There is now a web page that will list the models you want made. I haven't been keeping a list of all the TCs that need models, but now there is a wanted models page.
Bubbah's Free Gothic Weapons have been listed on the FMP page for a long time. Let's skin them! Any ideas? Maybe we should have a contest.
Added a man model by Boon. Originally designed as a spiderman model but with that skin removed for the FMP.
I added a collection of Quake palettes that I use for textures. Including the Quake palette, each of the 16 different 16 color palettes that the Quake palette is made of, a Quake palette with no fullbright colors, a brighter Quake palette so you can tell the darker colors apart, and a backward 16 color grey scale to make negative images. These are even better for designing map textures than skins.
Speaking of skins, I also added a link to the Rift3D page. They are making a TC called Jurassic Quake and have developed a really cool skinning technique that is worth checking out.
Here's a little more information about CyberDawn: We will have at least 25 levels, but we are thinking about releasing them as 5 seperate (very inexpensive) mission packs and making the first level of each mission free. We would give each level designer 10% of the profits of the mission their level was in (instead of 2% of the whole thing)
Now that we have a better idea of how many levels we will have and how much work will go into maps, monsters, code and so forth, we can offer at least 2% of our profits per map
Everyone who has made a deal for a portion of the profits (level designers or anyone else) is welcome to re-negotiate. This is also a very flexible estimate. If your levels are really great we can offer a little more.
Level designers who don't make a different deal will get 2% of the profits per map.
I will accept models in .map format. The Free Models Project isn't just for animated models, you can also submit brush groups if they make up a model of something like a vehicle, furniture, door, tree, etc.
New developer's kits. QuArK version and generic version
We are working on a prefab library for the next developers kit release.
Submit requests, suggestions, or your own prefabs to my
e-mail address. Here are some pics of a few prefabs I made today (door,
walls, chair) A few developers use WC for editing, so if anyone wants
to help export the prefab objects to individual .map files, let me know.
There would be a lot more and better Quake levels to play if there weren't so many people using certain older map editors. I want to emphasize right now that QuArK is completely beyond other map editors. It is a new generation of map design technology if you will. There are lots of good level design tips -- like naming and grouping objects -- that barely apply to older map editors.
Check out the Quake Modelling Association, and don't forget to vote for my model in last month's modelling contest!
Free Models Project: here's a
few basic geometry library models that I find
useful.
CyberDawn: new developers kit with more prefabs and textures. These improvements only effect the QuArK version for now. We are working on converting these objects to standard .map and .wad formats.
Click on either image for more detail.
The first is a picture of a map I was working on In QuArK. It shows some of the design principles I have been trying to emphasize. It has lot's of angles, details, and in my opinion a sense of place. Also notice how QuArK lets you name groups and arrange them in a hierarchy. The only flaw is that the large open area was too larg and to open so I added some more walls to make it more playable. (and I design and test my maps on a very low end machine)
The second picture is another part of the same level a little later. Think it looks pretty colorful for a Quake level? Well it looks about that colorful in Quake (but with better lighting) For the time being, I am calling this map Cascade Canyon. I designed it to reflect in a stylized way the natural and man-made forms of the Pacific Northwest of the United States where I live. There aren't many things you can see around you that couldn't be turned into a game level with a little imagination.
Unfortunately I had to make most of the textures myself, maybe someone should start a free texture project, but they'd need a lot of webspace.
LEVEL DESIGNERS: You still have 1 month to have an early preview of your levels ready (no monsters or items are necessary) Considering that school has started for many of you, I think this is approximately enough time for anyone to have 1 level ready by October 15 if they started today.
Bubbah's Monster Page is being updated again with a new webmaster.
What types of non-standard Quake rules do you like to play (like CTF)? I'm thinking about what types of special rules to add to CyberDawn and would like to hear your opinions.
Need more textures for your CyberDawn maps? We are now also using DavO's texture wad. Regretably, I still need 1 good natural rock texture and a sky to work with, and I haven't proven very good at those types of textures yet.
We're doing some timed tests and it looks like it takes 2-3 days to get a map where it needs to be by the deadline (8+ hour days) By October 15th I should have at least 10 of my own maps done (adding another 10% to my share of the profits :) and hopefully 25 total levels will be done -- my personal minimum goal for this project.
Quake Killers?
To make a Quake killer you don't necessarily have to have the hottest graphics engine in town. Sometimes the best way to beat Quake is by hitting below the belt. What about a 3D model based game with very detailed textures that runs smoothly on a 486 or a 24 bit color game that runs right in your web browser on whatever type of computer you use? It doesn't hurt to have playable demos out so people know you are serious.
Speed: If you haven't tried Chasm recently, there's a new demo out and the full version should be available soon. Chasm is a new 3D shooter that combines the speed of 2.5D graphics engines with polygon models. This results in some very cool effects like 70 frames per second animations, and it's the only "Quake killer" I know of that runs smoothly on a 486 based computer (It really flies on my Cyrix 5x86 which doesn't run Quake very smoothly).
Portability: Also check out Frag Island, a 3D shooter java applet. This has got to be the most portable 3D shooter yet. It is almost playable on our sub-pentium computers (with 32 MB of RAM using IE and Netscape) which is pretty impressive considering that it uses 24 bit color on a screen about the size of a low-res Quake screen.
There has been some confusion about the deadline: You do not need to place any monsters or items before the deadline (though if you have key doors I advise placing the keys :)
If I have given you permission to be a CyberDawn secret beta tester, or if you want to test CyberDawn and are designing a map, e-mail me and tell me how to send you the beta. E-mail and ICQ are the most convenient for me.
Attention level designers! The deadline for levels, excluding enemy and item placement, is October 15!