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The Descent: An UnrealSP Collaborative Adventure!

For discussion and promotion of Unreal Engine single-player campaigns, mapping projects and total conversions.

Moderators: Semfry, ividyon

User avatar SteadZ
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Subject: The Descent: An UnrealSP Collaborative Adventure!

Post Posted: 20 Nov 2020, 02:41

Welcome, one and all, to the first annual*
UnrealSP.org collaborative challenge!

*may or may not actually become a yearly thing pending the success of this one!


What is this all about then?

You are cordially invited to participate in a collaborative mapping event!

The general idea is that everybody makes their own individual map "segment", at the end of the timeframe all of the segments will be ordered into a full narrative by the curator (SteadZ) who will also build a short beginning and ending map for a complete single player experience.

Unlike previous collaborative efforts, everybody will create their segments in concert from now - 20th November 2020 - until 22nd January 2021.

You can spend as much or as little time as you like as long as you submit before the deadline, but we recommend spending more than 20 minutes on it but maybe not staying up all night every night either(!).



Ok, sounds great.. what's the catch?

There's no... catch as such, however there are a few constraints/rules that each segment should follow to allow the smoothest experience for everybody:

  • Map must fit within the space of a 4096^3 cube
  • The beginning must be within the top 1024uu
  • The end must be within the bottom 1024uu
  • The map can be built using any texture set and style, but must have some element which uses the DecayedS texture package, whether major or minor
  • Submissions must load and run on Unreal 227i - you can develop on any platform you like as long as this requirement is met!
  • Submissions should use the UnrealShare.SinglePlayer gametype and include a playerstart and entry teleporter
  • Submissions should have an exit teleporter but it doesn't need to connect to anything
  • Ideally any rocks should use the rock textures in the provided package for consistency but we won't make people use them...
  • Map filenames should begin with "td" but are otherwise up to artistic license
  • Submissions do not need to reference the story or characters, but it is encouraged.
  • Inventory should be removed from the player at the end of each submission (a new trigger class "InventoryModifier7" has been included in the custom package for this reason). It is up to the designer to come up with a creative reason for this!



Story - "The Descent"

The premise is as follows:

You were approached by the Do'gradji family with the pleaded request that you rescue their child from a mysterious location known as "The Forbidden Caves". As a highly esteemed mercenary you wouldn't normally accept such a petty job, but one look in their heartbroken eyes told you this was no place for a child - plus the advance deposit is nothing to sniff at!
Information surrounding these enigmatic "Forbidden Caves" is little-to-none, but the Nali are notoriously secretive; what strange and dark secrets could possibly be hiding down there?


The theme of the collaboration is "descent through underground dungeons". Feel free to take that was you will - the more imagination the better!



Characters

  • The Mercenary - the Player Character. No one really knows who they are and they like it that way.
  • The Child - clues about the character and their whereabouts are OK, but they shouldn't actually be found until the end. Who is this child? Are they really a child at all?
  • The Cave - Why is it so forbidden? What are the Nali hiding? What is down there
  • Oozle and Brad - Two buddies who visited the Nali village for some spelunking a couple weeks back but weren't heard from again. Whatever came of them?
  • Doctor E. Sullivan - Someone else who was in the cave for unknown reasons a long time ago. Whoever they were, they are gone now, but they might have left behind logs or other clues.
  • Morgan - A name that popped up a few times when researching the cave. Who were/are they? *What* were they?

It is encouraged to add references in your segments to these characters, however it is not necessary by any means!



Q&A

- Can I make my map comedy/horror/etc?
Yes.

- Can I make custom content in my map?
Yes, in the MyLevel package of your entry.

- Do I need to have my map set underground
The beginning and end should be, what happens in between is up to you.

- Do I need to use DecayedS for everything?
No only a tiny bit

- Do I need to use Ued2.1? I want to use Ued1!
You can use any tools you like as long as the map loads in 227i

- Can I devlop on 436? 227j? 42069?
Yes as per the above question - map must load in 227i but no other restrictions

- Can I use 227i features such as emitters, static meshes, additive geometry, increased node limit, dyanmic zone infos?
Yes.

- Can I use *any* tools? Blender? Photoshop? ZBrush? Ableton?
Whatever floats your boat.

