The Map

This is the first proper project i'm going to be working on. The map is set in some cavern underground with temples, and it's kind of LOTR style (swords, bows, magic, giant spiders ect.) There will be a train track winding through the map, which will have 6 drivable carts on it. The carts will work by having their physics in a small tunnel directly underneath the tracks. So far i've managed to do one temple, and i need a proper name for the map too.

The layout and vehicle placement.

A temple

The interior of a temple

The tunnels containing the tracks. At the moment they are a flat image, but they will be scenery

The layout of the map so far

the central platform, containing the dragon, will be accessible by a giant hammer slamming you across the gap (possible? The hammer would be animated scenery with a damage effect on the end witch made you go flying, the hammer would activate when inside a trigger volume. i know it wouldn't sync for someone who had only just joined when it was activated, but they wouldn't be able to see it, so it wouldn't matter, right?)

I would like to help me:

• somebody to do animating (fp, vehicles, that kind of stuff)
• somebody to do physics
• somebody who can texture and unwrap
• somebody to do tagging
• somebody to make HUD
• somebody to make bipeds
• possibly somebody to do effects
• possibly somebody to do scripts
• possibly another modeller

Vehicles

The halo vehicles will be replaced by equals, except the scorpion tank.

Giant Spider (ghost) -
• one rider only
• rider uses his own weapon
• can climb up walls (i think this is possible)
• slightly faster than a running human

Cart with Ballista (warthog) -
• can only follow tracks
• always moves unless backwards is pressed: than it stops (possible?)
• has a mounted quick-firing ballista: Anti-personnel
• driver controls the ballista unless there is a gunner

Cart with Catapult (rocket warthog) -
• exactly the same as the other cart, but with a small mounted catapult instead of a ballista
• fires heavy rocks, which are slow, not long range (like fuel rods). Anti-vehicle

Stationary Ballista (shade) -
• quick-firing ballista: Anti-personnel
• portable?

Dragon (banshee) -
• 1 driver, 1 passenger
• The driver controls dragon and fire breathing, the passenger his own weapon
• quite small (for a dragon), quadruped
• hard to get to, but very good


Weapons

there will be 4 weapon types: Melee, Magic, Ranged and Other

Melee

Dagger - starting weapon, quite weak

Sword - common, medium strength

Two handed sword - strong, but slow. Not as common

Fire sword/Dwarven axe (not sure which) - rare, very powerful

Magic

Staff of Light - a staff which is not for killing, but helping others
• primary fire - blinding light (like flash grenade, but larger area)
• secondary fire - heal (cannot be used on self)

Staff of Fire - a staff best used against a single target, e.g. vehicle.
• primary fire - fireball (ball of fire, explodes on impact (small radius) and causes the ground to burn for a while)
• secondary fire - cast flames (like a flamethrower)

Staff of Thunder - a staff best used against multiple targets, e.g. group of infantry
• primary fire - lightning ball (ball of lightning, explodes on impact (large radius) and stund and damages)
• secondary fire - cast thundebolt (long range, like force lightning on SW)

Ranged

Shortbow - starting weapon, quite weak, medium range

Longbow - medium strength, common, long range

Flaming Arrow Lonbow - powerful, good vs. vehicles, long range, quite rare

Crossbow - very accurate, long range, powerful, rare (sniper)

Other

Torch - very important, lets you see where your going (no flashlight in this), but also lets others see you. Does not count towards your max weapons, and can be lit or put out. Never runs out.

Rocks - come in three different sizes, large, medium and small
• Small rocks do not count towards your max weapons. Weak, but longest range of the rock family
• Medium rocks count towards your max weaponry. Of medium range and power
• Large rocks not only cound towards your max weaponry, you cannot switch weapon when you have one (like the flag). they are quite short range, but very powerful and good against vehicles.

I would like your name suggestions, ideas, and to say if anything is impossible. just ask if you need any more info

Edited by Koo294 on Apr 18, 2009 at 10:36 AM
Edited by Koo294 on Apr 18, 2009 at 01:34 PM

That looks pretty cool... like the idea of carts.

Yeah, i have a drawing here, but i broke the scanner... let me just do it in paint.

this looks quite cool


so what is the dragon suppose to be?

ermmm.... Good point. I appear to have missed it out. Sorry.
E: updated. Under vehicles
Edited by Koo294 on Apr 18, 2009 at 10:36 AM

O: Wow. This map is going to be awesome. I like the idea of the carts, but how are you going to make them stay on the tracks? People can just drive anywhere they want on those.

i could help withtagging maybe?

this looks awsome, are the rocks suppose to be like a 3rd weapon like the equipment on halo 3?

also is anything happening with greandes

some of the rocks are (small rocks). Not too sure about grenades.

yes, you can help.

And here's the cart:

Edited by Koo294 on Apr 18, 2009 at 11:30 AM

looks good, i guess that torch is to light up the tunnels


do you have concept for anything else?

