New level "Caldera" Almost Finished

Creating new content for Trespasser!

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morningstarring
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New level "Caldera" Almost Finished

Post by morningstarring »

So I've been working on a new level recently. I decided to actually give it a proper name "Caldera". I think it's fun, kind of action packed. I need to add a few details here and there to give the level a more immersive experience. Adding a few more puzzle elements would make for a more interesting experience as well. I'm trying to figure out what I can add that isn't too complex scripting wise and makes sense in the context of the level's progression and geography.

I think I've managed to increase the danger level of dinos overall. Setting the right combination of "bool Act_____" values was a great improvement. They seem more nimble than in my other levels and in retail ones. Adding a "speed" value made some dinos very difficult/impossible to merely run past or outrun them. I guess I shouldn't give too much away for now. Anyway, I think it will be a nice addition to the fan made levels once it's finished. Attaching a sneak peak photo!
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Re: New level "Caldera" Almost Finished

Post by tatu »

Woah this looks great! I really LOVE how you are using existing models to make a building, something I know Draco will really love. I do wish more people would do that, no need to make a new model for everything to be enjoyable. Keep it up!
Active project: Trespasser: Isla Sorna
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BE-PH1: Released
PH2-IT: Pre-released
PL-SUM: In production

"...there used to be more benches, but InGen's workers removed them during the evacuation in the name of framerate."
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Re: New level "Caldera" Almost Finished

Post by morningstarring »

tatu wrote: Fri Jan 12, 2024 6:20 am Woah this looks great! I really LOVE how you are using existing models to make a building, something I know Draco will really love. I do wish more people would do that, no need to make a new model for everything to be enjoyable. Keep it up!
Maintaining a handle on scripting, exploring what triggers can do, and thinking about level design/puzzles is challenging enough for me. Learning how to create custom models hasn't been something I want to take on. So I'll "borrow" stuff from other levels or just build structures with available assets. the latter isn't always as nice as a custom model, but it's fine for me. I like creating levels with a linear progression, focusing on puzzles, trying to make new ones, and fun gameplay overall. I really do have ADHD so I tend to be really into the level I'm working on initially but once the basic elements are in place, it's hard to focus on the little details. I'll get bored or anxious to just wrap it up and let people play it. Anyway, enough rambling i suppose. I need to finish this thing!
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Re: New level "Caldera" Almost Finished

Post by Draconisaurus »

Sounds really fun. I still enjoy that these mods are made using retail assets. A lot of time has been put in over the years to put new things in Tres; it's nice to see the original models and things put to new uses. Reminds me to OG Tres modding days.
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Re: New level "Caldera" Almost Finished

Post by TheIdiot »

That screenshot looks really cool so far. I agree, that custom building is really well done. Really eager to see what you've got in store in this level.
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Re: New level "Caldera" Almost Finished

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morningstarring wrote: Fri Jan 12, 2024 5:52 amSo I've been working on a new level recently. I decided to actually give it a proper name "Caldera".
Caldera? As in the crater of a volcano? Sounds interesting. I look forward to playing it. Maybe they get a lot of volcanic earthquakes and that's why the roof/ceiling of that structure is made of so many I beams.
morningstarring wrote: Fri Jan 12, 2024 12:44 pmI really do have ADHD so I tend to be really into the level I'm working on initially but once the basic elements are in place, it's hard to focus on the little details. I'll get bored or anxious to just wrap it up and let people play it. Anyway, enough rambling I suppose. I need to finish this thing!
Damn, same. I too have ADHD and its for those same reasons I haven't worked on my level in months. I had hyperfocus at the start, but now that it is somewhat playable I can't seem to bring myself to work on it. Hopefully, I can get another phase of hyperfocus to get it done.
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Re: New level "Caldera" Almost Finished

Post by morningstarring »

