Shrine of the Desert

[madcd]

My first actual terrain post on this forum for a fair while . . .

This is by no means finished it is only semi playable as it is and i don't think I'm going to make it fully playable as it is going to be the loading screen of a game I'm making also it is the starting point, but you only get to walk around the entrance stairs I'm going to put a door in place to stop you getting in the main building.

little bit of a blurb: This is basically a game where a bunch of people take on colossal creatures and work out puzzles to kill them in a epic landscape and this is the great desert shrine where you cross from the outer lands into the cursed desert where the creatures roam free after they destroyed the cities of their creators.

The idea is literally thoughts flowing through my head so I thought I would start by making a teaser that I can entice potential fellow terrainers and get some triggers on board to make this project more than just ideas, for now I thought this would be a good place to start recruiting and to help me make this project look irresistible so that I can get this going (though before you say theres no other doodads at the moment its because I only sat down and had a play with some new blocks I found, courtesy of "inhuman89"[http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/packs-542/sandbox-blocks-156233/]] which i would recommend using as they are really nice quality and low in size, and ended up making these)

Edit: New WIP Pics now, I'm not 100% sure on the direction of them just wondering for some pointers and tips as I'm new to using rocks as cliffs as I've never been bothered

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I've now gone and half way put together the start of a demo map with this Dam as a small practice arena mainly to get all the systems working while I build a much bigger map say what you think and if you want to join the project what ever your skill is please just say

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I've done all the terrain around the demo map just now to make it playable and add some variation to the blocks . . .

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just for you Oziris I've added some cross sections on the inside and I've added a couple of screens of some new experiments i.e the Tree just a muck around and to see weather i could do sheer cliffs
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[L2love]

I like it if you mean like massive boss so like the game shadow of colsussus?

 

[madcd]

head of the nail right there such an unknown but amazing game, in essence that is what i'm trying to recreate into wc3 but wc3 has its limitation A. being wc3 isn't actually 3d . . . but i worked around those problems and decided to make it a bit more puzzle based a bit more like ICO but with a fraction of the platforming . . lol

 

[WherewolfTherewolf]

Man, Shadow of the Collosus was a great game - if only it was a bit longer


Anyways the structure looks amazing architecturally and pretty similar to the main shrine from SotC. The thing is those Sand block tiles are a bit, monotone - it looks like the structure was pieced together from wooden blocks, thats one smart 2 year old. I think it just needs more ornamentation and other similar things to interrupt how similar all the blocks are.

 

[madcd]

yeah i know what you mean thats why i kept adding lots of little details and there is lots more but I'm ideally going to add some splashes of plant life to it to give the final interesting overlook.

just a note dose it show that i've been playing SotC again today doing all teh time attacks and getting the extras

but yeah SotC, have you seen all the stuff thats hidden round the map, like the massive dam that was built but never used, where they obviously wanted to put maybe 2 or 4 more colossus in, there was space in the opening shrine quite plainly for 2 and ample space for another 2 infront of the first two statues.

back to topic not that SotC isnt . . .but yeah looking for people to help biuld this game I'm going to build it in sections where you only fight two or three of them per map so as not to crowd the map i want to keep it still as open an bleak as SotC

Edit: just a mild objection its only slightly like the one from SotC . . .lol its inspired but my own design from scratch xD

 

[Azurot]

Was your father by any chance Jesus? This construction is spectacular but as wherewolf stated, it needs to be less monotone!

 

[WherewolfTherewolf]

Well it has been a while since I've played SotC so I don't remember exactly what it looks like, but I knew your inspiration the second I saw that thing. Idk, I could help you with some structures later but I've got a few projects I need to finish terraining atm

 

[madcd]

lol unfortunately I don't preform miracles but if you wanna worship me I'm not going to stop you . . . . xD . . . . but yeah this is going to be a hell of a project in both terrain wise and trigger wise . . . . i mean effects and stuff is just going to be allot of nice particles flying around and some shaking of the screen, but i feel sorry for who ever i get to make the camera work . . .