Edit: i changed my mind it dosen't look goob anymore its been promoted to good
Edit 2: lol my mine
Edited by Megaguirus on Apr 18, 2009 at 11:36 AM
Edited by Megaguirus on Apr 18, 2009 at 11:37 AM

Looks good. I especially like the interior and exterior of the temple
Edited by Greenfuzz on Apr 18, 2009 at 01:03 PM

i had an idea, but its hard to explain, so here's the image (red = underground tunnel purple = entrance/exit) http://i41.tinypic.com/mwqoox.jpg
they could act as a place to hide from the dragon, but they make it easy to aim with range since it can be like a narrow corridor, anyhoozle, just an idea ;)

(edit = image was broken, just click/copy and paste the link >_>)

Edited by stennett on Apr 18, 2009 at 04:26 PM

umm, surely that's directly next to the dragon, making it not safe. The dragom is quite small, remember, and with its wings folded could probably fit down there. So no, thanks but i don't think i'll do that. Thanks for the idea though

edit: actually, i might, now i get what your saying...
Edited by Koo294 on Apr 19, 2009 at 07:36 AM

Why do u need a dragon and spiders if its MP? it would be better off being sp.

same reason as you need banshees and ghosts.

Oh, lol, thought you meant them as AI.

For the dragon fire, it can spit a fire ball, thats similar to a fuel rod. Except for it being red and flamish.
And for plasma cannon, it can shoot red plasma with a flaming contrail.

And the spiders,
It can shoot web colored and shaped projectiles, but be the same as the ghost.

Wow nice D:

Looks really cool! Keep it up.

If I get the chance I'll try to help out on this. It looks like fun.

nah, i was thinking more of a flamethrower shot for that. also, as i said, the spider won't be able to shoot, you will use your own weapon. Please read the first post, Advance...

Edited by Koo294 on Apr 19, 2009 at 12:34 PM

Wow Koo294, this map looks really well done with a unique map idea (atleast unique to what I have seen). And is your avatar quote right? Is the BSP really "100% done with only 26k tris"?!?!?!

lol yeah.
The BSP is now complete!!



As you can see, slight change of plan. This is how it will now look, unless someone can quickly suggest an idea for it today, before i radiosity tomorrow. Its a bit like danger canyon if you think about it, in layout. Also, not only the BSP has changed. Either the fire or Thunder staff will be included (vote now!), but not both, and the catapult car will probably not be included either. It really depends if you think i should keep them or not. I think one of the melee weapons shall go, and also a ranged. Don't want to many weapon varieties, or it may get confusing.Also, forget the dragon hammer, to complex. Use a bridge instead. So, now that I've finished the BSP, I'll need you guys to help.

I would like the catapult car to stay in... sounds interesting :P

I think it'd get more play as sp. MP maps seem never to get played, not enough to justify all the work involved anyway. But that'd be much more work to do it sp

I think the spider should have mandibles, as a mounted AI weapon, like the covie drop ship's turret, that fires at point blank, straight forward. Might be possible as a melee, but either way. With it being slightly faster than the players, it'd be fearsome! (for the same reason as automatic doors, AI don't need to synch for this)

putting a couple masspoints in a lower track like you said should keep them from being blasted off track, but the part where the track crosses itself might be problematic. It's steering ability can be omitted

I definately like the dragon idea. I'd love to animate it. Have you modelled it yet? I recall seeing a fairly decent dragon at Turbosquid that might save you some time if you haven't started on that yet - think of it as a dragon primative object ;p

well, maybe, if you think it'd be better as an SP. I still want the spider riders to be able to use their own weapons, but perhaps control could be to use the mandibles. Also the tracks never cross, one goes over the other. Its kinda hard to see that on that picture.

this looks like it could make a good mp map.

another suggestion is to make invisable enemy ai enter the creature type vehicles for the effect of monsters

your right on the money very orignal map keep up the good work!

They don't. Rendering that idea useless.

that doesnt mean it is a useless idea

LOL.

k, lets get this straight. The BSP is finished, but still contains errors, which i am fixing. However, i can only export it once a day, as it takes 3 hours. Once i get no errors there still may be minor problems, which i will fix. Then i have to run radiosity, which will take a day or so. Also, the spiders are not ai, they are vehicles. Same for the dragon. After the BSP is fully done, i will make a beta with normal halo weapons and vehicles, to test gameplay. Then i will have to model the weapons and vehicles (the dragon will be good, i'll try, and i have a live dragon here, so it won't look to bad.) Then i need to find an animator, physicist, and someone to do textures, as well as bipeds and HUD. So this may take a while to complete.

By "live dragon", do you mean what I think you mean? O_o
Can we have some more screenshots?

I was reading the first post, and you mentioned something called the staff of healing. Now, if you haven't figured out how you're going to do that yet, hit me up on xfire, I have something you might find interesting.

Yes, i have a pet dragon (ok, bearded dragon. same difference, body shapes similar). No more screenshots yet, as its still got errors to fix (only one more error now though, which has been fixed. Next export - tomorrow. Hopefully final. Radiosity day after.) Lone, i was thinking it could spawn a health pack were it fires, or have you got a better idea? damage effects, that won't work if friendly fire is off. I don't have your xfire anyway.

E: yes i do, thnx.

Edited by Koo294 on May 13, 2009 at 04:06 PM

Negative damage is possible?

You using Bluestreak and gMax, right? Theres a couple lines in the script you can comment out to make it export faster. See the lower half of this post and then edit your exporter scripthttp://www.modacity.net/forums/showthread.php?t=10588&page=2#12
Edited by bobbysoon on May 13, 2009 at 04:07 PM