DF-21 Forums

[Burning Gundam]

[Nottheking]

[Jackson]

Outside? What's that?

[Burning Gundam]

[Fenwar]

[Nottheking]

[ZoSo729]

So is this thing gonna get finished soon??? First it was the end of last summer, then it was the end of this year...??

[Barry Brien]

It's nearly there.

[Burning Gundam]

At this point I'm not holding my breath anymore, since it could be said that I am merely chipping away at my project.

I swear, I have most of a whole day to myself and all I managed to make was a small room.

_________________
I don't think outside the box... I customize it.

[Ye Olde Schoole]

Hey, whats happening.

_________________
Girls are always running
through my mind. They don't
dare walk

[Burning Gundam]

Not a hell of a lot actually...

_________________
I don't think outside the box... I customize it.

[Patrick Haslow]

There are two sides to completing The Dark Tide III.

1. Not too much left to do.
2. Not much time to do it.

[Patrick Haslow]

OK, the mini-level is about 90% done. Then there is the creation of the boss battles in level 4. I know that at least "sophisticated gamers" will definitely find The Dark Tide III to be a lot of fun.

It's simply unfathomable, the amount of time I have spent on this series. Right now, what's driving me to complete it is that it has become a vast cloud over my head, the horrible feeling of incompleteness. I feel like I need to move on, and I can't let go until this thing (on my end) is done.

Here is what I recommend- when it is released, play through The Dark Tide I and II again first, and then move on to III- it makes the cutscenes and gameplay more intense.

[Fish]

Good, excellent news to hear!

[Geoffrey S]

Indeed. Still looking forward to the continuation of the series!

[ZoSo729]

[The MAZZTer]

I was under the impression that Dark Tide IV was much farther along than III (or even finished).

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http://www.mzzt.net/ | I am a respectable admin with a respectable sig.

[Darth Oosha]

Also, I think it's being worked on by Barry and some others, not Patrick. But that still leaves the question of Dark Tide V.

So: If you're no longer determined to finish DT V, is DT IV just going to end on an unresolved cliffhanger? Or are you going to go back and rewrite the dialog yet again, to close the major established plot threads and gloss over all hints of a larger story? It seems like something you would have decided before doing further work on DT III.

Unrelated: Does the opening cutscene music of DT I normally work on MacDF? I thought it didn't (except for occasional drum sounds); but I tried it just recently and it sounded basically fine.

[Geoffrey S]

Dark Tide V was going to be for JA, but there's been no news on that for a while.

And yes, I got the correct music in the opening cutscene a couple of times, but sometimes it reverts to the usual drum rolls. Haven't a clue as to why though.

[Patrick Haslow]

Yeah, when I finish this sucker I am done with Dark Forces.

At this point, The Dark Tide III is farther along then IV. It's got a bunch of cutscenes, mission objectives, and 3 complete levels. I just finished the mini-level today (pretty sweet!), so I have only to build the boss battles in the final fourth (mini) level.

I had done some work on The Dark Tide IV, rebuilding and altering sections of Xizor's Palace for the last level. I have decided to relenquish my control over that part of Episode IV to Barry and Matt, who were already doing most of it anyway, at last giving Barry the green light to complete it. He's real busy with his band these days, so when its finished is anybody's guess. I regret taking so long to finish my Episode, as I feel that it probably caused Barry and Matt to lose some interest.

As for Episode V for Jedi Academy- it would be fun to do, and I would like to do it. I am trying to get a job as a level designer, so whatever my future projects are will be determined by what would be most advantageous for my portfolio. If I can create for JA in that way then I will go for it. I have considered ways of altering Episode IV to contain the story's resolution if V never gets to be made.

Side Note: I was always able to get Matt's cutscene music working in OS 9 on my old G3. OS X Classic mode isn't perfect though- right now DF runs on it with all the sounds slowed down, and for no apparent reason.

[Barry Brien]

Hi everybody, hey Pat and Matt. Sorry I haven't been in contact with you guys. I hope you don't think that I've abandoned you. On the contrary, I've been working away at our little project. I have been up the walls with the band and college, but I am still working hard on the levels. I am in the process of giving my section of level 1 a complete overhaul, and it's nearly done. I should have an updsate for you soon, and some new screenshots.
I have to sort out a new email eddress for myself because my last one got deactivated, and Pat, I'm sorry for not getting back to you after you sent me DTIII for beta testing.

[Patrick Haslow]

Well, here is the good news. The Dark Tide III is essentially finished- at least the levels are done. By that I mean you can play through from beginning to end of all 4 levels and know what the hell is going on. Just some additional voices have to be added, and Matt is finishing up a WAX for a BOSS enemy at the end of level 4. The briefing graphics are done, they just need to be compiled into an LFD. The cutscenes are not done. Much has been assembled for the beginning cutscene, but the mid and end cutscenes haven't really been started yet. Don't know if Matt has much time for DF these days, so I would be fine with only minimal cutscenes. The beginning ones kick arse anyhow. Its pretty weird to have a completed set of levels on my hands after all this time.

The bad news is that compared to when this was started, the DF community is probably around 25% of what it was when this was started- over 4 years ago.

And because this has been in stasis for so long, I am not bothered revealing
some of the special effects in DTIII (after all seeing them in action is where the fun is!):

1. Flying in Imperial Shuttle
2. Crashing in Imperial Shuttle
3. Blinding Flashes
4. Reflective floors
5. Breaking Glass
6. Diagonal Closing Blast Doors
7. Ladders
8. Big, Realistic Explosions
9. 6 New Enemies
10. Holo-Screens
11. Flying Repulsorlift Platforms
12. Hunting Clones
13. Battle on the Roof of an Infinitely Speeding Train
14. Dramatic Vista Views
15. 3D Animations VUEs
16. 3rd Person Control of a Droid
17. Being Tortured
18. Infinitely Descending Rails
19. Hexagonal shaped Walls and Corridors
20. Force Fields
21. Loss of Motor Skills
22. Areas Depressurized to the Vacuum of Space
23. Working Cameras and Monitors
24. Attacks by Turbolaser Towers
25. New Weapons
26. Antidotes
27. Complex Configurations of Catwalks Crisscrossing Chasms
28. Quaking, Rumbling Areas
29. Enemies to Converse With

[Fish]

This sounds just absolutely fantastic. We used to put levels that had only two or three such effects into the Hall of Fame.

[The MAZZTer]

[Patrick Haslow]

Backups? What is that?

No, seriously- Matt, Barry and I regularly send copies of our latest work to each other via yousendit.com.

[TheIntellectual]

Wow, that sounds incredible. Just a few of those sound like major new ideas.... I'm excited again for DTIII.

Now for the other question... with all of the major stuff done, is all thats left to do nothing more than polish?

Because from the sound of it, it sounds like this might be released relatively soon. And that is always a good thing.

[Patrick Haslow]

[ZoSo729]

So can we estimate atleast another 2 years for part IV??

[Burning Gundam]

Hopefully by then we'll have the DF sourcecode to make updates!!! ^_^

_________________
I don't think outside the box... I customize it.

[Jackson]