Large S.T.A.L.K.E.R. inspired Island "NOVA ZONA"

[Brain 12]

It's often forgotten that Roadside Picnic is set in Canada. :-).

I think it's more of a methaphor.

[bad benson 1733]

I like the ArmA 3 island/s for their beauty, but they feel a tad much like paradise to me. They just look too clean and new compared to Chernarus.

nail on the head X 1000 000!! i really hate to bitch about the beautiful arma 3 terrains but they suffer from exactly what you described. i'd suggest to use some different weather settings than default though. unfortunately almost all MP servers are always sunny weather. it doesn't do the range of atmospheres this game can create justice.

[stevos758 10]

You should get together with this guy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0kOZLHVmvg

[nerdmod 11]

Hey NerdMod..!

Wow, thanks for your support mate, it's very much appreciated!

This is a great surprise for me to see you've added NOVA ZONA as a project you're looking forwards too, as a few days back when I posted on your thread, I wrote a long rambling post about how amazing it'd be to see your project somehow utilized along with NOVA ZONA in building Stalker shacks and defences etc- all in the style of NOVA ZONA.

Can you imagine how cool that would be..!? :cool:

But, as I didn't want to hijack your thread I deleted it all before I posted it and just left some words of encouragement instead lol..! But yeah, looking at how advanced your project is right now and where it's heading, it'd seem ideal for an island like NOVA ZONA, scavenging bits of wood and metal plating etc to create ragtag bases and huts.

Anyway, you're the one here doing REAL modding work man, I'm merely creating models and textures in effect- what you're doing is an actual "game-changer" NerdMod, so the very best of luck with it..!!!

(And yes, me also being a Brit means I have a fondness in a sick twisted way for dark, damp and atmospheric locations so I hope to do it justice..!) ;)

Ah the pleasure is all mine... I felt I should drop by with a few supportive words as I did notice you left a comment on my thread. I've now just realized that I didn't actually mention it, and didn't thank you for the support!

That said, I've been pretty busy replying to PMs and such with the popularity of the mod growing by the day. As such, I tend to miss things now and again haha. Oh and adding Nova Zona to my sig was a must! I felt it deserved some sneaky subliminal advertising. ;)

Damn you... You wouldn't have been hijacking... Feel free to throw around any ideas or suggestions you might have in my thread anytime! PM me if you must and we can talk. :)

I'd absolutely love to work along side you some day, and maybe if you are willing to design some modular NOVA ZONA themed models sometime. I can get them hooked into my mod to support your project. Your ideas are something I had in-mind myself after seeing your work. Both mods being somewhat based on survival makes complete sense. It's a recipe for some amazing game-play.

Your doing just as much for the community as me mate. I've been longing for a good worn down island for A3 since Alpha and was going to give it a try myself in the future. Now I don't need to bother and can concentrate on getting the survival mechanics all scripted and released instead. In essence you are aiding me, and my mod. We can all have some immense post-apocalyptic-survival fun when both mods are released! :D

I have faith...

For the survival of mankind, we can win the fight against these sad day's of terror together! Haha ;)

Take Care,

- NerdMod

---------- Post added at 01:05 ---------- Previous post was at 00:56 ----------

nail on the head X 1000 000!! i really hate to bitch about the beautiful arma 3 terrains but they suffer from exactly what you described. i'd suggest to use some different weather settings than default though. unfortunately almost all MP servers are always sunny weather. it doesn't do the range of atmospheres this game can create justice.

Likewise friend!

I've noticed this in many MP game-play videos I have watched on YT. I've played around with fog and such in the past to see what it looks like with the new engine lighting, and as much as I was overjoyed by how pretty it looked, I ended up starting work on a quick dynamic sand/rain storm script for some challenging 'extreme weather' game-play. :D

[grimwald 24]

I think it's more of a methaphor.

"He was a foreign scientist, and a Russian one at that."

The town is Harmont - not a Russian name. Don't know what more you need. :) Maybe read it (again)?

