Realistic UT Modification ut2k4

[TheHiTekk]

Hello.

My nickname is HiTekk, and I would like to tell about Realistic UT modification, ask some questions, and show screenshots.

Okay.

let's start.

Realistic UT modification, is modification for ut2004, which developing by JUD(JoinUnreal Development).

This modification is going to improve some graphics in ut2004, give it some new game features(gametypes, gameplay, etc), also, rebuild some visual and sound effects.

I mean, it a new mod, with new gametypes, maybe new weapons, but one of main ideas is to improve some graphics.

What graphics? For the first-textures.

We remaking default textures and adding bump maps.
No, we are not remaking textures for 100%, we only adds some effects, to make textures looks more natural and realistic.

Now, some screenshots of our work.









Okay, this screenshots are all NEW.
We also try and change 4-ways to make bumps, and now it is normalmaps.


Now, questions.

1. Is there someone, who interested in mod?
2. Can anyone help us? We really need a coder, because now we working only with maps and textures. We will be very glad, if someone consent to help us.

[GreatEmerald]

Wow, looks nice so far. However, the code is the main problem here... You see, we'd have textures of 4096x4096 resolution right now in UT2004 (from the UnrealTexture project), but right now the code won't allow us to implement that. The problem is that a) if you try and overwrite the textures in the base packages, you won't be able to play online any more and b) there is no way you could apply textures to BSP via code and no way to apply new textures to static meshes dynamically (unless they have a Skin attribute set) as well.
So right now all that could be done is to remake maps... Until Epic releases the UE2 source code.
See my thoughts on this here:
http://forums.epicgames.com/showthread.php?t=659690

Also, how did you manage to implement bump mapping here? AFAIK UE2 doesn't support it out-of-the-box.

[Mutant117]

Thanks GreatEmerald.
Yeah we know, that you're not able to play online with modified maps. That's why we gonna create a custom mod, including all changes and improvements.
We dublicate the original maps and rebuild new texture/staticmesh-packages for each improved map.

It was really a long way, including discussions, many hours of searching and thinking to get this textureresult. Actually we don't use bumpmaps, but special modified normalmaps. HiTekk (the textures-artist) can say more about that. =D

PS: We really need more members, especially coders (for new gametypes). If RUT will be successful there will be more improvements like maybe highpoly models (chars, weapons, SMs) and maybe movement mutators (Quake 3), to offer variation. But now we focuse on the textures and recovering of the popular maps.


MAPLIST:

DM/TDM:
1. DM-Rankin
2. DM-DE-Grendelkeep
3. DM-Campgrounds2004-G1E
4. DM-Deck17
5. DM-1on1-Roughinery
6. DM-Plunge
7. DM-Morpheus3
8. DM-Antalus

CTF:
1. CTF-FaceClassic
2. CTF-BridgeOfFate
3. CTF-Grassyknoll
4. CTF-Grendelkeep
5. CTF-Citadel

Onslaught:
1. ONS-Torlan
2. ONS-Primeval
3. ONS-ArcticStronghold
4. ONS-Crossfire
5. ONS-Severance

Assault:
1. AS-Convoy
2. AS-Glacier
3. AS RobotFactory
4. AS-FallenCity

Bombing Run:
1. BR-Colossus
2. BR-Anubis

Double Domination:
1. DOM-Suntemple
2. DOM-Aswan

[GreatEmerald]

Why do you need custom gametypes anyway? If a user wants only updated visuals, but doesn't want any additional gametypes, then why would you want to include those? It could very well be in another project.

[Mutant117]

hmmm...., thats what I thought firts too. They won't be a core part of the mod, additionally, for having fun. Maybe we create a second folder, so everyone can install what he/she wants.

But I think everyone would love playing Onslaught-CTF, wouldn't they??

[Rukifellth]

I had some ideas on new gametypes, one would be a one flag capture, on a DM map, there would be a randomly placed flag. Anyone that holds it get's one point per second. The goal is to steal the flag and get as many points as possible until the time runs out, or until you accumulate the total score...