 

[WherewolfTherewolf]

but yeah SotC, have you seen all the stuff thats hidden round the map, like the massive dam that was built but never used, where they obviously wanted to put maybe 2 or 4 more colossus in, there was space in the opening shrine quite plainly for 2 and ample space for another 2 infront of the first two statues.

Yeah, roaming around the land there was many place were I almost knew for certain there was supposed to be a Collusus, even if they never got to putting it in the game (like that one huge open forest that you had to follow a pretty extensive path to get to - since the forest doesn't allow room for a huge collusus It seems like that could've been a place to put a smaller one like the lion things you had to fight a few times.)

 

[warman45]

it kinda looks like what people in halo 3 would make with infinite objects.

 

[madcd]

i never actually played halo 3 just seemed like they were getting worse after halo 1, but i know the doodad pack "inhuman89" made was based on it

 

[takakenji]

omg this is godly

 

[Lexandritte]

4th screen is good. What you need to do... Is ask someone or make yourself broken variations of all types of blocks. And start breaking the build temple. Not just replacing the blocks with broken ones, but deleting half of the roof and looking where the blocks would fall, and place them there, maybe as they fall they break something as well... It does not stand there for thousands of years without blocks falling out.

P.S. I most certainly like the column balconies and entrance, but the top is kinda boring.

 

[madcd]

the broken blocks i can make my self i also model but for the opening shrine it is supposed to of been well maintained by the forces at work there, I'll try and put together some more things which i will end up putting in the game and see what you think once I've found or made all the doodads for the pallet.

and cheers takakenji but like like all things its just a matter of practice and perseverance xD

Edit: I'm having real trouble finding the doodads i think would fit with this style of terrain . . . like rocks and plant life any suggestions?

 

[Lexandritte]

Something like very withered plants, root-like dried barbs growing through holes between the stones. Have a look here -- http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/terrain-board-267/refuge-ruins-163309/. There's map attached, in import -- a few dead bushes and perhaps a few other things you may find useful.

Perhaps center of the temple is a water source -- there's huge possibilities for fountains, waterfalls, and living plants.

As for the rocks... This famous high-res ones, the one you asked for in another thread do not fit? Recolouring does not work? Retexturing perhaps?

I guess the sand should be enough... It's desert, after all.

 

[madcd]

i meant to say that I couldn't get them to work and was a little hard to work out when I don't speak much German so if any one could help me work out what path i have to put for the textures and models because I couldn't work it out but cheers for that also the underground rocks from UTM whats there textures because i have a feeling i could use those

 

[fladdermasken]

Shadow of the Colossus, must be the nicest looking game on ps2. This could also resemble the sand temple in Zelda OOT. Anyways, nicely done.

 

[madcd]

it really was . .. lol in my eyes but still this is a semi recruitment thread so if any one wants to start joining the Project team then please say! don't matter if your amazing at anything there are always things to be done and i actually want this project to make it onto Wc3 Battle net and be successful

 

[madcd]

EDIT: Oops double post.

 

[Sheephunter]

I love it

 

[madcd]

*bump* new stuff added let me know weather its going in the right direction or not

 

[Lexandritte]

The same blocks texture start to bore the hell out of me, personally... I understand that you don't have many other options, but recolouring __some__ of them is a good start. Or perhaps making some platforms with another texture, like adding runes of sort to it. Trees and bushes and rocks are good so far. But the some of waterfalls are higher than water level. Also, add some waves to indicate water flowing to waterfall on top and from on bottom. And definitely, ruining some of the stuff improves the picture, it stops looking so repetitive. The Dam surely should have a few blocks that fell out, specifically those pylons between waterfalls.

