Lost Dragons - Total Modification Alpha

[nickobus 16]

I said it before, I'll say it again, it's amazing the amount of work you two are doing considering the team size. Keep it up~

[haleks 8212]

Awesome stuff, can't wait to try the latest changes! :D

[HorribleGoat 1473]

Thanks guys! Theres been slow but steady progress and we are much closer to next release!

There are still a few wall blocks to carve out and some adjustments with the older assets to properly set them up according to the latest updates.





I needed a little break from mapping and worked on the Dragon for a bit and also a thought came in to my mind that while using the Warrior class battleship as a control unit sounded like a great idea, I've decided against it because the plan had some holes in it.

The Warrior ships have been around for a while and the Dragons represent the pinnacle of technological advancement so it does not make sense to use the old ships as control units. Thus I made a new ship to fit the role!







This releases the Warriors to be used as weapons (If one can get one to work) and makes the planned progress of the gamemode a bit more straightforward.

[jelskipro 32]

wow that looks spectacular!

[SIlenceFiction 13]

The "Walker" reminds me of the Mechs from the TV Series "Falling Skies"

[HorribleGoat 1473]

Greetings!

It has been a while since I've posted a progress update here and thought I'd bring the thread up to date.

Last time I was working on map assets and the Dragon ship and soon after that my time for modding took a dive for a while because of two simultaneous work projects but now I've had a chance to work on Lost Dragons some more.

To keep the work interesting I tend to switch between different aspects of the project and this time decided to upgrade some of the older assets.

The Corporate issue AR-42 rifle got pretty much complete mesh overhaul:



And some color concepting:






And color concept ingame shot:



INGAME SHOT 2 / 1st Person View

 

I got a bit excited about the new gun and just had to start another I've drawn a while back - The HCR-A2 Heavy combat rifle:



HCR-A2 is a armor cracking military weapon designed against light vehicles and armored infantry and first of many weapons used in the conflict that ravaged our theater of operation.

While working with weapons I also tried out if I can get carrying straps on our heavy weapons, and so far the concept seems solid:



And lately I've revised our character models to represent more what we aim to produce:

First model for armor undersuit on the way:



Corporate armor refitted over the new undersuit:



Undersuit in game! (Big thanks for Alwarren for his Blender Toolbox, so much faster to work with)



And for last a little concept render on a character personalization (Idea from the art of Johnson Ting):

ModDB image Link

(Not that small post after all.. 10 image/post limit reached :o)

Thats all for now. Work continues!

[HorribleGoat 1473]

More progress coming right up!

Here is a little ingame sneakpeek of the new rifle concept!

I present you HCR-A2

ModDB Video Link

Edited September 30, 2015 by horriblegoat

[Valken 622]

A fan still here. Waiting on your latest update and great work!

[HorribleGoat 1473]

Hey Valken! Thanks for your support. We're working on the next release as much as we can. I must admit though that I've gotten siderailed a few times to develop stuff thats not related to the update. :D

[pulstar 55]

Take your time mate, we enjoy the little teasers on Youtube. :)

[HitmanTwoActual 188]

Hey Valken! Thanks for your support. We're working on the next release as much as we can. I must admit though that I've gotten siderailed a few times to develop stuff thats not related to the update. :D

I will admit, I am the one who siderailed him, you may hate me :p

[HorribleGoat 1473]

I will admit, I am the one who siderailed him, you may hate me :p

Heh, dont worry! Helping you was just small sidestep compared to the weapon and armor rework and Dragon detailing.. :9

[haleks 8212]

I'm surprised this wonderfull video hasn't been mentionned in here yet :

 

 

Just stumbled on it while reading some stuff in SITREP00114; I hope all is going well for you HorribleGoat! ;)

[HorribleGoat 1473]

I'm surprised this wonderfull video hasn't been mentionned in here yet :

-*-*Video Reduction*-*-

 

Just stumbled on it while reading some stuff in SITREP00114; I hope all is going well for you HorribleGoat! ;)

 

Hey Haleks! Thansk for linking this!! Would not have noticed it otherwise. Just Amazing! Great to see our assets in good use. :D  

I have not had a chance to write up progress reports here lately, but there has been much progress and next release is closing in!

If you check out our ModDB page there is some new progress shots I have not yet shown here!

[scorch_052 127]

Very excited

[HorribleGoat 1473]

Couple of WIP shots of what has been on the workbench lately. I'll be posting more indepth progress update soon with more detailed info on how the mod is progressing!

Enjoy.           


WK-209 Combat Walker Interior refit and weapon update


  

  

More to come! Stay tuned.

[bad benson 1733]

very cool!

 

could you describe your plans for mission content and MP game modes? really interested what you plan. i always feel that everytiem is a TC for arma that it has the chance to provide a good MP experience more than anything else due to full control over all assets.

[HorribleGoat 1473]

very cool!