Nick3069 wrote: Mon Jan 15, 2024 5:47 am
morningstarring wrote: Fri Jan 12, 2024 5:52 amSo I've been working on a new level recently. I decided to actually give it a proper name "Caldera".
Caldera? As in the crater of a volcano? Sounds interesting. I look forward to playing it. Maybe they get a lot of volcanic earthquakes and that's why the roof/ceiling of that structure is made of so many I beams.
morningstarring wrote: Fri Jan 12, 2024 12:44 pmI really do have ADHD so I tend to be really into the level I'm working on initially but once the basic elements are in place, it's hard to focus on the little details. I'll get bored or anxious to just wrap it up and let people play it. Anyway, enough rambling I suppose. I need to finish this thing!
Damn, same. I too have ADHD and its for those same reasons I haven't worked on my level in months. I had hyperfocus at the start, but now that it is somewhat playable I can't seem to bring myself to work on it. Hopefully, I can get another phase of hyperfocus to get it done.
I was initially inspired by looking at abandoned buildings in florida and how nature takes over pretty fast in wet/tropical areas. the shape of the level just kind of happened by accident. looked like a caldera to me lol!. hoping to finish the level this week. I'm doing some playthroughs and trying to work on balancing weapon distribution, looking for any bugs/crashes, and other various things that need attention. Its hard, for whatever reason I can't create save files. I get a savegame.000 in the main directory but dont know how to fix the issue. so I have to play the entire level in one go when I test. anyway I'm eager to get the level done. when I try to polish up the little details I get distracted by something else i want to tweak in the level. so I forget to finish what I originally intended and make more even more details to look over.
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Re: New level "Caldera" Almost Finished

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morningstarring wrote: Tue Jan 16, 2024 5:39 amIts hard, for whatever reason I can't create save files. I get a savegame.000 in the main directory but don't know how to fix the issue. so I have to play the entire level in one go when I test.
If Trespasser in installed in Program Files (x86), then you need to run Trespasser as administrator. Modern Windows doesn't like it when games and programs create files without administrative rights. Also, if you have mods enabled, then the save file will be created in the active mod directory instead of the main Trespasser directory.
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Re: New level "Caldera" Almost Finished

Post by morningstarring »

Nick3069 wrote: Tue Jan 16, 2024 9:25 am
morningstarring wrote: Tue Jan 16, 2024 5:39 amIts hard, for whatever reason I can't create save files. I get a savegame.000 in the main directory but don't know how to fix the issue. so I have to play the entire level in one go when I test.
If Trespasser in installed in Program Files (x86), then you need to run Trespasser as administrator. Modern Windows doesn't like it when games and programs create files without administrative rights. Also, if you have mods enabled, then the save file will be created in the active mod directory instead of the main Trespasser directory.
I have it installed in C:\TresCE, I have it running as admin, I don't think my directory is set up properly. I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling, which always creates issues I have to fix to get the game to run at all again. I don't know what the issue is. I changed the install path last time I reinstalled the game to C:\TresCE but my trespasser.log file shows it loading from a dreamworks folder and an older file path. both dont exist anymore but I guess theyre in my PC's registry somewhere maybe? I have no clue at the moment what the issue is or how to fix it. I'll try to correct everything after this level is done I guess.
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Re: New level "Caldera" Almost Finished

Post by tatu »

morningstarring wrote: Tue Jan 16, 2024 2:44 pm
Nick3069 wrote: Tue Jan 16, 2024 9:25 am
morningstarring wrote: Tue Jan 16, 2024 5:39 amIts hard, for whatever reason I can't create save files. I get a savegame.000 in the main directory but don't know how to fix the issue. so I have to play the entire level in one go when I test.
If Trespasser in installed in Program Files (x86), then you need to run Trespasser as administrator. Modern Windows doesn't like it when games and programs create files without administrative rights. Also, if you have mods enabled, then the save file will be created in the active mod directory instead of the main Trespasser directory.
I have it installed in C:\TresCE, I have it running as admin, I don't think my directory is set up properly. I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling, which always creates issues I have to fix to get the game to run at all again. I don't know what the issue is. I changed the install path last time I reinstalled the game to C:\TresCE but my trespasser.log file shows it loading from a dreamworks folder and an older file path. both dont exist anymore but I guess theyre in my PC's registry somewhere maybe? I have no clue at the moment what the issue is or how to fix it. I'll try to correct everything after this level is done I guess.
If you are having issues, I highly recommend to download Mike's Trespasser 2020 package, as it will come with a standalone CE installation which should work in any folder!
Active project: Trespasser: Isla Sorna
Status:
BE-PH1: Released
PH2-IT: Pre-released
PL-SUM: In production

"...there used to be more benches, but InGen's workers removed them during the evacuation in the name of framerate."
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Re: New level "Caldera" Almost Finished

