[WIP] Sunspire & Spire Village in UE2

[Sly.]

I think the title explains almost everything.
It's one of the side projects I'm working on from time to time when I'm tired of doing the same things over and over again.

Since I really love these two maps from the original Unreal I remade them and merged them into a single map (since the UE2 can handle this).
But there was also another reason why I started with it (it has to do with my SP Framework campaign):

[LITTLE SPOILER]
This map will also make its appearance in my single player storyline as a bonus map you can only access by doing something special in the first map in the storyline. Of course the whole story will be affected by this and you'll play a mostly new story with a few other maps, also bonus maps. Don't expect it to be an easier story! *laughing like a psychopath*
[END OF SPOILER]

Here are a few screenshots:

That's the ISV-Kran, right now just the low poly version from Unreal 1. This will be edited later (probably the last thing I'll do when everything is done):

The village (in the original version you met a powerful Titan and a Nali there, if you didn't attack the Titan in time it killed the poor Nali):

The inside of one of the Nali houses:

Another screenshot of the village with the ISV-Kran in the background:

The passage which leads to the house with the small wall next to it. You met another powerful Titan there. From there on you proceed to the big gate with the two small towers. When you opened the gate and went through it you touched a trigger and the Sunspire map started to load:

If you compare this screenshot with the top view of the village with the original you'll see that I tried to remake it as accurate as possible:

I hope you like what I did so far. Right now only the passage and the village are done but I'm working on it all the time, well, except when I wrote this.

Btw, you can pick up Nali fruits, bandages and classic health packs like in the original in this map. The soundtrack is also the same.
I separated the "TheSunspire" and "SpireVillage" soundtrack (since the umx had both in it). The soundtrack which plays inside the Sunspire isn't in use yet (the music will be changed with a scripted trigger when you enter it).

You can expect an alpha version download link soon. [UPDATE]
Right now it's a DM version for just one player so that you can enjoy the landscape and feel this nice thing called "nostalgia" without worrying about enemies () but I'm thinking about making an AS map out of it as well so that the defenders must keep the attackers away from the skylift and the attackers have to reach it. Could be quite interesting especially since there is not just one way to reach the crystal.
(Rocket Launcher + outer ways of the Sunspire = w00t! Watch them fall into the lava! )

For those of you who didn't play Unreal 1 here some short information about the Sunspire:
It's a natural formation, like a mountain, but it has the shape of a tower of a church (a little bit, that's how the crew of the ISV-Kran, the crashed spaceship you can see next to the small village, described it in their logs. Btw, they have been slaughtered). It's the sanctuary of the Nali people (they think their gods created it) but the Skaarj (the main antagonists in the game) invaded it and start to kill all the poor Nalis. In Unreal you could just find some last Nali priests in the Sunspire, the rest escaped (where? I don't know. Maybe they used the skylift?). The inside is very complex, like a labyrinth, and you can lose orientation very easily.


note: average fps (everywhere): ~140-150, oh and no movers and barrels yet

Even if you can't play it yet, please tell me what you think of it (the screenshot show pretty much already)

[GreatEmerald]

Woah, awesomeness. The Sunspire is my favourite part of Unreal so it's really neat to see it remade. Oh, and you should add triggered lights to the dark levels there

About Assault, I already made both of these into assault levels for UT1 I think. Or maybe only the valley. But it works pretty well.

[Sly.]

Good to read that. When I started remaking this I got this idea "Hey, this map could be a pretty cool Assault map ".

Triggered lights would be useful (at least in the Assault version).. hm.. but I want to stick as close to the original as possible... Nah, I'll just make two versions, one without lighting in the dark levels and one with triggered lights for you

Thanks for the feedback

EDIT: When I'll finally finish my Dante model from Unreal 1 (here a screenshot) then I'll post a screenshot of him on this map (nostalgia, lol).

[Floydian]

Pity i can't find my UT2004 disc, i quit playing UTs a long time ago actually. I know you don't like UDK but if there's a conversion method i would love to know it. You've done it really faithfully to the original and it looks great, Dante too - ha, he's the character i play with.

[Turbo K]

They look like they would make a good assault map.

[Sly.]

lol, Dante is also my Unreal1 character of choice!
(note: the original skin will be restored and applied to the model )

Thanks for your comment! Well, you can buy Unreal Anthology if you can't find your disc anymore. It contains Unreal 1, UT GOTY, Unreal 2 and UT2004 Editor's Choice Edition.

[Floydian]

Well, i'm not going to buy something i already did, unless it's Unreal 1 - and considering the first Unreal which is not the case here but anyway, i first acquired it bundled with the sound card, then i bought the game with its box, then i bought it once again in an edition with the expansion included and once again i bought it in the gold edition. I also have it from a magazine as present. I think it's too much already... As for the UT2004 which is the case, if i find it i will install it just to check the map, as said, i don't fancy the UTs anymore plus i don't like RtNP expansion too, nor Unreal 2. I must be the only one here that plays just the first one these days! I will just encourage you to give UDK a try, only for future combatibility issues. I mean, i won't tell you what you should do but my opinion is that if you would like your work to be future-proof and people like me who got bored of UT2004 to load it and play it straight and easy, UDK is your only bet. And for many other reasons too but that's irrelevant at this point. Cheers.

[100GPing100]

I like the map, good job mate

[GreatEmerald]

lol, Dante is also my Unreal1 character of choice!

Heh, mine's as well.

I mean, i won't tell you what you should do but my opinion is that if you would like your work to be future-proof and people like me who got bored of UT2004 to load it and play it straight and easy, UDK is your only bet. And for many other reasons too but that's irrelevant at this point. Cheers.

