UT4

DM-Thaq R1 Release!

So, after spending months making this map, there you are, you can play it too 😀 Head over DM-Thaq page to get all the details and download link 🙂

I hope that players will like the gameplay, which I really like because there is a good balance of close / tight areas and open areas, perfect to practice your precise shooting. The lifts in the belt area offers many moves and it’s up to you to discover them. Flying monkeys players should like it 😉

Note that file size is rather big (362 MB). I would had like to make it smaller but since there are many assets and textures I couldn’t really make it smaller. The only solution to shrink the size is to compress the textures more but after many tweaks and ingame tests, I found the maximum compression ratio without sacrificing the visuals. Many textures are in 512 or 1024 rez. Only few are in 2048 rez. Originally, the size was 587 MB before I tweaked the compression!

Before you play it, know that I made all I could to optimise the map for max FPS. I hope it run well for you!

Enjoy, and let me know what you think 😉

Note, depending on how your graphics settings, the look of the map will be very different from me. For all my maps I use Cinematic quality with Temporal AA since it offer the best visuals. I join few pics here and you can see the huge difference between the various values you’ll use ingame. The ‘sparkling effect’ is related to your Antialiasing value :

Low

Mid

High

Epic

Cinematic with Temporal AA

Cinematic without Temporal AA

Cinematic with FXAA

Cinematic with MSAA

DM-Valas, post # 2

This week, my UT4 editor time as been mostly put on Valas. I made some small progress on Thaq too. There is only 1 corridor that I need to mesh and R1 (Release 1) will be release. I didn’t get inspiration to finish meshing Cruel yet. But I made progress few weeks ago on the Shock room 🙂

I made 2 rooms in Valas. The first post was the Link Gun room which I made some changes. The pics in this post show the second room (far away room with red light door) and up close, the third room. The second room have health and ammos while the third room is for the Flack and small armor. First pic is without Post-Process and the second with Post-Process. Notice how everything is looking way much sharper, vibrant and define with very nice occlusion and all 😀

DM-Valas, post # 1

Few days ago, I mentioned that if I make another map after DM-Thaq, I’ll use the free Bunker pack, remember that?

Well, this afternoon, I started to play with those assets. I’ve got a couple of not so good surprises concerning the scale and alignment of the meshes but it’s not too bad neither to work with them. I started the first room and after few hours, I got this.

This is the basic meshing, with basic lighting. No Post-Process added at the moment, only reflection box’s. This map is call DM-Valas 🙂

New awesome free assets, the Bunker pack

September is really, really a awesome month for free marketplace HQ assets. In all of what as been release, few packs got my attention and I’ve downloaded them BUT if I make another map after DM-Thaq, I’ll use the free Bunker pack 😀

I think it’s the first time in years that it is a painless process to import new meshes used for UE 4.25 to the old UT4. I mean, 99% of the time, it’s a very long process to recreate all materials, mi’s, material functions, particle and such. Not to mention various settings that can be a real headache when importing static meshes, which I always have to guest the right import settings even if I triple check the original static meshes settings in UE 4.25. Have to check this, uncheck that so the import work like is supposed to be. Brief, it’s painful.

Originally, the pack is made of 45 master materials. That was a surprise I must say, saying to myself WTH?! I’ve made very few materials, like 4 and all the rest are material instances 🙂 I took the time to make the materials look even better than the original by adding additional detail normal maps, color contrast, metallic, opacity, roughness parameters.

Most of the time, I make a ‘demo’ map just to check if all assets looks correct. This is a preview pic of all the Bunker assets and decals (it miss only the warning decals). So after DM-Cruel & DM-Thaq, I’ll have more 3D toys to play with 🙂

DM-Thaq, post # 3

Making progress on crafting up DM-Thaq 😀

While the default materials look already dirty and worn, I’ve added some leak decals (dust, rust, etc). The first pic show the default meshes and the second with the added decals 🙂

Enjoy and let me know what you think 😉

DM-Thaq, post # 2

Making progress on crafting up DM-Thaq 😀

Not obvious since the limited amount of the meshes included in this pack. I’m trying to make the overall look not to much repetitive but I can’t make miracle neither.

What the pack misses is deco meshes, like pipes, barrels, wires, etc. I’ve found some nice free LP pipes meshes on CGTrader I could use in this level. Like the barrel that I added founded in one of the marketplace free HQ sci-fi pack, I had to tweak the material so it look dirty and worn.

The pics are to show the geometry I’ve obtained so far and the lighting scheme using a combination of static & stationary lights with various roughness & fallout values. Quite a long process to tweak but the result is awesome 🙂

Enjoy and let me know what you think 😉

DM-Cruel post # 3

Dev is going slowly as you might expect, but still, I’m progressing. I put the map a bit on the side since I started DM-Thaq.

Now, I’m working on the last area of the map, the Shock room (showed in the yellow rectangle) which I started to mesh. It’s hard meshing a map with those assets (I know, I’m repeating myself lol).

So for now, the room is extremely basic but I wanted you to see how much work left I have to do to obtain a nice look. I have ideas to test and I need to finish the meshing before starting the lighting.

My new map with Mothership service rooms assets

Hello,

Now that I bought the Mothership service rooms assets. It’s time to use them 😀

First, there are assets I really don’t understand their use. Like a vent that you can’t see outside when you’re in it. It’s logical, but since they are half size the player, I don’t intent to use them for traveling… There another mesh which is a wall corner but doesn’t have the wall to go with it… Bah, at least there as many great assets I can play with and make an entire level out of those meshes 😀

I took a break from DM-Cruel and start my new map. It’s called DM-Thaq. And I’m happy to finally create something futuristic AND also dirty. It won’t be a big level. Something to accomodate 8 players max. Since past friday night, I worked on this room to finally finish it and I’m satisfied by the result so I’m happy to share the pics with the world 🙂

Preview build quality

Full build quality

Enjoy and let me know what you think 😉