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

[Belbo 461]

@gonza

Yes..it is possible (as you have shown).

..but it will be easiest -by far- if BIS would have added built-in support for underground objects (and why not under-water structures also) instead of modded's hocus-pocus to make it barely-functional.

Above all the method mentioned here is barely a workaround. Placing units inside "underground" objects like A2 in Namalsk is no fun. Neither in the editor, nor with UPS (or similar scripts), nor with Zeus... The sun's shining through the objects and if you've got fog set for your mission, you'll have fog inside your underground structures.

So it's not really a good idea to place your bets on this method.

[meshcarver 12]

Hi guys,

Yes, I know Namalsk has underground structures of a sort (And full credit to Sumarak for implementing them), but it not a 100% fault free method.

As mentioned above, things like fog, sunlight and shadows all have issues. Add to that the HUGE problem of AI path finding underneath the terrain and it just doesn't add up to make a AAA map in my opinion.

I want NOVA ZONA to be as good as it should be, and by adding in structures that "sort of work" doesn't cut it for me... It'd bring the whole standard down a notch.

If BI eventually produce a method for 100% working underground structures, expect the ones in NOVA ZONA to be so many and varied you'd probably get lost down there... ;)

Sorry it's not what you want to hear mate.

Edited March 17, 2014 by meshcarver

[LykosMactire 298]

well, you can pull a smokedog and use rocks to make fake tunnels, that shouldnt cause too many issues

[haleks 8206]

Oh god. I just stumbled on this.

A stalker mood map designed for Arma 3 - that's beyond my wetest dreams!

Looks like a huge project, good luck on it!

I can't wait for the first release! :)

[biggerdave 56]

Hi guys,

Yes, I know Namalsk has underground structures of a sort (And full credit to Sumarak for implementing them), but it not a 100% fault free method.

As mentioned above, things like fog, sunlight and shadows all have issues. Add to that the HUGE problem of AI path finding underneath the terrain and it just doesn't add up to make a AAA map in my opinion.

I want NOVA ZONA to be as good as it should be, and by adding in structures that "sort of work" doesn't cut it for me... It'd bring the whole standard down a notch.

If BI eventually produce a method for 100% working underground structures, expect the ones in NOVA ZONA to be so many and varied you'd probably get lost down there... ;)

Sorry it's not what you want to hear mate.

Back in Farmland, the plan was to make the underground base a separate area on the island, that the elevator teleported you to (similar to how dungeons work in Elder Scrolls/Fallout 3). Since you're using a script you can set the time to night to solve the shadow/fog issues (I don't know if there's a better way to do this in ArmA.3 - there might be). I think with ArmA.3's new lighting it might work quite well. - Admittedly it doesn't help with the AI problems, but I don't think anything's going to help with the AI problems :p

[gonza 8]

Good news

"Terrain modders will be glad to hear we can finally release our terrain tool, which we've renamed Terrain Builder (formerly Visitor). This is the version we use internally for the most part. As it's not yet fully tested outside of our office environment, there may be issues with this initial release. It should however be a big step forward for creating custom terrains..."

"At the same time, we're renaming Oxygen to Object Builder, making the Arma 3 Tools suite more consistent..."

--> http://dev.arma3.com/sitrep-00048

Edited March 19, 2014 by gonza

[meshcarver 12]

Hi guys,

sorry I didn't reply to your input sooner, but have been bogged down with RL work. :(

@AngelWingGamingJacob- cheers dude, but what's "Pulling a Smokedog"? Sounds like something you'd have to pay for lol... ;)

@Pepe Hal- Nice one, cheers for the good wishes mate. I hope it won't let you down.

@BiggerDave- Thank you for your suggestions, but I've not got much hope for implementing the underground into NOVA ZONA if it isn't implemented into the actual RV 4 Engine itself I'm afraid.

If it isn't included in the Engine, then by definition it'd HAVE to be a "bodge job".

@gonza- aye, hopefully there's some good stuff in there- it's all welcome..! :)

Also, I'd just like to give a shout out to Atsche- the guy has been IMMENSE in helping me recently with the technical/scripty/programmerytasical sides of getting in working structures etc.

He has sunk a lot of time and effort into patiently explaining how and what Cfgs are to me etc, and unbeknownst to him, I've been sitting here listening in my undies sweating away as the aircon broke, sipping a glass of fine wine and taking it all in lol..!

So cheers Atsche..! ;)

Anyway, I am still away from working on NOVA ZONA as RL work is calling at the moment, so it'll be a fair while before you see any updates... the pain of being separated from my baby is akin to being "power wedgied" by a wrestler.

Take it easy guys.

[LykosMactire 298]

"pulling a smokedog" is a reference to the creator of the sangin maps. he is making his A3 version in which has tunnels MADE of rocks instead of underground structures

[kleutscher 48]

Hi guys,

If BI eventually produce a method for 100% working underground structures, expect the ones in NOVA ZONA to be so many and varied you'd probably get lost down there... ;)

they have a awesome underground tool for VBS 2 hope they import that to Arma :)

[meshcarver 12]

they have a awesome underground tool for VBS 2 hope they import that to Arma :)

Holy SHEET..! 0_o

Why oh why don't we have this for ARMA 3..!?!?!?

Goddamn, I would put in so much variation and levels underground using this- you would seriously need to throw down bread crumbs or you'd get lost- that's how labyrinthine I'd make it underneath NOVA ZONA.

Imagine picking your way through miles and miles of pitch black irradiated sodden concrete tunnels and service ducts with nothing but a flickering torch...

