Map type: Single Player
Story: Investigation, Part 4
In Remnant_Experiment Kyle and the Jedi had infiltrated the Remant base on Tenet and found strong evidence that Galtech Industries, one of the largest interplanetary corperations, had links with Remnant forces. They had found technology and research which appeared to have originated from Galtech. The New Republic wanted greater details of exactly what the relationship between Galtech and the Remnant were, and what their technologies were being used for. Kyle was sent to infiltrate a major Galtech research centre on Eltrech. Things were going smoothly; Kyle has just managed to sneak past the perimenter security of the research compound. Then he was knocked unconscious. Kyle awakens in a prison cell.......
Notes: This map was certainly a big project, took about 2 months, and I estimate about 200 hours of work. Why did it take so long? Well, firstly, it's pretty large. Secondly, I had a great many problems with it which required me to go back over stuff and alter it, mostly caused by bad mapping on my part. Thirdly, I learnt new skills whilst creating this map, including a degree of ICARUS scripting, a little on recording and working with sound files, using models and effects. I had a lot to learn, the criticism which Remnant_Experiment met showed me that, and it was deserved. I wanted to add a lot more detail in this map, and at the same time realism. I've tried to get rid of giant rooms with a few tables in like there were in Remnant_Experiment, each room had a purpose, from control rooms, reseach labs to security areas.
One big step from Remnant_Experiment is the NPC's. I didn't actually know how to get them moving about in that map, so they all stood on the spot, which is terrible. In this map they move about in much the same way as in the main game. The biggest step is probabaly the cut scenes. There are two, one at the beggining which is jst a short opener to set the mood, the second, near the end, is more ambitious and involves a bit of voice acting. I couldn't find a voice actor to do Kyle's voice for this map so I had to use various bits he said from the game, cut together a bit, I think it just about works!
One thing I've learned to do in future is to create a map in small sections, rather than as one giant whole. I partially did this in this map, both the cutscnes were created seperately, then attached onto the main map when they were done. I did that because cut scenes require loads of alterations to get them right, and you just can't tell if the changes will work until you actually see the cut scene in action, and you don't want to be waiting for long times inbetween as it compiles. This policy really makes sense in regard to maps in general, creating small sections which you stick together at the end allows for shorter compile times, so more checking and more time for actual map building!
The gameplay of this map revolves a great deal around key fetching. I realise that this will cause probabaly at least as many complaints from people playing the level as plaudits. It does hark back to the days of Wolfenstein, Doom etc where key fetching was all important, I have to admit I found this fairly frustrating in those games. One advantage I feel this form of key fetching level has over the ones I hated is that it's very clearly set out, so it should be fairly easy for players to find their way around. That means that although they may have to go across a lot of the base more than once to find the right keys, they at least won't suffer the great frustration of getting lost a lot too, and not being able to find there way back to the right door. I put the key fetching in to make the player go into the whole base, I didn't want them to be able to not bother with the objectives and run straight to the end, which I'm sure a lot of players would do, because it just takes all the fun and depth out of the level. If I can learn to create objectives then I won't have to involve as much key fetching, because some objectives can be made neccesary for others to appear, which gives the same effect: players have to go all over the level.
There are also things to find for players that search around a bit, there are various items and shields around in out of the way places, and a ventilation shaft somewhere leads to a storage room packed full of useful stuff.
The way this level sems to play from my experience at least in testing is that you need to use your force powers well in conjunction with the guns until you get your lightsaber back. I am pleased with the way this went because it is something that doesn't happen in the ain game, in the game when you used force powers, you probabaly used the lightsaber with them, using force powers and guns in combination is a new feeling and allows for some new tactics to come into play. It is hard to get by with guns alone, both because of ammo restrictions and the number of enemies in certain parts. You have to beat one reborn with guns and force pwer alone, which again is something new. I know I overdid the reborn in the earlier maps, just because I love the saber fights so much I guess, but you can't just put in a load of saber fights to make it a good level, and saber fight after saber fight sure does get repetitve, so I used reborn far more sparingly here, only one big saber fight in the whole level.
I did enjoy creating this map and felt a big sense of achievment when I finished it, but I have to admit I'm above all relieved that it's done, that I actually finished it, and that I can finally move onto other ideas for maps.
New features:
I used ICARUS scripting in this map to create two cut scenes
I used models for the first time in this map, I particularly used the lamp and wall light models from the main game.
I did have an effect in this game, albeit only one - a green beam in one of the science labs. They are really good if used effectively, I will have to use more in future.
I finally managed to get the lighting right in a map by using scale settings. Also the first time I used coloured lights
First map with any voice acting, courtesy of Jamie O'Neill as Commander Hevet
I have to admit, although it is somewhat embarrasing, that this is the first map I used such map building essentails as caulk in, I used triggers to create NPCs as you approached the room so they aren't all there all the time, I used point combats and waypoints to allow NPCs to move around, and the first map I attempted to use area portals in (I don't think with full success). How did my earlier maps even run?
