[DEVELOPMENT] Campaign 4 Development Thread

[Goth Zagog-Thou]

@Milo: No worries on voice sets and fmv's, that's being handled.

@Flail: Thanks for jumping in. I'm sure Milo will appreciate the help. btw, flaME rocks. No, no new tech added to the tree. A few more templates for templates.txt and names.txt which I'm handling personally. And maybe I'm misunderstanding the flaME hotkeys, but the unit editor isn't working for me. I've had to add my custom units manually (no big deal).

@Rman: Thanks for the encouragement. Anytime you feel like it, send me some samples of the mission 1 dialogue in your voice, we'll see if you're the person to voice Tactical Sergeant Gibbs. Do it however you feel is natural, preferred format is whatever you feel like saving it as. My tools will handle .ogg .mp3 or whatever. .wav is very large, though. I prefer .ogg, personally.

Missions 4 and 5 maps are done. I'm ironing out Mission 4's stuff, Mission 5 is going to be in the adjacent area west of the main map. Missions 6-12 are still in the planning stage.

I should point out that there's still lots of room for storyline. Mission 13 is the final stage of the campaign, and is by and large (80%) finished. We've established that it's the final battle with NEXUS, and will be a level of challenge that is meant to be long, difficult, and epic -- even on Easy difficulty. There are some parameters that need to be adhered to, such as:

a) No new additions to the Tech/Research tree. The game is touchy concerning changes to the tree. My old Devestator mod never would convert over properly, for example, because it added in a few things. So while that isn't set in stone (and I'll give it another shot), for now the answer is no.
b) The story ends with the final victory over NEXUS. That's set in stone.

Back to work!

[Rman Virgil]

.....

@Rman: Thanks for the encouragement. Anytime you feel like it, send me some samples of the mission 1 dialogue in your voice, we'll see if you're the person to voice Tactical Sergeant Gibbs. Do it however you feel is natural, preferred format is whatever you feel like saving it as. My tools will handle .ogg .mp3 or whatever. .wav is very large, though. I prefer .ogg, personally.

'''''''

Back to work!

I can really appreciate the work you've done already Goth and my posting is but a simple acknowledgement of its scope and quality.

Milo & Flail13 - now THAT'S a dynamic duo !

While I'm still completing other promised work, I did start composing some original music themes &
am in that obsessive phase of working out different mixes. That said, I'm sure I will take a break from such soon and give a shot at recording some Tactical Sergeant Gibbs voice possibilities (yea, I'll do more than one).

- Cheers, RV
.

[Goth Zagog-Thou]

Good stuff Rman. I've been thinking more about the mixing and processing of voice sets and have some ideas. Processing is appropriate here, so I take back what I said previously about "tomfoolery". Sgt. Gibbs should sound like he's on military-grade communications equipment (like VTOL units do), NEXUS should likewise sound distinctive and a little unusual FX-wise. I'm sure we'll come up with something that we're happy with.

And I agree on Milo and Flail being the dynamic duo. Should be some very nice work coming out of that team.

I also have the first track of in-game music in process. A nice break from map-making and story writing.

[EDIT: Spelling and Grammar. Ugh.]

[eZAK]

Ok, no additions to the tech tree.

What about making what you already have preform differently ??

Example; Controlling the 'Transport' in order to try to gain a tactical advantage.

Also in the 'Final Battle' I'm hoping that there will be more than one way to defeat Nexus.

Thanks Guys!

[Goth Zagog-Thou]

Didn't mean to come across as being short, eZak.

What about making what you already have preform differently ??
Example; Controlling the 'Transport' in order to try to gain a tactical advantage.

That's up to the player. The map design already takes care of most of that. The player will essentially "have their back to the wall" for the first four missions. Playtesting the mission maps has garnered some interesting results, especially in the realm of "unexpected things". I'm in the process of revising the maps slightly to accommodate "unexpected things" even more. Myself, personally, I've found it a challenge during playtesting to keep from getting hosed, even on 'easy' mode. Since the player will not have access to a Transport (they've been shot down, and help wont arrive for quite a while) or even Construction Vehicles until mission 4, the challenge is there.

Also in the 'Final Battle' I'm hoping that there will be more than one way to defeat Nexus.

Typically the final battle means you have to destroy the bad guy the old-fashioned way.

[Goth Zagog-Thou]

Mission 5 map and overview is done. New versions with fixes for Missions 1-4 also.

PM's for those who need it are forthcoming.

[Rman Virgil]

Good stuff Rman. I've been thinking more about the mixing and processing of voice sets and have some ideas. Processing is appropriate here, so I take back what I said previously about "tomfoolery". Sgt. Gibbs should sound like he's on military-grade communications equipment (like VTOL units do), NEXUS should likewise sound distinctive and a little unusual FX-wise. I'm sure we'll come up with something that we're happy with.

Agree that the audio processing affords an opportunity to create a dramatic context. I will still just do the Sgt. Gibbs voice takes on clean tracks. Any contextual SFX I have that I think could go with the voice tracks I'll just pass on to you unmixed. This way you can judge the voice purely.... and if it works then you can look to the separate SFX tracks and mix as you will.

