The tools are surprisingly much easier to dink around with than any other editing tools I've ever used! However, I haven't really gone too far in-depth with them yet...
So, with that said... Allow myself to introduce..... myself...
I'm CeeKay, and I've been a KOTOR fan for all of 3 weeks now! I've beaten KOTOR I with a Sith character, and I'm working on a Jedi character. I've beaten KOTORII with a Sith character, and I'm working on a Cheater Jedi character (using cheats, experimentally)...
I have a HUGE project in mind (total rebuild), but I will need help, and lots of it.
Here's the synopsis of what I have so far...
Not sure of the plot or storyline, but I'm sure of some of the mods I wanna include...
This is all built on the KOTOR II engine, as IMO it was a finer-tuned version of the KOTOR I engine.
I want to build it so when you change the emitter on your Lightsaber, it changes the equipped model. I could also do a 3-style system that you could build at a workbench, so it would be like so:
Ultimate Fencing Emitter I
Ultimate Fencing Emitter II
Ultimate Fencing Emitter III
Also, I could tweak them to add teeny little buffs that won't be displayed in the describing text (adding a bit of mystery to it. :))
Also, I want to mix and match a few planets, and add a few...
I was thinking of running with:
Must-have:
Korriban
Dantooine
Most-Likely:
Hoth
Dagobah
Corruscant (It'll be the Peragus/Taris, but with less destruction and maybe re-visitable)
Tatooine (Mos Eisley instead of Anchorhead)
Alderan
Maybe:
Mustafaar
Endor
Kashyyyk
Yavin
Manaan
That planet that Cloud City was on...
The list needs to be gone through with a fine-tooth comb, but I don't even have a plot/storyline yet... I'm not the best writer, but I was thinking of a prequel to KOTOR I using a "Revan" character that wouldn't turn to "Darth Revan" until later in the game (Malak is too identifiable, what with his racing stripes on his head)...
Or, a sequel to KOTOR II that would follow the Exile or the Exile's Force-sensitives from Onderon going light/dark and rebuilding the Jedi/Sith, and your character learned from him/her and will either destroy the Sith/Jedi that the Exileor force-sensitive from Onderon that was discussed above created. (possible spoiler)
Those are two of my ideas for the storyline...
So, I'm going to need to remap (and build some from scratch), re-texture a few things, redesign ALL the characters and faces, design a gump that will let you edit hair color, piercings, scars, and other random aesthetics, etc... I'll have to re-record all the dialog and rewrite all the scripts. :\
The principles of the script and characters will all be the same as the other two games... A main character torn between good and evil, a pilot, two droids, some Jedi, a Mandalorian, a Wookiee, and one that's just SO ANNOYING YOU WANNA SHOOT THEM!!!
I'm also going to expand on the recognition between light side and dark side and male and female characters... (i.e. the dialogue that changes because you choose one sex or the other, or each allignment, etc...
So...
Anyone got any good stories/fanfic? :P
All credits will be noted, and the whole game will be posted here as a few .iso files. It will be PC and English-version only, unless someone feels they wanna translate the whole thing... :p
Also, I'll need a good programmer. I don't know much about programming. :\
The remapping's hardest part will probably be modifying the maps... The addition of other worlds would be a simple replace-mod... Adding others would be a pain, but still not too terribly bad...
Welcome to CKOTOR! :P
So, what do ya think?
- CK
I think you need tools which do not exist yet, like one to export/import walkmeshes and another to export/import lightmaps. The two file formats have not been cracked yet and without the capability of creating those from scratch, you can't add completely new areas to the game. The best you can do is to start from an existing area and modify it.
At least, this is what I understand to be the current state of the art. Maybe someone more knowledgeable can confirm/correct this.
I think you need tools which do not exist yet, like one to export/import walkmeshes and another to export/import lightmaps. The two file formats have not been cracked yet and without the capability of creating those from scratch, you can't add completely new areas to the game. The best you can do is to start from an existing area and modify it.
At least, this is what I understand to be the current state of the art. Maybe someone more knowledgeable can confirm/correct this.
