UWRC-PacificParadise (WIP)

See, I'm making a map. This time I'm pushing terrain to it's limit not by quantity, but by size. This map HOM's without the skybox and is the biggest ever built for UT2004. It takes 1 minute 35 seconds to fly from one edge of the main cube to the other in a raptor. Please keep in mind that this is an in progress pic. What I've shown of the map is only what's nearly complete. You can see where things are polished and where things are not polished.

I'll probably need some testing help in about a week. Please let me know if you want to test.

After this map is released in a week or two, if you like what you see from me and want to see more maps, let me know.

-Myr

Edit: BTW, I am using items I found in the Unwheel mesh packages and others. I will be adding some custom packages for special meshes and textures too for this map. Is it ok for me to use items from the Unwheel packs for this custom map? (just checking)

ProjectX said:

How big is that cube? I used a 120000x120000 cube for avalanche.

Also feel free to use UnWheel meshes, however you will have to ask permission from the Arrrgh Mod to use the meshes and textures found in UWRC-Caribbean's mylevel.arrghmeshes

It looks very impressive, however it looks like atm you hav one sunlight actor for light sources there. I'd recommend adding another sunlight actor pointing the other way (and more vertically) with a light blue colour to realistically simulate shadow colours.

Click to expand...

Wow, I didn't realize Avalanche had such a big cube. I'm using a 135000x110000 box. I'll contact the Arrrrgh Mod about those trees too. :tup:

I'm using two sunlight actors. One's a white/light yellow mix and sits low on the horizon because of how the skybox is. The second is a red one up high out of view also set to match the skybox. I'm not sure I like the lighting perfectly yet, but I'll keep your suggestion in mind when I go to finish the lighting later on in development.



Thanks both of you.

I still have "other" things to do that I don't want to reveal yet and will post here to show them at a future date.

Good idea. Thanks. You have a PM.

It's been a week almost so here's an update and a request for help towards the end of the message.

------------UPDATE------------

Most of the terrain on the first and largest island with the city on it is completely set in place. Some areas behind the first volcano are still unsculpted and will be done soon. Texturing on the terrain isn't there yet and some areas still need some attention too. The waterfalls, lavafalls, and volcanic smoke (to name a few effects) are not in place yet either. I'm going to wait until I'm done to add in effects. I'll soon be able to place antiportals along the cliffiside road mountains.

The first pic I uploaded gives you the following shots of the map:
TopLeft -- A shot from the volcano overlooking the city and the bridge where this map started to come together at.
TopCenter -- The overhead view of all track courses laid out together. I will split this up into 3 different versions; easy, medium, and hard. The versions will be deteremined by the amount of turns, sharpness, and variation in elevation all factored in, sort of like an NFS HP2 map or HP1 map. Depending on map performance a final "extreme edition" of the map might be released in which I'll have the player going on all roads to complete a single lap circuit.
TopRight -- Wouldn't you like to know? Note that's under water even though the area is untextured and the volume fog isn't showing. That area is just one thing yet to come that I don't want to go into detail about.
Bottom -- The new WIP area of the second large beach. To the top left of this screen is the mountains of the first area I showed last week. The rest of this pic is all new content. Towards the right is the area of the island that's still unfinished.

Also, do keep in mind that these are overall general shots to show as much of the course at the same time as possible. I actually run my viewport cameras along the track to inspect what the player sees at all points on a run. Things look much different down there.

This map is capable of loading in Unwheel for testing purposes, but bot support is not in place. Sunlight actors are not finals either right now and the cavern tunnle is missing.

BTW, thanks ProjectX. That blue light really brings out the rock textures on the back of the finished mountains.

Any questions, comments, or others are welcome.


------------HELP REQUEST------------

Ok, I'm not sure if this is going to work or not but I need some help adding some uniqueness to this map. If there is an available modeler who reads this post and would be available and wanting to create 3 new bridges for me, please PM or reply here.

The second pic attached below is a shot of the bridges I have in use. I'd like to hopefully replace them with new red and white (or silver) bridges that are different in design from the ones provided in Unwheel already. I'm not saying that the premade bridges are bad, I'm just looking for ones that stand out and look stronger overall. Play "Palm City Island" on NFS HP2 and see that those bridges, while simple, are colored in a manner that compliments the rest of the environment. PCI is a pretty big influence on this map in some respects. Atlantica and Aquatica (original inspiration) from NFS HP1 are also.

BottomPic -- I'm looking for a suspension sky bridge like the Tatara Bridge somewhere in Japan I think. It's got to really catch the eye of the player and will be the centerpiece structure of the hard version of this course. The third attached pic is of this bridge but only displays one main support structure. Two are drawn on the Ued map to show what I'm after here. Placing this large bridge in map could take several attempts at perfecting the scaling.
TopLeft -- While I like the bridge I have now, I think the colors and more of a steel heavy bridge along with the design will make it look like a tougher structure able to withstand the hurricane that's coming to this map (it's why part of the skybox is cloudy and part is bright). Look at the 5th attached pic of a trainbridge to see what I mean.
TopCenter -- Locations of all map bridges.
TopRight -- Again a more steel intensive looking bridge that fits the red white colors of the other bridges would look great here. While the bridge I'm using is well built, it just doesn't feel right in the map or that it could withstand strong forces. The fourth attached pic shows a good bridge fitting this design in its center.

If anyone would be available to create those, please let me know. I can do it myself but with college in the way and the amount of other things that need to be done yet before I can release this map (not to mention my own sloppy modeling/texturing skills), it just makes more sense for me to ask for help.

-Myr

ProjectX said:

That looks quite nice, just one thing to remember, add a fogring with the same color as your fog to the skybox to remove popping artifacts.

Click to expand...

Already got that in place. I've just got bad screen angles that show more of the map and less of what you see in game. Items appear to pop into place but that's because of the green background. In game the player view is far lower than these preview cameras and the grey clouds match the fogging. It's still not a finalized thing yet though.

No response from the email I sent to info@arrrghmod.com . I sent that last thursday.

I hope not either. I will send another email later after college.

Edit: Got permission now.

Easy course completed. Terrain for the first island is completed as well. Effects (volcano smog, waterfalls, jungle cover, and antiportals) comming soon.

First pic: Updated progress shot of the final terrain for Island 1. Fog was disabled for the pic.

Second pic: Just a promotional thing during a scaling test I did. Expect alterations to the palm trees as well as many more to be added once I hit optimizing.


Release delayed to an unknown date due to the reawakening of my art skills, college, work, and lack of reason to work on this in times other than free time.