Call for D2X-XL level designers - veteran and novice alike!

[Diedel]

I must admit that this thread looks like a competition to DarkFlameWolf's, and in some way it is, but not in a personal way.

The idea to gather a team for building some great Descent levels is a good one (why didn't I have it myself? Oh, I didn't have time to think about something like that ...), but \"human resources\" in this area, if I may put it that way are limited. So there might be some competition.

There is a plethora of standard Descent 1 and 2 missions available, but very few using D2X-XL features, and even less truly exploiting them. The Descent community has a few die hard level building veterans, and some promising newcomers, and bringing them together to create something stunning requiring true expertise would be beneficial for both groups - not to speak of the D2X-XL users out there.

So why not venture into something new and build a D2X-XL level set that blows the mind of everybody seeing and playing it - doing something a single person just cannot pull off? Looking at download statistics from my web site alone, there are over 1.500 D2X-XL who would love to see something like that being done.

I would offer my help in any way needed, and the D2X-XL forum could be a friendly haven for all participants, offering a dedicated area for them. I am not looking for a position as team leader, but if noone is willing to play that position I could help out coordinating stuff as required.

So again: This is not meant personal in anyway. Please consider my offer.

Diedel

[Testiculese]

What's involved with converting a D2-standard level to D2X? Once a project like DarkFlameWolf's idea is complete, could it be revisited quickly to update it to a D2X format?

[Diedel]

That should be feasible, but I am aiming for something different: I would like to see a level set that really exploits all of D2X-XL's features, not a bunch of \"D2 in nutshell\" levels.

[Sirius]

You can convert a D2 level to D2X with DLE-XP, but it won't actually accomplish anything if you don't use the new abilities.

[Pumo]

You can convert a D2 level to D2X with DLE-XP, but it won't actually accomplish anything if you don't use the new abilities.

True. The best is to make D2X-XL levels from scratch (like the ones i made for Pumo Mines) so you can make improvisations usin' D2X-XL concepts on the way.

[Diedel]

I would like to play something like Boiling Point, just bigger and better, and not having been built by me. It's so nice to see something fresh.

I for my part cannot see the old legacy rendered Descent mines anymore, nor the overly simplistic mission design.

With D2X-XL you can determine what robots a boss spawns when being hit, and even have bosses flee to a different level area when they have taken a certain amount of damage. You can have robots go through speed boost areas. You can have robots execute any almost every trigger option available in D2X-XL on death. You can easily block level areas. Think of filling entire rooms with thick, billowing black smoke. Integrate hires textures right in your level design, instead of slapping it on top of a legacy level (how about an antenna framework using texture transparency, and have the antenna tip cast lightnings all over place, lighting up an otherwise entirely dark hall?) Make outdoor areas with enviroment (my \"skybox\" feature actually is much more powerful than a simple skybox is: You can build an entire level around the level, creating a real scene around it).

And you can have the developer add new features if you need them (and they're halfway feasible).