 

could you describe your plans for mission content and MP game modes? really interested what you plan. i always feel that everytiem is a TC for arma that it has the chance to provide a good MP experience more than anything else due to full control over all assets.

Most certainly I can!

Our planned co-op/PvP/PvE game mode "Treasure Hunt" revolves around the idea that players are part of fortune hunting salvage companies that after long search have found the motherload of all post interstellar war treasures, The lost home of the Dragon warships.

The plot setting summary: Man has colonized the stars with the aid of all kinds of technological marvels and after a while power struggles sparked full blown war that lead to arms race in which the Dragon ships were the pinnacle of war technology and the two sides of the war wrestled for them in a final battle that ended the war and crippled the galactic travel network in the process. Time passed and some of the network was restored and salvage hunters headed out into the void to find and reclaim lost worlds and technology.

The two salvage companies that stumble upon new eden have have traveled far and wide in seach of the location, following clues and stories and they have spent their last resources on a one way ticket get there, there is no other way out than to find the dragon. 

Theres the setting, now to the game mode. :D 

The two teams start from random locations with basic startup equipment and vehicles. There could be some sarting customization options here with different vehicle sets and different sets of gear to choose from. Perhaps even persistent gear server where one could store stuff they find in game for later use, but Im getting ahead of myself.

+Both teams have a dropship that initially brings the team down and then it takes a holding pattern above the map to function as a flying spawn point where you can drop out: fast spawn time as the drop will take enough time to be balanced and also the ship might be flying somewhere else where you died at. 

+Then there is the HQ vehicle that is the mobile base of the team. It comes with advanced sensors, medical facilities and engineering department and also does the data processing needed for information gathering to locate the Dragon.

+Last but not least of the starting set up are the smaller recon/combat vehicles the salvagers have brought with them. They have very simple purpose: To get players moving.

We intent to make the vehicle supply limited so that finding more of them becomes essential part of the mission and makes them more valuable. This may be rather unfair for players joining in the middle of the game, so we need to think a way to compensate new joiners without breaking the essence of the gamemode. There could be a selection for a starting vehicle or perhaps a dynamic objective that points to a "newly found" vehicle close to the player. 

Now the players then head out into the unknown. The new map consists mostly from tall treed jungle and the wast Dragon complex. Now the Dragon Ark bunkers are nearly 2 km wide so they arent exactly hidden, BUT there is only one Dragon to find and 6 hangars to get into. Accessing one is not easy and there will be multiple ways to do so:

+Intel gathering: There will be a number of different "Data Object" objectives scattered around the map that can be hacked with our new hacking interface system where players can procure information about the Dragons location and the codes to get into the hangar and how to actually start it up. These databanks also give intel on equipment and vehicle caches so it is worth the effort. With the right codes one can easily open up a path into the hangars, but only if the hangar has power to operate the doors -> Power has to be turned on and routed to the Hangar.

+Hacking your way in: By utilizing our new hacking interface one could just straight up head to the nearest Ark Bunker and find a door that leads in and start hacking the layers of protection in the system. Now there is a few knacks here too. Again the power must be turned on to access the system and power the doors.

+Blasting your way in: Not as simple as it sounds. First you need to find something that can actually break the massive doors and there is a chance that you wake up dormant facility defences..

+ Waiting the other team to do it: While not really encouraged, you could just wait the other team to do the work and try to steal the prize from under their nose. If this becomes an issue, we need make something to discourage it even more.

Now thats the first step of the mission.

The second part is to start up the Dragon. As the damn thing is huge and your crew is a bit short handed to fully operate it, it will take some time to properly power it up (assuming you have the intel/knowhow experience to do so). Also there is a big chance that the control unit is not yet attached to the main ship. So you need to find it if it isnt in the hangar and fly it in its place. After that its "just" waking up the Dragon left to do.

+The startup sequence with access codes: The proper startup sequence is the most sure way to get the thing running and with the proper codes it is quite easy to do. Also this is the least dangerous way as you cant go much wrong. Doing it wrong might end you shorting some systems, though only power, life support and engines are essential to drive it out alive. Or in the worst case you wake up the sleeping AI and it identifies you as hostile and takes over the whole ship and tries to kill you... :D

+Jumpstart: Fast hacking and coordinated system operations could get the machine in enough working order before the AI wakes up and/or you can shut it out of the main systems. This will require skill and manpower though, so there is a bigger chance that the other team can sneak in too and jump your hackers when they are distracted

+Stealing it: As with the hangar access, one could just wait the others to power up the Dragon.. But there is only a small window where it could be stolen and it may be quite hard to do if the other team also gets the Dragons weapons and internal defences online.

+Failing: Now this is not 100% decided on and could be optional, but I personally would like to have this as a feature. Failing to start the Dragon without angering the AI could result in the AI taking over the ship and taking off with it, leaving both teams stranded on the planet. Now Id like this to be possible if players just ass around blowing things up. Eventually something will trip an alarm that will lead to the Dragon to wake up and be very very pissed off as everything it was created to protect is gone.

