Return of hppav's updates! Update 12-24-09 VC Exterior

[Draconisaurus]

Largely like it did in 1986... uh huh, whatever dude.

[hppav]

Who's mod is this?

Everytime I make a decision, you disagree with me and we go on and on until either I win or you give up because I never budge

[hppav]

New update!

I did some work on the terrain, basing it off of the computer screens.



And now, here's my attempt to match up locations from the movie with locations with the terrain and temporary roads (these roads are there to aid in terrain editing).


This image is a background image from "Jurassic Park: The Great Adventure", really nice and dramatic shot, if you ask me. I wonder why it's not in the movie?


Here's Explorer 05 in it's final location. Oddly, the Rex Mountain Range isn't in the terrain for the computer. And this IS the location listed on the fence failure map of where the Explorers stop.


Which way? (We all know it's left )


The Raptor Ridge. It needs some more work to make it match the terrain of the Kauai location closer.


Here's a shot from "The Making Of Jurassic Park" showing the tour road continuing on past the Rex fence.

I assume the artist team were given rough maps of the filming locations and used them to put together the full island map.

And to answer your question: NO, I'm not using a JP Legacy map on this one. Here are my reasons:
1. They will complain that I'm infringing on their copyright (How they have copyright on a labeled version of a map created by the artists of Jurassic Park, I don't know).
2. I don't agree with their methods "This doesn't match up with the movie/isn't mentioned in the movie, so it's not canon" and "I spent hours working on this map so there can't be anything wrong with it." "It's right, we have discussions in the private boards about it that prove that it's right but we can't show you because they are in the private forums." etc.
3. So little of the island is actually shown in the movie itself, and the map on the "prop brochure" isn't even seen on the brochure in the movie. In fact, even in the shot of the brochures laying around on the Rex Attack set, we don't see anything other than the side with the logo and gates. Also the prop brochure isn't even an actual prop, it's a reproduction handed out for the release of the movie and as such, the map that isn't seen in the movie could possibly have been something added later and not actually present on the brochures in the movie. Hence, by their own basis for "establishing canon," it is suspect

Also, I don't believe any fan is "in the best position for establishing canon," we are, after all, FANS. Saying that any one group is better than another is just being an ass and I can't believe that they decide to point to themselves and say they are the best.

/rant.

EDIT: To give you an idea of the scale of the island, it takes exactly 17 minutes to go around the main tour loop (The part that looks like a chewed up heart). It takes 6.6 minutes to take the northern part of the loop to the Rex Pen and it takes 8.4 minutes to reach the Rex pen on the southern loop. So if Grant and the Kids took the road, they'd be at the VC a LOT faster Then again, the island in this mod is slightly scaled down from the one in the movie (only slightly, it's still HUGE).

[Anna]

Omg! That level is going to be AMAZING!

EDIT: Corrected the sentence

[Draconisaurus]

Nice, nice.. though there's obviously still much work to be done. The overall heightmap is looking pretty good but.. I am still looking rather suspiciously at the mountain ranges the tour supposedly goes through.

[hppav]

Well, I did build up the location of the Jurassic Park Great Adventure shot and without editing the areas in the distance it came out looking a lot like it does in the photo (though the cliff will need to be moved to the side of the road). I personally believe that the models of Nublar on the computer aren't 100%, just like all the other maps, it's mostly close to what is there but not quite. Oddly, the map on the Jurassic Park movie website has a mountain range in the same location as the one from the Rex Paddock scene. I would assume that Universal realized their error in not putting those mountains on the original 3D rendering and added them into the model used for the Site Navigation but didn't change the texture to reflect the new mountain range. We know their are a few canyons on the island from the Perimeter Fence scene as well and the Nublar computer model doesn't account for them.

Anyway, here's a shot of the location of the JP Great Adventure image now:

I just need to bring the slope closer to the edge of the road. This is also the hill that the group walks down to see the Trike in the movie. It's really steep in this part of the hill though so it wouldn't require that wooden fence here.

Also, I added in some copies of the fence from ED to give me an idea of where things are laid out and to aid in terrain editing. Plus, when I'm done with that, I can take the fences and export them and edit them to make them look old and delapidated and then reimport them knowing that they'll fit right in with where they need to go.

[Nick3069]

Looking very good!
All this is very nice, but didn't you say you were going to complete PV first? If you are, why are there no updates for PV?

[Draconisaurus]

I'm not sure he said that.. And if he did, it was a long while back, and if you remember, he decided to release his work on PV (which he did) because he'd come to a stand-still with it and did not have immediate plans for continuing it, IIRC. Anyway - PV is going to be in Tres Reloaded . Makes more sense for him to focus on his original project.

[hppav]

I'm not sure he said that.. And if he did, it was a long while back, and if you remember, he decided to release his work on PV (which he did) because he'd come to a stand-still with it and did not have immediate plans for continuing it, IIRC. Anyway - PV is going to be in Tres Reloaded . Makes more sense for him to focus on his original project.