[meshcarver 12]

Hi all,

You should get together with this guy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0kOZLHVmvg

Yes, I've spoke briefly with this guy and I believe he's not creating new content though- he's porting stuff straight from GSC SOC game into ARMA3- Which is fine with me..! :D

nail on the head X 1000 000!! i really hate to bitch about the beautiful arma 3 terrains but they suffer from exactly what you described. i'd suggest to use some different weather settings than default though. unfortunately almost all MP servers are always sunny weather. it doesn't do the range of atmospheres this game can create justice.

Indeed man, indeed... when testing my objects, I almost always adjust weather sliders so they're more in line with what I plan to have for my final setup for NOVA ZONA. Seeing them in full sunlight helps with seeing how the ShadowLODs work, but for a visual guide, yeah, I set to at least 50% overcast and put it to November/December..!

Ah the pleasure is all mine... I felt I should drop by with a few supportive words as I did notice you left a comment on my thread. I've now just realized that I didn't actually mention it, and didn't thank you for the support!

That said, I've been pretty busy replying to PMs and such with the popularity of the mod growing by the day. As such, I tend to miss things now and again haha. Oh and adding Nova Zona to my sig was a must! I felt it deserved some sneaky subliminal advertising.

Damn you... You wouldn't have been hijacking... Feel free to throw around any ideas or suggestions you might have in my thread anytime! PM me if you must and we can talk.

I'd absolutely love to work along side you some day, and maybe if you are willing to design some modular NOVA ZONA themed models sometime. I can get them hooked into my mod to support your project. Your ideas are something I had in-mind myself after seeing your work. Both mods being somewhat based on survival makes complete sense. It's a recipe for some amazing game-play.

Your doing just as much for the community as me mate. I've been longing for a good worn down island for A3 since Alpha and was going to give it a try myself in the future. Now I don't need to bother and can concentrate on getting the survival mechanics all scripted and released instead. In essence you are aiding me, and my mod. We can all have some immense post-apocalyptic-survival fun when both mods are released!

Excellent news mate- I feel the same way about possible collaboration in the future, but I reckon for both our sanity we should more fully round off what we both set out to do first..! I'm 100% for working on a blend of our projects, that'd be amazing, as I also think they're sort of made for each other- a perfect fit..! Even just typing all this I've pictured a few ways to enhance the "blocks" I could create for your mod, with little metal welded plate overlaps and such- little details that'll really make it pop.

ARGHhhhh..! That's the danger lol, already I've forgot what I'm going to be modelling today and am running through little NerdMod style blocks with a Stalker twist lol..!!! ;)

In the future mate, in the future...

Also yes, another reason for me wanting to create this island is I really miss Chernos run down and grotty look, so this will more than fill that void- it's going to be so irradiated, polluted, bleak and grim it'll make Birkenhead look like the Bahamas... ;)

I've noticed this in many MP game-play videos I have watched on YT. I've played around with fog and such in the past to see what it looks like with the new engine lighting, and as much as I was overjoyed by how pretty it looked, I ended up starting work on a quick dynamic sand/rain storm script for some challenging 'extreme weather' game-play.

Goddamn, I'd LOVE to see a clip of what you've got planned/made for rain- I'm so sick of waiting for BI to reintroduce the rain slider to their game..! I hope it's a great improvement to their normal flat poly with rain on it effect. ;)

[nerdmod 11]

Hi all,

Excellent news mate- I feel the same way about possible collaboration in the future, but I reckon for both our sanity we should more fully round off what we both set out to do first..! I'm 100% for working on a blend of our projects, that'd be amazing, as I also think they're sort of made for each other- a perfect fit..! Even just typing all this I've pictured a few ways to enhance the "blocks" I could create for your mod, with little metal welded plate overlaps and such- little details that'll really make it pop.

ARGHhhhh..! That's the danger lol, already I've forgot what I'm going to be modelling today and am running through little NerdMod style blocks with a Stalker twist lol..!!! ;)

In the future mate, in the future...

