I have started work on a new level project called 'Mechanical Fortitude' which is in the very very early stages of development. However I am keeping the actual concept of the level unknown cause I have not decided what ture plot the level will have. However I have laid down a framework for the first floor of the level which is also shown in the EC.



This is the mapped outlay which was hand drawn as a rough guide, however it went in a different direction as planned. It is a rough put together level in JED which is using basic cogs and textues. I intend to decide on the actual level plot based around what is produced with the project. Yes Im aware that it looks 'boxy' but architecture will be added as the second phase of development. Btw this was product of large amounts of time using JED, and it will still grow. Will post some screenies later today.

Feel free to make comments

~Backburner~

It's 'layout' not 'outlay'.

Same thing

~Backburner~

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=outlay
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=layout

Not really.

If you plan to add more architexture in the second pass then the first pass is all but useless, since you're going to have to raze it all anyways. As is the architexture is ok, but from what I can tell the same architexture could be reproduced in Dark Forces easily. If you're going to add more complex architexture you might as well do so now.

And you need better textures. Period.

Whatever story you decide to have, try to make something original, not your standard "infiltrate an imperial base and blow it up" or anything else that's already been done.

Looks nice.

I look forward to more screenshots, so I can make better comments.

Rubbish.

Even if you have to rebuild the vast majority of architecture from scratch in the second pass, you still gain the benefit of the overall feel and layout of the level. It makes the second pass a LOT faster.

This is why people always recommend planning stuff before doing it, it makes it faster and better in the long run.

I always build crappy layouts before the final map when I work for Q3. Though sometimes there are lots of little 'lets just see what this would look like' maps prior to the layout map, and in atleast one occasion, the layout map became the final map itself.

Yeah.. it's almost essential when working with sectors+negative space.

I always found working with nagative space easier, actually. One thing that comes to mind is that in JK sectors can overlap, so if you mis judge the space by a little bit it's fine. In a brush editor, the shell of the rooms would stick into each other.

It kinda happens like that with JK as well. You just have to be looking into both sectors at the same time.

See, the reason I never release any levels is because THIS is the ONLY thing I ever do. I build an elaborate lower polygonal version of my level idea, then keep refining the simplistic version, and lose all of my oomph for the final. That's why I go back to old levels and add stuff to it every week and have some unshowcased gems that I'll eventually release.

JediKirby

I have added a screenshot into the EC. This screenshot shows the first sector which includes a computer (added into the level's architecture) and uses an animated mat. An example of what is being done.

Thanks for the feedback and I am aware that I the level may be rebuilt as the textures and architecture are basic. I am near the end of the first part of the level and I'm going to spend a full day on it tomorrow. The screenie is shown below.

~Backburner~

If that is the 'first sector', how can the computer be added into the architecture? Why, I see from your screen shot that you must have atleast five sectors. So which is the first?

I think I meant first room.

JM quit being technical on the poor guy.

maybe the console is just a 3do in a sector:p

:em321:

Guys, he meant room, not sector. Rooms can have many sectors. He's just showing us the player start area, give him a break.

Well, I welcome your opinion, but honestly I got it wrong. It is a room not a sector. Does a room have to be one sector of five?

Anways I have done more work on my level and this screenshot below shows a development on the project which shows a new room (not sector) with a skybox, which was flagged using the SkyFlagger plugin with JED.



~Backburner~

Take it easy; I was just being a jerk.

Oh, and, I see 4 sectors and 13 things, not counting the player, in that latest screenshot.

*parade rest*

Are you testing it in multiplayer first, or did you make the player model red team for SP?

He's gotta be doing an MP test.

OK:
- STILL NEED TEXTURES. Take some time to look for public domain texture sites. You can find some incredible textures. Don't just grab anything you see, but look and think "Would this texture fit with the overall level theme?"
- Boxes are never stacked as perfectly as you have them. Boxes would be stacked and spaced unevenly, etc. You almost never see perfect stacks upon perfect stacks of boxes in any warehouse.

Every level someone makes has the potential to be a good one, but I'm going to be frank here: If you continue to make 5-minute architexture and just slap on textures and 3dos, noone is going to play your level, much less enjoy it. Unless this is what you want, I would seriously suggest going and playing some of the better SP levels for some inspiration and majorly upping the quality of your level.

If this is just your first (or perhaps second or third) level and you are getting the hang of Jed, then I would recommend doing just that... getting the hang of Jed, NOT looking to create a releasable level. First levels made by people just "getting the hang of Jed" are often extremely low quality and are rated horrible by BOTH people who downloaded them :p. However some other people's "first levels" have been exceptional, because they took the time to mess around with and learn basic and advanced techniques with some test levels they made before they even started work on their first level for release.

If you take the time to learn advanced architexture building techniques and get the hang of good texture selection and lighting, you WILL find your end result to be much better.

Yes; I'm especially fond of those incredible textures on the JK cd.

Psssh. Textures are only as good as how you use them.

Which is also a good point.

And 'great' textures can still look like total garbage. JK has some wonderful texture sets, much better then some modern games. The only drawback is that they are rather low res by todays standards.