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 Re: Tangent
Posted by daedle on Wed Apr 5th at 3:07pm 2006

This level was created as coursework for my Games Engines & Physics module at Staffordshire University as part of my Computer Games Design degree. The brief was to create a level in the source engine (we had created a level in the Unreal engine in the first semester) based around Staffordshire University, beaconside campus.

The level is set several months before the events of Half-Life 2 and the player is briefed via Text messages recieved on their phone from various sources.

"From: Student Union
26/03/09 20:15
The combine have been oppressing the students at this university
for several years now. The vast majority of students couldn't be
bothered to get out of bed to fight the overlords, but now they
have reason. The oppresors have denied the sale of alcohol on
the university premises. The time to fight has come.

Fight your way to the Lounge and Legends bars and turn on all
beer taps."


Note that this level is not 100% complete for public release. While it is completely playable from start to finish, it would be confusing for anyone who doesn't know the Staffordshire campus. A slightly updated version with signs and various bug fixes should be released in a week or so.



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 Re: Tangent
Posted by ReNo on Wed Apr 5th at 3:10pm 2006

Well that's just typical <img src=" SRC="images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif"> I posted a comment just before you posted this thread! I'll post it again here for the sake of clarity...

A bit heavy on the point spotlight usage for my liking - in the first shot they don't work with the type of light fixture, and while their use in the latter shots isn't too bad they are too obvious and large and come off looking intrusive and unbelievable. It is a nice entity, but shouldn't be used half as often as most people seem to think <img src=" SRC="images/smiles/icon_smile.gif">

You've got some fairly nice architecture in places, particularly the last two shots of the bar/club area, but I feel your lighting isn't helping you show any of it in the best light (awful pun). The exterior lighting in particular is weak - it doesn't seem to suit the skylight and the shadows are far too strong. The upper halfs of the buildings seem almost pitch black. Give a little bit of ambient light to the exterior regions to soften the contrast in the shadows a bit. It wouldn't hurt to get some light fixtures in areas like that too - introducing other lighting colours (though subtly of course, no bright greens or anything!) and pools of light and dark would help immensely.

How is your course by the way? I'm doing games TECH at Abertay, but I must admit I'm very curious about games design courses. They probably would have been better suited to me than this all this tech stuff <img src=" SRC="images/smiles/icon_smile.gif">



Designer @ Haiku Interactive | ReNo-vation.net



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 Re: Tangent
Posted by daedle on Wed Apr 5th at 5:02pm 2006

The games design course here is brilliant Did 3DS Max modelling, Unreal mapping, games design documentation and photoshop for print in the first semester, 3DS Max modelling pt2, Source mapping, level design documentation and Manga drawing (urgh) for the semester 2. They don't go into much detail and just expect ya to be practising non-stop outside of lesson. Most people don't do that though :-p I wouldnt personally recommend Stafford uni though - out of about 700 first year students (on all courses), there's less than 30 lasses

Yeah, I should really cut down on the spotlight use Just tends to be a bit of an easy effect to boost visual quality. Lighting's certainly something that I want to learn to play around with a bit more in source, but unfortunately I know next to nothing about optimisation so ya know which has a slightly higher priority.

Oh, and nice to see you're still around ReNo - bumped into you a few times years ago with the alias KingNic <img src=" SRC="images/smiles/icon_smile.gif">




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 Re: Tangent
Posted by ReNo on Wed Apr 5th at 5:20pm 2006

Oh hey bud, good to see you back! Glad to hear you're going into a career in game development too <img src=" SRC="images/smiles/icon_smile.gif"> Sounds like you have had a good first year, I hope every year is that interesting for you. At Abertay, with it being a tech course I'm doing, there are very few modules that I find really interesting <img src=" SRC="images/smiles/sad.gif"> Ah well, almost done now, just a month or so left!



Designer @ Haiku Interactive | ReNo-vation.net



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 Re: Tangent
Posted by Elon Yariv on Wed Apr 5th at 5:32pm 2006

Reno is right. Add volumetric lights only in a foggy/dusty areas. After all what you actually see is the fog/dust particles. <img src=" SRC="images/smiles/icon_wink.gif">

In the last two pics it's really over used and that area doesn't look deserted and/or dirty so it doesn't fit and makes it uglier.


Elon Yariv



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 Re: Tangent
Posted by Orpheus on Thu Apr 6th at 1:30pm 2006

? quoting daedle

Oh, and nice to see you're still around ReNo - bumped into you a few times years ago with the alias KingNic

So, are you the same KingNic from here? I noticed that he logged on yesterday as well. If so, why the new account? Gwil can change your name in the old one easy enough.

Either way, welcome, or welcome back.





