Posts by merkaba

  • Competition: Escape!

    Puzzle Pieces

    Here are a few thoughts and ideas on things you can use (biased to Source engine):

    Cheats are allowed, so NOCLIP and sv_timescale, and whatever other console commands that can affect gameplay, can be used!

    However, as the rules state, if the player is expected to use cheats then a clue must be given in the level.

    Those web games where you use your web browser and windows tools to solve riddles to move on are quite fun! The same concept could be used in your level, but try to keep the riddle answers within the game itself rather than forcing players to alt-tab into Firefox or wherever.

    While Source games don't have an inventory system, I am sure it is possible to make an equivilent by being creative with the games assets.

    In this contest, LOGIC entities are extremely useful!

    You can feasibly make puzzles using:

    Enemies, Weapons, Physics objects, Fire, Water, Material effects (proxies), High dynamic range lighting, logic entities in abundance, sounds, lights, the development console, etc etc.

  • Competition: Escape!

    Right! It is competition time again.

    Synopsis

    You must build a single player 'Escape' scenario level, with an emphasis on exploration and puzzle solving rather than action.

    There are a few more details than that (see the rules below), but this is the core direction.

    Reference & Background

    This time around, we are going to be doing a competition around the theme of 'Escape the room', with particular reference to The Crimson Room style Flash games.


    • From Wikipedia:
      Escape the room is a genre of online adventure game,[1] usually created for Adobe Flash and utilizing a point and click style of play. The object of the game is to find a way to escape from a mysterious room. The room usually consists of a locked door, several objects to manipulate as well as hidden clues or secret compartments.[2] The player must use the objects to interact with other items in the room to reveal a way to escape.

      Most escape the room games are in a first-person perspective, with the player clicking on objects to interact with them. Many games of the genre start with a small cutscene (which usually consists only of text) to establish how the player got there. The usual story is the player waking up and finding themselves in a mysterious room from which they must escape using the household itself, but sometimes also unusual items left in the room.

    Escape the room on Wikipedia
    For those people who have not yet played an Escape game, or wish to kindle their memories, there is a Flash website devoted to this style of game, here:

    EscapeGames24In particular, the game that started it all (The Crimson Room):

    The Crimson RoomHow much your level adheres to the style of our reference examples is up to you; you are pretty much free to interpret the brief as creatively as you wish, observing the rules below.

    Rules & Non-rules


    • [*:2zyzahc6]The level must follow the theme of 'escape', using the level components and the game assets to achieve this end.

      [*:2zyzahc6]The area can be anything you wish, with more than a single room or even no rooms at all (e.g. escape the island as someone mentioned). However, the focus, or 'constraint' should be on that one single objective of escaping, and all other events should pertain to that goal.
      [*:2zyzahc6]The player should be aware from the start of a single problem preventing escape. In The Crimson Room, this is the locked door, and can easily be a locked door for your own creation. Stuck on an island, it may be that your plane is out of fuel. General formula: Primary problem (being stuck), Secondary problem (something that is making you stuck), Exploration, Solution, Solved. The point is that the problem should be first, and not in the middle or last.

      [*:2zyzahc6]There is no restriction on game engine used, but it is suggested that the Source engine is used for those who want to see their map played by lots of people.

      [*:2zyzahc6]Custom assets are allowed and encouraged.

      [*:2zyzahc6] Any aspect of the chosen game is fair game for your puzzles, including cheats and menu options, but:
      [*:2zyzahc6]Clues must be given if the player is required to venture outside the stock game mode.

      [*:2zyzahc6]Upon completion of the map, there must be a completion screen with things like map author, time taken, and whatever other information you feel is good to have on the end screen. This can be as simple as a centre displayed text message.

      [*:2zyzahc6]Upon failure of the map, the player must be informed. Ideally this should not be required.

      [*:2zyzahc6]The map can have many puzzles, sucessively completed; it does not have to be one single puzzle.

      [*:2zyzahc6]Ideally, the map should not require more than 10~20 minutes of play time to complete if the solution is known. This is not so important, though; just a guideline.

      [*:2zyzahc6]The map must be single player (multiplayer can be supported but marking will only take place in single player)

      [*:2zyzahc6]Use of performance enhancing drugs is absolutely prohibited, or perhaps encouraged.