Also yes, another reason for me wanting to create this island is I really miss Chernos run down and grotty look, so this will more than fill that void- it's going to be so irradiated, polluted, bleak and grim it'll make Birkenhead look like the Bahamas... ;)

Sorry, sorry! :D

Clearly your ideas as a skilled modeler would greatly benefit the iBUILD Mod and I can not wait to see what you come up with. I do understand we both need to priorities our main projects, but there is no harm in putting forth any sporadic ideas that may spring to mind. We may even spark ideas that could improve our existing projects! ;)

Goddamn, I'd LOVE to see a clip of what you've got planned/made for rain- I'm so sick of waiting for BI to reintroduce the rain slider to their game..! I hope it's a great improvement to their normal flat poly with rain on it effect. ;)

I only got as far as Sand, but I hope to re-visit it sometime. I'd love to see BIS implement a real weather system into the game. Now that it supports PhysX, I'm sure they could utilize it in some way. This would amount to some really atmospheric possibility's especially for a map like "NOVA ZONA". Hmmm, maybe this could be my next project... ;)

Hope things are going well on your side mate. I can not wait to see "NOVA ZONA" in all it's glory! :D

- NerdMod

[iguanapl 0]

Although I have always prefered apocaliptic desert like USA settings (Aka Fallout 1 and 2) I must say your project looks very nice. Very Stalker alike... Keep those objects coming :)

[meshcarver 12]

@Nerdmod-

hehe, aye man, I agree.

If and when ideas do come to mind, I'll make sure to post them in your thread or PM you if it's a more lengthy description that's needed- count on it mate. Again, your mod is a game changer and it'd be a privilege to throw some ideas and motivation your way.

@iguanapl-

Thank you, I really want to keep this true to the STALKER aesthetic, and the challenge is coming up with entirely new structures/ideas whilst maintaining the look.

I'm using almost 90% real world photo ref of anything I can find that I think has an interesting twist on the everyday, and about 10% screenshots that I've taken in STALKER game itself to keep me on the path..!

I've recently had a hiccup with my PC, but have JUST got it back together so I can carry on now. I'll PROBABLY finish the latest building I'm doing, like a huge 45 meters Water Tower today, but then I'll have to start the process of knocking blocks and holes out of it then re-texturing the newly created polys and edges which is ALWAYS more time consuming than I anticipate... but necessary for the NOVA ZONA vibe! ;)

[shinkicker 5]

As massive stalker fan, following this thread attentively.

It would be great to see city of pripyat multiplayer mmo type experience, but with the SP metrics such as trading, factions etc, as opposed to deathmatch.

[meshcarver 12]

Hi shinkicker,

aye, I'm hoping to include a sort of Pripyatesque city/large town of some sort.

My ONLY concern in doing so is the "every room enterable" situation- you can imagine how many rooms there'd be in just one of those kind of tower blocks.

It's easily doable on the modelling/texturing side, but it's implementing it ingame where it's more of a tricky job so it doesn't lag like hell... hopefully as I go along I'll find more info about this and how to get around it.

[meshcarver 12]

Hi,

here's that large Water Tower I was working on when my beloved PC took a nose dive.

It's inspired by the now iconic Water Tower at Vukovar in Croatia that sustained extensive damage during the siege:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vukovar

I chose it as it has a distinctly Eastern European feel to it and it's a very interesting shape and has a strong silhouette. The eight huge concrete supports also lend themselves to some cat and mouse game play hopefully so I've tried to cut a few blocks out of them to break up the outline and allow for stray bullets and shells to go through.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/86890612@N02/9577723616/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/86890612@N02/9577726766/

To get to the top, the player will first ascend a spiral staircase, then climb two tall internal ladders. There's two external floors- the viewing or maintenance level (Complete with faded wavy water themed wall paper!) with eight connected rooms and the very top from were the player will get a 45 meter high 360 degrees view point of the surrounding Zone.

Anyway, hope you like it guys, it threw up a few problems along the way lol... ;)

Edited August 23, 2013 by meshcarver

[BusStopWilly 1]

I'm struggling to find words to congratulate you enough! This is a fantastic looking structure, (as are all of them!).

