Left 4 Dead Custom Content

[TeacupBandit]

im down. my mind is where verns is.

[duoxan]

we should take a break and make the switch for a bit, I miss TF2  :'(

GTA?!

[TeacupBandit]

nah. TF2 is great, but i feel more accomplished playing L4D. More teamwork. More blood.

[Butterguts]

we should take a break and make the switch for a bit, I miss TF2  :'(

GTA?!

GTA always turns into us flying helicopters and talking shit. Which both i love, but it never turns into more than that. I'm sure we'll all be back in Liberty City when the DLC comes out, I know i will. I would play now, but me and you are the only 2 Kevin.

[jackelbeaver]

aw man we should totally stick "Batman: The Ride" in.



And yeah about tf2.  I can already feel fatigue setting in from l4d and I don't want to get "sick" of it before the new content ships.  I'd love to do a room full of tf2 on saturday.  It seems like a more useful use of the coming get-to-gether (Just make sure it's downloaded guys, I don't know if tf2 is pre-loaded in 349 like l4d is) Plus I don't know if it'll be sane to have 2 versus games going on in the same room.

[TeacupBandit]

i think itll be al loaded before so no worries. i dont see any problem with having more thank one versus going.

[jackelbeaver]

oh shit, the spy/engie pimps are just up!  (Also you can shoot demoman stickies to blow them)

[TeacupBandit]

that forehead could use some love. The head seems very boxy and not as round as it should be. I think the cheeks may be a little too puffy. Overall its a great start.

[Decker]

Is there a poly limit? I'm assuming not since you're using mesh smooth.

[Screw-on Hed]

@ kevin: take some 3/4 view shots of your head and work on all the angles. your mouth is really flat because you only have 2 ortographic views.

heres my idea for layout and level plan. i found an image of the epcot park and liked most of the layout. heres the paintover (explanation to follow the pic):

1st level:
so you start off in a staff-only building and make your way through the main greeting area to the major building structure (does not have to be the golf ball the image is just for layout, not treatment) where the first safe house is.
2nd level:
you travel across the park to another good sized building and see youre not close to a place for helicopter pickup. as you near the bridge to get to the pickup, it blows up/is already collapsed. so youre forced to go around and make youre way to the food court area. enter safe house on the other side.
3rd level:
exit food court and travel through the tunnel aquarium (which would be and awesome looking area if we can pull it off).cross the mini river bridge to get to a themed area of buildings. (wild west, space, jungle, we can decide later). enter safe house.
4th level:
enter log flume ride across the lake of water. the ride is surrounded by forest, survivors can either walk on the bank or ride the ride. end at the other bank and enter a safe house on the dock.
5th level:
make your way to the last themed set of buildings to hold off against the horde and wait for helicopter pickup.


now there are a lot of details that are not in here, but here is the gist of the level.

[jackelbeaver]

I think being able to ride the log flume might present a far too easy moment for the survivors over the zombies.  Also we totally need a haunted house in stage 3.

[duoxan]

i dont like the idea of riding logs, how would zombies attack us?

[Maximus]

you could pass by houseboats and raftfs and stuff like an automated tour and hold that position for a short while before the ride started moving again...

[orion]

Honestly I would love to play a level like this too, but I think it represents more work than any of us have ever done for a level, and 4 artists unfortunately don't = 4x productivity. Plus this is all on the side. I think the scope should shrink significantly, keeping only a few of the best gameplay areas and what's needed to connect them. Maybe one safehouse to another?

[jackelbeaver]

well it could just be a log ride with the logs tossed out of it.  it would create an interesting combat terrain.

[talon84]

How about the jungle cruise where the survivors have to wade through waist deep water.  That might present some interesting combat as well as a few surprises from the attraction itself.

[jackelbeaver]

How about the jungle cruise where the survivors have to wade through waist deep water.  That might present some interesting combat as well as a few surprises from the attraction itself.

It'd definitely make fighting hunters difficult.

Did anyone play MGS3 up to the part where you fight the sorrow?  An area kinda like that where you can't climb up the sides and are just wading through the river.

[TeacupBandit]

Ok so lets stop this form going any further. I dont think a log ride/ jungle cruise is a great idea. This is getting to complicated. We need to KeepItSimpleStupid. And we need to be original. We can t go doing Indiana Jones rides and Splash Mountains. Think of an original theme park. Wooden coasters, ferris wheels (which i am starting to put together), arcade, etc. Typical stuff. I think maybe we could do something with water later on, but start at the easy stuff.

[Master_V12]

4 artists unfortunately don't = 4x productivity

so true :'(

I think a more realistic approach would be to start off by just making the safehouses, and some or most of their exterior assets. That way you can have bare bones of a map, and if you all want to take it any further you could.

[jackelbeaver]

Well yeah, I don't think a ride would work as far as balance or gameplay goes (What if one guy fell off?) but more like...walking through the lazy river ride and having intertubes floating on the water blocking you.

I wonder if water still works.  I know there was a bit of water in the last area of death toll but I never went for a swim to see if they still had proper physics and effects (underwater vision) or even if it was possible to swim.