This I believe covers the main idea of the "Treasure Hunt" mode. The map will contain many random elements so that every game goes differently and all essential objectives are not always in the same place. We hope that this will keep the mode fresh for those who master the hacking and can run the dragon start with their eyes closed.

Also there is the PvE element with all kinds of war droids and forgotten defences laying dormant in the jungle and the ruins of the city that will consider players hostile. We have also considered all kinds of environmental hazards that may stand in between the player and the sweet sweet battle walker that you can almost get into... Radiation, gasses, flames, mines etc. 

The "Treasure Hunt" is a long game though if played as we intend it to be played and we also know that not all like/can play long campaigns like that and we hope to come up with set of server setting that can be configured for longer and shorter game cycle if wanted. Also we want to make it so that it can be played as PvE-Coop with just one salvage company trying to find their ultimate prize.

Also the current lore does not completely explain what actually happened in the final battle and we intent to build more content upon that in the future.

Now I  hope this explains our plan and feel free to ask if I left anything unclear. The gamemode development is still in concept stage as we need quite a bit more assets to be ready for use before we can get it properly running, BUT we are surely moving towards it! 

[HorribleGoat 1473]

Sneak peak on the Dragon ARK bunker. The overall shape and design is taking form and the mechanic powering the door looks pretty neat.

 

 

[HorribleGoat 1473]

I've been working on a unified city wall design with standardized structure slots. There are a few deviations due to the some wall pieces having extra space in them and I wanted to utilize that space too, but overall I think 95% of the wall pieces now have standard build slots cut in them. This will greatly reduce our workload when we start devising the room randomization templates.

One default sized slot is 42x25x25 meters and there are a few extended 42x50x25 and 42x24x50 slots for larger structure pieces. The default slot can house 7-8 ~3 meter tall floors with appropriate utility space between the floors or there can be mixture of rooms with different heights depending on their purpose. Also some spaces can be left open as outdoor terraces and walkways or as landing pads and such.

With good set of LOD levels im confident that the performance impact of the large amount of objects can be kept in check. and also the nature of the object placement is that in many places you will have only small portion of them in view at once.

Almost all wall pieces are now done, some changes to the original layout have been made and the massive complex is about 19km x 12km in size. 

 

 

Larger image link

 

 

[nickobus 16]

Really great to see updates. I just love the scope of the things you guys are doing and how everything is from scratch; designs, ideas, concept, etc.

As you churn out more things, I am wondering if you guys plan on doing more texture work? As in are you guys making everything and then going back to do the finer details for things?

[HorribleGoat 1473]

Really great to see updates. I just love the scope of the things you guys are doing and how everything is from scratch; designs, ideas, concept, etc.

As you churn out more things, I am wondering if you guys plan on doing more texture work? As in are you guys making everything and then going back to do the finer details for things?

Yes we are taking this route exactly. We aim to produce playable assets as fast as we can and refine them with actual textures later when the assets are in use and new gameplay features can be tested.

There are some textures with more details just to see the concept more clearly and to see that the UV mapping works ok and also its sometimes refreshing to take a break from modeling and do some texture work.

Also some assets have been redesigned and re-redesigned, but since we do this as a hobby, such deviations from the "big plan" keeps modding fun.

 

[ganger 11]

Goat, when will this new update hit us? And will you need a server to host the mod? or beta test.

[HorribleGoat 1473]

Goat, when will this new update hit us? And will you need a server to host the mod? or beta test.

 

We are working on it though I cant give an exact date. Hopefully and if all goes well before the years end. I've thrown around my hopes for christmas release, but nothing is quite certain.

I've summarized our latest progress on a post on ModDB here : ModDB Article LINK 

There are some items still on the v0.2.0 to-do list and theres been a few sidestep projects off the list that I've poured some time into.

Latest progress towards finishing the list is a start on the new walker animations produced with a new Blender rig:

 

There are couple of more basic sequences we intend to make for the 0.2.0 and a bunch of more elaborate moves on the list for later.

We hope to achieve level of mobility that would make the walkers clearly more agile than your default tank, but we dont want to overdo it. Things like peeking and changing stance should be quite easy to implement in the Arma engine but they may not yet come in the next release.

[HorribleGoat 1473]

Holidays are approaching!

 

 

In expectation of some more intensive modding time I made this little holiday greeting for you!

Enjoy! :D

 

 

 

 

http://www.moddb.com/mods/lost-dragons/videos/holidays-are-approaching#imagebox

Also the time spent on it was not for just fun, as I did learn a lot again about the animation and sound configs as I set up new sounds and continued tweaking the animation classes.

There is lots of progress we've made that I will be talking about later, but for now, good night!


Also due to youtubes copyright policy I will need to change the background music. Will upload new version later. Play Jingle Bells rock on the background.  Royalty free music switched in..