roof, that would work out at about 12 tris on screen, add in 10 characters at 3000 tris and you are suddenly at 42000 tris.

This is round and Im just an animator but its just to keep you in the ballpark.
 
'Butterman' said:
fuison_power I hope we have a lot of originality between maps, at the same time, the 6 best maps will have their texture information within the games texture package, so they can be re-used without duplicates. That said, I'm sure that everybody will have lots of space on their spacey SDHC cards. But we will never have duplicate textures in official releases.
Yes, Doors in Multiplayer are not that important (except if you want to attack/defend a base etc...) but Movers could be important. Lift platforms and all this stuff that makes modern Levels interesting. Ladders were also mentioned. "Sauerbraten" Engine has no moving platforms, they just used Jump-pads (can be later added into the Level) which could be also a easy solution for having something like a lift. without moving objects into the level :)
 
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