Surface Tension Uncut - Re-Adding Cut Areas/Scenes (Expansion Project)

General Development Source 1
#761

I’m glad you are still remaping the maps and you are going to release it soon.

My opinions on your recent demo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqHPWb2Fscs&feature=channel&list=UL

0 : 26 - That vent scene, can you put the vent higher, so that you are not heavily exposed to shots and use the recently acquire Snarks in a stealth way.

1 : 07 - Nice explosion animation, but being it so powerful wouldn’t it brake the wall that has the cracks?

1 : 30 - Make that vent that you take cover smaller in height to make it harder to kill the marines.

3 : 20 - Can you make that are wider, cause you have a lot of stuff in the same place; a helipad, an hanger and two tank garages. Would like to see the helipad in the middle of the area or at least not against some wall.

And that its, post more updates please!

#762

just a minor suggestion, have the door from the ambush blown of its hinges if the player closes it. main reason is a contained explosion does more damage.

also would be nice to see some barnacles in with the xeno flora mainly because they are sort of a plant… OK they aren’t a plant but they are like coral (look near them next time you will see why I say this there is blue glowing things floating around them)

#763

This is awesome!

#764

Gotta say Wangman, all I’ve ever seen from you is sense.

I have nothing more to add other than I agree with everything you said here.

I am not necessarily running behind on the modding badly. I don’t think it’s enough to have to delay the release tomorrow. We’ll see. I think if I get a good bit of mapping in in the next 3 - 4 hours we’ll be dandy for tomorrow.

I’m just going to say to all testers though - don’t wait for release tomorrow evening with baited breath, it may not happen, though it probably will. If it is delayed, however, it’ll only be for a day or two at the most.

  1. The vent scene may or may not be changed for tomorrow. We’ll see.

  2. It would. But it’s going to be hell to model and it will be poorly optimized. It’s alright enough the way it is, I think.

  3. I cannot expand that area now that I have locked in the 3d skybox. I may muck around with the helipad layout as it’s seen a lot of objections, but probably not pre-alpha.

As for whoever suggested the door being blown off its hinges, while that’s a nice idea - I’d have no idea how to do that. I’ll see what I can do, I have an idea but it may not work.

EDIT: I was wondering, does anyone know what font the devs used for their blue “notice” signs? Making one myself and need the font! Franklin Gothic seems to be a pretty decent approximation but I’m sure that having the actual font would be nicer.

EDIT 2: Nevermind, Franklin Gothic looks so close in game it doesn’t actually matter - you can’t tell the difference.

#765

In your C2A5H-

-The snipers are a nice touch but I’m not sure players would entirely appreciate being shot at by a sniper they can’t take out. Will there be a sequence later in the level where the player can kill him?

-The gas pipe the player crawls through after having jumped on it could use a couple holes so they can see the previous layout and have a better sense of where they are.

-The Apache smoke could probably be blown around by an env_wind randomly, so you still have the effect of an out of control fire while still occasionally seeing the green light.

#766

I don’t see a problem with the Sniper. It’s a 20 second encounter on the roof which you can escape fairly easily. I don’t see how it’s the end of the world. He goes away once you drop down into satpipe. He can also be killed with a well placed rocket, but that’s up to the player.

Though having holes into the outside world from the pipe would indeed be nice, I agree - it would make optimization a lot harder. Would make the areaportals a lot less friendly.

I may remove the Apache crash from the map entirely. It’s a lot of work for very little reward.

Progress report: C2A5H is basically finished in terms of basics. Now I’ve got to finish up C2A5I (shouldn’t take TOO long), and then soundscapes, optimization, and playerblocking for all maps. Will probably be done by 10GMT tomorrow, but it will be a stretch!

#767

Wow i just saw your demos and they were incredible! I’ve read the 38 pages here and i was amazed with all the changes you added, but of course there were some that needed adjustments. All of my concerns i think has already been answered and solved here. (helipad, TOW streetlamp, Gasworks puzzle, garage vents, and parking lot)

But there was one thing that bothered me… The part where barney unlocks the gates with the main security switch… It was kinda empty, the room didnt look/feel like it was a MAIN SECURITY area… I hope you could add some huge monitors, cameras, desktops, few panels and maybe a sign that says “AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY” maybe on beta? :slight_smile:
Just my ideas, work your magic, surprise me!