I'm pretty much driven speechless by the quality, but feel the need to post to let you know how much I love them as a simple OMFG reply is often frowned upon by moderators :D

Keep up the fantastic work, can't wait to explore these under the light of a full moon and a nice mist.

BSW

[shinkicker 5]

Love it mate!

[meshcarver 12]

Hey up,

cheers guys! Aye this one was a bit of a bugger because of the curve and the spiral staircase to the ladders. I am trying as much as possible to pre plan and create all these structures as modular as possible so it'll allow for quick chopping and changing or variations if the need arises.

Using that method means a bit more fore thought, so they're taking slightly longer as a result but I reckon it'll be worth it in the long run.

[freakjoe 3]

Wow, amazing work once more.

Also, I'm sorry if you've mentioned this before, but what software are you using for modelling and UV Unwrapping?

[Kyle_K_ski 1]

The rundown cabin looks terrific. Can't wait to see headlamps and flashlights illuminating that thing in the dead of the night. Muzzle flashes would be a more...intense form of lighting, don't you think? ;)

That Vukovar-inspired tower is amazing to see. It's iconic enough to serve as a "tragedy motif" such as Pripyat's Ferris wheel at its amusement park.

Pripyat's schools are also fittingly tragic. For that matter, a lot of suitable content could be culled by studying condemned buildings from Detroit. https://www.google.com/search?q=detroit+condemned+buildings&client=firefox-a&hs=T9o&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:unofficial&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=R5cZUsrWJJSu4AOd0oHADg&ved=0CDwQsAQ&biw=1600&bih=687

A large part of the reason for why such images are so powerfully moving is that what's also visible is the POTENTIAL for a nurturing environment that was then lost. It's amazing to me how many mainstream titles totally miss trying to capture the little things that actually can have the most impact. Seeing palettes loaded up with unused school textbooks and crayons, or warehouses full of canned goods that have seeped the rot out of their bulging and burst sides - nourishment for the mind and body that's now forever squandered - those kinds of scenes are absolutely chilling to me.

It would be heartbreaking to see weathered photos and children's artwork occasionally hanging on walls, along with mildewed greeting cards. Marc, if you ever go ahead with placing such tender items inside these abodes, let me know if you'd be interested in acquiring some genuine artwork from young children. I'd be more than happy to scan some of my children's artwork and send it your way for potential use. That would be a cool Easter egg for my wee ones, that's for sure.

I'm wondering if another very haunting site would be a Romanian-inspired "factory" orphanage. Seeing hall after hall littered with rotting cribs, some of which have been busted up and used as kindling for fire pits, would be a pretty chilling environment for one's soul. Broken dolls, halfway deflated balls, and the like... Man, I'm down just writing about it... :(

Contrast between the "inner" region of the island and the "outer" region could be supplied in creating more Western-looking buildings that were centered on trying to commercialize Nova Zona by creating a perverted sort of tourism industry. It would be a type of "hotel" that featured built in fast food dining, several stores like a small mall, guest accommodations, and lots of magazines and books promising to reveal "all of Nova Zona's secrets" to whomever bought its pages. These hotels would be quite "decadent" in the sense of trying to capture Western values while simultaneously trying to ruthlessly exploit the suffering of those in the entire region in a pop culture kind of way. Clear packages of "authentic" tile supposedly pried from key buildings would be sold right next to Nova Chocolate (yuck!) candy bars. "Tacky" wouldn't be the word to describe this level of vampiric behavior - ghoulish would be more accurate, although the owners and purveyors wouldn't see it that way in the least. To them, it would feel right at home.

That's it for now. Keep up the great work Marc. I'm proud of your efforts, and very grateful for you sharing it with us. :bounce3:

[GottyPlays 10]

Very nice work! Full support :D

I'm a musician and i'm studying to be an audio engineer right now, i liked a lot stalker games and if you are interested i can work on some creepy atmospheres and sounds in my free time, tell me if you are interested :P

this is what i came up in 5 minutes :j:

Example

[KingScuba 1]

if i knew anything about modeling or scripting i'd throw my hat in and help you out. Stalker is still one of my favorite games, and your island idea is pretty ambitious. ~~

If you know of anything that might help you out on this, hit me up.