    Marking (subject to change)

    Levels will be marked chiefly on their overall experience, on a 1 to 5 rating.

    Sub-catagories will include:


    • [*:2zyzahc6]Difficulty
      [*:2zyzahc6]Concept quality
      [*:2zyzahc6]Puzzle quality
      [*:2zyzahc6]Graphic quality
      [*:2zyzahc6]Quality of fun

    The deciding factor will be the initial 1-5 experience rating, with the sub catagories there to provide a bit more indepth feedback.

    Deadline

    The arbitrarily chosen deadline for this competition is 31st October 2008. Hopefully that should be enough time for all to knock some ideas around, and then implement them, whilst still maintaining a life.

    The main goal of this competition, however, is to be creative, and have fun! If we can all do that, then we are all winners!

  • [poll] The Crimson Room Contest?

    I seem to be the only person who has actually suggested rules, and I came up with the competition idea...

    So I guess it's up to me to finalise this darn thing!

    If anyone wants to directly contact me via instant chat about this, my AIM name is Merkaba48, my MSN name is [email protected] (note, that is NOT my email address!) . If it's worth me coming into IRC to chat about this then I can do that too.

    Brief thoughts/outline:

    As far as I can gather, the rules will be fairly straight forward and not very restrictive:

    Please discuss:

    Are these rules satisfactory, and encompassing? (I will probably write a seperate list of ideas and suggestions, to give some example of form to the rules)

    I don't want to set a date (though I would suggest two months or so). Is there anyone who usually sets up competitions and such?

    Should we allow multiplayer maps?

  • [poll] The Crimson Room Contest?

    Absolutely, but since the premise of this challenge is a bit of a detour from our usual first person experiences, and many puzzle games do allow the player to work themselves into a corner (depends a lot on the type of puzzle, but so far we have not set any restrictions here so it could be anything), I thought it would be best to explicitly provide a dead-end rule.

    I favour allowing the player to get stuck, but only if it is a reasonable outcome of the level's challenges - I doubt most maps, if not all, would allow players to get stuck anyway - but if they can, for some reason, then it must be made clear to the player that they 'lost'.

  • [poll] The Crimson Room Contest?

    I don't see anything wrong with using Portal myself. Can you pick up HL2 weapons and place HL2 enemies into maps in Portal?

    If so, then we could make Portal the standard game for the competition, though I would not be against entries for other games or MODs (HL2, Unreal, etc) if someone wishes to make them; the biggest problem is just finding a game that most people are able to play.

    I couldn't comment on the time span for the competition as I don't know what the usual time is

    I'm all for collaborations, but in an unrelated manner, the use of performance enhancing drugs is absolutely prohibited.

  • [poll] The Crimson Room Contest?

    Thanks for noticing my idea!

    I don't want to lead the development of this idea into its final stages, as I would love to hear other peoples ideas for rules and such, but I would like to mention my thoughts and ideas here:

    Regarding 'theme', I'd vote against a rule for this if it is dictating setting or style; let the mapper make anything they like, just so long as it follows the game rules (which don't exist yet!). If the rule were for an escape theme, then this could be interesting so long as it does not confine participants to certain styles or settings. Simple 'hot words' like "Rise" or "Conclusion" could make for good themes (though with better words than I have chose! ).

    Rule suggestions:

    -Have the exit/escape route be immediately identifiable from the starting point.

    -Additionally, make it clear from the start, or near, how the player must escape. It could be a clue, or an explanation (e.g., "the door seems to be made of wood" = burn it down somehow, "I must need a key" = find a key)

    -Maybe a limit on the time it takes to complete the puzzle(s). (Clarification: Not a time-limit, but just the time it takes from start to finish. Unless we want to include the possibility of 30 minute long puzzles; hell, time could even play a part in the puzzle itself.)

    -Have a competition-set completion screen, with time taken, author, and a congratulations. (see below)

    Ponderings

    -Should the levels be just one room, or should there be several connected rooms (the exit should still be in the start room)? A single room would enforce the 'escape' scenario, but may be limiting in terms of what can be achieved. Several rooms could detract from the escape theme, but I do not think this would be a large problem if the method to escape has an identifiable problem.

    -Should levels have a time limit?

