Large map creation help

[Rubixlight]

Hi guys, i am new to UDK and to the forum, i have been dabbing around in UDK for a while now. Right, down to business, I am busy attempting to create a HUGE map, and by huge i mean the whole of Elder Scrolls map. I am currently using level streaming but i have noticed that you cant build your map larger than the 10KM UDK gives you. For example, i have 1 continent, the size of it is 4033x4033 i know you guys may think im crazy for going so large, but lets pretend i know what i am doing, how could i create more than 1 continent of 4033x4033 and being able to stream it in UDK? Or would i have to make the entire "World" in that 4033x4033 and then scale down all objects, characters, etc etc etc?? Basicaly, what i would like to create is something like this

This is the map of Tera the MMORPG game being developed with UDK.

[cube2222]

There are so many threads about this.... you could jsut load aother map after those 10 km

[Rubixlight]

Hi, if it is not to much of a problem could you please post a link to one of them? so i roughly know what i am looking for? as it is i am clueless on how to word the search. Thanks for your help!

[Rubixlight]

Thanks Cube222, I managed to find some info around. However, would you know of a way to make the player walk to the very edge of the map and then load the next map and "teleport" him to the correct location? I have managed this so far with a simple teleport system in Kismet, but it gives a loading screen. Can this be achieved without a loading screen? I hope i managed to phrase well what i would like to. Thanks again

[cube2222]

I think you will need a loading screen, or you make a Small streamed edge terrain covered in smoke. This way, only the small streamed level has to be loaded in the new map, and the big map will be streamed dynamicly. You could also make a custom loading screen, which fakes the game look.

[ambershee]

You need to break the level into smaller streaming pieces and stream them in well before the player gets to them.

[cube2222]

You need to break the level into smaller streaming pieces and stream them in well before the player gets to them.

We are talking about teh map change after you reach the bounds. You can't strewam levels after teh bounds are reached.

[ambershee]

I'm referring to the loading screen. You won't get one if you pace your streaming. Teleporting the player shouldn't be a problem, just use an 'airlock' zone that's identical in both streamed sections.

[Rubixlight]

Hey guys, thanks for taking the time to help me with this. I will give the teleport a try with a smaller map and let you guys know. Cube222 i like the idea of faking the loading screen, i will most likely use that if i have an area that takes a little to long to load. Ambershee what do you mean by an 'airlock'? Is that similar to how Mass Effect do it with the elevators and those long corridors? Thanks again guys for the help.

[ambershee]

What you need is a small, easily copy-pasteable section of a streaming level - a tunnel, cave, or simple outdoor section is a good example. Both parts of your streaming level contain copies of this section. When the player is within this section in level A, you can safely teleport them to the equivalent location in level B and as both of these sections are identical, the player will not notice the transition. It's called an airlock as you don't teleport the player until the next section has streamed in - therefore functioning much like a real world airlock. It is important however for you to ensure that the section does load in before the player can exit, and this will help prevent breaking immersion.


If your streaming levels are taking too long to load in, reduce the number of unique assets they contain and make them smaller. You have to balance this load to get a completely seamless experience and this will take a lot of trial and error. I find it is better to keep your streaming levels relatively empty and build them up until they start to reach the streaming time limit you have imposed, rather than to try and cut them down afterwards.

[Rubixlight]

Hey Ambershee thank you very much for the help. I have been looking further into it and i read around that they say when you go through the trigger area your player will lose all his data. how true is this? and would there be a way to fix this? I read through the documentation and they seem to have a way to fix that there, how ever would the be other ways? I believe this will be my last question. Thank you so much for answering my questions and taking the time to assist me.

[ambershee]

I have no idea why the player would lose any data, so long as he doesn't leave the persistent main level.

[cube2222]

I have a question. Are we talking about the map change between streaming levels, or the map change, when we get to the edge of the persistent level, and we have to load a new map.

[Rubixlight]

Cube2222 i was meaning when you get to the map change when we get to the edge of the persistent level at the edge of the world the 10km box.
I went ahead and made an image showing basically what i would like to achieve:

[ambershee]

Your streaming sections are way too big in that example. You probably want to cut them down to less than 1/10th the size, otherwise streaming will never work properly.