[WIP] "Down On The Farm" L4D2 Scavenge/Survival

[Oilcake]

I've been thinking about this. First of all, it's actually better in the game than it looks in screens, somehow. The real thing is that there are several places where I stretched buildings out over the original ground displacements a bit. That means I can't have big drifts along the side of buildings unless I either A) make major readjustments to ground displacements or B) add extra drift displacements. I'm pretty much against B, so I guess that leaves A... Problem with that is keeping everything such that it will all sew properly, and not add too many more brushes. Anyway, it's in my mind, just like those bare, green tree models.

[Qmaster]

It looks good...you don't need drifts in most places. I was just noticing that in some places it might add a little flavor.

[ZapWizard]

Small drifts could be a good idea, although it typically isn't windy in areas surrounded by forests. It can even be unnerving when your inside a forest that the air doesn't move.

If your are thinking about wind, a decal that adds a little bit of "pasted on" snow that has blown onto on walls could work well.

Of course everything you have so far looks great anyways.

/Edit:

Do the players and zombies walk on top of the snow or slightly under it? Since real people sink into snow, it would be interesting if the players walked slower in some areas and if they walked over a surface just a few inches deeper then the snow. This of course would be tough to do, and the lack of foot prints might make the zombies look un-natural.

[Warden]

...

I want to play this.

This is probably going to be the reason I finally buy L4D2.

[Oilcake]

Small drifts could be a good idea, although it typically isn't windy in areas surrounded by forests. It can even be unnerving when your inside a forest that the air doesn't move.

If your are thinking about wind, a decal that adds a little bit of "pasted on" snow that has blown onto on walls could work well.

Of course everything you have so far looks great anyways.

/Edit:

Do the players and zombies walk on top of the snow or slightly under it? Since real people sink into snow, it would be interesting if the players walked slower in some areas and if they walked over a surface just a few inches deeper then the snow. This of course would be tough to do, and the lack of foot prints might make the zombies look un-natural.

Thanks, zap! I'm just not sure how much more I'm going to do on the environment at this point. There are certain things that have to be done, but beyond that I dunno. I do like the idea of decals like that, though, might work quite nicely and not be too time consuming!

Everybody walks on top of the snow currently. I'd considered what you suggested here, and put it away for the time being. A couple of other people have tried the sinking into the snow thing, I think, though I haven't played the maps, only seen screens. not sure if they slow people down as well, but you'd think so... I think it's probably possible to do all of that, but I think I'm going to stick to walking on top for now.

If you did a whole winter themed-campaign, (like it seems Valve and donking are about to, maybe they want to try!), you'd want to do a bunch of things, including working on some kind of dynamic footprint system similar to bullet holes. Maybe also integrating the cloudy breath (world is cold) system from DoD. For that matter, I'd remodel (er, have somebody who knows how!) the survivors and zombies in more wintery clothing... For this map here, I'm not going to go down any of these roads. Honestly, I just want to get it finished now, so I can get back at the campaign.

This is probably going to be the reason I finally buy L4D2.

Hear that Valve?!! I may have just sold you a game!

But seriously, thanks, man. That's a huge compliment...

[Qmaster]

If you do decide to use snow splat decals, there's some nice ones on CGTextures.

Does this mean your almost done? ?
What have you left to do?

[Oilcake]

"Almost done" is relative, I think! It's certainly getting there...

Sorry about the lack of updates. I've been struggling to get work done through some nasty chronic pain. Gah. I'd be done already if it weren't for that.

Anyway, I've done a lot of reading and some experimentation with Soundscapes. I think it's gonna go OK, but I'll have to make my own. None of the Valve ones work with what I want. I've also done quite a bit of work on the 3D Skybox. Hopefully that'll be finished up today...

[Oilcake]

OK, so the 3D Skybox is pretty much done. There are a few little lighting issues out there, but you can only see them from certain places, and then only if you're a hunter and looking, for the most part. Unless I discover something horribly wrong, it's good.

I've done tons of other little things here and there, too, some of which I'll talk about below.

Worked a bunch more on lighting. I think I'm about 70% or so on the lighting now. One more good pass should do it.

I posted this list a while ago, so I'll update and add to it here:

- Fix up all clips/player clips - DONE
- Add/move/adjust infected ladders - 80%
- Add scavenge mode - 0%
- Finalize item placement in both modes - 80%
- Learn about and implement soundscapes - 20%
- Redo nav - 0%
- 3D Skybox - DONE
- Mess with post processing/colour correction - 0%
- Make .vpk, including poster and other assets - 0%
- Detailing - 80%
- Lighting - 80%
- All the things I forgot to list above! - I'm still sure there's lots of these...

A lot of these items should go fairly quickly, I hope...

Anyway, some screens now. I've put links on the shots to the bigger version, so hopefully this works OK.


So I've finally managed to reach a spot where I'm happy enough with the lighting on the hole in the floor. I messed with settings on the prop and lighting positions for a long time to get it to here. I think I have to walk away from this now...


You can see here it's not perfect, but that's a corner I think I'm willing to cut in the interests of finishing sooner rather than later. My lighting skills are getting better, but I'm not expecting to be perfect just yet! Notice I still have to make a debris pile on the floor underneath!


Here's the top floor view. There's nothing visible outside the windows in these shots because I was compiling (over and over) with the cordon tool. I think I'm going to continue with the idea I had for this space and make it the 'bunkhouse', which was used by several survivors as a safe spot until it was overrun... I'll add some wooden bed frames for the mattresses, maybe some other furniture. Then some bodies and blood and stuff...!


You can see the 3d skybox here a little. Hopefully the ropes in Propper will work for L4D2 at some point, so I can add them to the telephone poles in the distance. I can live with this for now. I spent a lot of time on the skybox, considering how little people will ever be looking at it! This is one spot I like, though, for all that effort!


Another view of the open area in front of the barn. The Scavenge generator will be to the left of the grass in the foreground, I'm pretty sure.


After spending (literally!) hours making snow displacements for that dually pickup which all buggered up on compile, I had an epiphany. The truck didn't have to be there. So out it went. I felt better immediately.

After that, I went and took out the other pickup that was by the back door to the barn, and the van by the 'mill' as well. The van had been covered, but there were spots where the displacements were spiked on it, too. I'd left that to fix later, but I no longer think it's fixable, as such. Certainly the amount of time it would take to get close to what I want is unreasonable. A real modeller would have a better time of putting snow on these vehicles, I think.


Last shot for now. Just a view from up in the infected-only area. I'm trying to ignore that rock on the left with no snow on it...

That's it for now! Cheers!

[Smog]

Will you be putting snow displacements on each blade of grass, as well? If you don't I may have to call you Arthur. Heh heh.

It looks great, Andrew. I really love the effort you've put into this, it's very inspiring to see someone with such dedication.

[DerricktheW]

Im wondering, unless you already answered, what are you doing about trees? Specifically, the snow on them?

[Qmaster]

Im wondering, unless you already answered, what are you doing about trees? Specifically, the snow on them?

He doesn't know yet (as far as we know), any suggestions are helpful.

[Qmaster]

Done yet?

[Warden]

Done yet?

Hahaha. I feel the same way. I look at this thread 4 times a day hoping that a download link is posted. No rush though Oilcake, you're doing an AMAZING job.

[Qmaster]

You could reskin the trees after decompiling the models. To get the snow on them.

[Nexusdog]

Sounds like a plan! How do you go about that, Q, could be useful in the future.