    Keep in mind everyone that designing a puzzle level will possibly be more time consuming than building a simple DM or SP level, or even one that focuses on graphics alone. What is the usual competition period to work in? Is it worth extending it, if that would produce more interesting results?

    I think that any aspect of the game's framework should be usable to achieve the end of the puzzle. This includes menu options, and the developer console, including sv_cheats 1.

    Congratulations screen:

    Additionally, considering noclip could let the player 'escape' with no challenge, there should be a set 'congratulatory' screen/text specified in the rules that is displayed on the levels completion, to make it clear that the level has been completed, and if a map were to use noclip then the ending must only be triggerable after certain variable conditions are met.

    I am all for custom files, and encourage the use of them.

    (in Source) Possible uses of the game to form puzzles (incomplete list!):

    Physics, logic entities, development console, collision detection, material effects, enemies, sv_cheats, HDR lighting, water, fire...

    ...there are so many possibilities! Just get creative with the systems you have available to you. Your most important asset is your brain and knowledge of the engine.

  • ***2nd MAPPINGCONTEST POLL [UPDATED 25-7-08]***

    Is there a list of previous competitions anywhere? I'm guessing not, and so, can anyone remember them and list them here?

    How about an 'escape the room' style level? A Source version of 'The Crimson Room'.

    Contestants could make it as big or small as they like, e.g. escape the room, escape the building, even escape the cupboard if they can make it fun and interesting. More ideas; escape the prison, escape the park (that could be interesting), or maybe escape the intestinal tract of Nigel Hawthorne. Whatever!

    Submissions could be rated on; quality of overall experience, puzzle inventiveness, sensory experience, difficulty, extent to which original game experience is transformed, quality of overall concept, and a 'would play again' boolean of Yes and No. Even if a level has a bad overall experience score, it should have the chance to score high in another area.

  • ***2nd MAPPINGCONTEST POLL [UPDATED 25-7-08]***

    I think I was pushing for visual abstraction rather than laziness. I've not been getting much sleep lately, and so I don't think I'm making a lot of sense half the time :roll:

    Maybe....consider the bulk of the visuals as being the equivilent of proper grammar and sentence structuring in a post. They are not necessary but make the post more digestable, and if done well can enhance the power of the post's content.

    HOWEVER, your Visuals have the power to ENHANCE the content, and sometimes even DEFINE it!

    So maybe the real root of what I am trying to get across, is that I want a contest that encourages the participants to be creative, for themselves and others - go wild, don't feel restricted by player expectations, be poets of the level editor! Explore design principles, visual ideas, gameplay ideas...try something new, take a leap, don't do the same old stuff you've done for other levels, don't try and prove anything or stretch your already-established skills unless those skills are truely sublime; focus on exploring the unknown and exciting. Defy gravity. Dive into the abyss. Do something that's just outrageous.

    Yes, I need sleep. [Blocked Image: https://migrationtest.mapcore.org/public/style_emoticons/default/mapcore_smilies/emot_shakehead.gif]

  • ***2nd MAPPINGCONTEST POLL [UPDATED 25-7-08]***

    I'd like to see a contest that challenges people to think about how a level affects the player's perception and/or emotional response. Most of us are aware of design tricks such as vertical lines suggesting vertical movement, 'leading' the player with light and door/hallway sizes, etc; all these little things that have a big impact on how the player moves around the level. That is just one example of the sort of thing I mean.

    I suppose I am hoping for a more art/design/psychology-orientated contest, where making a believable environment is not important but the level concept and execution as a whole is.

    For example, a contest to see who makes the most thrilling level that explores the theme of deception and illusion.

    I'm particuarly thinking of the MOD 'Half-Quake' when I think of this, which was mostly in black & white with abstract geometric forms, with an emphasis on sensory stimulation through simple designs.

    The idea is to focus less on environment creation and more on environment perception, to the extent that a level with nothing but black and white walls is perfectly acceptable.

    This reduces the pressure of large effort required for asset creation, as simple abstract models or materials may be used, and emphasises thinking about level structure and sensory manipulation of the player. These are attributes that once learnt can then be carried over into more usual levels in disguise.

    If anyone is having trouble understanding what angle I am coming from with this idea, consider the contest more of a university project for a design course, where often you are encouraged to experiment and explore abstract ideas to 'stretch' the brains thinking space.

