Quake MOD - In The Shadows

[ceriux]

thanks, ill send the info his way.

[ceriux]

[sock]

[LordHavoc]

Amazing work, sock

I admire the authenticity to the Quake style.

[Dr. Shadowborg]

Thats some pretty awesome stuff there. The flail knight is cool, the scimitar knight kind of made me laugh though for some reason.

He's definitely the comic relief in that crowd.

Then again, I probably shouldn't laugh as he's probably one of the tougher (and more sensitive) of the bunch.

[sock]

@LordHavoc, thanks. I wanted them to co-exist with other quake assets so I tried to keep them true to the original style.

@Dr. Shadowborg, yeah the fury knight certainly looks funny with the crazy shoulder pads but when he is up close he is dangerous. I wanted each of the knights to have a different silhouette which is why I picked the curved swords and helm. The fury knight also has several extra animation sets and a special ability which I will save for when you play the MOD.

[sock]

New start location called 'Baramous Keep' with stealth training, skill selection and a few traps for players who like to wander ...
Are the images too dark/bright? Do you have a favourite image?

[Dr. Shadowborg]

Picking a favorite is hard when they all look great!

[ceriux]

dude thats pretty sexy stuff there. so do those traps break engine compatiblility since im assuming they rotate?

[qbism]

Last shot reminds me of swinging blades in fmb-bdg2, 2nd map (which reminded me of ITS)
I like shots with the monsters in them, helps show the scale.

[sock]

@Dr. Shadowborg, you must have at least one favourite!
@ceriux, the blades are a rotated model with the bound box changed each frame to match were the blade is to keep the touch function working correctly. These should work on any engine, which is something I still want to maintain. I have got some extra stuff for DP in the next release but all the main stuff is QC/model only.
@qbism, nice spot on screenshot 4, the pendulum trap. This is indeed my homage to Mike and his map, which is inspirational stuff.


An image of new/remade assets for the next release of the MOD.

[Baker]

Not so long ago, few new models/remodels looked like they could belong in Quake.

And you make them like a factory ...

[Dr. Shadowborg]

Those ogres are awesome. (/me imagines going through a door and running into the double hammer ogre )

I also like the zombie remodel, he should fit in at the Well of Bones a lot better.

[sock]

@Dr. Shadowborg, yeah the metal ogre's are tough (higher HP) and move faster. The double hammer version is going to an ogre boss, the leader of the Blackforge clan.

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As you all know I love feedback, good, bad or angry it is all feedback to me and the perfect process for improving things. The primary focus of my MOD is stealth play, yes you can play the MOD in vanilla modes (full skill level support) but the maps/encounters really shine in stealth. Ideally I would love everyone who plays the MOD to try stealth and least complete one map (even on easy skill level, there is no shame to lowering the skill level when learning a new system). PS. Remember to record a demo!

I have recently been studying some demo's of first playthrough of stealth maps. I understand how the stealth system works behind the seams so my feedback is pointless but everyone else is a different matter. In order for the stealth system to be effective it needs lots of good (subtle) visual aids. The stealth system works on three rules, distance, angle and poison. The distance is shown with the stealth eye going from green (safe) to red (danger). If the monster needs to be poisoned first then the eye has a skull and cross bones. The final parameter is angle which is not shown. Most people who play the stealth mode don't understand the right angle to attack and to be honest it is not easy (hence the player skill).

I am a firm believer in skill levels for games, if you want to try/complete game use the skill levels. I spent a long time fine tuning AI/items/layouts so players can complete the map based on what level they feel they are good at. The skill system is even dynamic and can be adjusted via the console at anytime if players are finding the game too hard or too easy.

I was thinking of adding a new visual aid to the easy skill level so that the player can see what angle they can backstab. Should this be on by default? Only for Easy skill level? A toggle function from the console?

How many people here have tried the stealth gameplay in my MOD? When playing the first map (S1M1) what difficulties did you have? What things did you not understand visually? What other visual aids do you want to see to help understand the stealth system?


A couple of screenshots showing a stealth helper (backstab angle)

[Dr. Shadowborg]

That system looks pretty good. I'd recommend it be on by default for easy mode, but be accessible via console.