- Can I work with a buddy? and Can I submit more than one map?
Only one mapper per entry and one entry per mapper please

- How do we determine the winners?
This is a collaboration celebrating our favorite single player FPS, not a contest. Anyone who submits a map is a winner ;)



Final Notes

  • Any stock package from Unreal, Return to Na Pali, or Unreal Tournament can be used aside from UPak & Botpack.
  • Any pre-existing custom content package (richrig, etc) can also be used.
  • All custom content you create for your map should be in the MyLevel package.
  • A package (linked below) will also be provided with utility triggers, some rock textures, and a few other goodies.

You can grab the complementary package here!

Package features listed here:
► Show Spoiler




Please let us know if you intend to participate in this thread, or on the Discord server - or both!

We look forward to seeing what everyone does, you can share progress as you go or keep it a surprise until the submission date - the choice is yours...

First and foremost this should be a fun event to bring the community together and get creative!


Special Thanks to:
- ebd for putting together the package and being a huge help in organising.
- ividyon for getting the ball rolling for this in the first place.
Last edited by SteadZ on 24 Dec 2020, 00:53, edited 6 times in total.
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Krull0r
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Subject: Re: The Descent: An UnrealSP Collaborative Adventure!

Post Posted: 20 Nov 2020, 09:12

I would like to donate some of my time into this event.

Thanks to the current worldwide situation and pre Christmas insanity the December is it getting very difficult for me to gain some creativity but I try.

Since the community is very small we need all leftover modders to create lots of content for this very nice event :)


So count me in :) \o/

User avatar G4lactic
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Subject: Re: The Descent: An UnrealSP Collaborative Adventure!

Post Posted: 20 Nov 2020, 14:44

Im for sure going to attempt to Contribute since i have alot of free time, So yaaas imma do it.
G4lactic the GRE4T

yrex
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Subject: Re: The Descent: An UnrealSP Collaborative Adventure!

Post Posted: 20 Nov 2020, 18:11

I feel obligated to contribute to this, but recently, I haven't been feeling too creative. I dunno.

Secondly, how do you resolve contradictions between how different people develop the characters?
e-mail: ampoyrex at wp dot pl

watcher_of_the_skies
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Subject: Re: The Descent: An UnrealSP Collaborative Adventure!

Post Posted: 22 Nov 2020, 18:52

I am totally in.

User avatar Pla
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Subject: Re: The Descent: An UnrealSP Collaborative Adventure!

Post Posted: 22 Nov 2020, 20:50

Well... the contest is a good idea, but the 4096 * 4096 space to create a section is preytty small.. its like the quarter of the terrain of the Dark map.

User avatar SteadZ
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Subject: Re: The Descent: An UnrealSP Collaborative Adventure!

Post Posted: 22 Nov 2020, 21:31

Just to let everyone know, there was a small issue with the actors in the custom package not showing any icons: this has been resolved and the link in the OP has the new fixed version!

Hopefully it's been caught early enough that this won't cause anyone to pull their hair out over ;)

Pla wrote:Well... the contest is a good idea, but the 4096 * 4096 space to create a section is preytty small.. its like the quarter of the terrain of the Dark map.


This is true, but we thought it would be a fun idea to add a size constraint (originally 1024 *1024 was considered so you should consider yourself lucky!) to get people to be as creative with the playable space they have as possible :)
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User avatar Pla
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Subject: Re: The Descent: An UnrealSP Collaborative Adventure!

Post Posted: 23 Nov 2020, 00:00

Another thing I noticed:
Map must fit within the space of a 4096^3 cube
The beginning must be within the top 1024uu
The end must be within the bottom 1024uu

So this means that, its not a cube actually, but 4096uu * 4096uu * 2048uu? So the height is 2048uu (1024uu + 1024uu) only?

User avatar ividyon
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Subject: Re: The Descent: An UnrealSP Collaborative Adventure!

Post Posted: 23 Nov 2020, 09:37

No no, it just means that, since it's a map about going *from top to bottom*, your level start should be at the top of the level space, and the level end should be at the bottom. That way, the theme of "going down into the underground" is maintained from level to level. :)
UnrealSP.org webmaster & administrator

User avatar Pla
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Subject: Re: The Descent: An UnrealSP Collaborative Adventure!