As for NEXUS - agree as well with your take. I always found the DR. Reed avatar and voice acting a bit on the cheesy side. There is an opportunity here to do something different with NEXUS that is not at all cheesy and viscerally compelling.

I also have the first track of in-game music in process. A nice break from map-making and story writing.

You do music too - cool ! Reminds me of that Richard Pryor comedic bit: "It's better to have money & not need it than need it & not have it."

I can relate to that turning to music. Music is at the heart of how I live & the life blood all that I get into, creativity wise (the visual & literary arts, to be sure, pulse with musicality).

My stuff is very layered & often composed in 3 movements - beginning, middle & end, much like storytelling.

So if you don't find the totality of what I do fitting there may be "bits" that appeal that can easily be segregated for use in a different mix or musical context.

In the piece I'm working on now there is a NEXUS motif - at least in mind - and I think you will catch it when you hear it. For me NEXUS vs. The Project represents the powerful dramatic trope of Man vs. Machine which has a long history going back to B.C. myth

Mission 5 map and overview is done. New versions with fixes for Missions 1-4 also.

PM's for those who need it are forthcoming.

Will go DL now.

I'll finish up a previous commitment with the game by tomorrow evening after which I will focus on having some music, voice and SFX files for you by next Sunday.

Plus I will spend a lot more tightly focused time with all your creations to date - something I am very much looking forward to.

While I enjoy MP & SP SKI modes, CAM is very special to me and I believe it to be the most artistically powerful and challenging of the 3 modes.

I also believe that original CAM has played a central role in keeping WZ alive for the past 11 years. Going forward, this CAM 4 could very well serve in a like capacity besides being a singular milestone creation, in and of itself.

- Cheers, Rman.

.

[Goth Zagog-Thou]

In the piece I'm working on now there is a NEXUS motif - at least in mind - and I think you will catch it when you hear it. For me NEXUS vs. The Project represents the powerful dramatic trope of Man vs. Machine which has a long history going back to B.C. myth

Cool deal, can't wait to check it out.

I also believe that original CAM has played a central role in keeping WZ alive for the past 11 years. Going forward, this CAM 4 could very well serve in a like capacity besides being a singular milestone creation, in and of itself.

Same here. It's my hope that the community as a whole can start cranking out new content for the game on a regular basis alongside the quality MP and SKI stuff, and I truly believe that this community as a whole posesses the skill-set to pull it off.

[milo christiansen]

Does anyone know just what files need to be edited to replace the campaign? I compiled the maps, did the wrfs, made placeholder scripts and edited the lev file but it still wont use the correct map. No matter what I do it still starts the first mission from cam1.

Is there a file that starts the campaign? I looked at all the wrfs but didn't find anything.

I really can't get much done as far as scripting goes until I can play test my changes

cam4.7z

cam4 test wz file and log

(117.56 KiB) Downloaded 157 times

I also need help with writing the cam AI I already PMed Flail but if any one who knows AI scripting wants to help...
AI for a campaign is a LOT easier than multiplayer AI scripting because you don't need to worry about building a base, doing research, ect. Also since you know exactly what the map looks like any clever maneuvers you want to do can be hard coded in

[Flail13]

For me, that file crashed the game rather than starting the original campaign. Are you running it as a global mod?

It's hard coded that CAM_1A must be the first level in the gamedesc.lev. After changing that, you should be able to follow the error logs.

I haven't received any PMs from you recently.

I've tried to script AI before. Like this unfinished mission. To try it, install it as a multiplayer mod, and run it as a challenge.

[eZAK]

Myself, personally, I've found it a challenge during playtesting to keep from getting hosed, even on 'easy' mode.

Sooooooo..................Does anyone have any cheats for Campaign 4 !!!!!!!!!!!

Just kidding!


Q;
With out giving anything away, How will Delta 1 tie into Gamma 9 ?
Since Gamma 9 never really ended !!!!

Keep up the good work!

[Goth Zagog-Thou]

Q;
With out giving anything away, How will Delta 1 tie into Gamma 9 ?
Since Gamma 9 never really ended !!!!

Delta is set 2 years after Gamma 9. The story will explain what's happened since.

[milo christiansen]

I run it as a cam mod.
I already tried to set the name of the first mission to CAM_1A but it still opens the first map from cam 1
The weird thing is it acts like its using my scripts but not the map

I'll have to mess with it some more

@flail: as for that pm, I 'thought' I sent one, I certainly remember typing one up and clicking "submit" but now when I look theres no evidence I ever sent one
Basically I just need help with the AI, and figuring out how to get the replacement working in the first place. I have game initialization and victory conditions well in hand.

[Flail13]

Milo:
I was suggesting to try it as a global mod - it should fix you're problem. I've tried changing it as campaign before, and it doesn't seem to work.

[Goth Zagog-Thou]

Do you two need me to make a templates.txt and names.txt for the new units? I can post them here if you want, instead. Up to you guys, I'm pretty sure you've got it in hand.