You clearly haven't read the UDK EULA, now have you? They prohibit porting or remaking any Unreal series games out there.

Also, UDK is not a game. There is no Assault there, there are no weapons there etc. Building things for games is just easier.

[Floydian]

At GreatEmerald: No, haven't thought about that but it makes sense. I remember they didn't even allow to use the included assets in the beginning. That changed later but i don't thnk they will ever grant permission for such remakes as long as this game is still in stores at least.

[Net Lizzard]

Finally, at least a little progress!
But SP Framework sucks, it would be better if you would use Unreal Classic mod instead.

[lowenz]

This can't be!
It's, it's.....IT'S UNREAL!

[Sly.]

Finally, at least a little progress!
But SP Framework sucks, it would be better if you would use Unreal Classic mod instead.

I'm not certainly sure, but iIrc UClassic doesn't support coop (something I want to have in my mod)
However, it would mean that I would have to rework my maps a little bit since they are made for the SP Frame and contain its actors. Wouldn't be very bad but I'd have to invest more time in it. And after all it's a one man project that will contain a bunch of maps (not just a little. It will be a long storyline...).

Btw, I made some progress on this map.
Guess I should upload some new pictures soon.

Thanks for the compliment lowenz

[Net Lizzard]

Give me link to download this mod plz

[Sly.]

I'm still working on it, a link is not available yet

[Net Lizzard]

I'm still working on it, a link is not available yet

I know, I meant SP Framework, I had already searched in the web, only broken links.

[Sly.]

Tada!

The Single Player Framework v.2 for UT2004!

[Net Lizzard]

Thanx, but I was right, it's not suitable for SINGLE player, it reminds me of the Monster Hunt, my favourite UT99 gametype.
Btw, if you're too lazy to rework maps with CU-actors, you can just copy codebase to its folder.
P.S.I'm not passive too.

[Sly.]

I'll have to think about it. The point is that I want coop in it and iIrc the Classic Unreal mod doesn't have it, right?
Pure single player can get boring and won't have a big replayability. But coop makes each game a new experience

[Net Lizzard]

If you want coop, just copy CU files to /SPFrame directory and change prefix to SP.

[Sly.]

"Merging" those two mods could be indeed a good idea. Well, the SP Framework uses the SP prefix anyway, except for "episode maps" (maps that shall not be shown in the browser but shall continue the story of the previous map).
I'll play a bit around with it, see if I like what's in the CU mod and if needed add it (and of course give credit to the creator).
So far the SP Frame was enough for my tastes.

[lowenz]

Any news?

[Sly.]

Don't worry, I didn't give up on that. Atm I just have other priorities, but I will get back to it and finish it.
If everything goes right I might have it done by the end of the year and release it as a New Years special (with some fireworks in the AS version and a happy new year and other little surprises ), it's really hard to get the right scale of its interior such as the spire in itself, playing with the thought to convert the original Sunspire and import it into a modelling program and do it there.

Glad to see people are still interested in it.

I also have a CTF-High map which I have to put into Beta state and a few others to finish.
Busy busy busy.

[Wail of Suicide]

Sly what state is the map currently in, if you don't mind my asking. I'd really like to see some original Unreal maps for Clan DW's Monster Evolution server, might consider doing some of the work to bring it there as long as there's complete geometry.

[Sly.]

Technically, Spire Village is completely done, the Sunspire has some nasty scaling issues though and since the map's focus is entirely on the Sunspire it will take time to do it right. I had a part of the interior done already but it didn't match in scale. It will be the easiest solution if I export the original Spire as a static mesh and build it around it and I still have to exchange the ISV-Kran with a high poly model.

Decolayers are still missing, but if I get some spare time I might add them and release Spire Village as a standalone map for your server, that is, if you're fine with that. There is a small performance breakdown when looking at the Spire from the village (due to the huge size), need to add a occlusion volume yet.

[Skred]

Hmmmm, I like the idea here. Sly, I don't see why one of your levels cannot be put into UCBP. UC2 had a remake of CTF-Gauntlet in it. I've seen several UT2004 remakes, but maybe you could do a much better version?

Just a thought. The screens look good man, and it sounds interesting.

[Sly.]

It depends on the style it had, I only know the UT99 version. I never played Gauntlet in UC2, but I could do a UC2 inspired remake if you wish, you would just have to explain what kind of style you would expect and what scale would be appropriate.

[Skred]

I totally know the texture set it used for sure and the floor plan was pretty much just like the original, I think anyway. I'll have to look at the level. I know at least a few of the textures and meshes in use are already imported into UT2004 in my DM-Deadbolt remake, although Gaunlet looks a lot different. The main wall texture they used was different and gave the map a totally different look.

I'll look into it if you really think it's something you want to do.

[chrisl121212]

Hey Sly, I like this map idea. Spire Village has always been one of my favorite Unreal levels. I can't decide between that and Na Pali Haven (the S3TC version skybox is amazing in that level). Is this project still being worked on? Also if you are combining the Sunspire in, is it only gonna be a part of it? I hated the Sunspire because of how confusing it was. That map had me going in circles for almost 3 hours straight, both times I've played it. Is this map almost near a beta release or is it even still being worked on? I would help but I'm still learning UnrealEd, I'm going through the 3dbuzz tutorials one by one and I have a bunch to go. Once I learn UnrealEd for UT3 I may understand UnrealEd for UT2004 and I could help with the map. I would love to play Invasion on this map. I hope you continue working on it!

[lowenz]

Up for this too!