I think that Prince of Persia of 2008 has a number of ideas you may think about in terms of design. I dug up some pictures:

http://talkplaystation.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/prince-of-persia-prodigy-01.jpg
http://www.primotechnology.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/pop_s_060.jpg
http://www.teamteabag.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/pop_s_042.jpg
http://www.aeropause.com/wordpress/...2/prince-of-persia-2008-12-19-00-55-48-60.jpg

 

[madcd]

its come to the point where i cant put it off any longer I'm going to have to make a a set of broken bits for it and then work them into the designs unfortunately as for the plainness of the block i'm going to have to work with it and infact it can help with the style of SotC as it is a very bleak, barren and open game

Edit: small problems at the moment due to the losing of all my modeling software. . . . . hopefully only a miner setback

 

[Lexandritte]

Plainness is not the trouble itself, it's repetitiveness of texture that is the problem. Have a closer look at the screens I given -- the writing on the stones are completely blending into the picture.

 

[madcd]

I did see the writing but that is a stylized game so its slightly different, never mind the fact its built in a real 3d engine . . lol, but I get what you mean and if you look at some of the shadow of the colossus stuff it is quite bland and repetitive, as for who ever said something about the waves on the water I completely forgot to mention its an animated water model so it moves towards the water falls.

but other wise I've now got all my model editing tools back so I'm going to build some broken blocks and try and build some variations into the blocks, I've Basically done the terrain around the lake so comment and say what you think.

 

[Lexandritte]

You need more dots in the sentences, for the start.

Plates over water need some sort of horizontal support beams. I doubt super glue can hold them much longer... There definitely should be some sort of vegetation in the lake. Oasis's are usually packed with plants.

One little touch I found people to start to forget are useful models of animals in standard decorations, particularly fish school. Gives so much more life into the picture. And perhaps some birds would be suitable too.

 

[Oziris]

It sure looks like you put time into this. Not your idea but who cares anyway. It looks really nice and decent. But lets see some inside screenshots of the temple

 

[Spoontoobig]

Epic...

 

[madcd]

err about that . . . . it might only have a few bits inside to make it look like an working temple from the outside . . . as a game mechanic your never actually going to go in . . lol its merely there for aesthetics, well and the fact I just had some fun with some new toys on the day . . .xD

 

[Piwlady]

I'd say it's good. 'nuff said.

 

[madcd]

ha thanks, but just as a disclaimer this is only inspired by SotC you wont find any of the architecture and terrain I've made in SotC but yeah still remember if you wanna help improve and create this potentially awesome game then please do step forward, i think once I've made a couple more locations for screen shots i can launch the thread into the recruitment thread

 

[Sheephunter]

Is this gonna be a FPS game? Cuz it looks Awsome!

 

[madcd]

I'm going for an adaptive 3rd person cam and no don't ask me how its going to work . . . .because I'll be buggered if i know . . . lol . . . . but it will work . . . . a fps cam may be added if wanted no harm to make one

 

[WherewolfTherewolf]

FPS isn't the best idea as many Wc3 things look pretty bad from the underside (Bliz almost never puts any polies on the undersides of their models). I would say an adapting fixed camera would work best as not only could you toy it to keep whats important in focus, but you can use it in puzzles.

Here's what I'm thinking about that:
-The camera changes from area to area to work with whats important, this also prevents it from bugging if the players finds some unforseen place to go or something.
-In some rooms its completely fixed, it stays in one area to keep whats important in focus.
-In others it will move slightly with the player, say its a hallway - the camera could stay at the same angle but move as the player moves down the hallway.
-In others it will be a bit independent - say there an immobile collusus type creature in the center of the room, the camera will always stay pointed at the creature, but it will rotate with the player as the player walks around it, perhaps bringing to light a hidden weak point behind it.
-etc. etc.

 

[madcd]

yeah I've had many ideas of how its going to work but those are good suggestions, though for an fps cam it would work on my map as everything is there and none of its blizzard . . apart from the ground tex . .lol, I may also have a use for it for a shooting skill where you have to manually aim it.

 

[Insincerity]

Cool structures for sure, but it looks incomplete. It also doesn't convey the arid atmosphere you'd expect in a desert very well. It also lacks innovation. These things aside, with some more work, this could turn out great.

 

[Dr. House]

Very nice i say Welcome in Halo 3 +rep