Two other ides are based on TimeSplitters (Free-Radical is dead, long live Crytech Brittain!)

One would be Virus. On a DM map, a randomly placed CPU player will be the Virus, seen by his/her/it's Green flames. Whoever the Virus touches will become a Virus. The other players will find out if someone has become a virus because they will hear that character's scream. The winner is the one to be the last one standing, or thoce that survives when the time runs out. Oh, if you accidently kill yourself, you'll become a Virus, but not if you are killed by someone else. You can kill a virus, but they will respawn, also, they are slightly faster than other players...

The other would be called Assistance. A typical Deathmatch with a twist. Whoever is in last place will be backed up by Unreal1 monsters that will spawn after a certain amount of time, and will stalk the other players to give him/her/it a better chanse. If all the monsters are killed, then they will return after a certain amount of time...

By the way, The way you detailed the textures has given the maps a more UT99 Feel, which is great.

[Mutant117]

Hey Rukifellth, thanks for your reply.
(TimeSplitters was awesome.......yeah, I want a 4th part)

Your suggeted Gametypes sound interesting. I always tought about a "one man CTF", but I did not found a plausible solution. Yours sound brilliant.
But we need coders to create new gametypes....

I'm glad to see that you like our textures.

[GreatEmerald]

Yea, separate package would help people. Not that you have any yet, right?
About one man CTF: sounds a lot like Overdose. http://www.liandri.beyondunreal.com/Overdose
By the way, I'm working on a Nali Slaughter gametype, and it almost works, it's just that you get horrible lag when you see each Nali.

[Rukifellth]

Hey Rukifellth, thanks for your reply.
(TimeSplitters was awesome.......yeah, I want a 4th part)

Your suggeted Gametypes sound interesting. I always tought about a "one man CTF", but I did not found a plausible solution. Yours sound brilliant.
But we need coders to create new gametypes....

I'm glad to see that you like our textures.

Say, I had an idea to give the mod greater interest, how about making the old UT99 teams not in UT2004 for this?

I made a skin pack for IronGuard with all the classical members heads in place of Brock and Lauren, I also edited the teamcolours to look like how it was in UT99. It looks really good. O.O

But thoce I'd love to see would be:

Dark Phalanx, Blood Reavers, Necris Black Legion (Kragoth and Thannis already in), Venom, Rawsteel...

and maiby some odd ones like: Ronin (Reaper is going to have his revenge), a Nali team (icluding sophisticated Kralls that was left behind and had to learn to live with the Nalis after the Skaarj left Na-Pali) and maiby a new robot team with Matrix as their leader, tired of Xan and wanting to prove his superiority (believe me, he would be insane)...

and as the villians working in the dark, the Metal Guard...

I've even made some artwork for this sort of thing just for fun. Altough I can only draw in a manga esque style, but try to imagine them in a realistic way...
Except certain characters..





I like how Loque became, way better than his looks in UT3 >_>
Altough he's without a doubt, a sick psycho. To make things even worse, he has somehow learned how to "control" the Nanoblack in his body, which makes him able to do normally impossible feats. Even restoring lost limbs and reincarnating himself. He has no evil plans. He just does things he feels like doing, and they're usually veeeeeery baaaaaaad.
Well, UT99 veterans knows how horrible Loque is... "Boom, Headshot..."

Kragoth Leeb was just something I drew for fun, but ended up getting more complex than I thought, I actually mixed his designs from all the games into one and added an aristocratic feel to him. And being a person that kills for sports, I don't think he really cared about having Akasha getting killed. Any leader suits him...

Oh, and Kryss von Freylis is that tiny because she became a Necris at a young age. Despite that, she's actually the leader of BlackLegion, but she dispises Akasha (from UT3) for using The Phayder Corporation as some sort of religious symbol and attacking other planets. So she's sort of an anti-heroine.



I love how the normal MetalGuard guy became! He's awesome and looks menacing!

