Developer Journal for Out Of Hell (UT2K4 Mod)
There was never any sort of Post-Mortem for Out Of Hell (UT2K4 Mod) which I realize I should have made a long time ago. I hope that there are still some people out there who would find it interesting to read about some of my design decisions, the process and progression of art.
It will contain some PLOT SPOILERS and you better have a sandwich on hand because it’s going to be a long read!
Lately I’ve been catching up on many posts on different forums and other places about Out Of Hell. It’s been about 2 years since the release and people are still downloading the game and referring others to it! Out Of Hell is flawed in many aspects, there is no doubt about it but there are a lot of people who still say some really kind and encouraging things about the experience as a whole and that just feels really, really great. THANK YOU for your constant support guys and gals!
So initially I was just going to add a few more Media screens and upload some videos to the Out Of Hell Downloads section but just thought I’d throw in a few of the other Daemonicon Monster skins I had done previously too.
Some of the Daemonicon alt skins:
I also have another interesting surprise. Below are 4 concept screens I did as part of a pitch for the Out Of Hell Remake project titled ‘Out Of Hell: Resurrection‘.
Nothing became of it obviously but I still have the materials and if you visit the Out Of Hell Downloads section (or grab it directly from here: http://www.sendspace.com/file/3sl35d ) there is a video of a small wooded area I did for the remake. Only a handful of people have ever seen it until now and I thought you’d enjoy seeing what it was!
**EDIT** Just to avoid any confusion, Out Of Hell: Resurrection is not currently in development. These materials were created as part of a pitch to potential publishers back in 2010.
Hello!
I apologize for the lull but not long after the funding drive was over, I was offered a new job (which I took) and that has been consuming much of my time. Unfortunately, development has slowed just a bit because I’m away for much of the day and by the time I get home, I’m just really tired. Not to worry though, as I’ve been doing things this way for years (those who stood by me through the Out Of Hell years are familiar with that) I will always find time for my projects because they are my passion and I’m working towards a day when I can concentrate solely on creating games and game art.
With that said, here is a peek at the first ‘Human’ character in the world of Daemonicon!
The Military Faction maintains quarantine and will eradicate all hostiles on sight, including any humans who are ‘uncooperative’. It is possible to befriend some Operatives in the field but that is dependent on the player.
Here are 2 more sets of weapons that are available to the player. Most weapons can be upgraded or altered in some way to increase their effectiveness. There are still a few weapons left which I haven’t shown including traps, explosives and arcane artifacts.
The next update will most likely be an environment update (in-game screens) but because of my schedule, I won’t be certain when that will be. Regardless, if you have any questions or suggestions, stop on by the forums or drop me an email!
I wish I had something a little more thoughtful to say but nothing I write can truly express my gratitude to the people who contributed to and supported the project during it’s time of need. My appreciation will be shown through the art for the world to see. Thank you for your generosity.
Hello everyone!
I have decided to switch over to WordPress. I apologize for any inconvenience as a result of this switch. Please update your bookmarks to https://crcdevblog.wordpress.com
Moving on, the funding campaign is coming to a close with about a week left to go. Even though the goal hasn’t been reached, I’m still very thankful for everyone who came out and showed their support by backing the project, making a donation and spreading the news. During times like this I know money is tight for many people which is why I really appreciate that you’ve pulled money out of your own pockets and donated. Every single penny that has been raised so far will be set aside for development costs and every last bit will help me out in the long run. From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU for your support.
I’d also like to post a small update on some of the progress that I’ve been making. First, I’d like to show some comparison shots of the previous dynamic lighting system and the new one:
The pictures on the left represent the old system and the ones on the right represent the newer one. I’m always going to strive for more realistic visuals and considering that everything is dynamically lit with no precomputed lightmaps, I think the new lighting is an improvement, what do you think?
The best thing about the newer system is that it runs even faster than the previous one (a few frames actually gained) This is about the third major iteration of the lighting system since I started and the setup is more optimized and much less confusing to work with.