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morningstarring wrote: Tue Jan 16, 2024 5:39 am I was initially inspired by looking at abandoned buildings in florida and how nature takes over pretty fast in wet/tropical areas.
I love hearing stuff like this. Little details like that make it feel so much more real, even with the rather simplistic retail assets. With that in mind, might I suggest adding some hanging moss/vines around these kinds of areas? We have assets for those in a few levels (JPDS, TC Anthology, RTJP). That might help sell the "wet/tropical" overgrowth feel. :)
Nick3069 wrote: Mon Jan 15, 2024 5:47 am Damn, same. I too have ADHD and its for those same reasons I haven't worked on my level in months. I had hyperfocus at the start, but now that it is somewhat playable I can't seem to bring myself to work on it. Hopefully, I can get another phase of hyperfocus to get it done.
Hey, I hear you, I don't even have anything like ADHD and I do the exact same thing. Always comes down to a sort of artistic exhaustion. Just running out of steam/ideas/motivation, even though I'm extremely patient and have a very long attention span. There are only so many times I can put down objects, work on assets or come up with new ideas before I get worn out from it all, you know? :? Must be getting old... :P
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Re: New level "Caldera" Almost Finished

Post by morningstarring »

TheIdiot wrote: Wed Jan 17, 2024 5:52 am
morningstarring wrote: Tue Jan 16, 2024 5:39 am I was initially inspired by looking at abandoned buildings in florida and how nature takes over pretty fast in wet/tropical areas.
I love hearing stuff like this. Little details like that make it feel so much more real, even with the rather simplistic retail assets. With that in mind, might I suggest adding some hanging moss/vines around these kinds of areas? We have assets for those in a few levels (JPDS, TC Anthology, RTJP). That might help sell the "wet/tropical" overgrowth feel. :)
Nick3069 wrote: Mon Jan 15, 2024 5:47 am Damn, same. I too have ADHD and its for those same reasons I haven't worked on my level in months. I had hyperfocus at the start, but now that it is somewhat playable I can't seem to bring myself to work on it. Hopefully, I can get another phase of hyperfocus to get it done.
Hey, I hear you, I don't even have anything like ADHD and I do the exact same thing. Always comes down to a sort of artistic exhaustion. Just running out of steam/ideas/motivation, even though I'm extremely patient and have a very long attention span. There are only so many times I can put down objects, work on assets or come up with new ideas before I get worn out from it all, you know? :? Must be getting old... :P
I found some hanging vines in one of the levels you mentioned. haven't got around to placing them around yet lol. I saw the clip below as a funny way to describe ADHD. definitely applies to level building. going off track and focusing on something else you find that needs fixed, then another, and another. I was play testing my current level for any issues/missing details, to migrating my trespasser files to a separate folder because I can not figure out how to get Dual Stow to work... now I'm thinking I should backup everything, try a fresh install, and set up my trespasser folders/file in an orderly manner. right now its a bit of a clusterfuck but at least the game runs i guess...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbSehcT19u0
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Re: New level "Caldera" Almost Finished

Post by morningstarring »

So this has been happening... I didn't change any values like JumpOver, WalkOver/Under, etc. Not quite sure whats going on, but it started after I changed some stuff in my trespasser.ini file. i added EnableAiActivityEx=-1. I'm going to turn it off and see what happens.
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Re: New level "Caldera" Almost Finished

Post by tatu »

Sounds like a disabled behaviour you reactivated with that. I forgot which ones are re-enabled but some disabled one are scripted to the dinosaurs still :P
Active project: Trespasser: Isla Sorna
Status:
BE-PH1: Released
PH2-IT: Pre-released
PL-SUM: In production

"...there used to be more benches, but InGen's workers removed them during the evacuation in the name of framerate."
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Re: New level "Caldera" Almost Finished

Post by Draconisaurus »

I grew up with ADD.. sort of had to teach myself focus later on. I guess I'm better at it now? I sort of miss the flurry of activity but I appreciate being more organized, making little plans, not having 5 mods going. Ah well.

I think I've learned how to do dual stow a couple times and keep forgetting how later. It's never been important enough to me... TI and I were actually planning an inventory system for SiteC, way back when. There would be little points in the level where you could touch something, and end up teleported into a storage area, which you could then leave and return to the spot you entered from. I started it in Drac~Test but didn't get very far.

Hmmm, with the trespasser.ini setting for the brachios, remember that many players will have it set to -1 regardless. Since the brachios seem to get odd with the removed behaviors turned on, probably it can be fixed by finding which those are and removing them from the brachios' script. Does anyone have a list of which behaviors are originally removed?
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