Exactly, PV essentially fell victim to the curse again. I got about 50% done with it but couldn't get any further than that. However it is the closest that anyone has come to completing Pine Valley. And since Tres: Reloaded was to include PV, I decided to go ahead and breathe some life into another cursed project . And this time it appears that I will get JPO done.

I've already come this far within a matter of a couple months, I can't see the preliminary pre-alpha work for the first of the six campaign levels taking longer than until this December. That would include getting all of the buildings modeled and most of the furniture. Once I get the VC done and finish the interiors of the Raptor Pen, Emergency Bunker, and Maintenance Shed, the rest will be completely new designs pretty much enabling me some room for creativity.

It also shouldn't take much longer to finish the graphics for the menu, which I had stopped working on back when I started the VC, meaning I have had to use Ctrl+Alt+Delete to force-quit the game since I don't have any in-game menu buttons done yet. The sound work won't be done until the alpha of the first level is done. I'm releasing this episodically so essentially the first full release package will include the menu and the first level. So here's what's going to be my development Phases:

1. Level One Pre-Alpha - Menu Graphics - Sound Work - "Pre-Release Trailer One" done in test/terrain level "Wholey Hell"<-Where we are.
2. Level One Alpha finished, to be tested by me, Draco, and The Raptor Killer (if they would like ) - Menu Sounds to be finished
3. Level One Beta sent out to hand picked testers - Begin Pre-Alpha for Level Two
4. Level One Finalized and Released - Finish Alpha of Level Two, again to be tested by those above if they would like to.
5. Level Two Beta sent out to the same beta testers for Level One - Begin Pre-Alpha for Level Three

And so on. I case you are wondering, my test/terrain level is named "Wholey Hell" because it essentially will have the entire island represented on it, something the final levels won't have. And yes, it's a pun

[Draconisaurus]

Nice planning.. N00bs, pay close attention.

[hppav]

Well, since I don't have anything in-game to show you guys yet. Here's a faq!

Jurassic Park Oblivion FAQ

-What is Jurassic Park Oblivion?
Jurassic Park Oblivion is a full campaign for the Trespasser Engine, including custom menus, custom models, and a new storyline.

-Who is on the Team?
At present only Draco, TheRaptorKiller, and myself are on the team. Anyone else claiming to be on the team is lying.

-Where and when does JPO take place?
Isla Nublar, the island from the original movie, in 1996.

-I read on the forums that there is an underwater facility level, is that still a part of the mod?
At this point I'm not sure but I may still include it. It WOULD give a reason for some of the things in Draco's JPDS mod

-What is the story of JPO?
Jill, a former employee of InGen, decides to blow the conspiracy wide open by heading to Isla Nublar with her friend who is piloting a small boat and plans to wait just offshore out of the quarantine zone. You loose contact with him and the situation goes from bad to worse from there. I won't divulge more. Even the other members of my own team don't know the stuff I'm planning for this mod.

-How many levels will there be?
At this point I'm planning 6 levels on the island itself, covering about 90% of the island and all the movie locations. Whether or not I will include the underwater level, which would bring it up to 7 total levels, remains to be seen. The island itself will be represented by huge open world levels where you explore the remnants of many structures on the island. Half-finished hotels, restaurants, retail stores, support facilities, and even the grand Visitor Center.

-What does the custom menu look like?
Oh wouldn't you like to know

-When's the release date?
I would assume sometime next year. I hope to get the first level to alpha status by the end of September at the latest. The mod will be released episodically, one level at a time, until all the levels are finished.

-Can I beta test?
I will be randomly picking those I deem capable of proper testing when I get to that point. So you better learn your Trespasser and prove to be a valuable member of the community to get a chance. Only five members will be given beta invites!

-What are the system requirements?
That will be determined by beta testing. Since we are only in pre-alpha now, that will be a long way off.

-Both you AND Draco are working on this mod? That means that the release date is sure to be pushed back 10 more times!
It's been in production since November 13, 2002. That means that it already has been pushed back those 10 times I won't announce a release date until I get the first level out to beta testing.

[Draconisaurus]

In case anyone is wondering, no I haven't been busy working on Sam's mod I am just technically on the team, given insider updates and occasionally help out with this and that thing, giving critiques when needed as well as technical advice. I was originally going to have to do all Sam's final texture work, but he's become quite capable in this area since our cooperation on EastDock and it seems I will barely be needed at all for that...

[Second Illiteration]

Are you planning on using JP1 themed skins hppav?

[Draconisaurus]

I am pretty sure he does. He'll probably use the best that's available at the time he starts adding dinos..

[hppav]

I am pretty sure he does. He'll probably use the best that's available at the time he starts adding dinos..

Exactly