[Maximus]

you know to simplify it we could do the shore along where the log ride used to be. Like a forresty area with water on either side of it, so you're not actually in it, and we could put logs (like the ones you would ride in) scattered on the shoreline and stuff. Then we're just dealing with trees and foliage and maybe a few things to link the theme park to the woods.

[JustinM]

Reference from the best park ever.
]


...yeah...

Ok so lets stop this form going any further. I dont think a log ride/ jungle cruise is a great idea. This is getting to complicated. We need to KeepItSimpleStupid. And we need to be original. We can t go doing Indiana Jones rides and Splash Mountains. Think of an original theme park. Wooden coasters, ferris wheels (which i am starting to put together), arcade, etc. Typical stuff. I think maybe we could do something with water later on, but start at the easy stuff.

Agreed. Simple & typical would be the way to go.

[Butterguts]

Just some image of more of my idea. Not a cluster fuck of rides. Just the staples and booths.

Some links to what's brewin' in the old dome of mine. I didn't want to post a billion images
http://ruinsds.sakura.ne.jp/t_rando/t_rando06.jpg
http://www.schrankmonster.de/content/binary/t_rando02.jpg
http://cache.wists.com/thumbnails/2/18/218f91f0a9c6e2ef081f02c6e3ed4976-orig
http://www.avoidinglife.com/media/t_rando20.jpg
http://ruinsds.sakura.ne.jp/t_rando/t_rando25.jpg
http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/files/p1010094_211.jpg

These parks have clearly been abandoned for a long time, but the idea is still there. If you want more image, or just something to marvel at, google "Prypiat, Ukraine" it's the city that was abandoned due to Chernobyl Meltdown. Pretty awesome picture and a amazing vibe.

*EDIT

Did the looking for you.

Awesome slide show that is great reference for the term "abandoned"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQeO1qNmwq4&feature=related

[duoxan]

tf2 is only 10 bucks

[Decker]

Great stuff, Vern. Someone already said it in the comments on that video, but it all really reminded me of the sniper level in CoD4. Anyone else?

[duoxan]

it all really reminded me of the sniper level in CoD4. Anyone else?

is should, because they are the same place
prypiat was where all the chernobyl workers lived, and chernobyl is where that level takes place

[Screw-on Hed]

you know to simplify it we could do the shore along where the log ride used to be. Like a forresty area with water on either side of it, so you're not actually in it, and we could put logs (like the ones you would ride in) scattered on the shoreline and stuff. Then we're just dealing with trees and foliage and maybe a few things to link the theme park to the woods.

this is the idea i was trying to put across but it was blown WAY out of proportion.

and on that note, everything i said was a SUGGESTION and isnt nailed down. i am under no assumption that i am the final word on any of this. i just throwing ideas out there. figured we needed something to work off of.

also, things i think that would be interesting if we include into the level:
food court/ food vendor area
walk in tunnel aquarium
NO haunted house
those images vern posted
maintenance tunnels (even though it will be very similar to the sewer level in no mercy)
ferris wheel
a water feature
arcade

we arent really brainstorming yet. we just have people taking alright ideas and blowing them into ridiculous impossibilities. we also need to take a tally of who is working on this project, and what they will be able to do. knock that out and we can start getting something creative produced.

[duoxan]

beverly hills cop 3 was in an amusement park, had most if not all of those places
google map some places like lagoon and great america

[jackelbeaver]

oh whoops!

[JustinM]

Shouldn't that post have gone in the Saturday Bash thread?

we also need to take a tally of who is working on this project, and what they will be able to do.

I wouldn't mind getting in on this. I call dibs on making a carousel.


I'm assuming we're going for a weathered/abandoned/zombie-infested/grungy look similar to the references Vern posted (and L4D in general).

One area that would be cool would be a huge underground tunnel system with "control rooms" where all the electronics for all the rides are. (if anyone has seen the Disneyland behind the scenes video you know what I'm talking about). This could be all throughout the park so sometimes you go underground, sometimes the underground passages/rooms are caved it (ect) just to mix it up. Just an Idea.

[Butterguts]

I wouldn't mind heading up the whole thing. If no one else wants to. Not being the boss, or anything, but just make sure everything and everyone is on the right track and pushing things forwards. I'll also contribute art and work in Hammer for the group.

Plus I don't have class and all the busy work that comes with it. So if that's cool with everyone, let me know, and I'll start a topic over on the mods and projects thread and we can kick this shit off and start handing out work and and things to people over break. While the time is there.

[orion]

fine with me. thanks Vern.

[Decker]

sounds good to me. I'm going to be doing a lot of modular buildings in the next 4-5 months anyway, so if you want that stuff I'm your man.

[Savory]

I wouldn't mind helping, should give me some practice with textures

[JustinM]

Do it to it Vern. Bust out with a whip and crack down on people if they aren't getting stuff done if you have to.

[jackelbeaver]

GOATSE in L4D


CAN'T UNSEE IT

[TeacupBandit]

whoa, freaky...

[duoxan]

GOATSE in L4D


CAN'T UNSEE IT

omg omg omg omg omg omg omg
yessssss

[JWest]

wouldn't mind doing a couple assets, for this environment. Would help to keep me modeling and texturing after I'm done with school.

[Augie272]

does anybody know when we will be able to upload this stuff on L4D...