jack hammer

[ellio7t]

I've got 11 maps that jut need a few touches like monsters and ammo. Then they need to be tested. I need a web site too if some one can help.
Also getting around any bugs will require assistance. And some one who wants to write terminals.
so basically I've got 11(10 are over 1000 polys) maps with a shape set(various textures from the orphanage). And I'd like to make a scenario, but don't want to do the hassle hustle that usually ensues when developing. Anyone will to help will be welcomed. I can do the term art as well as the chapter screens if needed.
I'm not some noob, i've had these maps for a while(a few years i think) and i don't want to let them go to waste so please help me finish this.

[irons]

I'm a fairly undedicated beta-tester, but I'll play what levels I can, if that will help.

[ellio7t]

some pics for this scenario. I have all most all of the levels finished now. Just polishing off a couple last ones and a nasty bug. No terms yet.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25977407@N06/

[$lave]

Looking pretty good, good luck finishing this up! I can test the levels if you like, depending on what you need from the beta testers. I'm fine playing through them, and telling you about any bugs I find, but I can't guarantee that I'll check every nook and cranny/extensively search for bugs.

[wastd]

I'll test, just email teh senario to me

wastedjamacan@gmail.com

[ellio7t]

seriously does any one want to do some terms? I just can't motivate myself to finish this. I've got a few done, but a ton left. Everything else is pretty much complete. Basically i've been sitting on a new scenario for a month or two now. Please send help.

[SynthNinja]

This isn't my pfhorte, but I'll make an effort to write a couple if you want. Send me a PM and describe what you're looking for.

[goran]

Does the terminalwriter have free hands, or this there somekind of plot to follow? If there is, please tell us about it.

[ellio7t]

I had started with a basic plot, but i kinda hate it. So it is very workable. Also there are more terms in game then i needed because I was going to a have a side plot that this was all just the imaginings of a comatose patient in a hospital. Also there are some odd things because this was not going to be set in the marathon universe. Basic plot flow was : Jack Hammer goes to investigate attack on derringer complex(science lab) on small remote planet - it was aliens - interior of the planet is a giant ancient machine - then it branched in to three possibilities.

1} you reactivate the underground machine and ?(never came up with a idea i liked)

2} you jump aboard the alien ship and cause a bunch of trouble until reinforcements come. (there is a secret level jump in here also that i never matched up to anything.)

3} You are pulled out of underground because another alien ship has showed up scarring off the first attackers. You disable their shielding satellite and sneak into the moon sized ship to find it is a mechanical hive. You break stuff and kill off the baddies protecting the CPU shutting it down. The original attackers come back hijack it.

Simple shoot 'em up. Pure Pulp.

here are some of the terms:

Red is Jack Hammer
Blue is Captain Clark Barr

Sorry to give you a mission so soon after thawing you out

It's my pleasure i've been itching for some action since you stuck me in this tin can

You should feel honored, not everyone get their own space craft. Most of us have to all fly around together.

It feels more like solitary confinement then special privilege. Whats the matter? Someone wrote in my file "does not play well with others"

It's those very skills we will be needing. We received an S.O.S. from a small private science outpost. No other communications from the planet have been received.

Lets cut to the chase, what's the job?

Park in the front lawn of the Derringer Complex and investigate the request of assistance.

And Jack. . .

Yes?

Use force only if necessary.

Only "If"?


Whats with the escort? Didn't you think I still had it?

Just making sure you had secure perimeter prior to entering.

How thoughtful of you.

So what do our trouble makers look like?

Aliens.

Care to expound on that?

The invaders from outer space variety.

Any information that is a little more descriptive?

They're the kind that go smoosh when you apply too much kinetic force.

This is not very helpful Jack.

what do you expect after keeping me in the deep freeze for the last hundred years or so? I was sent here as the guy who breaks stuff, not a zeno-anthropologist.

