[ut] G59

[UB_]

Developer: UBerserker
Status: Fully released!



SYNOPSIS
G59 is the first and only custom Single Player campaign for the EXU2 mod, set in the timeline of an extremely far future of Na Pali.
G59 is conceived as a challenging journey where you fight extremely powerful enemies, and also as a meant to explore new and unique themes in the Unreal universe.
As the only human survivor left, he finds himself in the middle of the chaos caused by the arrival of an obscure threat.


LINKS
"G59" Download & Detailed Info Thread

[Dozey]

This is the sequel to previous Excessive Unreal 2, or another mod?

[UB_]

It's a custom campaign. It has really nothing to do with Batshit Insane.

[UB_]

Post updated for Episode 2 release under EXU2 v7.1.
Discussion ONLY THERE http://unrealsp.org/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=4263 - don't post here.

[UB_]

Note: G59 works fine under 7.2, however a hotfix has been released (get it in the main G59 thread's OP post) which fixes map4's spawning sequences suddenly breaking due to the new EXU2 patch, so get it absolutely.
Discussion ONLY THERE http://unrealsp.org/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=4263 - don't post here.

[UB_]

Small bump to top, as it's also an active project understandably.

Trying to push the release to May as far as I can. With Map 8 done, Abyss is now getting slightly overhauled; I might also need to change some stuff for the last two levels. The CA map is gone forever and there is not going to be any sort of secret super final boss levels (I wanted to do it initially but decided to salvage the idea).

[UB_]

News bumping time. Will be using this thread (since it exists) and keeping it active until the full version is released. The main thread (http://unrealsp.org/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=4263) will be used for release info and discussion instead.

As seen in the WIP thread in the Project section I've been proceeding steadily. Finally done with the outdoor section of Verflucht/Yaksha (the king's lava castle, penultimate level), I'm looking what cool things to do with the indoor section since it contrasts heavily with the battle-heavy outdoor parts (there are like around 1000 non-swarm enemies to kill). Also planning to give the boss a lot of attacks; he will likely play a lot like the final boss in Xeops.

Once I'm done with the level, as tradition goes I'll be testing the whole campaign and polishing all the levels until this one, and then proceeding overhauling the final map. This is to keep everything in order, and to keep track of the overall gameplay balance of the pack before the end-game level.

Some new items and enemies got also made but will be revealed when the full pack is out.

Though the most important part is that on Easy difficulty, a mysterious entity will gift you a stone in the first level (The Limbo). This stone with infinite charge can regenerate your health up to 999 quite quickly. You can turn it on or off; this is to help weaker players going through the pack on the easiest difficulty. Health isn't exactly a source of safety in EXU2 compared to armors, so this isn't that much of a game-breaking item.

[UB_]

Back on top.
Just a heads up: Verflucht was completed yesterday, and now I will be going through the aforementioned recheck throughout all old maps - changing a bit the balance and removing more unintuitive things I come across in order to help players slightly more (especially early game), I do not think it might be necessary a campaign restart due to these changes.

EDIT: regenerative item for Easy difficulty only implemented!

[UB_]

Finally, an update here almost one month later with some good news: map 0 to map 10 are finally done and playtested. Had to go through them twice, since I went to change a lot of stuff in terms of gameplay/progression, and the patchlog is now gigantic.

Every map is now as polished and balanced as much as I could do, for all difficulties hopefully. So much work have been done on this to ensure a retail-feel campaign which brings the best storyline and the most unique atmosphere in any Unreal mappack so far. Very much happy that the release of EXU2 v7 inspired me to overhaul G59 into what it is now compared to the incomplete piece of crap back in v6, and lots of thanks to Buff Skeleton to have created a mod which allowed me to do something I've always wanted to make.

Now, only map 11, the last level, remains to be overhauled and playtested, and then there's the ending map which will be probably a new one from scratch. Almost there!

[UB_]

Today I am currently uploading Episode 3 - so yes, it's basically what has been finished so far and it's everything except the last level (map 11) and the ending. I have been heavily slowed down this week where I should have finished all (there was a time where I didn't want to release anything anymore) but for now that's being delayed.

So far I don't know if I'll ever bother finish the last map any time soon, it will all depend on how many people will play the mappack. I don't put effort for a no audience. Besides, if I will complete the whole thing, I think I will be done mapping for UT since I want to move to UE4 for personal stuff.