The best things in life, aren't things.



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 Re: Tangent
Posted by daedle on Thu Apr 6th at 1:54pm 2006

Yeah the same KingNic. Didnt realise that names could be changed so I just signed up again.

Did the demonstration of the level this morning. People seemed to like it - many commented that it made them look bad so I took it as a compliment <img src=" SRC="images/smiles/icon_wink.gif">

I will work on this level this week to bring it *up to scratch* so to speak - gotta finish off a couple of pieces of work then I'm off home this weekend.




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 Re: Tangent
Posted by MJ on Thu Apr 6th at 1:56pm 2006

not to be confused by my CTF map that is named the same... :P







f**k Fun maps!



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 Re: Tangent
Posted by Orpheus on Thu Apr 6th at 1:59pm 2006

? quoting daedle
Yeah the same KingNic. Didnt realise that names could be changed so I just signed up again.


Yeah, tis easy enough. I like the old handle better but, its your call. I'd use the old account and have Gwil fix the name. The lower member number and all that.

Welcome home.





The best things in life, aren't things.



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 Re: Tangent
Posted by ReNo on Thu Apr 6th at 3:26pm 2006

I'm inclined to agree, I liked KingNic, I'm warming much less to this new fangled "daedle" character <img src=" SRC="images/smiles/icon_wink.gif"> Do bug Gwil if you want your old account though, as it's a shame to seperate yourself and your work into two profiles.



Designer @ Haiku Interactive | ReNo-vation.net



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 Re: Tangent
Posted by Myrk- on Thu Apr 6th at 7:09pm 2006

If its based off your university, you could be cunning like me and obtain a CAD map of your university, export it to a model, then import it for use as an HL2 model around which you can build the map to perfect scale. I've never actually done this, but it would work- I just don't have the programs to do it unfortunately, otherwise you'd see me mapping out my buildings all the time (architecture degree, like Duncan I'm almost done)!


-[Better to be Honest than Kind]-



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 Re: Tangent
Posted by Agent Smith on Fri Apr 7th at 1:49am 2006

Being done is sweet, I graduated from a graphic design/new media degree at the end of last year. Now I commute 4 hours a day to a job I don't enjoy, its fantastic!



Ham and Jam Contributor
http://www.hamandjam.org

'Get your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!'



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 Re: Tangent
Posted by habboi on Tue Apr 11th at 11:28am 2006

Sounds like fun Smith...
I like the idea of making your Uni as Coursework...I sent a PM to you Daedle with a few questions about your Course and the Uni...





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 Re: Tangent
Posted by daedle on Tue Apr 11th at 9:21pm 2006

Replied to your PM habboi <img src=" SRC="images/smiles/icon_smile.gif">

Well I'm back at home now and after some major problems getting connected to the internet, I should be able to get on every now and again to check in. Will be bringing tangent up to scratch for general public release <img src=" SRC="images/smiles/icon_smile.gif">

And I much prefer daedle to KingNic <img src=" SRC="images/smiles/icon_wink.gif">




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 Re: Tangent
Posted by ReNo on Tue Apr 11th at 11:44pm 2006

Almost straight after you come back with the name daedle though, we have another member with then name dewdle. It's painfully similar and confusing :P



Designer @ Haiku Interactive | ReNo-vation.net



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 Re: Tangent
Posted by habboi on Thu Apr 13th at 11:30am 2006

Exactly...Here I thought you were THE Dewdle....
Thanks for replying...




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 Re: Tangent
Posted by Orpheus on Thu Apr 13th at 12:28pm 2006

? quoting daedle


And I much prefer daedle to KingNic


Well, can you at least pronounce it for me so I can say it correctly in my noggin?

It wouldn't hurt to cap the first letter either. Daedle.





The best things in life, aren't things.



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 Re: Tangent
Posted by daedle on Fri Apr 14th at 12:41am 2006

Day-dle. <img src=" SRC="images/smiles/icon_smile.gif">




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 Re: Tangent
Posted by ReNo on Fri Apr 14th at 12:49am 2006

I think you might need to elaborate on that last bit for poor Orph - "dle" is still leaving a bit too much pronounciation potential for him :P

/runs



Designer @ Haiku Interactive | ReNo-vation.net



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 Re: Tangent
Posted by Orpheus on Fri Apr 14th at 1:26am 2006

? quoting ReNo
I think you might need to elaborate on that last bit for poor Orph - "dle" is still leaving a bit too much pronounciation potential for him

/runs

I think I can grasp "dle" Duncan. Since I piddle most every day, I am quite familiar with the concept..

*grumbles*

Silly kids, give'm a career change and their heads swell like bloated bodies.





The best things in life, aren't things.




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