null on 24/2/2005 at 17:10
I *think* the confirmation dialogue is hard-coded into the 'traveling" state.
If you guys manage to disable it somehow, more power to you...
At least the bright side is that loading should be far less frequent on PC-only levels you craft.
he flys on 24/2/2005 at 17:54
Quote Posted by ZylonBane
Is there any way to have objects carry over between maps, a la SS2, HL, and any other game that handles load zones properly?
uh, I thought objects were able to transfer already.
null on 24/2/2005 at 18:00
Pretty sure that Zylon means physics objects, bodies, et cetera.
Seriously though, we had bigger (at least, the size of a normal T:DS mission without the loading zones) levels working on the PC without hitting the property max. You can't throw every object type in there (it's more about lots of instances of the same type), but you'll be a lot better off without the memory restrictions.
Performance, on the other hand, may be a balancing act. Go figure.
Huckeye on 24/2/2005 at 18:10
What about Vampires Bloodlines? With its loading zones every door looks the same but the ones that leave an area give a leaving icon when you look at it before you frob it. would this be a possibility? at least it seems a viable in between.
I am a big fan of the city hub that can be returned to. As for that the zones would be great. But not in single location missions like any of the levels in TDS.
ZylonBane on 24/2/2005 at 18:48
Quote Posted by null
Pretty sure that Zylon means physics objects, bodies, et cetera.
Right. Where you can tag on a map, "Okay, anything within this defined area that's not nailed down, gets carried over into the new map". Like how SS2's elevators work. HL did it even better though, allowing even AIs to be carried over.
d'Spair on 24/2/2005 at 18:52
Quote Posted by null
Seriously though, we had bigger (at least, the size of a normal T:DS mission without the loading zones) levels working on the PC without hitting the property max.
The question is how big the true maps can be. For instance, is it possible to build the map, say, twice bigger than the whole Museum (I mean, both Museum parts, of course)? With the same level of detalization or the better level? I'm sure it can be done with the standart UT2004 engine (really HUGE maps can be done there), but is it the same with the Flesh Engine?
And another question - is there a limit on the number of load zones? Can I have, say, a mission consisting of 50 separate levels, connected to each other in different ways? How many level entries\exits may I have in a map?
Mr. Perfect on 24/2/2005 at 21:08
50 load zones? Your kidding, right? Even if those things only take 30 seconds a piece, and you only go through each one once, you'd spend 25 minutes loading everytime you played the map. :tsktsk:
Even one load zone in a map disrupts the game play, and when you're on the edge of your seat each one seems to take an age.
Dark Arrow on 24/2/2005 at 21:51
I think I may need a better internet connection now. The average Thief3 level will probably be around 20mb.
50 level campaing? :nono: I wonder whether epithumia will be taking thief 3 files. Poor fellow is going to have hard times with the new levels.
d'Spair on 24/2/2005 at 22:05
Hey, I'm talking about the possibilities, it doesn't mean that I'm actually going to make a mission with 50 load zones.
Anyway, it's always better to have a mission with 50 small load zones than a very small mission without the load zones.
And yes, the size issue is really acute.
LostVoices on 24/2/2005 at 22:14
Ok somethng like this is technically possible, but once you get multple authors in there you've got problems. It could be done, but better would be the managed hub campaign. Picture this, a central area (or several) that serves as your conduit from region to region. Designed from the start with a number of inacessable areas (plotlocked doors) each of these areas is offered as real estate to a mission designer. A central "guild" type space (or several) is provided and maintained by the designer responsible for the hub. He manages plot variables, inserts new plotgivers into the hub and coordinates scenes being added to the hub like the revenge bit after the End of the Bloodline. As fan based missions are completed and evaluated for suitability to include in the project, they get hooked up to these locked areas, allowing an evolving citywide campaign that could be released in serialized episodes, possibly with a versioning system that allows maintenance of the city as a whole?