Thanks for the heads up on this Kleutscher, and also for your kind mention on the awesome looking 2017 thread. :)

[kleutscher 48]

They have so many nice features in VBS that i would love to see in the Arma series :(

that underground is one of them who wouldnt go nuts with that system :)

Also thanks for the 2017 mention here :P

Think your mindset of your nova zona world doesnt differ that much with what post apoc feeling we are trying to achieve:) keep it up!

i'm more a lurker but been following your project for a while.

[mi24 10]

check this out)

[haleks 8206]

Looks like this facility is a closed building located elsewhere on the map, in wich the player is teleported.

It's not actually underground like in Namalsk.

By the way, why is everyone so obsessed with undergrounds?

[giorgygr 61]

By the way, why is everyone so obsessed with undergrounds?

Hey..why not?

Without underground support it removes from a wider selection of scenarios.War scenarios/criminal scenarios and of course SciFi scenarios.

Even if i have thousands of hours in ArmA series..i can confess "just War" was not the reason i originally bought ArmA1.

SciFi horror was ALWAYS my fetich :)

..so as fun of the above..Underground buildings/installations..just hits the right spot. ;)

Edited March 31, 2014 by GiorgyGR

[haleks 8206]

Mmm true! I was thinking "inside the box"... ^^

As Kleutscher said above, a modder's life would be so much easier if we could benefit some of the VBS features...

As far as I know, only Sumrak managed to pull this of. :(

[-CCO-Ramp 10]

I think its a great MOD!

[BlackViperGaming 3]

Looks like this facility is a closed building located elsewhere on the map, in wich the player is teleported.

It's not actually underground like in Namalsk.

By the way, why is everyone so obsessed with undergrounds?

Think about all the possibilities of underground. You could recreate a existing city, with a real working sewer system and subways. Imagine your a cop and the is a hostage situation in a bank, you go through the sewer and come up inside the bank to immobilize the assailant, really brings in new aspects of missions.

[laxemann 1673]

The "underground" structure in namalsk isn't underground either, it's all just one giant object or a group of objects, including the surrounding terrain and ground. When you remove it there's a huge valley in the ground.

[Westonsammy 1]

Think about all the possibilities of underground. You could recreate a existing city, with a real working sewer system and subways. Imagine your a cop and the is a hostage situation in a bank, you go through the sewer and come up inside the bank to immobilize the assailant, really brings in new aspects of missions.

Yes but ArmA is not a cops and robbers game, its a military sandbox. Most militarys only use underground structures for storage, secure testing sites, command centers, ect. None of this is really needed in ArmA, as combat never happens at such places (Despite what every casual shooter would have you believe).

[Belbo 461]

Yes but ArmA is not a cops and robbers game, its a military sandbox. Most militarys only use underground structures for storage, secure testing sites, command centers, ect. None of this is really needed in ArmA, as combat never happens at such places (Despite what every casual shooter would have you believe).

Thank god that we can't do anything with Arma but use it as a military sandbox. Just because someone said so. Thank god.

[Alo Keen 7]

Sammy, how would you explain the existence of underground structures in VBS?

Furthermore - as Pergor quite eloquently put it - Do you think we should oust Dean Hall and his work on the extremely popular (and for BI's sake I hope successful) project, which involves a plot and some entities that aren't in line with Arma (as you see it - being strictly military)?

Also, I can personnaly vouch that combat does happen in strangest of places, and yes, some of them are underground.

Don't get me wrong, I am a what you might call 'army buff', but come on... relax a little :)

And finally... underground structures are cool. 'Nuff said :P

[meshcarver 12]

Hi all,

goddamn there's a lot of talk about Undergrounds going down here! (See that I did there..?! Did you see..?!) ;)

Well, as I've said before IF they do somehow get implemented into ARMA3 then expect the sodden underbelly of NOVA ZONA to be like Swiss cheese.

It will have so many levels of tunnels, corridors, ventilation ducts, piping, shaftage (Couldn't resist) and labyrinthine like lost complexes that you WILL get yourself lost and probably killed down there.

As far as the conversation goes about why to have "underground" options for ARMA3 as it's not really applicable, well, fair enough I suppose.

But I do think it'd be helpful in a realistic combat sense too for some map makers by giving them more options. Take proper trenches for example- sometimes, you need a trench that is only a couple of meters wide, but if your Terrain size is 5x5 meters say, then that's not gonna work properly I think, especially if you wanted vertical sidings to it.

Best bet, is create your trench sectioned model at the size you desire (Not to placate the Terrain size), then place it into the ground like in that fantastic VBS video that was posted before- job done.

Also, it doesn't all have to be about tunnels and trenches (There's a rude joke in there somewhere...). Even things like drainage runoffs next to road sides and normal everyday ground objects could all benefit from having this extra option.

I REALLY do hope BI at some point get this into ARMA3- I would immediately start creating a section of underground corridor JUST so I could get the feel for how foreboding and claustrophobic I could make an area feel and start experimenting with flickering lights etc... damn...

[haleks 8206]

I REALLY do hope BI at some point get this into ARMA3- I would immediately start creating a section of underground corridor JUST so I could get the feel for how foreboding and claustrophobic I could make an area feel and start experimenting with flickering lights etc... damn...

Ok, you got me. I want those tunnels too now! >_<'

[meshcarver 12]

:p

Aye man, I would really love to be able to expand on the whole idea of underground in ARMA3 given half the chance... and I should add, I have a lot of plans for a potential f&*^%d up Underground system of NOVA ZONA. :)

Edited April 5, 2014 by meshcarver

[EO 11230]

Hi meshcarver, just droppin' by tae say all the best for NOVA ZONA, looking forward to breathing in the dirty air of this ravaged piece of land!