OK, I will try and answer some recent questions.
Snidog,
Thanks for your kind comments, sorry I cant make any level available for download until its finished and I mean finsihed. Thats means really at least 2 complete levels and maybe intro stuff as part of a demo - I would also be working at least another couple of levels which will be progressed along at the same time so more would follow.
small fish,
I use perhaps 5 or six different prgs to make entities or segments which are not standard default shape. Most of the progs are standard well known ones like Fragmotion or Milkshape mentioned at this forum in the models section. Any model program should be capable of making most segments and a combination could make entities. One one cant do theres always another to import to. Most simple basic shape segments can be made by making copies of default segment models and modifying them in a modeller by adjusting shapes via vertex positioning or by using a modellers in built primitives and adjusting those.
The lasers - I outlined previously how those are made. They are an animated decal with appropriiate laser script attached - (hurts or kills player) Study the default decals and making one up should be relatively simple. In the case of the lasers its a full 1 FPSC wall tile size. The texture is .dds. The image is split into 8 sections for the colour change and animation image part - the rest and most of the texture is black with transparency. The decal is then applied by the method I use to a vertical wall entity which is in this case also transparent and passable as are the lasers themselves of course. Thats it. The lasers are therefore placed as wall size lengths and joined together in level. Thats the method I use for almost all flat type decals where transparency or rotation is required.
Animated doors are a special case - and too much info for here now. Not at all dificult just open a default animated door x.file and study how thats made and animated. I dont use any forum software but make my own currently and prefer that.
Antimatter games,
New Screenshots? Dont know if I dare risk the wrath.
Really I dont have much progress to show - well quite a bit in some level parts but no point in repeating current stuff yet until approaching some kind of finish. I will you can be sure post some more when its inspireing or adjudged worthwhile or of some importance to show something new achieved.
If I post too much you will know all the of whats coming and wont have any surprises.
General News : By and large the level shown in the above screen shots has not changed a great deal in overall design but a great deal of additional detail and complex content added. There is much not shown here which is only a fraction of the level overall - its quite complex and rather very large. Visually quite a bit has changed with the additional content and many more non default textures included. Sounds and audio has also been extensively edited or added and more to do there.
I have also spent the last couple of months in a great deal of experimentation of many things needed to go into this or the next following levels. Flying entities, improved water hundreds of additional entities, triggers, zones and optimisation have been at the forefront. Optimisation with the loading and unloading of entities on the fly and other methods in an attempt to maintain fps at the level of a playable 30fps throughout - taking a lot of time away from level building.
So its matter of adding stuff which reduces fps and then - finding time to stop and optimise some more sometimmes need much time to analyse how that can be done - thats the punishment for trying to make FPSC do what it was never designed to do. Its just not designed to return professional game type results and in many areas cannot no matter what an end user does. Needed workarounds are everywhere and those and doing and testing them thousands of times take up most valuable time away from any physical development.
Just so much work is going into one level its umbelieveable - well no perhaps not for anyone who works with FPSC - they should know what effort is required.
I still have a great deal to do in this one single level shown here in shots. All characters to renew and update and fit to game scenario via sctript. All sound for them to replace temporary voice or story sounds. Many new additional level detail features of some complexity to add dynamic animated behaviours and effects and a lot of static features too. No lighting at all in level at present and wont be until final stages.
My main problem at this moment in time is two lifts which are the only two spots where any serious lagg occurs - if necessary - this has to be cracked or removed or the level will never be released - ever. I wont release any level with unacceptably poor gameplay or lagg speeds even if everything else if perfected. The serious lagg issue may never be addressed by TGC so its may be up to users to find a solution one way or another. With it a good or even great game can be reduced to mediocrity. Its the most important issue or bug FPSC has apart from the .fpi script limit which is even worse.
The problem with the lifts is really holding me up now and is begining to annoy me deeply as fps despite adding vast amounts of additional content is everywhere else holding up at around that 30/32 fps figure and still I add more content. The more I add and keep frame rates high everywhere else - the lower the fps whilst the player stands on the lift platforms gets. I have to think its a bug but cant be sure - I may have to get nasty and tear those lifts and their scripts to pieces but suspect its an engine problem that cant be overcome. In which case they will have to go.
To be fair as users show interest I will see if I can find some more interesting shots of some progress without giving too much away that might spoil eventual users gameplay too much.
Ive been doing so much that Ive forgotten most of it - I am very hard at it always believe me.
To be honest I am in no hurry and would certainly like to await any FPSC update to see what benefits if any that might contain before finishing off the level completely, but that could be a long wait for little return.
Also I am preparing to move along with the following level already started as soon as possible so may have more shots of that in the near future.
