Topic: Crowd-source level building

[-<WillyP>-]

Hey, don't be so hard on yourself, it's as good of an idea as any!  (except mine, of course... )

Anyway, let's organize our ideas into possible game scenarios, however rough they may be.  Then we can vote on a game-plan instead of a game-type.  Since Single-player is still in the lead in the poll, I would assume some have some ideas for Single player.  Name you ideas, and explain them in one post, so I can make a poll that has each one listed by name, maybe a link to the post.

Note: does not have to be your original idea, but maybe your variation of some other idea, etc...

[Scyphi]

I only really ever suggested one level idea, so I'll just repost what I said before.

But there is one in particular I'd love to do.

See, I was replaying D1 level 13 not that long ago, and I just randomly got to thinking about how it'd be cool to rebuild the level in D3, but it had been left in ruins after it's reactor had blown. Kind of like that brief spot in D3 lvl 10 (?) that briefly showed D1 lvl 1's ruins, but bigger, showing more of the level in navigable ruins. Shortly thereafter I got the idea that maybe the virus had reinfected the mine for reasons unknown and hotwired a replacement reactor (I'm guessing the bots built it from scratch) in to power as much of the mine's ruins as possible, to possibly start rebuilding it, but their way, possibly creating structures reminiscent of D3 Merc Lvl 4, maybe even complete with some of those hive bots. I'd personally think this would be cool, because you'd be going down these ruined tunnels of an old D1 mine (which is cool in of itself), then suddenly turn right and BAM! Suddenly you find yourself in the middle of Merc. Lvl 4. Cool

More details on demand, if anybody's interested.

[Kaiaatzl]

If it's going to be singleplayer I can easily contribute some high quality osf music to make it less monotonous .

[Shroudeye]

@Vanguard: Yeah, relax, its good to have opinions... Just focus on what you really want, tell it to us, so we can ALL discuss it here. This is how something with QUALITY gets designed first, via brainstorming!

About your idea, you just have to write it a little more, say, open?

Well, for Singleplayer, here is my oldest offering:

...The player (OR group of players) gets stuck down in an unexplored cavern system, after a teleporter failure took the transporter offline and damaged their ship's systems. Their objective is simply to repair the teleporter system, by searching for resources in the tunnels and get the hell out of there before their oxygen runs out... And they would have to fight a horde of bots and environmental hazards along the way...

[(LL)Atan]

@Willy

Well, I am very confused now.  I tested your level just by myself.  And I hit the swiches and flew from end to end. The I put a marker on two of the walls and when I hit the first switch, they open and close.  But you say only at level start... How would that help with making a level adjust to size according to number of players?  Or is there some other goal of your test I did not see?

Well I hope I can say it a little better this time.
I had the idea about a level-type which would not be the same every time you start it. (would fit best to Anarchy, but will do in SP too)
In a real game you could start at the moment a reactor (or similar) is destroyed, all should hurry to the exit and leave. Nice fights if only the first one could escape and earn points for this.
But if you would have played such kind of level often, well, every body would know the way to fly out.
Now the idea behind: I thought it would be nice if no one would know how he should move trough the level to leave 'this! time'.
To check this out I made this test-level and I thought it would be a good idea to simulate the moving without ending the level and to start again always.
With the start-key you produce a random way, you simulate the moment this event should begin with it. It could be the level start or whenever it would be triggered.
Now You can try to fly to the end-switch, which just a test to open all ways again. This switch is only a placeholder for a possible exit, no real meaning in this level.
If you fly to start now, you can produce a new way towards the end again.
You possible may just hit that 'start-key' again and again an look which block opens..
All inside this level is just done for  test proposes.
There is nothing real usable in this level, it's just a simulation to see how it could work to randomly changing the path to the exit.
Sorry if I confused you with this!
 

[Foil]

... randomly changing the path to the exit.

^^^^

THIS!!

[-<WillyP>-]

Gotcha!  Cool idea!  I guess I just had stuck in my head the idea of reducing level size when there are few players.  So you could have multiple choices of paths, intertwined together, to end up with one path of hundreds possible.

[Shroudeye]

Sounds like the Left 4 Dead 2's levels...

[VANGUARD]

Hey, don't be so hard on yourself

sorry. someone is giving me a hard time, and it stuck on me.

Something unique would be nice. There are some shows on TV,or was on TV that did something risky. One is Home Improvement. They took a chance on an episode that Randy may have some sort of cancer, if memory serves. They weren't sure if people would hate it, because it's a serious topic, or not.

it turned out to be well liked. and I think that happens a bit in some shows. You take something unique, hopefully do it well, and it can be a popular show, or in this case, a level/map.

That's all I can say for now, should get back to work.

[(LL)Atan]

Sounds like the Left 4 Dead 2's levels...

Sorry? Could you please explain, that says nothing to me.

[Shroudeye]

The Left 4 Dead 2 has a similar feature that allowed its levels to have changing layout-minimal changes in placement of static object(s) that gave parts of the level to have different layouts each time the map is loaded-like opening a particular door or not. Plus, the same "randomization" goes for weapon caches, ammo crates and zombie hordes/tanks...

An example from L4D2: There is a "graveyard" arena where the path of the players are shaped mostly with gravestones, Mausoleums and etc. The game's engine simply changes some of the object's "ghosting", and changes the path randomly each time... That was what they said at the development commentary...

Your level featured those opening/closing portals that reminded me of this

[TechPro]

Hey, I got an idea.... (it's rare, but it happens)

If we can make use of the random changing path approach, we could make a level (for SP of MP usage) where there is a central room with passages to an outer area (perhaps and area up and an area down, or a multiple combination) and because of the randomly changing path you (the pilot) can never be completely sure of the path you need to take ... because it keeps changing.

A multi-player level like that would be awesome fun because as you run to or from your goal, your path is going to change without you knowing the precise change.  You get be running with your enemy in hot pursuit, turn a corner to find that path is blocked, or your enemy thinks he's got your cornered, and surprise! A way is clear....

On DescenBB.net, "sdfgeoff" posted some Pyro renderings, and among the renderings he made a rendering of the Star trek: Deep Space Nine space station with a Pyro approaching it. Click here to see his post with the image. ... It occurs to me that a level shape similar to that station would work VERY well for that kind of game play.

It sounds like a lot of fun to me.

[-<WillyP>-]

Now, if you really want to mess with people who use auto leveling, build that level at about a 30 deg angle from plumb...

[Foil]

Now, if you really want to mess with people who use auto leveling, build that level at about a 30 deg angle from plumb...

I thought auto-levelling just levels the ship to the closest wall, not the absolute XY plane.  (I haven't used it in over 15 years, though, so my memory may be failing me.  )

The effect is still acheivable, though.  Check out the D3 level, "Three Sisters" (it's in the Mano-a-Mano pack, I think), or "TetraFusion".  Both those levels apply unusual conventions by making the various sections of the level at odd angles to each other.

[Shroudeye]

Well, people are we going to do something yet? My school is starting, and it will get steamed in a few weeks. I'd like to know if there will be any action, so I can adjust my timetable...