One hour prior to the attack message #3001256 had been received from unknown sender. We had thought it nothing more then a wayward coded communique. We get many of these in a year. It had not been a cause for alarm.
After all the relay satellite that we use is used by many outposts and military channels. It was when we tried to rebump the message back along its way(mailer demon response standard protocol) that we realized there was a problem. No origin address was attached. This also would be standard for military transmissions.
We tried to contact the relay network on board the satellite to get the information to pass this message back along when received the Command[883].
Command[883]= no contact/or board down. Upon trying again we realized that the system was not down but our signal was being jammed.
We sent out standard response to this situation of a low band S.O.S. hoping any Federated Ships would be in the area. Thirty minuets after the first message was sent we received a duplicate.
A large unknown space ship uncloaked, sent the message a final time, and then began the attack.

We have begun translation of A message sent from the Alien's to the Derringer Complex before the fighting erupted.

Fighting, this was more like a slaughter.

It seems like some kind of warning.
A request to cease operations of a machine . . .

. . . Or else. I don't like the sound of that. If they were really so friendly why did they come in shooting.

Look Jack we have no way of knowing what exactly transpired here. The Derringer Complex may have activated some kind of defense/offense system that aggravated the situation.
That doesn't matter now anyway. We need you to check to the west of your current location to see if the testing generators and equipment are still online.

If so, then the aliens are still looking to shut something down and i'm not done?

Precisely.

This is more serious then we had thought, Jack.

The hell is that supposed to mean?

We had fully translated the message sent from the alien ship to the Derringer Complex. It was a warning to shut off some kind of underground machine.

And?

The Derringer Complex had no subterranean testing in progress. Using your ship as relay we have scanned the planet and found roughly just less then a fifth of it is active in non natural movements.

Wasn't it a communication problem that started this little trip for me.

Sorry Jack, it seems that a portion of this planet is mechanical and doing something.

What?

We're not sure.

Thats helpful

No, it's not. That why we have you.

I'm no engineer.

True, but all the engineers on the planet are dead. In fact all most everyone that would be working for us is dead.
And until we can get to the planet you are our field operations. Also I doubt a science major could figure out what to do if it ran into one of our new aggressors.

So, then your sending me downstairs?

We're sending you downstairs.
Prepare for teleport.


Not bound to the idea by any means. More then willing to discuss changing it. I would however like to keep the basic format and level structure with three branches.

[SynthNinja]

hmm... I'll have to give this some more thought. You are going in a different direction as far as my experience with terminal dialogue goes (Marathon RED comes closest), so it might be awhile before I can come up with something that blends with what you have written. Like I said, writing is not my strong suit.

[ellio7t]

did anyone find these terms even interesting?
i just added a new puzzles to one of the smaller levels and am revamping an old level to bring the total level count to 16.
I mean this is practically finished.

[ellio7t]

anyone seriously interested in beta testing please go download the jack hammer game over at simplici7y (http://www.simplici7y.com/items/jack-hammer-preview) and get through it on normal to hard then send me a message on ammo/life/did the level make sense/ monsters placement/ect.
if anyone does this you are a shoe-in for my final beta tester. I would prefer to have two. I only have this requirement because the last time i had beta testers they never got through the whole four levels of the scenario ad never gave me any feed back. DMA was the only person to even give me a hand in the post, and that was after it was released(never did get around to posting the redo on that one).

[goran]

I'll play through this for you, good sir. Wait a couple of days and I'll return my thoughts to your email. this thread.

[interion]

anyone seriously interested in beta testing please go download the jack hammer game over at simplici7y (http://www.simplici7y.com/items/jack-hammer-preview) and get through it on normal to hard then send me a message on ammo/life/did the level make sense/ monsters placement/ect.
if anyone does this you are a shoe-in for my final beta tester. I would prefer to have two. I only have this requirement because the last time i had beta testers they never got through the whole four levels of the scenario ad never gave me any feed back. DMA was the only person to even give me a hand in the post, and that was after it was released(never did get around to posting the redo on that one).

I gave up when I reached the first platform jumping puzzle.

[effigy]

That was a little tricky. Do they move at random intervals?

I gave up at the next part when you vs. a major trooper, and 3 pfhor. I almost did it but I'm not so good with pistoling / fisting. The other 3 major troopers and some odd pfhor that teleport in if you bail for distance. I started in tc and switched to normal but that didn't seem to affect anything.

Should an AR have been with all the ammo for one on the ship?

