Journey to Oblevia is my new project which consist of remaking some of my UT99 all time favorites levels to UT4 with current gen sounds and visuals. It might not be 100% remakes but will be pretty close.
All of UT99 levels are available since the beginning for UT4. Still, it’s mostly direct port from UT99 or re-meshed version in some case. Sadly, I don’t like the ports at all and don’t really like the re-meshed versions neither 😦 No offense to the authors, it’s not my intention! This is my personal taste, nothing more. I want to remake some of the levels too with my vision of the level. In the end, the more we have to play, the better 🙂
For this project, I decided to take inspiration from the originals UT99 levels, because it all start from there and recreate some of them while using this new high quality asset pack that I specially bought to make this new series of levels while using my favorite theme, science fiction. It will be a journey to the ultimate confrontation that will take place in Oblivia. It’s really a personal project. A project that I’m exited to start 😀 Still, I have no problem to share it with you all as I do with all my maps.
The way I’m working :
I import the original BSP into UT4 Editor with the adequate current scaling factor and then, I replace the BSP by static meshes. So, the scale in UT4 is the same as UT99 scale adjusted for UT4 recommended by Epic and mappers.
The parts :
Part 1 is DM-Oblivion, my favorite UT99 level, a awesome simple duel level. Today, I upload Alpha 1 on UTCC. This is for the curious who might want to feel the scale of the map. Remember that the original is VERY, VERY tight 😉
Now, it’s time to start this great project 😀
Stevie's corner 
Official epic scaling factor?
There is no such thing. Originally Epic used something around 2X that but movement has been buffed and character size increased since then. 2.5X is about right for UT99 maps, 2.1875X for 2k3/4 maps.
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Actually make that 1.875 for most 2k3/4 maps, 2.1875 for the few that are too tight at 1.875.
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Yep, Epic talk about that in detail in one the twitch broadcast or in a thread in the dev section of the forums. I don’t remember exactly where.
Indeed, for UT99, it’s 2.5. I remember that 2.1875 was before Epic increased the scale by 15%. For example, Lea had to be scaling up to be playable correctly. Players complain about Outpost been to tight after the scaling. The last version of UT4X-Converter convert automatically the map at the right scaling depending on the UT your exporting the level to fit UT4 scale.
But even at 2.5, Oblivion is a bit to small for my taste as you can experience in the alpha. In the meshing phase, it will be a bit bigger but not by much.
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Outpost was never scaled up for the movement and player changes. Oblivion is a 99 map, there are a very few of those that need to be scaled up more (Grinder for one). 3.125 I think it is for those.
But those aren’t official numbers. They’re actually numbers the community came up with. Or more precisely I came up with them, MetalFist agreed and IIRC so did cafe though he used 2.1875 for all of his 2k4 redoes.
Other mappers came up with stuff like 2.2 or 2.22 which were terrible because almost nothing is on grid making it very difficult to work with for anything except a straight port with no changes. 😉
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I agreed with you about almost everything. But anyway, in the end, map scaling will fit UT4 spacing 😀
Oblivion as been remade for all UT’s and in various versions in case you didn’t know that, that is why I specified that I’m redoing the original UT99 to be clear. The original is very tight, while the 200x / UT3 are much more spacious. In UT4 with UT99 2.5 upscale (Alpha 1), in the corridors, it’s impossible to dodge or wall run and you hit your head on the ceiling when jumping. My version will be less “claustrophobic”, if I can say it that way.
The fact that I don’t use BSP and going straight to meshing, I’m not bothering to be on the grid in the contrary of others mappers which make ports 🙂 Alpha 1 is just a quick playtest.
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Back to the classics is never a bad idea! Merci for the pak monsieur!
I’ll be loading it up when I get back.:-D
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Replays to follow!
From the 1st fly-by, You did a crack’n job so far!
Only things that caught me right away was the shock room being tab bit too tight and could be abit wider along with headroom, as it felt stretched out. Same goes for both doorways and sideramps.
Continue comme ça!:-)
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I just watched the replay, damn, I was laughing out loud to see 4 players playing in one of the smallest duel map in UT history 😀
I was surprise to see a replay in the first place, you’re the only one that as post something about my new map 😮
Remember that A1 is the original UT retail map, only difference is that I throw basic materials just to get rid of the default checkerboard material.
In my WIP version, the meshed one, I restarted from scratch, meaning that I completely ignored A1 and mesh right away in a empty level. The rooms are bigger, wider and the ceiling much higher. Still the corridors are tights and it’s on purpose. Doorways are a bit wider too.
The map will be very enjoyable in duel or with 3 players as my playtest shows me. 4 players is the extreme limit and for me isn’t fun, just pure spam!
Anyway, I’m sure you will enjoy my next release when it will be ready and I assume Shock combo will be your thing on this map 🙂
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