[WIP] New mission, not Maximum Vertigo anymore

[Alter-Fox]

I'm building a 33 level mission for D2X-XL (27 normal and 6 secret levels). It still expands on the D2 Vertigo storyline.

I'll reiterate the last post here.

1. I lost many of the levels I had been working on for this mission when my computer crashed last fall.

2. The story idea for this mission has evolved completely out of my control, and many of the levels that I already made can't be used for this new story. I also don't have time to complete it like this.

3. I'm now working on another mission which will use all of the levels I've been able to salvage from the crash (except for the ones that can still be used for the new story) and some new levels. The levels that were originally for Maximum: Vertigo are being changed to use the new features that have been added to D2X-XL since I stopped working on them. If I don't finish this either, I'll release what I have. So far I've finished one new level and finished remastering one of the old ones. I'm working on another new level now. Right now the soundtrack is getting a higher priority than the levels (the soundtrack is going to be released as a standalone album and the levels are being built around the music.) There are 4 songs that I still have to make for the soundtrack (which will have 21 songs). The only thing I can say for sure about the story for this mission (if it gets finished), is that there are going to be some extremely wierd planets (and the three star systems are taken from Descent: Equinox). I'm trying to do some creative things with effect objects and the new triggers (e.g. a static buzz sound on flickering lights, and a secret level where you have to destroy 200 drones in a time limit). Slow motion and bullet time devices will also appear (but only on one level), and there is also a background story on them.

4. I have an idea of how to use the briefing movies for Vertigo robots.

5. The new mission is already using some of Irontower's modified textures and reticle (thx Irontower ).

6. I will do Maximum: Vertigo eventually, but it will probably be more like a total conversion, with a completely new world and story (based on an idea I've had since 2005, adapted to be a continuation of a short story I wrote.)

7. I am going to remove all the pictures from the last page of this thread to make the posts more readable, since the level where they were taken was one of the levels that was lost in the crash. I'll only post screenshots of the new levels when I'm closer to completing the mission.

[Sirius]

pix? :o :o :o

Also, that's a very heavy secret level balance.

[Alter-Fox]

I'm trying to set a record. Plus, I want there to be lots of replay value.

Pics:

Level 8 - Sliver Station



Level 13 - Xhivian Smelter (not quite finished, I still have to add in some power-ups.)



Secret Level 11 - XIX Galactica

[Wheeze87]

wow! good luck with this project! how far along are you?

[karx11erx]

The pics don't tell much, you hardly see anything.

[Alter-Fox]

I've got levels 1, 8, 10, 11, 14, secret level 11 and secret level 13 done (minus some texture alignment, but I'm saving that for last... it's the building that's really fun.) Level 20 is almost done... I can only add the yellow door in after I build secret level 14, though (level 20 will only have the blue and red keys, the yellow key will be on the secret level.) I'm also currently working on level 12 and level 16. (Level 13 is also almost done... I just need some more power ups. I always put the powerups in last when I'm building for D2X-XL, and when I'm testing the level, I use all the built-in equipment.) The mission already uses loads of D2X-XL features... level 11 uses the in-level teleporting, level 13 has static smoke effects, I'm trying to use robot triggers for as many puzzles as I can, and I think about half the levels I've built so far have more than 900 cubes. Secret level 11 has 1100.

I still have a long way to go before I finish the mission. Pumo is testing the levels I've made so far, and he says they're really good. I'm going to need many more ideas before I can even build all of the levels though. I'll have to dig up some of my old level plans... I used to draw maps of my ideas, but I haven't made many of them into actual levels.

The concept for the mission is actually based on Sonic Heroes... It'll have seven "themed" systems, each with two normal levels and then a boss level. All non-boss levels will have their own secret level. I have some of the same "themes" as D2 counterstrike, and some different ones. (The themes are water, desert, fire, ice, volcanic rainforest, dungeon style, and alien.) There will also be bosses on some of the secret levels... secret level 13 already has two of the Vertigo level 7 bosses.

I'm also composing all the music for this mission myself.

EDIT: I've also made a five minute "trailer" for the mission with clips from levels 1, 8, 10, and secret level 13. I'll upload it onto YouTube as soon as I make an account there.

Sorry about the pics. I took the screenshots with Fraps... I have the demo version, but that was the best I could do on my laptop which doesn't have a printscreen button. They ended up much darker (and distorted) than they should have been.

[Wheeze87]

cool, well with this and pumo's project i forsee some great fresh single player coming soon to descent 2!

[Sirius]

Vignettes (or whatever it's called now, I don't remember) is probably due sooner, but nonetheless.

Going for records is always fun... I remember Obsidian's planned 36+9 size before we realised we couldn't do it. Final product was less than half that.

[Sapphire Wolf]

Vignettes (or whatever it's called now, I don't remember) is probably due sooner, but nonetheless.

Going for records is always fun... I remember Obsidian's planned 36+9 size before we realised we couldn't do it. Final product was less than half that.

I didn't know that Obsidian was originally gonna have 36+9 levels.
But that was waaaaay back then before I had internet for my own.

[karx11erx]

D2X-XL screenshot key is Alt+F9.

[Aus-RED-5]

D2X-XL screenshot key is Alt+F9.

X2!

[Alter-Fox]

It's hard for me to press Alt-F9 in the middle of a battle without dying. The way I build levels, I'm always in the middle of a battle. Is there any way to change the screenshot key?

[blarget#]

i know i should say this in future requests, but Karx11erx could add a theater mode like halo. so we can take screen shots at the right time and place.

[karx11erx]

I don't know what you mean with "theater mode".

[blarget#]

have you played halo 3?