merkaba

Also the music in this game is totally awesome. I think most other things have been covered in the thread already LBP is a great platform-game engine...just look at what they did to it with the MGS level pack, completely transforming the game. It could be better in that respect, but with the simple addition of a gun and target switches, the gameplay completely changes. Just wait until they release the Import Picture tool, which will let you import photos and drawings from your PS3 harddrive...then the capacity for creative expression through the editor will escalate. All it needs then is a material editor! -edit- It saddens me that so many people dismiss this game as being for children and as such is of no interest to them. I wish there were more games like this so we could put the guns aside.

Thanks all! I am a junior level designer, [HP].

You can add me to this list now (finally!!) I work for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, in Cambridge UK

Okay...October 31st has come and gone. Has anyone been working on anything that they'd like to show?

lol! I think that'd be even more fiendishly complex than the original brief Sorry I have not been around much here, I've been busy getting myself a job. << Now works for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) in Cambridge (I start on Monday the 27th October). This is my first industry job...so wish me luck! Or don't, if you hate me. Right now I'm just having a bitch of a time finding somewhere to live.

Thankyou, I take that as a great compliment

Hi, Insane! I'm glad I was able to spark some ideas in people's minds, I guess that was my main goal rather than the competition itself Is anyone making any headway with this idea? 1 month to go!

Hi e-freak, I like the bottom two landscapes, and the rocks on the left. They do feel to me to be missing some small thing, to make them 'real'...maybe an extra aspect to each picture, a small detail, a bit of texture...I am not sure. The rocky crevice is great, nice colour. I had another spurt in Photoshop tonight. This time I actually had things on my mind when starting, although the finished product is nothing like what I expected to end up doing Two images, variations in colour: I prefer the red one, personally...but my mind has been a bit 'evil' lately.

Aha, thanks for the tip tofu; you're right, the answer is in the model's package setting. It's not quite what you suggested, and the solution is not entirely clear but what you do is uncheck UseSimpleBoxCollision, UseSimpleLineCollision, and UseSimpleRigidBodyCollision.

Yes, I decided to have a go at some cave design last night, using Hourences method. It's all fine and dandy, but I find myself falling through the floor of my mesh. Maybe I missed something obvious, and I'll have another go tonight.

Excuse the technical question, but how do you make the cave model collide with the players? I was studying the mesh in the editor, and the mesh itself has no collision and I can't find any clues in the collision section of the actor's properties. Yes, I am sort of new to Unreal engine editing :]

Great zombie Jesus, what an excellent job. I would be proud as punch to say I made that by myself.

Nothing big here, just a couple of textures for a sci-fi environment. I'm still very much learning with texture creation, but I have made some of my own Photoshop brushes that help a lot with dirt and stuff, and I think I may be getting generally better at structured workflow with texture creation (which for me translates to keeping layers to a minimum, and organising them into groups where I can!) These were rendered in 3D Studio Max, with specular and normal maps (right side). The 2nd one I am fond of, the first I think is a little weak due to the soft nature of the crevices...it was meant to look like sleek close-fitting panels, but I shall have to redo it with slimmer gaps to really achieve that, I think.

Personally I'm not doing a whole lot, as I don't have the time; that is, I am not submitting an entry (at the present). I'm more concerned that other people aren't sure of what they're doing, or rather, would rather be doing something else

Not much activity in here recently...should I be worried? I mean, are people happy with this competition idea, or should we give it a chance to go back to the drawing board?

(this post has been moved from its own thread to this one by me) I love browsing through this thread! I got inspired to mess with photoshop whilst looking around in here. It's not usual for me to do a digital painting (as much as I love the feeling that comes with good results!), but I was toying with some brush settings and got a very nice mist that I just had to sillouhette over. One thing led to another, and so on; This image has been automatically resized. View full-size version. Image I am quite happy with it, as simple as it is, and I got to use some of my custom brushes for something other than texture work (the bushes are actually made from triangles!) This image was not planned or pre-imagined, as I have much difficulty working to an end in paintings; like I said, I found a nice mist brush and laid in some silouhettes, which happened to be hut-shaped, and then put in some trees...and it went from there. Happy mistakes: I'd love to do more of these, but the fact that I can't easily put down in paint what is in my head really frustrates me The things I end up doing that look good are usually results of a directionless experiment...am I alone, or is that common? Is that a stage on the way to being able to draw to an end? Thanks for looking.

Hey, that's a cool video! Yes, it definately resonates with the competition premise, but for one problem; the level in that video is pretty much completed in an on-a-rail fashion, where its pretty obvious what to do from step to step. Theres no 'detective work' (whatever the hell I mean by that!) involved. Otherwise, its pretty gosh darn cool; if the player was more involved with the setting up of the pieces somehow, then that would be perfect for this competition.

Sure, modding is allowed. I can't stress enough that the idea behind this competition is creating an engaging puzzle level, and is not about restricting people with rules. The only restrictions in place are the theme/style of level, that it should be single player, and the few inconsequensial rules mentioned such as completion/failure screens. Beyond those, anything goes.

Yes...that's the point Good ideas with the rest; can source entities detect if noclip is enabled? I remember there being something about an entity capable of messing with the console, but I didn't know if that could detect existing settings. Unrelated, a couple more puzzle tool ideas: The HEV suit (Flashlight, Zoom), Gravity Gun (dur!)

*shrug* that's really up to the player. The idea is that if there is no clue or need to cheat in your level to complete it, then players shouldn't cheat. But there is nothing stopping players from cheating anyway, even if that rule wasn't there - all it is doing is giving designers the freedom of incorporating some interesting console commands into the gameplay of the level. Also, given the logic-heavy nature of the project, cheating may not be able to help the players achieve objectives anyway. For instance, cheating will not help if you can't find a certain object that is required to access a particular button, will it? OK, so if a closed door is present then the player could noclip through it, but this is why in the rules it states that the player MUST be confronted with a completion screen, so that the condition of success is abslutely controlled by the designer. As an example, using noclip could allow someone to pass through the closed door and beyond into the 'free' zone, but they would not get the end screen because certain logic conditions have not been yet, which cheating will not help to solve (except in the manner intended by the designer). The bottom line is, considering players have access to cheats at all times and it is out of the designers hands to prevent it, where is the harm in allowing them to use those tools to the end of completing your puzzle providing that they only use those which are specifically hinted at in the level? I just think it gives some interesting possibilities.

Sound good?

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.

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: EscapeGames24 In particular, the game that started it all (The Crimson Room): The Crimson Room How 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!

Those are pretty much exactly the rules I speculated in my above post, but thanks anyway

Okay, I will post an official thread for the competition soon. In the meantime, grab your pencils ......or,