[meshcarver 12]

@ Kyle-

Hey thanks for popping by again mate. Yes, I've got loads of photo ref of Pripyat itself and also places like abandoned schools etc, and I like your idea of using real childrens artwork to scatter around the relevant places of this map. I'll have to call on my own niece and nephew before they get too old to, but rest assured I'll let you know in PM to ask you too if that's ok? ;) You've already helped so MUCH that it's the least I could do as pay back for all your ideas.

I will be trying for a very strong contrast between the outer island and the inner island, inside the Grey Wall, or Sira Stina.

@ GottyPlays-

THANK YOU very much for your kind offer man, and also for your creepy sample! I must admit I far prefer that kind of surreal minimalist approach than a flat out "horror tune" or something. It lends itself to more interpretations as you can hear something different every time depending on the situation- for me anyway! ;)

But yes, when and if I do need an audio help I'll be sure to PM you man, so thank you once again. Of course, feel free to come up wit any other samples you want if you're interested, especially seeing as that only took you 5 minutes..!!!

@ KingScuba-

hehe cheers man, yeah it's a pretty tall order but it's something I'm happy to just keep working on as it's of great interest to me personally. If it gets too much, I can always trim back the dimensions of the island before I start that side of things- although I really would like a Cherno sized area tbh.

[meshcarver 12]

HOLY SHEET..!!!

I'm loving ALTIS..!!! :D

With the right weather settings (Read; December, 4pm, lightning 100%, fog 25%, wind and gales 100% etc...) I am getting some BEAUTIFUL STALKER ambience..!!!

Absolutely gorgeous- I'd argue it looks better like this then with its default summer time clear blue sky setting lol..!!!

Also, there are some AMAZINGLY huge and cool looking electric pylons @ grid ref 126200, almost the same as another set I was planning to make so I'll create another type now instead. They are great though, and I'll have to ask BI at some point how difficult it was placing the wires, as they look to be a separate object to the pylons themselves as if you look very close on zoom, you can see they don't exactly match up but it's nothing really- you have to go looking for it.

An amazing map BI, THANK YOU..!!! :D

[Sheepdog 4]

HOLY SHEET..!!!

I'm loving ALTIS..!!! :D

With the right weather settings (Read; December, 4pm, lightning 100%, fog 25%, wind and gales 100% etc...) I am getting some BEAUTIFUL STALKER ambience..!!!

Absolutely gorgeous- I'd argue it looks better like this then with its default summer time clear blue sky setting lol..!!!

Also, there are some AMAZINGLY huge and cool looking electric pylons @ grid ref 126200, almost the same as another set I was planning to make so I'll create another type now instead. They are great though, and I'll have to ask BI at some point how difficult it was placing the wires, as they look to be a separate object to the pylons themselves as if you look very close on zoom, you can see they don't exactly match up but it's nothing really- you have to go looking for it.

An amazing map BI, THANK YOU..!!! :D

Hey I am loving Altis as well! Btw, try'd those settings out.. they are perfect for the "stalker" look/feel, may I suggest lightning as the odd crack of thunder when your creeping in an old building is always a nice touch

Edited August 27, 2013 by Sheepdog

[adanteh 58]

If it gets too much, I can always trim back the dimensions of the island before I start that side of things- although I really would like a Cherno sized area tbh.

Cherno sized area? Altis sized areas is what the cool kids are doing these days! [insert more pressure]

[grimwald 24]

It's not ARMA3 but it's pretty fine fodder for a Stalker-themed Island.

Have a look at Caribou Frontier

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?161801-Caribou-Frontier

[meshcarver 12]

I know mate, already seen it, looks bloody fantastic!!!

Raunhofer has done an amazing job on it and Stalker was the first thing I though when I saw it too lol..! :)

I should download it and fire up ARMA2 again..!