New Campaign notes

[zanzibar]

Hi. As mentioned before in the Insanity2 forum, lately I've been messing around with the H&DD editor. To compensate the fact I don't own 3D Max 3, I've taken to using a hex editor and Deluxe's editor. Results have been mixed, but either way these are - hopefully - different methods to make a new campaign. I've read the site's tutorials (and will read them again), and am knee deep trying to get a handle on scripting mission events.

The main map I'm editing right now is C6M1, Prague. Visual changes so far include making ruined buildings seem intact:





I had to go the "patchwork" route, taking and manipulating existing models from the map in order to do this. The building in the first picture, for instance, has 4 roofs (because the base one was the only one with the exact length, missing space had to be covered). What can't be deleted - debris, ladders, etc. - is pushed below the ground level.

Hex editing proved useful up to a point. Multi-part models, probably because they are landscaped first and made into a scene in the editor later, have proven a tough nut to crack (simpler objects have so far been much more malleable). I also mistakenly thought it was possible to duplicate models from other missions, but H&DD seems to have tables that dictate what can be used in a level; from my understanding, if a model is not on the list, it can't be called into the scene (I've yet to find out if this is level-specific or a general list).

Not shown in the pictures are also other changes like no lit up street lamps (the mission is meant to take place during day), tables and benches outside the restaurant and a depot/garage of sorts. I'll post these as soon as possible, and if there's any interest in them as well.

So, for now the main point of this post is to just condense some notes about the mod. So far I'm only working on Prague's first level. The modified mission is meant to be based on a Czech/SOE WW2 joint operation which involved the public assassination of a high-ranking german officer, with some edits. The plan is to have the officer arrive in the level on an open-topped vehicule, assisted only by his driver. German patrols are present. People go about their business. Players will have a time limit before the officer appears, during which they can opt to secure a disguise. Civilian clothing will be easier to get but provide less stealth. Another officer on the map may be killed but getting to him will be trickier. The mission is to make the attack on the high-ranking officer public, and to be quick about it. The officer must reach a certain checkpoint, and this is where the attack must occur.

In theory, civilian get-up would also allow players to recruit some nearby resistance fighters (more back-up), while the german outfit would allow players to requisition a truck in order to block the car's exit through the bridge. While I'm still not savvy enough with the editor, I'm not sure how this might be implemented but I'm willing to learn and keep trying.

That's it for now. I really am trying hard to do this, so hopefully motivation won't fizzle and I'll keep at it.

[Jason]

I like the sound of your mission, I'd definitely play it. As I was reading the description I was imaging how I would do it myself will be great to see what you come up with.

[zanzibar]

Thanks for the words, Jason :) Quick update. After some problems, both suffered and solved, the city is coming up nicely. So far these are the main visual changes:

The auto-repair part of the map:


Different angle from auto-repair (you can tell I like manipulating editors to force-create items that simply don't exist):


A busted up truck (still missing smoke):


A custom delivery car and dog at the meat shop:


The checkpoint, where the mission's goal will occur:


Closer look at the checkpoint:


Behind the checkpoint:


Florist detail:


The bombed out builing and intersection, restored (the sandbags there are meant to cover up a small portion of the ground ):


Some milk delivery:


Plaza restoration (not pictured are several other benches):


Detail of the outside of the restaurant:


The first bombed out building, restored:


While I still want to come up with some more details, I'm putting them on hold so I can move on to proper game content, mainly AI routines for guard patrols, civilians strolling, etc. I'll post a quick update on my hex editing too as soon as possible.

[zanzibar]

Btw, I'm still unsure what to do with this:



It's the sign nearby the second bombed building. Since I'm "restoring" the city, so to speak, I'd like to place this somewhere where it makes sense. Anyone reckon where the sign might have been? :)

[Jason]

Looking good mate

According to google translate (http://translate.google.com.au)... the sign "zelenina das grünzeug", apparently zelenina is czech for "vegetables" and "das grünzeug" is german for "the green stuff". Does anyone know for sure?

[hdmaster]

Yes that's the correct translation. Google translate did a good job!

[zanzibar]

Cool! I had used GT to try and understand the other names in the map, too; hence the florist and the dog barking near the butcher shop though I was uncertain about "zelenina das grünzeug". Since there aren't any veggie models in the game, guess I'll just place the sign on the nearby building

Minor updates: dog now has a volume and colision check, though the volume box makes it so players can get on top of the dog by climing it (!) and the intersection, facade and one part of the pavement also have a volume box (I was stumped for 2 minutes trying to remember what I had missed).