Post Posted: 23 Nov 2020, 16:04

ividyon wrote:No no, it just means that, since it's a map about going *from top to bottom*, your level start should be at the top of the level space, and the level end should be at the bottom. That way, the theme of "going down into the underground" is maintained from level to level. :)


So, It must be an underground level? So it can be 4096 height, but must be underground, like caves, passages, ect? Cannot be a terrain on the top? I planned to make a nice terrain for start, and go down.

So what is true?

User avatar SteadZ
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Subject: Re: The Descent: An UnrealSP Collaborative Adventure!

Post Posted: 23 Nov 2020, 17:44

Yeah, so the overall idea is that it is set in the "Forbidden Caves" - but the section you make can be themed in any way you like! Could be part of an ancient temple, a derelict spacecraft, a Tarydium processing facility, a Nali drug den etc - as the synopsis in the opening post states, the Nali are very secretive about these caves so who knows what the player might find there...

On a technicality, yes you could make a terrain segment so long as the start and end are at the top and bottom as already mentioned, but my personal advice would be to make an "indoor" segment :)
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nikosv
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Subject: Re: The Descent: An UnrealSP Collaborative Adventure!

Post Posted: 24 Nov 2020, 19:28

This sounds like a lot of fun! I'm happy with the packages included and I think the size constraints are good. 4096^3 works out to about 100m on each side, which is plenty of space for some cramped caves with some spacious areas.

I'll kick around the Discord server every so often. It's been a long time since I've built a level but this is a nice small challenge. I have some extra cave brushes to spare as well if anyone feels like collaborating.
Current Project: None. WTFs2 had to go to sleep, RIP.

I still sometimes sculpt PS2-style terrain by hand with Blender 3. Some passions always linger.

User avatar Pla
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Subject: Re: The Descent: An UnrealSP Collaborative Adventure!

Post Posted: 28 Nov 2020, 01:27

What about an "inside-collaboration"?
When 2 users, both wishing to collaborate, they make a segment together, using their spaces together on a map, or 2 map files, what can be inserted together, and match by story and style.

So one users can use 4096w * 4096h * 4096d space.
Two users can have a double long, like two 4096 segments connected: 8192w * 4096h * 4096d. Its a "double" space actually, what are used by two players.
Is it allowed?

Or the two mappers make their segments to fit each other, like one makes an area with the front of the starship, and the second mapper makes the area of the back of the starship?

Is the "insider" collaboration allowed?

User avatar Semfry
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Subject: Re: The Descent: An UnrealSP Collaborative Adventure!

Post Posted: 28 Nov 2020, 01:31

Pla wrote:What about an "inside-collaboration"?
When 2 users, both wishing to collaborate, they make a segment together, using their spaces together on a map, or 2 map files, what can be inserted together, and match by story and style.

So one users can use 4096w * 4096h * 4096d space.
Two users can have a double long, like two 4096 segments connected: 8192w * 4096h * 4096d. Its a "double" space actually, what are used by two players.
Is it allowed?

Or the two mappers make their segments to fit each other, like one makes an area with the front of the starship, and the second mapper makes the area of the back of the starship?

Is the "insider" collaboration allowed?


SteadZ wrote:- Can I work with a buddy? and Can I submit more than one map?
Only one mapper per entry and one entry per mapper please
Formerly Mman

User avatar Pla
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Subject: Re: The Descent: An UnrealSP Collaborative Adventure!

Post Posted: 28 Nov 2020, 19:55

Semfry wrote:
Pla wrote:What about an "inside-collaboration"?
When 2 users, both wishing to collaborate, they make a segment together, using their spaces together on a map, or 2 map files, what can be inserted together, and match by story and style.

So one users can use 4096w * 4096h * 4096d space.
Two users can have a double long, like two 4096 segments connected: 8192w * 4096h * 4096d. Its a "double" space actually, what are used by two players.
Is it allowed?

Or the two mappers make their segments to fit each other, like one makes an area with the front of the starship, and the second mapper makes the area of the back of the starship?

Is the "insider" collaboration allowed?


SteadZ wrote:- Can I work with a buddy? and Can I submit more than one map?
Only one mapper per entry and one entry per mapper please


I wasn't asking about cheating, to fake a user, I asked about a real person.

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