Radkin also turned out good, he's supposed to look a bit cocky, he's very overconfident and always tries to style out, but he does'nt wear his mask over his face, because it sits to tight, and once cut his nose (reason for his bandage)

Risa Shishiko works very closely with the leader of MetalGuard, infact, she's his bodyguard. Altough he sees her almost like a daughter to him, she only sees it as her duty and ply to follow his will. She's supposed to look a bit manga esque, I think the best description would be that she's sorta like that UT2004 Calamity... minus the pervertedness... ( I hate perverts >_> )

Vixen is actually ViVi, a character that I drew, and XenoAisam modelled. Altough I don't think the moe style would fit well with the realistic theme of this mod. She's also a robot simhilair to Shishiko but I forgot the darn facelines. She is sent on an unknown mission, but ends damaging her memory circuits. And being mute does'nt make things better. She communicates by making morse code sounds with her fingers. (I know, because I can :P)
If there would be a story mode, she would end up following the player. (aw)

[DougC-Icarus]

Honestly, I thought "realistic" as in realistic gameplay, not texture enhancements.

=
Going back to UT, Rukifellth (I have a really hard time spelling your name).
Sounds nice...and no you do NOT suck at Paint!

Nali Slaughter? Well...I do not want the killing of Nali in my head when I have to play Unreal/UT (except when an enemy shooting at me is one).

[TheHiTekk]

Wow! How many posts! Hehe.

Rukifellth, you talking about "one man ctf".
I have the same idea, but I named it "Hold The Flag". Simply DM with one flag, you need to catch it, and hold for, example, 5 seconds, it will give you 5-10 frags, and simple frags will give you one frag, like in DM.

About your arts. Looks very nice!

GreatEmerald
"Why do you need custom gametypes anyway?"
Because Realistic UT, in main idea, is the full mod, maybe total conversion...


DougC-Icarus
"Honestly, I thought "realistic" as in realistic gameplay, not texture enhancements."
No, we don't want to kill awesome ut2004-gameplay. If we wanna see "real unreal tournamnet" with high-weight players, we can play ut3.

No total changes in gameplay.

[Rukifellth]

Hmm, I don't like shooting Nali's either, they deserve some freedom.
To bad the UC2 Nalis haven't been ported yet thoe. They looked really cool there.
And thanks for the support. Altough I wish how to shrink the image size. :S

[GreatEmerald]

Ruki, please use the [screenshot] tags, those images are way too big even for a widescreen monitor!

DCI, well, I like the idea because we don't get to kill them in Unreal, unfortunately... And a lot of the time they deserve it (like, running in front of you straight into a Skaarj).

TheHiTekk, I wouldn't recommend that. Total conversions aren't popular because they're not as flexible as mutators are, and these days anyone barely plays well known TCs like Chaos UT2 or UTXMP, since you can easily merge them into the main game and play them without the need of launching any of the TCs separately, and you can even mix TC elements that way.
Whereas mutators are another story. They are very flexible, can be randomised via MapMixer, easy to add and remove and doesn't add unnecessary things that you wouldn't like to have in the game.

[TheHiTekk]

GreatEmerald, I uderstand, but this is impossible to make realistic ut(I mean graphics, at this moment) as mutator. Because it is not code, it is new textures.

If we talking about "effects" like motion blur and bloom, yes, this is the code, it can be realized as mutator...

But we planning to make new gametypes, maybe new HUD, new weapons, sounds, etc...
So, unfortunately, we canno't make it as mutator.

Maybe, we can make it like modification with addon's, but now I don't know...

[GreatEmerald]

Yeap, for what you're doing now, you don't even need any mutators, since it's the maps that are altered. But if you'll add code-specific changes, make sure the graphics code package is independent from the gametype package. All those changes will still be done via mutators, since to change anything you need a mutator or a gametype, but in that case the changes will be applied only to that gametype (of course, HUD requires a TC, but pretty much nothing else does). So if you keep the code in several packages, you will be able to release a full mod and a standalone mutator (pack) for enhancing only graphics, so more people would be interested.