[u1]firetrucks.u

[ebd]

-= firetrucks.u =-
(I think it is cool... maybe you will too?)

What is it?
firetrucks.u is a code package designed to allow mappers to more easily create powerful narratives in Unreal 227. Well, it isn't THAT dependent on 227. 227i was still in development when a lot of this was coded, and it started development on 227h.

What does it do?
There are utilities for cutscenes, dialogue, complicated point-and-click adventure game sequences, a large number of triggers, and much more.

Features

• Interact with actors in new and unprecedented ways with UseEventAssociator
• Have a chat with pawns (or other actors) with the all new DialogueNode class
• Create complex and powerful puzzle sequences and more with the deterministic finite automata suite (1000% easier than it sounds!)
• Special extra interactive inventory items and triggers for improved player inventory experience
• Complete rework of translator into Journal which not only hold old messages but can display images and much more
• Many new triggers subclasses for triggering in specific ways or performing in certain ways while triggered. Way too much stuff to list here
• MouseTriggers suite allowed dedicated mappers to create complex point and click adventure game like sequences
• Some new decoration classes because why not
• Even more!

Wasn't supposed to be for Weedrow 2?
Yeah, it was. I'd rather not talk about it in a public thread. PM me if you must discuss it.

Will it work with coop?
Certain things I know will break. Other stuff isn't tested at all. This was designed first and foremost for single player.

Is there any documentation?
http://ebd.unrealsp.org/firetrucks/
http://ebd.unrealsp.org/trashbag/
viewtopic.php?f=3&p=65676

Thanks to ividyon for the hosting!

Download?
Latest version: http://ebd.unrealsp.org/firetrucks/firetrucks_1_2_0.zip
old version: http://ebd.unrealsp.org/firetrucks/firetrucks_1_1_0.zip
older version: http://ebd.unrealsp.org/firetrucks/firetrucks_1_0_0.zip

trashbag latest version: http://ebd.unrealsp.org/trashbag/trashbag_1_1_0.zip

Credits

• ebd for being a shitty programmer
• Qtit/Z-Enzyme for the PawnTrigger class (which was edited a bit and renamed to avoid conflicts)
• Frieza for inspiration, motivation, and many sleepless nights on my end
• Jet v435 for for making me implement all these extra features so he could live out his dream of remaking some old game
• ividyon for generously providing hosting for the project
• smirth.. smrift... The OldUnreal crew and the 227 patch for breathing new life into this old game
• And the rest of the Weedrow 2 team

Known Bugs & Upcoming Changes

• None at the moment

[Draco Nihil]

Why is it called "firetrucks" if I'm not rude for inquiring out of the blue?

[ebd]

Why is it called "firetrucks" if I'm not rude for inquiring out of the blue?

It came from a reference joke. Outside of that context it is a cheerful name that is easy to remember and very unlikely to conflict with anything.

[Draco Nihil]

The point and click makes me wonder if someone will use this to make a Monkey Island for Unreal... man that'd be both disturbing and hilarious at the same time.

[Jet v4.3.5]

The point-and-click is focused more on first-person style gameplay like the Myst games. I played around with an older version of the system, but ebd made some additional actors since then that make setting up an area or level focused around point-and-click navigation and usability easier. Kudos to him for putting this package together. It opens up a lot more possibilities and it's great that it's finally coming out for people to use.

[ebd]

The point-and-click is focused more on first-person style gameplay like the Myst games. I played around with an older version of the system, but ebd made some additional actors since then that make setting up an area or level focused around point-and-click navigation and usability easier.

The system actually works better with an external camera, but you could always place one "at eye level" to simulate a first person view. The reason being is that players are fussy and might not end up exactly where you expect them to be, but you the mapper have full control over an external camera. Some of the new actors (that MultiCam class specifically) was to make a first person "like" view easier.

That said I could find an elegant way of getting the player to move during the point and click sequences. If you are fine with the player teleporting around via the built-in Teleporter class or the new PCADumper class then you can do quite a lot more than just first person style stuff.

I'm currently working on a new demo map to provide examples of everything.

[Pedi]

well thats sounds really interesting.

This reminds me of ONP where also camera flights were used. I'll take a look in the demo map...

[ebd]

http://ebd.unrealsp.org/firetrucks/firetrucks_1_0_0.zip

Provided I didn't mess anything up, firetrucks is now released.

[Turboman]

Excellent job there, The test map was fun and I think this holds a lot of potential for mappers to work with.

I have to ask though, how did you get the winebottle to teleport you around randomly? I understand it gives you a bottleinv item, but upon usage, what does it exactly trigger?

[ebd]

I'm glad you enjoyed the example map.

The items by default call an event when used outside of an itemtrigger. In the case of Bottle3Inv, it is 'Bottle3InvEvent.' I use a PCADumper to do the actual teleportation since as it turns out they are kind of convenient.

The messages that pop up in the test map when using the KeyInv (triggers 'KeyInvEvent'), TankardInv (TankardInvEvent), etc are just TextEvents that are triggered in this manner.

[ividyon]

I'm pretty disappointed by the lack of attention for this project, so I'm bumping this thread... just FYI, this project is out! You can create awesome, unusual interactive maps with usable objects, dialogue etc.

There's so much potential in this package... why has noone discovered it yet?

EDIT: OH, MAYBE BECAUSE I FORGOT A NEWS POST. God damnit.

[TheIronKnuckle]

Never too late? :p

[Turboman]

I guess the lack of attention is mostly due to the fact that it takes time to build up a project, I guess people picked it up but there aren't any maps out yet

I should mention that i'm working on something using this for quite some time, although its a side project and its not at all in a state I want to reveal it yet.

[diamond]

A few questions.

Can Journal have a look of old Translator? I see there are some JournalUI possibilities in the documentation, but the description is vague...

Can you include a mutator which replaces Translator with Journal?

Is there any chances to have UT version?

Then, I think there ARE some features mappers can use for pretty much any project - namely Journal and Dialogues.
Journal is basically a more convenient Translator analogue, why not to use it?
Dialogues are way more interesting than old Translator messages, they are more complicated to set up but that will pay up.

[ebd]

The Journal UI is handled by it's own class (JournalUISystem) and the textures used are parametrized, so creating a journal that looks like the translator isn't a lot of extra effort. It could added without any additional code beyond creating some subclasses and adjusting their default properties. (If you wanted to add it yourself the class to subclass is FiretrucksJournalUI which does not extend Actor.) Multiple people have been asking for this though, so it is on the list of things to add.

As for the mutator, I suppose it would be possible to do. If there a lot of interest I'll look into it. A UT version would be a lot of work because of OldSkool. A lot of the triggers not listed in the bullet points are very, very powerful but perhaps easily overlooked, and those are the kind of things that would work in UT without fuss. I do want to make this package as available to mappers as possible, but there are limits as to what I can accomplish in a given time.