Ongoing quibbles: pathfinding and checkpoints are frustrating. I managed to get one German patrol going smoothly, but two others have proved a headache. I tried placing these two moving somewhat simultaneously, starting at the edge of the map between the hill with the cannon and the walled in houses, going down until the main plaza. At first I tried making a two man team following the same path (which didn't work so well). So then I made two different paths, both on separate sidewalks. No matter what I do they never follow it through, they interrupt the program halfway to start following the yellow ones nearby. I've made sure all checkpoints are connected, tried moving the yellow ones closer and further away, and tried both reducing and increasing the number of checkpoints... and they still prefer to go up the grassy hill, hahaha.

I better forget these for now and focus on the main event for now - making it so the missions is successful if the german officer is killed at a determined location.

[zanzibar]

Also, what is the deal with new textures that retain the same size, colour depth and format not showing up? Should they go into the /maps folder or the /mymap/maps.mod folder? Either doesn't seem to work :/

[Jason]

Sorry for the late reply. Some textures are stretched in H&D Deluxe because of how they are setup in 3d max. You can't change that without changing the scene file in 3d max. What do you mean by format though?

And yes the textures go into the "maps.mod" directory.

What have you tried to change?

[zanzibar]

No worries, Jason I still have a lot to learn and am taking it step by step. As for the textures, I just tried making a different one for those cylinders, with the "Cirkus Humberto" ad:

Original:


Different version:


I tried two different things. One was just to replace the original texture, and the other was to make a copy of the model with a link to the texture (the file itself mentions the name of the *.PNG file it uses, which I tried to change). None worked, either using the /maps or /mymaps paths.

I thought maybe it could be the amount of color, but I'm not sure that's the case. Simply replacing the internal name that references the texture seems to be the issue. I made a copy of the "Peenemünde 6KM" yellow sign, changed its name without changing anything in the image itself, changed the model file only to link to a different name and the result is the same: the texture doesn't load.

Oh, by format I meant just sticking with the original *.PNG format, even if it supports JPEG and BMP.

[Jason]

Interesting... can you attach the image to a reply post and I'll give it a go. I have never tried to replace an image in this way.

[zanzibar]

No problem. Here's the image; it's a resized version of an original WW2 poster (I needed a quick image to test object texturing before I went overboard with new textures of my own). Even if I end up using it, it's appropriate enough for the game

Also, been tinkering with vehicles. I wanted an open-top black officer car but as luck would have it, nearly all pieces of the admiral.i3d car are removable (erasable) except the outer roof (even the inner roof can be deleted!). Maybe I'll stick with the Kubelwagen for now. In related vehicle madness, is it possible to have a truck carry more than two characters at the back? I have tried adding entry points and dummies for additional passengers, but it doesn't seem to work (at least it's possible to rotate the passengers at the back so they don't sit with their legs coming out of the truck).

[zanzibar]

Y'know, I just did a quick test. I downloaded the LCG model and image pack, placed the corresponding files into their folders, and I can load the models - but not the textures as well. I thought it might be some folder mismatch but it seems like a different problem entirely?

[zanzibar]

So, latest updates.

Since I'm not just working on a single mission (though maybe I should, since I'm new at this), here are some images of what should be the first level in the campaign, a forced landing on a Polish border town, occupied by Germans. The base template for the mission is actually C3M5, "Close Fire", though an edited version at that.

















It's still a bit rough, though; the Greek terrorist there is a quick test method for movement and colisions, and I've yet to switch the background to night time with some fog. Other things I just can't seem to do yet, like linking a model to a vehicle (say, a searchlight to the back of a truck) without the editor coughing up errors. For reference, the place in the pictures is actually the German camp in the original map, the one with the parked tanks near the beach and all, but modified so as to feature a layout like that of the nearby village. I've also made it so there's a semi-hidden path (you can see it in the pictures) inside the village that's actually the dead end right next to the German mansion along the road.

I've also recently found out that LCGames released an Insanity Tech Demo. Of course, that's where that Greek island map came from. But I was surprised to find that the other two maps, Underground and Achixu, could also be loaded in the editor and run as levels in game! Achixu's kinda weird - I haven't figured out how LCGames made the map rotate that way. I mean, I know I can toggle Polar Coordinates in the editor to navigate the map properly, but not what can be done to navigate the level in the game. Underground is pretty cool; with some changes, it could fit into a different level or smaller campaign

Finally - for now - I figured out the texture problem. It seems that when the editor gave me that fatal error and I reinstalled the game+editor, the folder set up turned out different due to an oversight of mine. So now instead of something like X:\Games\Hidden and Dangerous Deluxe\maps, I have X:\Games\Hidden and Dangerous Deluxe\maps\maps. This means that all of the game's extracted image maps are on the second \maps folder, but anything I place on the first one will work for modified content. I just tried that image I posted here, and it's working now (I really hope there are no more issues like this).



So, off to keep working on this!

[Jason]

Sounds cool, I would like to see that map at night time actually.

I'd be interested to see if you made anything out of the Insanity Tech Demo stuff. I don't think anyone has tried to do anything with those levels yet.

I still need to test out swapping the texture, I might have some time this evening for that.