All the previously released maps have their gameplay balance and other story features changed around. It's definitely recommended to start from zero but if you reached map 7 you can still continue to map 8 normally.

With nothing being released nowadays or coming soon there isn't a perfect time to release this and especially play this. The update should be live in about 3 hours.

EPISODE 3 IS OUT NOW.

[UB_]

TODAY
[/sshot][/sshot][/sshot] G59 v7 is finally complete! The last map and a visually-remade ending cutscene are ready to go today. You are all welcome to try out the campaign as soon as possible.

It'll be uploaded some time today as a separate patch. The full repackage (with updated readme) will be done in the following days. I will editbump both threads when uploads are done.
The patch in question contains the last two maps and an updated system file. Nothing else got changed in the finalized version.

This is my last stab at EXU and UT mapping. I will also not restore, nor update to any successive EXU2 system major updates if they ever come out, so save your EXU2 v7.2 files somewhere. These "broken campaign" cycles have gotten stale and extremely time consuming, it's being stuck in a prison of sorts. This is true for Xeops, also.

MASSIVE thanks to SteadZ for figuring out how to squash some annoying issues I was having at the last moment!

[editor Dave]

Congratulations on the final final release. I will download the full package when you are ready. I hope you still keep an eye on this community even when you won't contribute new maps anymore!

[UB_]

Final addendum patch is RELEASED!

Congratulations on the final final release. I will download the full package when you are ready. I hope you still keep an eye on this community even when you won't contribute new maps anymore!

I might still map but for 227. I want to move to UE4 really, though. Thank you!

[JoeUnreal]

I had a really good time playing the first 4 maps of this pack on Easy difficulty. The learning curve for things like adapting to explosive barrels and other environmental factors are effective but require me to save often which is something I'm not used to. One suggestion I would have is to include in a pack of this nature would be a check point system, but I realize something like this may not be possible to do in Unreal and may need the support of UE4 or 227 to accomplish.

Unfortunately, I had some recent issues with disk space for some video projects I was working on and didn't realize it was eating up all my memory so a hastily deleted my entire steam folder to make sure things didnt crash. So now I have to reinstall my steam UT and this pack and I intend to restart the pack on Medium difficulty and see how things go from map 5 onward.

So far I give the pack an 9/10. Great work, I'd like to upload some playthrough videos at some point.

[UB_]

Repackage is being uploaded (which is episode3 content as they were with the last patch and an updated readme). It's 650mb of upload so it's going to take a lot of hours. Once that's done I'll be also posting a more detailed list of tips and bugs in the EXU2 board thread.

I had a really good time playing the first 4 maps of this pack on Easy difficulty. The learning curve for things like adapting to explosive barrels and other environmental factors are effective but require me to save often which is something I'm not used to.

Was the regen orb given on Easy helpful enough? On that difficulty enemy damage is reduced and 60 HP per second should be enough to cover a lot of damage, however the big golden rule in EXU is that you don't want to lose armors.

Yeah I'm not saying G59 is easy at all, I still wanted it to be a challenge through and through with each level being increasingly harder. Elohim and its boss battle are tough; I'm not even sure if I balanced it correctly since it's all about him entering the trap rooms but the Unreal AI is so dumb at times. Unreal really isn't a game for complex boss fights but I tried what I could.

Overall it's tough but I made sure to cut down unfair battles; like there's no stupid ambushes like in the first Serious Sam games with constant spawning because you got a random item x on the road.

The other golden rule is to not let useful flares to waste. EXU2 can be exploited in a lot of ways and once you figure those out, things become a lot easier.

If the campaign is somehow way too hard, tell me. I'm in for more audience.

One suggestion I would have is to include in a pack of this nature would be a check point system, but I realize something like this may not be possible to do in Unreal and may need the support of UE4 or 227 to accomplish.

Save game spam is one of the ways to exploit through Unreal's overall difficulty, yeah. Checkpoints are a no-no for one single reason: the save game bug. I'm pretty sure it'd affect a checkpoint system too. Always save on two slots or even three. This bug is super annoying in Unreal and there's no way to crush it down, and it happens outside EXU too.

So far I give the pack an 9/10. Great work, I'd like to upload some playthrough videos at some point.

Thanks! I focused a lot of atmosphere and feel and the best way to experience the pack is to play it from start to finish without long breaks. Playthroughs would be welcome because I can see how other people play it. Barring some veteran EXU/Unreal players, I had barely no feedback, therefore not a clear balance direction to take.