I had a decent idea for a level a couple of days ago and now that I've made some of it, I thought I might as well make a WIP thread.

When finished, this will be my first level, and will not take itself seriously. At all. I'm hoping to make it funny yet still give it some proper gameplay. Anyway, I did some work on it recently and I can show you the starting area of the level, a hangar. Just remember that it is nowhere near finished and I've got a lot to do on this area, both architecture and texture-wise. Even so, here's some screenies for ya'll.

The landing pad (http://hometown.aol.co.uk/Melodie%20Piper/shot0021.jpg)

A door (http://hometown.aol.co.uk/Melodie%20Piper/shot0022.jpg)

The currently non-existant lift (http://hometown.aol.co.uk/Melodie%20Piper/shot0023.jpg)

Feel free to post ideas, insults and constructive critism. :)

And btw, if they don't work, it's probably Geocities' fault. Try copying and pasting the link if it doesn't work.

EDIT: I've uploaded the pics to my mum's AOL webspace and changed the links so it might work better now.

Also, I forgot to mention this earlier but does anyone know if there are there any Wookie and Ewok models for JKII available anywhere? I also need a few other custom models but unfortunately, I can't model so if anyone would be kind enough to model for me, send us an email at craigmyates@aol.com :)

It looks a bit bland. Try adding a few crates lying around, control panels, pipes, etc. Try and stay away from repeating too much also. OTher than that, there just really isn't enough to comment on right now.

Wookie model (http://www.jk2files.com/file.info?ID=3349).

You really need to work on the lighting. It's too bright, and coming form nowhere.

Be sure to pay attention to the small things, too. There needs to be more in that room to hold the player's attention.

Thanks for the Wookie link Wedge.

As for the details issue, I will do those at some point, but I'm trying to get the basic architechture sorted first but thanks anyway.

As for the lighting, I only put the lights in just so I could see it in-game. When I've got all the basics sorted that'll be one of the first things I go back to.

But as I said earlier:
Originally posted by ewok mercenary
Just remember that it is nowhere near finished and I've got a lot to do on this area, both architecture and texture-wise.

Double post

A good start. It's a good thing you have put curves in place right away. I didn't do it, and later I regretted it many times. Nothing's worse waste of time than building old rooms anew.

I hope you have a good plot in your mind for SP.

I've recently had an operation on my arm so I'm now unable to play any sports for six weeks. :(
However I should be able to do a bit more work on this, so its not all bad...

First thing, I've put the pictures up on my own webspace:

Hangar (http://hometown.aol.co.uk/Craigmyates/hangar1.jpg)
Door (http://hometown.aol.co.uk/Craigmyates/hangar2.jpg)
Landing Pad (http://hometown.aol.co.uk/Craigmyates/hangar3.jpg)

Also, I've added a bit more to the hangar area. Please excuse the blockiness of the new corridor and the viewing room - they should be more architecturally pleasing by the next update:

Looking into the hangar from the viewing room (http://hometown.aol.co.uk/Craigmyates/hangar4.jpg)
Looking up at the viewing room (http://hometown.aol.co.uk/Craigmyates/hangar5.jpg)

And to add to that, I've started on another area:

Control room thingy (http://hometown.aol.co.uk/Craigmyates/control1.jpg)
Another shot of the 'control room thingy' (http://hometown.aol.co.uk/Craigmyates/control2.jpg)

My next job is to improve and add to the architecture and then possibly texture it properly. :)

Some of the textures seem a bit repetative.. You can change that by adding more sharp corners and fancy lights :p. Also wall protrusions are always a nice thing to add (not anything overly big though).

Yea the map is a good start. Looks like you still have alot to do and I cant wait to see the finished product soon.

I haven't done any work on this for a while now, and the main reason is that I haven't been sure whether I should continue with it. Eventually I decided to stick with it, then I decided to scrap it, then stick then scrap and now I've decided to continue it. Again. This time I won't change my mind... hopefully.

Anyway, now that I've decided to carry on with it, I spent about 30 min working on the hangar area again, completely rebuilding the walkways on either side of the platform. Here's some pics:

View from the control room (Which is also being rebuilt) (http://hometown.aol.co.uk/Craigmyates/001.jpg)

The entrance to the hangar (http://hometown.aol.co.uk/Craigmyates/002.jpg)

Looking up at one of the newly rebuilt walkways (http://hometown.aol.co.uk/Craigmyates/003.jpg)

A blocky thing I added to use up space (The squares will have lights on them... eventually (http://hometown.aol.co.uk/Craigmyates/004.jpg)

I would give you an overview of the story too, but, to be honest, there isn't really much of one. If I just said it involves an unlikely hero called Jonathon Widderton the Third and a Half, hip-hop Ewoks, some evil guy called Darth Ruler and a secret plan to take over the galaxy in some secret way, I would've given away pretty much all of the story...