I hope this wasnt a bother to delay progress on other updates for the rest of the maps. Thanks, and goodluck on your work!

#768

Good u are on my side, I made this suggestion aswell…

Making this a security room like u see in the original BM mod :slight_smile:

#769

I actually like, that you added that. While it does nothing for the Gameplay itself, it further reinforces the idea, that the Aliens are a much bigger threat, then the HECU at this point. Players will remember the trouble they had fighting off one Apache (which I consider to be the toughest HECU unit), so that having one go down without the player even noticing showcases the Aliens superiority better then anything else could.

#770

I’m a scientist. It is my nature to make sense.

I agree with this. Aside from Stefan’s reinforcing the story bit, I do think you need a trigger for the pipes to start generating the steam. It’s not unbelievable or bad in it’s current version, but a crashed Apache in the gasworks would add that much more polish to the area.

Alternatively, if this is too much of a pain to do, you could program the steam leak to be triggered by an artillery strike instead. Remember that there was one dead marine by the strike tower. Perhaps the gasworks was his final target before he was killed, which would make sense considering that an alien invasion just took place outside.

#771

I’m afraid I may have to add a day or two to the development cycle. The Garg chase is being an absolute bitch and I don’t want to start rushing things in order to get the alpha release out the door. Those of you waiting for it, you’ll probably have to wait another day or two, I’m afraid. If I do get it all done by tonight I will fire up the release, but I probably won’t. It’s a shame, but that’s how it goes.

#772

…another attack of perfectionism? :slight_smile:

Don’t worry, take your time:
I can only imagine how hard is to make that damn chase good.

#773

Nah, it ain’t perfectionism, the Garg chase is just bad currently. I’m running behind. The biggest problem is those damn pipes in the courtyard. I’ve got him to patrol the water when you’re in it, most of the time, follow you accurately around the courtyard, and he NEVER shakes the tower now unless you’re on it. But the pipes just confuse the everloving shit out of him. If you stand on a pipe or jump over one he often bugs out and just stands there, in a trance, never snapping out of it no matter what. I really can’t figure it out. I’ve tried so many different ideas to get the pipes to work - I’ve placed nodes on them with forced links, I’ve used hint nodes, I’ve made an invisible npc_clip ramp with nodes, but nothing seems to work. It’s a frustrating hurdle, cuz the rest of it is acceptable.

His entrance is also tricky. I’m having trouble doing that well too, but it’s not quite as bad.

The other 2 levels are finished, by and large. All I have left to do is areaportal, hint brushing, soundscaping, and linking them together - which is a few hours at the most. I’m really tired, so I’ll take a nap, eat dinner, play some Halo 4, then I’ll absolutely blast out a serious mapping session when I’m a bit rejuvenated. This may mean a 3AM release, who knows! I’ll try!

#774

How about sending a pm to whoever guy responsible for the Garg in BM? :freeman:

#775

Take ur time, if u know about some bugs, just fix them before first release :slight_smile:

#776

Don’t care if it’s now or later, take your time, we’re not going anywhere. :slight_smile:

#777

just take your time, I think every one on the BM forums is use to missed deadlines, and a missed deadline usually means something better is coming… at least it did for BM.

#778

Make the pipes go underground leaving clear walkways in the courtyard or scrap them…

Seriously change them pipes and / or scrap them…

You know it makes sense the original never had them for a start…

In the original you had to use a jump pad to get access to the courtyard…

Try to make the airstrike control inaccessable from the start… fence off from the road …try to have someting that will slow the player down allowing the garg to catch up if possible…while he gets stuck at the door… say a padlocked gate in the fence you have to break the padlock to get through… the garg just knocks a section of fence over easily though

perhaps a valve hatch might be the trick and take an underground pipe to the canal obviously you build up the tension by getting away the garg being stalled and the the player being stalled having to open the hatch an jump down garg legging it out the doors… Build the chase more

take your time but looking forward to the update

#779

Given that it’s late Tuesday now (At least it is in Britain…) I can assume it’s being delayed

Let me say this: Don’t stop making it better. We can give you endless praise and satisfaction, but the only person who genuinely needs to like your work is you. Just do your best

#780

Could you make the pipes function like the tunnel vehicles, such that the moment the garg comes into contact with them, they explode? While the explosion effect would be weird, you could perhaps substitute it with a crushed pipe effect later. That way, the garg will never have to be obstructed again once he destroys them.

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