Yep, that would be correct, at the moment we cannot create new area, and this next bit i find myself saying at least once every week, lol, we cannot port assets from one game to the other either, if something doesn't exist in one game we aren't allowed to put it into the game, its illegal, unfair i know, but thats how it is.
Illegal as in you can't do it, or illegal as in getting sued over it??
Wouldn't be hard to modify existing spots into the other worlds... Just swap textures out, move static items, etc...
I was hoping there would be a way to export the map model to 3D Studio Max and then slice away at that and then re-add it as a mod...
With switching maps between games... Is it something in the coding that prevents it from being swapped over, or is it just something no one has tried?
I was thinking it would be a matter of getting the map and textures all squared away, then just doing it like a replace-mod...
Maybe I'm just dreaming...
- CK
Illegal as in you can't do it, or illegal as in getting sued over it??
Illegal as in, we (Holowan) will be closed down...
Wouldn't be hard to modify existing spots into the other worlds... Just swap textures out, move static items, etc...
Not so hard but we are "advancing" and modders are "fitting" two or so modules together like.. mixing two jigsaws. Only a few pieces will fit together... :lol:
EDIT: You can see this in the Coruscant Mod, and DI told me he is using Visas's Meditation chamber from the Ravenger in his Rhen Var mod. Look at his WIP thread for details...
I was hoping there would be a way to export the map model to 3D Studio Max and then slice away at that and then re-add it as a mod...
MDLops cannot export area/placeable models. They have some distortion that is affected by camera angle.
With switching maps between games... Is it something in the coding that prevents it from being swapped over, or is it just something no one has tried?I was thinking it would be a matter of getting the map and textures all squared away, then just doing it like a replace-mod...
We can do it, but the consiquences are not worth it...
~GM
So it is a legal issue then... Or is it??
MDLops cannot export area/placeable models. They have some distortion that is affected by camera angle.
There's no way to place/replace static items with KOTOR tool? Would it be possible to export it to 3DSMax and put the static items in through that and then import the entire thing back into KOTOR?
I'm sure with the right amount of programming, you could eventually get it to work the way you want it to... Sadly, I'm no programmer. :(
- CK
So it is a legal issue then... Or is it??
CK the best bet is to look at our Holowan Labs rules. (
http://www.lucasforums.com/showthread.php?t=127725) ;)
7. Mods containing assets (models, textures, sounds, etc.) ported from another game are prohibited
It is against Lucasarts policy to port assets from one game to another. Holowan Laboratories does not condone porting of this nature, and moderators will close or delete any thread or posts discussing such mods, even if it is for your own personal use. The exception to this is if the asset in question is present in both KOTOR and TSL. Modders may create from scratch mods that resemble assets from another game.
Sorry but no porting is the policy here. LA watches for this type of activity and we would like to continue operating here so we have the above policy.
I see...
K, no KOTOR trans-game modding for this project...
Thanks for the info. :) I've read the rules now. I will go light-side on this one... :p
Quick question, though...
What about voice clips? Say, if I wanted to chop up HK-47's text and have him say things that include stuff in KOTOR 1... Do even the smallest soundbytes count?
- CK
I see...
K, no KOTOR trans-game modding for this project...
Thanks for the info. :) I've read the rules now. I will go light-side on this one... :p
Quick question, though...
What about voice clips? Say, if I wanted to chop up HK-47's text and have him say things that include stuff in KOTOR 1... Do even the smallest soundbytes count?
- CK
Yes, everything counts, if something thats in K1 isn't in K2 you can't port it into K2.
However you can use files as a "template" but thats only really going to work for images as most GFF files are slightly different to the other game. And if you are using a "template" then make sure you are editting it noticably. Like, changing the colour of 1 pixel is not going to work.. :lol:
K, well first things first, I need a storyline... :p
I'll be back with an in-depth plot summary soon enough... I'll use a different thread, since this one was my introductory/get me back to reality thread. :p
What about four pixels? ;)
(jk)
- CK
DI told me he is using Visas's Meditation chamber from the Ravager in his Rhen Var mod. Look at his WIP thread for details...
Fixed! :xp:
Also, the Ravager Med Chamber is part of a separate mod, not Rhen Var ;)
MDLops cannot export area/placeable models. They have some distortion that is affected by camera angle.
I've had little trouble before now...