[goran]

I enjoyed the first three levels Elliot, though I have some things you might want to consider:

Level1:
In the room with the assualtrifle, you've put the weapon in a container. It's not evident that it is a container, nor that there's a platform there. Judging by effigy's reply, I say there WILL be some people who will miss the weapon.

Suggestion: Texture the platform in a different texture so people will notice it.

The level could also use a little differential shading to make it easier to percieve the geometry. (true for all your levels)

Level2:
The 3x recharger is hidden behind the switch that open the door. It's the same thing as with the assultrifle. Some people will miss it. Having 3x shields is crucial for this and the next level.

Level3:
Damn this level is hard. I haven't finished it yet. It's tight on ammo. I had to fist all fighters to have enough of an arsenal to deal with the troopers. I guess that's fine. One thing that is not fine, is how sparse the health and patternbuffers are on the level. Sure you arrive with 3x shield. It helps, but hell, it aint enough. Where you've put a flamethrower there's also 1x health canister. It's like a salad for a starving man. Need moar! I'd appreciated if this was 2x or 3x, giving how much enemies you face in the level. Also, some more grenades to deal with troopers would be nice.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Overall I like the scenario. It's something different. Good puzzles
and fun (albeit HARD) gameplay. If you just finetune it a little, and
get rid of some annoyances, this is going to be good shit.

[ellio7t]

the platforms are timed out, all my puzzles have actual solutions. Just have patience, its rare that i force the player to do a puzzle and have enemies attacking. I'll do a spot of retexturing and add some ammo and life to help out. Thanks for the input. I'm not going to do any more shading because these levels are from 2003-04 and i just thought i'd slap them together for quick releases, but even that took a week and a half(There were a ton of bugs and tweaking needed).
Glad to here you liked it goran. I thank everyone for the input it really helped change the way i look at map making.

[effigy]

I enjoyed the first three levels Elliot, though I have some things you might want to consider:

Level1:
..., I say there WILL be some people who will miss the weapon.

Doh...that's what I get for not poking around.

Level2:
The 3x recharger is hidden behind the switch that open the door. It's the same thing as with the assultrifle.
...

I did notice this one

...
I'm not going to do any more shading because these levels are from 2003-04 and i just thought i'd slap them together for quick releases,
...

I hope you have time for this someday or find a recruit.

Here's to making it to level three (100% more AR FREE)!

[ellio7t]

i actually forgot bout that 3x until goran said something. I 've been reworking the levels. I just added a pattern buffer to the third level. Can't believe i didn't have one. Added a bit more ammo and energy to the levels.
I just realized there is no way to beat the last level above Normal. And there is not enough ammo for the forth level.
It may be another week until i put out an update, i'm thinking about adding some art to this. Anyone know where i can get a good scanner cheap?

[goran]

the platforms are timed out, all my puzzles have actual solutions. Just have patience, its rare that i force the player to do a puzzle and have enemies attacking.

I agree. That puzzle was not even hard. Marathon1 on the other hand had some annoying puzzles (colonyship for sale cheap!!!)

[Fishman92]

from what i have played of this, this is very good. the level design is quite good, som brillant detail in there. The terminal formats a cool idea; it works very well in this.
Also, it provides some good action quite near the start aswell. It's very good and i would recommend it to.. anyone!
Well done!

[MoppyPuppy]

Also there are more terms in game then i needed because I was going to a have a side plot that this was all just the imaginings of a comatose patient in a hospital.

Dude, that'd of been so unbelievably random I'm actually laughing just thinking about it.
You play this awesome scenario and then the end screen is just a real photo of some guy in a hospital all mangled up from a car accident.

And the caption at the end says: You are Destiny.




What?!?!

[tehWastedJamacan]

hey, did you see my old account posted here?

three guesses which is mine?

[ellio7t]

I need a physics moder. I am too busy to go through and clean them all up myself. Pretty simple work, really. just taking preexisting models and combining them into one. Just send me a PM if you are interested.
You get get your name in the credits and first wack at the beta.

[Pfheil]

Fuck it, if you haven't got a term writer yet I could take a whack at it.

I can write, spell, and make up crap with the best of them.