DescentBB

The ideas aren't fully fleshed out yet, but I'm still writing down ideas for my latest level/MOD. The level will be a pretty new style for D3; fairly linear, with a TON of low-powered bots.

The robots, now firmly based in the Alpha Centauri system, have developed some incredibly heavy weaponry and ships, and importing them into a site near our primary base on the second planet from Bernard's Star. They have a well-fortified and hidden airfield and hangar, where they are storing their freighters and the imported weapons. We need to blow that hangar to shreds, before these heavy weapons can be brought to bear on our valient troops.

To this end we've equipped you with the latest in omni-weapon technology, to let you fire weapons even if they weren't designed for your ship. The standard pyro simply doesn't have the capability to be fitted with this technology, so we're putting you in a Tranchek heavy interceptor. This ship can use any weapon known to our scientists.

The robots, though ingenious at constructing devastating weaponry, don't seem to be very good at planning. They haven't actually put much of their heavy weaponry onto their warrior robots. Thus, there should be a fair stockpile of weapons within that base. We want you to use your omni-weaponry technology to pick up some of the weaponry, and use it against the robots to aid in their destruction.

We'll drop you off outside their command headquarters. Our weaponry isn't powerful enough to do much damage to those robots, so try to use stealth until you can pick up a weapon system that will have a little more effect. We expect there to be a pretty good-sized stash of weaponry inside the HQ, but don't count too much on it. From there it'll be up to you to get through the mines and blow up that hangar!

Ship:
"Sweeper", already completed. Features 2 small gattling guns, 2 rocket pods, and 2 higher-up standard cannons.

Weaponry ideas:
HVF Cannon: (HVF = High Velocity Fusion.)This cannon is basically fusion, but it travels at extremely high speeds. Use with care, however: excessive use of this cannon has been known to cause extremely low energy!

Raptor Bomb: a slow rocket-propelled bomb that flies forward for several seconds, then explodes with a small pop, releasing about 10 heavy small grenades. Each grenade explodes after 10 seconds, releasing shrapnel and creating a large explosion. Not something you want to be in the middle of.

EarthShaker: No explanation necessary

SuperShaker: This is actually an object, not a weapon. You drop it in the hangar and get the heck out to destroy the hangar.

Argon-Laser: A moderate-velocity cannon, this fires bright blue bolts of energy that home in somewhat. It fires fairly rapidly, but it uses .5 energy and uses .2 gallons of argon gas to fire.

Thurigon Rockets: This is actually a cannon, but it fires a pair of extremely heavy rockets. Ammo count is about 20. These rockets create a HUGE explosion at the end of their (fairly short) range, as well as spewing fire created by a large amount of flammable material in the rocket. Very impressive to behold. Very scary when you're on the wrong end.



Anyone else got ideas, input, feedback, etc?

I've created a weapons testing level for weapon MODders out there. Has a few tunnels, some turns, a couple medium-large rooms. Nothing special, but includes pretty much all powerups in D3. If you want it drop me a PM.

Level first.
Modifications second.

Do it in that order.

I really don't get what the fascination is with having new weapons. It's not a feature, it's a liability. You have to test and balance them if you want them to be any fun, which detracts from the ability to test and balance the levels, which are more important. New weapons are absolutely useless if you don't have the levels to support them. Start there, then do weapons if so inclined.

I don't mean to be an ass, but I've seen so many would-be good ideas get derailed by an obsession with custom ships and weapons. Maybe it's because custom weapons are so flashy and glamourous, whereas to make a good level, it's honest-to-goodness hard work.

I'm making this custom, not to be glamorous or anything, I could care less. I'm making this a MOD because I want it to be different than most normal D3 missions. The weapons in this aren't going to be balanced; that's another one of the reasons I'm making this. I get really, really tired of a SP campaign where all the weapons do pretty much the same thing. In this MOD, some weapons will be wildly powerful, while the ones you start out with will barely be able to scratch the paint job on a bot. I want the level to be progressive, with increasing intensity/more powerful weapons towards the end of the level, while in the first part you have to rely almost 100% on stealth and speed to get anywhere. I will not be subtracting ANY work on the level itself to do the MOD's; in fact I'm going to spend all the more work on the level to make the MODs stand out. This MOD and the level will be inseperable--you can't have one without the other. No more 50-hours-of-work flops like Strycken Anarchy for me.

New weapons also tend to give new life to an old game. People say "hey, that's kinda cool, I didn't know this game could do that!" and keep playing for more. See Subway Dancer for reference. I don't like the MODs myself, but you have to take the point--it's insanely popular.

Stryker wrote:See Subway Dancer for reference. I don't like the MODs myself, but you have to take the point--it's insanely popular.

For all the wrong reasons, really.

To each his own, I guess.

Ok, I've gotten in some very good progress on this thing. I now have:

The HVF cannon model and fire model/effects done.

A modified low-damage dual-fire Mass Driver that will constitute the player's initial weapon; has a capacity of 100 shots, has a small travel time, and an interesting particle effect.

The Raptor Bomb and exploding frag grenades now have powerup models, fire models, and all effects completed.

I'm going to hit the Argon Laser, then get on to making the architecture of the level. The outside arena has already been completed.

Ok, after a good test server thanks to liquid fire, I've determined that the player ship needs to be slowed down somewhat and have stronger shields, the MD needs a tidbit more damage, the frag grenades from the raptor bomb need about 1/2 the lifetime, and the argon laser needs its homing ability. Other than that, except for the thurigon rocket cannon not being done, the mods are pretty much completed. The earthshaker won't be hard at all to put in. There's already a package out there for it.

That said, I'm about to start on level geometry. The first thing that needs built is a lander for the starting point. After that comes the first real tunnel network, involving a fairly-high-poly outdoors command center, a bit of texture modding to allow for fly-through water, some tunnels, and a robot bay.

I've also come up with a new weapon idea.

Chaos Gun: After collecting this very large gun, you receive the power to fire the Chaos Gun. The Chaos Gun fires several different types of weaponry in very rapid sequence, including a HVF blast, a high-velocity concussion missile, a single Thurigon Rocket, an Argon beam, and an extremely high-speed beam composed of light that sets enemies on fire. This weapon is extremely energy-draining, and requires ammunition to fire.

I've heard that there's a trick to getting low-lag terrain. Anyone heard of this?

Stryker, I have a Mac visual issue w/the MD in ur lev. I seem to have a nontexture square in my reticle, which may need to get fixed. I don't know if it is becuz I am using a custom reticle, but here is the pic to show ya what I was seeing:


Fus

BTW, this was in SP.

Yea, on windows boxes that shows up as an "Anti-Grav Failure" sign. I thought that would be fixed by only using 6 gunpoints on the ship instead of 8, but now it only shows up on the MD instead of all the weapons. Go figure. At any rate, I don't know of any way to fix that bug... I might try something, but I don't know how well it will turn out.

OK, after some serious modelling, I've got some pics to show.

First screen: HVF cannon being fired in test level



Second screen: the lower part of the player's landing craft in the real level



Third screen: Mass Driver being fired in test level



Fourth screen: Attempting to kill a gyro with the modded Mass Driver. Note the attempted.



Fifth screen: Raptor bombs firing their grenades



Sixth screen: Taking a peek into the main room of the command center.



Seventh screen: A far-off frontal view of the center.