It's good to see this level shaping up to be something with those details you've added. Lots of potential there.

Great job on the walkway. Looks like one I did for Thunder. :)

You've still got a ways to go...some details need to be added to the entryway, and you should use less ambient lighting/large point lights in favor of smaller lights of spotlights, plus lots of visible light sources. You'll find that the right lighting can really give the map the right mood.

Ewoks you say? Barry the Giant Ewok, found on...uh, jk2files.com or massassi.net ? Use NPCs.cfg to scale him down.

I't looking better with every update:D I like the room that was showed in the pic named "Another shot of the 'control room thingy" it just needs some light sources and tone the lights down so the sposta aren't so big or even better u could ude a spotlight:D

Here I am again with a small update for all my loving fans... ahem.

I made a few more small changes to the hangar, such as creating a lift, putting on the light textures and reworking the lighting to make it a bit darker and more moody. Oh yeah, I also retextured the pipes... only to find that they glow.
So here's the pics:

http://hometown.aol.co.uk/Craigmyates/102.jpg)

Here you can see the top of the lift shaft, which is very unfinished, but at least now I don't have to use noclip to get inside the walkways

http://hometown.aol.co.uk/Craigmyates/103.jpg)

And the view of the hangar from what will eventually be the 'control room thingy', also showing one of the banks of lights.

http://hometown.aol.co.uk/Craigmyates/104.jpg)

And then a shot of the other light, uh... thing.

I also started on the main corridors for the base:

http://hometown.aol.co.uk/Craigmyates/101.jpg)

It was completely open to the void but I really wanted to give you all a screenie of it so far, which is why there are two huge ugly grey brushes at each end of it, to close it all in.

EDIT: Does anyone know why you can't see through the grating? I'm sure I've seen it used somewhere and it can be seen through... it just doesn't on mine...

Hopefully it shouldn't take too long before this is finished, as there's another project I really wanna get working on soon.

EDIT: Does anyone know why you can't see through the grating? I'm sure I've seen it used somewhere and it can be seen through... it just doesn't on mine...

You have to make your own shader code for that. Raven shader for that texture, if there is such, does not grant transparency. I did it for my own use. Check that the texture has an alpha channel (I don't remember such details) and type (copy-paste) the code.

And remember to make the grate detail brush like a window. I was just reminding, nothing more.

There are some grating textures that have transparent shader code applied to them that were included with JO, but that texture isn't one of them.

If you want to make the black parts transparent, you'll have to do that yourself. Lassev's got the right idea. :)

This looks very promising. I hope you finish it.

Just wait until HapSlash (hapslash.tripod.com) finishes his Ewok model.

I don't think I'll be able to use HapSlash's as he's making it for the Dark Forces mod, so he isn't in too much of a rush to finish it and I doubt it'll be out before I finish the level.

Anyway, I've got a little update with some new areas to the map, although they are a little low on detail at the moment.

http://hometown.aol.co.uk/Ewokmerc/001.jpg)
http://hometown.aol.co.uk/Ewokmerc/002.jpg)
http://hometown.aol.co.uk/Ewokmerc/003.jpg)
http://hometown.aol.co.uk/Ewokmerc/004.jpg)
http://hometown.aol.co.uk/Ewokmerc/005.jpg)
http://hometown.aol.co.uk/Ewokmerc/006.jpg)

I think the curved hallway should have a different txture:/ other than that everything is loking ok.

Also to mae that grate transparant u can use this (http://quake3.qeradiant.com/q3afiles/shader02.htm) tutorial. If u learn the tut u can use it ta make glass also:D

No screenshots for this update I'm afraid, as I'm mainly posting just so you don't think I'm dead or something... sorry to disappoint y'all. :p

As for progress of the level, it's about halfway done on architecture (Amazing how I can put so much time in and get so little done...) so it shouldn't be too long now before it gets finished.

I've also finally finished planning it all out, and wrote most of the script. I can't really think of much else to say here, so I'll just leave it at that.

Oh yeah, isn't this a great line? "You can't win Darth, if you strike me down I'll become more dead than you can possibly imagine." Eh? Eh? Oh forget it...