    Whatever the nature of this contest, I ask that environment design and image is not a large factor, but rather how it feels and plays. I'm a bit bored of feeling like a map's score should be tied to how beautiful it looks, when really there are far more important, and fun to explore, ways to 'score' a map. I'd almost go as far to say that I hope visual beauty does not matter at all, so long as the main design concept is realised and expressed.

  • 3DS Max Quick Normal Map Tutorial

    Hi, sorry to revive this old thread (although it is a very useful normal mapping tutorial so I shouldn't be sorry at all!), but I have something to add to it.

    This is an alternative method of rendering the normal, without using projection mapping but instead rendering from an orthographic camera, using a script called NormalTexMap.

    This script works for 3D Studio Max 5+ and allows you to apply a normal map material to an object, which when rendered will display the normal relative to the camera location.

    Here is the script:

    http://www.scriptspot.com/3ds-max/normaltexmap

    Unzip this to your 3dmax/plugins directory

    First, apply and set up the new material type for your object (very simple):

    - Set up your object exactly as Phil describes, but do not create the projection plane as it is not needed.

    - In the object's material, apply 'NormalTexMap' to your Diffuse, tweak its settings if needed, and then set the objects Self-Illumination to 100 (very important!).

    If you were to render the object as it is now, the result would be a normalmap render derived from the camera's viewpoint (unless you changed a setting), so next you must set up a camera to neatly frame the texture.

    Set up your camera and renderer:

    - Change your output render size to the size of the output image you wish (eg, 256x512).

    - Create a target camera, pointing directly at your object. Move the camera to the dead-center of the object. The target position must make the camera angle perpendicular to the object, but its distance from the camera does not matter.

    - Change the camera type to Orthographic.

    - Change one of your viewports to your Camera view, and turn on 'show safeframe' so you can see what it will render.

    - Set the camera FOV to 90 (Do not use the corner-to-corner lens measurement type).

    - In the last section of the Parameters roll-out, change the Target Distance to 1/2 the height of your OBJECT, or else if that does not neatly fit the texture, change the value until it does (It should be 1/2 of either the width or height of the object).

    Once all that is done, then preferably lock your camera view, as if it is set up correctly you need never change it again!

    Use supersampling methods as you like through the normal render dialogue (F10), as Phil suggests.

    Now, whenever you need to get the normal map from the object, just render from that camera.

    This method does not really have any benefits that I can tell over the projection method, except that it involves a little less dialogue management, and gives you full control over the render output in terms of rotation/scale/etc. What the camera sees is what you get.

    This also allows you to easily render multiple objects so long as they all have the NormalToTex diffuse material. Just remember to keep Self-Illum at 100, or else the renderer will apply shading from the object

    Also, in case there is concern for whether the resulting normal map is different somehow, I have compared this method against the projection method, and both resulting normal maps are identical.

    That is all. Thanks again to PhilipK for a great tutorial!

  • Stuff I've made for Decadence (HL2 mod)

    They look fantastic, but I wonder what you are rendering them in? AFAIK Source doesn't support specular highlights on BSP materials, so I think the textures might lose some of their wowness in the engine.

    That's just speculation, they look like they're rendered in a Doom3/UT3 type engine in those screenies; if they look that way in Source then much props.

  • totally random texture thread

    Thanks Quakis, some good and valid points there I'm more interested in making the rest of the stone wall look soft than making the bottom look sharper I think, but I'll try and rework the moss.

    I'm working on another sci-fi texture to go with the original, part of the same set but not really in the same style (I'm a bit care-free right now).

    It's not finished, but this is what I have so far;

    [Blocked Image: http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/6167/somemetal02kh7.jpg]

    My big worry is that in this day and age of CG I am painting in too much reflective/highlighting onto the materials...the bottom of this texture is highly suited to a normal map, which I can do easily, but I guess for the moment I am more interested in painting in the highs n lows for general practice.

    Thanks dissonance for liking that render I should point out that it is a 3D model though (displacement maps) and not a normal/bump map.

    *edit*

    oh, I 'cheated' a little for this last texture by overlaying some metal pictures from cgtextures on the lower half of the image (for added texture only), but the top half is all photoshop.