I also had problems with interiors that didn’t respond properly to the light outside (interiors remained brightly lit regardless of obstructing geometry) I tried a couple of workarounds that ended up being costly in terms of performance and it wasn’t until recently that I had a ‘Eureka!’ moment and came up with a simple solution. Now, interiors no longer appear to be uniformly lit along with exteriors. Very tricksy indeed!
Below, I’d like to show a few in-game features that are running. The HUD graphics, layout, crosshair and default UDK Player model are temporary. Please keep in mind that these are placeholders and only serve to show functionality.
The 3rd person camera is working great. It follows behind the player and depending on the angle the player is looking, it smoothly pans from left shoulder to right shoulder. The camera may seem close in those screens but when the player is running, it zooms out so that most of the model can be seen.
You can also see the HUD extension of the experience system. At the moment, each monster that is destroyed will give the player experience points. When a certain number is reached, the player gains a level and new skills are unlocked.
I mentioned in a previous post that I discovered a (slightly hacky) method of doing foliage that I was quite proud of (looked great, modeled grass not billboard) but eventually became too inefficient for uneven ground and slope placement.
When Epic incorporated the new Foliage Toolset I was ecstatic at first but I must admit, I had a lot of trouble getting the foliage to look and function properly. No longer did it sway the way I wanted in the wind (my grass ended up looking like a bunch of flailing Ramen noodles sprouting from the ground) It wasn’t until 2 weeks ago in a sort of ‘Eureka, I’m such an idiot!’ moment that I figured out that I was approaching it the wrong way. The setup for the wind was fine but I was actually over-complicating things when the solution was to take a simpler approach with my grass geometry.
Don’t make your grass geometry too complex if you don’t have to and it will function better when affected by wind (examples on the right of the arrows) Now the foliage looks and works beautifully and I can cram much more grass into view with no extra cost to performance.
The below shots show the flashlight in action (the lens texture is only temporary) The flashlight is coded (no Kismet trickery) and can be switched on and off at any time. It also casts dynamic shadows, which it didn’t when I first brought it in.
So thanks for tuning in everyone! Work will continue as planned (albeit a little slower without the full funding needed) but some time after the funding drive is complete, I’ll post a more meatier update. I’m still looking for donations so if you are able, please contribute before the end of March! See you soon!
A huge and heartfelt thanks to those that have donated and spread the word about the funding drive so far! There is still a long way to go before reaching the goal and I cannot do it without your help! If you can, please donate!
http://www.indiegogo.com/Daemonicon
Thank you everyone!
The funding campaign has gone LIVE! It is done through Indiegogo and is located here: http://www.indiegogo.com/Daemonicon
I humbly ask the Out Of Hell community, the gaming public and all other supporters for assistance. I have started this crowd-funding campaign in hopes of raising enough money to help out with development costs. The goal is to raise $15,000 USD or more if possible. This is indeed quite a sum but by relying on your generosity and word-of-mouth I believe we can achieve it!
All of the money raised would enable me to bring more help onboard as needed (such as additional artists/programmers) purchase music and sound effects or cover any other related expenses. Building games is a time-consuming process but with your contributions and support, I can significantly reduce the development time by hiring more people to help out! This cuts the amount of work that I need to do and greatly lessens the workload I shoulder.
The campaign has been launched through Indiegogo.com which makes it super easy to donate and gives you the option of using either your credit card or Paypal to make a contribution. If you prefer to help in other ways, you can still do so by spreading the news by word-of-mouth or through social media! ANY and ALL help is sincerely appreciated!
I have also included some Perks (detailed on the funding page) which I hope would interest you enough to contribute! For example you can have your initials scrawled onto the stalls of one of Daemonicon’s many restrooms, spray-painted onto a wall or have one of the randomly-encountered NPC’s in the game named after you!
I hope that you will consider making a contribution to support Daemonicon and really, really thank you for following!
Please check it out! http://www.indiegogo.com/Daemonicon
LONG NGUYEN | Digital Artist & Game Designer 