The Madness Continues

Since my vacation was cut short this week, I decided to do try to do some more work on things, despite my better judgment.

So I went and modified one of the levels that I built last year because I felt it just didn't work very well, and I wanted to try to make it more fun. ( I am aware that the texture scale is inaccurate and still needs to be corrected )




Then I thought I would try to modify the editor so that models could have more then one skin. Modifying the editor was actually the easy part, but the models still stubbornly refuse to accept more then one skin. I'm not sure whether that's due to the missing engine code, or because the old .abc model specifications just won't allow it.

But if that wasn't frustrating enough, it's almost impossible to properly position these new models in the editor. Getting the new models into the game is actually incredibly easy, but placing them properly in a level is a matter of repeated trial and error that would irritate the most patient man.

Models are represented by boxes in the editor, for those unfamiliar with these things. The size of the box is helpful in knowing where to place the new models, so they don't stick out of walls or hover in the air. But these new models have no such boxes, which makes this all incredibly irritating and time consuming.

Here's a screen that I labeled so that you can more clearly understand my frustrations:


I've only actually been able to create one model with a clear visual box, although all of the models that I've created are setup in the exact same identical manner!

If anyone has any comments, suggestions or answers, then I would be more then happy to hear them, because sometimes it really does seem like this game is taunting and mocking my every effort.....

More Model Madness

I'm certainly glad that my break from all of this is being extended. If this coding doesn't drive me mad, then these models surely will.

They are the most stubborn and difficult things to get working properly in this game. Non-animated models are bad enough, but the animated ones are even worse. Testing is a nightmare.

I have also been trying to create a new Caleb model which unfortunately keeps sinking into the floor, and new zombie prototypes on the other hand seem to continuously hover a foot off the ground. The models also have ridiculous bounding boxes, they currently only support one texture per model, and the animations have to be inserted into an .abc model one frame at a time.


I tried testing some Shogo weapon models as well, because the tommy gun was way out of position in the first person view. But even the Shogo weapon models won't cooperate with me either. Damn Lithtech and their ABC's!


Maybe once I return to work on all of this the models will finally choose to cooperate. But I think they may all in fact be truly evil, and probably just as possessed as the rest of this game. I'll have to keep a close eye on them when I return because it's probably best not to ever turn my back on any of them...

Cudox Cruo

I've had a nice week of relaxing and doing absolutely nothing and so I thought I'd take another look at retail Blood 2 again today.

While most of the retail game seemed poorly designed in my opinion, it also seemed to me that some of those levels could be greatly improved by simply using a different approach to things. The second train station level in Blood 2 is a good example.


The level design for this particular level actually isn't too bad. But I always felt that the textures weren't quite right, and that it was also lacking what I felt was an appropriate ambiance. Not too mention that it was also missing traditional cultists with tommy guns!



While the level itself can't be directly edited due to the way these levels are put together, I think it can still be improved somewhat with a few alterations.

I thought it would make a good demonstration of what the cultists currently look like using their tommy guns, since this level was so full of them. I wasn't planning on releasing this video which was made before I left, because I'm not currently satisfied with the cultists. They don't move the way I'd like, their appearance has too little detail, and the AI still needs a great deal of work. Also the tommy gun sound which was taken directly from Blood just doesn't sound quite right to me, here in Blood 2. But this video does give some idea of what cultists with tommy guns might be like someday in a redone Blood 2.




I regret that youtube has turned this video into a blurry mess, and it was a lot clearer when I uploaded it. But I've just discovered that you can watch it in better quality by going directly to youtube and selecting that option here

I also tried to improve these low poly cultists with a new skin a few weeks ago, but I'm not really sure what I think of the end result. They'll be rebuilt eventually anyways, so I guess it doesn't really matter.


It's nice to be able to get away from this project for a little while, and I'll be leaving again at the end of the week, for at least a month.

Strangely, the number of visitors to this site seems to remain the same whether I actually provide any updates or not.

While that may be an unexpected surprise, I think we should probably all be prepared for any unexpected surprises.....

A Quick Word

I wanted to post one last update before I leave for awhile, because I've received a few emails with concerns about the models and weapons. Unfortunately I don't have the time at the moment to personally respond to each email, so I'll address those concerns here.

The cultist model and Caleb himself, will eventually be rebuilt in greater detail. The low poly cultists currently contrast greatly with the new weapons, and they also look a little goofy firing these weapons at the moment. Once the new models are built, things can hopefully be properly adjusted and they'll end up looking and acting much better.



Even Caleb has some problems with his new tommygun, since the first person point of view model isn't yet working properly. But in 3rd person view he seems well prepared for this special guest appearance of Alma from FEAR.



Once I do some more work on all of these weapons, I'll eventually put together some sort of video. I'll try to keep the best weapons from Blood 2, but some weapons may need to be replaced, simply due to the limited number of available places to put them. I might just have to go and use some inventory spots for new melee weapons, because I'm not sure just yet how I can fit all these new weapons into the code.



But I'll worry about all of that later.

Work will eventually continue, but it'll be awhile before I have any new updates. But thanks again for your interest in all of this madness...

Those Crazy Cultists

There was one last thing I needed to do before I go on holiday's this week. I needed to give those crazy cultists their tommy gun back!



But I wasn't content with just giving them a useless weapon. So I've now given them a working tommy gun with authentic Blood sounds!


And just to demonstrate that those cultists remain as retarded as ever, this one has decided to kill his best friend. I think he may have just become a little too over enthusiastic once he got hold of the tommy gun once again.



I hope to continue with all of this madness once I return...

Estas Effrego

Cult quod Volo votum totus a bonus estas. Spero ut reverto nunc per magis updates in Cruor Duos Resurrection.



:)

More Lighting

I needed a change of pace from all of these models, so I decided to do some more experimenting with the lights.

It seems that I'm never completely satisfied when it comes to these lights, and I always feel as though it could be better if I just keep trying.

But here's a few shots of my most recent experiments, and it'll probably be awhile before I have anything new again to report. I'd like to enjoy this summer while it's still here, and so I'll probably have little time to work on things again until the fall.

But be assured that this project will continue even if these updates may diminish...

Monolith Models

I've been having some fun exploring all of the different Monolith games in my search for possible models that this game could potentially use.

Since these are all models that were made by Monolith, which will be used in a Monolith game, I don't see that there would be any problem in "borrowing" any of them. If Monolith had actually delivered a complete game with Blood 2, all of this wouldn't even be necessary.

But I have managed to successfully convert a few things into lithtech 1.0, for Blood 2. The NOLF 2 tommygun would be an excellent addition I think.


It felt so comforting seeing it laying there on the ground for the first time. Maybe I could also borrow this NOLF speargun (and a goat).


Speaking of goats, the Cabal army does seem a bit desperate these days...


I also went and installed FEAR so that I could examine it for any possible models for this project.

Surprisingly FEAR doesn't really have too many models that would be useful to this project, and the weapons really aren't anything special either.

But I have so far managed to convert a few FEAR models into lithtech 1.0, and I now have a fire hydrant, a mailbox, and a pile of junk from FEAR.


So, I'll continue with all of these experiments and see where it all leads me...