Will your mod have a seperate launcher, so you do not have to go to JO, select this mod, etc? Just curious, because the red stormie on DF's box art would look SWEET on that launcher (the one in the mod's menu in the gallery and my avatar). I got a series of levels for MotS that had new backgrounds and its own launcher. It was called One Rebel's Sacrifice Lvls 1-9.

Also, since I see you will be implementing the arcade style extra lives, how will saving work? Will there be a new menu where you can select the level you want to play like in DF? That would be very useful instead of typing in those codes in the drop down command pallete. I don't know if this would be possible to do, but if these ideas are, I would think it VERY COOL to add these elements into it.

(Ha, this is not in the FAQ, I read it before posting...)

i think that it was discussed in another forum thread that the "lives" system will not be implemented, correct me team if im wrong. i do not know if a separate launcher and menu for the levels is possible, i havent heard of anything like it talked about yet in JO

I think (!) it is possible, but I havenґt tested it yet (why? well... Iґm working on the demo map...)

you don't need a launcher, just make a shortcut like this:

C:\Games\jedi_outcast\GameData\jk2sp.exe +set fs_game dark

use the correct path of course to whereever you installed the main game to, then set the filesystem to look at "dark" and viola . . .

OoooK, then why is there a picture of an extral life in the gallery of the website? Also, Darth, that nifty shortcut you told me would take me directly to the mod, not JO, so that scratches the idea of the launcher. The level list isn't possible? I hated JK, MotS, and JO's loading process, because I always forgot the map name or level number I wanted to play. Unless you name each map by their planet or mission name. I don't know, how do you plan on naming the levels?

Right, let's see if I can answer this.

The extra life was just made with all the other items that have been knocked off. We won't have a lives system, but we have the model for the hell of it really. I guess we may use it at some point down the line...

The level list is possible, but only with a decent coder - which we are sadly lacking. This mod isn't going anywhere without someone to sort out the WLS code for us ;)

The naming of the levels is the same as the original Dark Forces eg.

Secret Base = secbase
Talay Tak Base = talay
Gromas Mines = gromas
Executor = executor

All fairly predictable really :p

Methinks Katarn should try and produce a load of new questions for the FAQ ;)

I don't really understand your question about a level list . . . could you clarify?

As far as the extra life item, I'm thinking of making it like a Bacta Canister type of object - since in JO you don't need another chance to finish an area but you do usually need extra health, and since there are no force heal powers, any extra health you get is a bonus so have the extra life icon be an instant or later use health object may balance gameplay.

thoughts?

Originally posted by Darth_Linux
I don't really understand your question about a level list . . . could you clarify?

As far as the extra life item, I'm thinking of making it like a Bacta Canister type of object - since in JO you don't need another chance to finish an area but you do usually need extra health, and since there are no force heal powers, any extra health you get is a bonus so have the extra life icon be an instant or later use health object may balance gameplay.

thoughts?

What about temporary invulnerability? You could have the usual bacta tanks around, but the 'extra life' becomes a activatable single use invulnerability ... just a thought ...

Another thought - what about the 'super shield'?

Regarding Bacta, Extra Life, Revive and Weapon Supercharge:

These are all tools to balance gameplay issues in the respective engine. Since the engines are so different, and the game play is so different in many ways, those types of tools don't make much sense anymore. But, I am thinking about ways to give those tools similar qualities that are more useful in the gameplay model JO provides to make up for the things we are eliminating from JO (force powers, lightsaber).

DF didn't have bacta, only instant health packs. Extra Life isn't needed because you can save games and reload, but it could be used as some sort of complete health restore since without Force Heal, that would be useful.

Weapon Supercharge was just doubling the firing rate which may be simple or not (there are sound channel priority issues for sure on this one, not sure about the rest).

I forgot what Revive does . . .

SO I guess what we are planning to do is just find new uses for those DF items that don't really fit in with the gameplay JO provides but making sure the uses we come up with keep the gameplay balanced (remembering we don't have force powers ever or lightsabers) and somewhat hold true to their original functions.

The instant full health idea sounds good, Darth..

Methinks Katarn should try and produce a load of new questions for the FAQ

lol, Sorry.

-What I meant by level list, Darth, is that in DF, the menu presents you with agents and levels to choose from. It was sort of like an arcade game. On the left, you chose the agent (player) name. On the right there was a list of completed levels to choose from.
-Bacta canister function should take place of extra life. Definately. Great idea, Darth.
-Weapons super charges were SO cool to get. They doubled your rate of fire at HALF the ammo. The E-11 fired as fast as an M60 Machine gun! I hope you are able to bring that funtion back. If not, it should be temporary infinite ammo at normal firing rates or something.
-Supershield WAS a temporary invulnerability, BUT only against energy weapons and explosions. Your shield never drained, but Phase I troops, Kell Dragons, and impact could still kill you. So you couldn't make an extra life do that as well...

The Revive gave you full health and sheilds.

Ya know, if you want I could make you a menu for the DF TC, and if you haven't seen the one I made yet, take a look in the General Editing under AOTC Menu.
just send me an e-mail at fire_n_flame@hotmail.com if your interested with a list of what u want.

Thanks for the offer Omikron!

Basically, for the demo I've made a cool new menu (you can see screenshots on the website when it's up). This is basically a modified version of the JKII menu.

What I want to do for the final release is re-make the original menu from Dark Forces, but with some modifications. I was going to do a mock up fairly soon to show the team what I had in mind. Unfortunately, I don't have the skill to completely make a new menu. If you think you can do it, please e-mail me and I'll show you more of what I want :)