Interstellar Marines: Deadlock Map: Combat Range 01 - Iteration 1 news

Deadlock Map: Combat Range 01 - Iteration 1 | (65 MB)

Everything you see and hear inside this map prototype is "work in progress" and we're about 50% from where we want to be in terms of details, look and feel as well as performance, with the weather system implemented at a very temporal stage and with most environment modules awaiting serious remake / overhaul! (See last weeks Picture of the Week)

• Warning:
• AAA Indie and Open Door Development is ALL about showing "Work in Progress" ... We hope you can take it! :)

• Warning:
• This map prototype is not optimized for performance (No LOD'ing, Occlusion Culling etc.), which means that if you're "playing" on a small notebook, please do not expect the best frame-rates in the world!

• Warning:
• Deferred lighting is calculated based on how many pixels, light influence pr. frame, so be sure to bring down your resolution, if your native default is too high!

• Good News:
• Unity 3.5 (upcoming engine upgrade from Unity Technologies) will bring a completely rewritten Occlusion Culling system which will allow us to make all our scenes perform faster. Unity 3.5 also features a new native Level Of Detail system which will allow us to reduce our scene polygon count significantly and last but not least Unity 3.5 features a new multi-threaded renderer, which according to Unity's CTO Joachim Ante, potentially allows "up to" 3x faster rendering performancel ... We simply can not wait!

Please take the map for a spin and try to visualize running around fighting other Interstellar Marines candidates in tense tactical combat and please do not hesitate to give us ALL your feedback! - There is no stupid questions or bad ideas .. just hit us with everything you got in the comments below.

Dynamic Weather Mode: Midday

Bright artificial sunlight with a bit of wind blowing from the large (not visible yet) wind turbines. Although the weather is clear in this image, SARA has the option to mix any weather system properties on the fly to e.g. create a weather mode of foggy midday and rain with lightning and thunder dominating the weather mode.

Dynamic Weather Mode: Night

A lot of darkness to hunt other candidates hiding in the dense vegetation.

Dynamic Weather Mode: Lightning

5 Giant stadium projectors simulate lightning from a far. The lightning prototype is very WIP but should help provide an idea of the type of diversity SARA has at her disposal to simulate all kinds of exciting combat environments.

Dynamic Weather Mode: Dawn

Not all combat environments are dark and gritty; no doubt dawns can be pleasant and idyllic even though simulated death is lurking everywhere in the red sunlight.

Dynamic Weather Mode: Rain

This weather mode needs particles and other goodies to reach the potential of establishing the calm rainy mood of say "First Blood". However when complete the artificial sprinkler system will be able to simulate everything from the chilly drops of light rain all the way to the heavy and brutal rain showers of violent tropical storms.

Iteration 2 (Brainstorm):

• Level Design: Create more exciting Bunkers A+B interior and exterior.
• Level Design: Make combat areas near both bunkers more interesting and diverse.
• Level Design: Play-test, play-test and play-test

• Look and Feel: Create 1st iteration rain sprinkler system.
• Look and Feel: Implement transitions between weather modes.
• Look and Feel: Create more weather mode presets.
• Look and Feel: Create environment particles to help simulate more weather modes.
• Look and Feel: More work establishing the exterior cave walls and outline environment in general.

• Tech: Instant fade of Lens Flares behind meshes, trees and particles.
• Tech: Update tree billboards with every light update.
• Tech: Spotlight projectors On/Off centralized logic with randomized color and flicker values.

Other relevant DevBlog:
Want to experience one of our other maps (interior) in development:
Deadlock Map: Operations - Iteration 2 available [here]

For the love of the game!
/ZPSHicks