Additional Routes/Levels

[Draconisaurus]

Well then, let's discuss the possibility of additional routes through the island/possible alternate endings. One of the main things I'm thinking of for this is the potential for following the train tracks I've suggested go around the entire Northern coast of the island, for moving freight from the Main Harbor to Burroughs. I'd like to see some others, though, and I don't think we should just start randomly making levels through the island. We need to come up with some basic locales to base them on, first, even if they are naturally forming or concerned mainly with the prehistoric inhabitants there.
SI has also suggested that an alternate ending to the game could be a boathouse. Where on the island would this be, and why would it be there? And how would you get the boat to work?
What about the possibility of a "factory" for producing the embryos, as would have been required as we know from TLW novel? Is it worth the time to make, and what would the player do there?

[Second Illiteration]

I was going to suggest the embryo factory...not sure what would go on there though, but I don't think it would be hard to come up with stuff, and it could serve as the main point of a level. Possibly the EA from JP3 could serve as this, and maybe a path could serve up some locales from JP3...airstrip, aviary, EA. I know JPDS has a lot of these, so maybe this wouldn't work out the right way.

As for the boathouse, we could go with the obvious need to find a battery or some sort. Maybe it's not just a boat house but there are a couple other buildings around it that need to be explored to find certain parts. maybe there's a refueling station here, some kind of gas station and supply store...could incorporate the scene from the TLW novel where Thorne goes outside of the store to the shed to get supplies and has a run in with some dinosaurs (you know the scene I'm talking about)

[Draconisaurus]

I was going to suggest the embryo factory...not sure what would go on there though, but I don't think it would be hard to come up with stuff, and it could serve as the main point of a level. Possibly the EA from JP3 could serve as this, and maybe a path could serve up some locales from JP3...airstrip, aviary, EA. I know JPDS has a lot of these, so maybe this wouldn't work out the right way.

Yeah, going a bit too JPDS there I think.. I'd rather do a huge embryo factory like in the novel (the EA in JP3 also has all the regular lab facilities), and like a certain JP3 concept art image I saw years ago which sadly I did not save. It was on sale at eBay... >.< Shows endless rows of machinery, rather than a simple long two-story room with egg hatchers.

As for the boathouse, we could go with the obvious need to find a battery or some sort. Maybe it's not just a boat house but there are a couple other buildings around it that need to be explored to find certain parts. maybe there's a refueling station here, some kind of gas station and supply store...could incorporate the scene from the TLW novel where Thorne goes outside of the store to the shed to get supplies and has a run in with some dinosaurs (you know the scene I'm talking about)

Ahhh yes. That could surely work..

[Second Illiteration]

Oh yeah an even bigger set up, yeah I like that as that's more how I pictured it in the novel anyways....


EDIT: also reading another post about airstrips...I think at some point in some level there should be a small dirt airstrip and some kind of building set up of some kind for the smugglers...i.e. this is where the smugglers landed to pick up the drugs or whatever. Would add in that little element of the smugglers plane

[TheRaptorKiller]

Oh yeah an even bigger set up, yeah I like that as that's more how I pictured it in the novel anyways....


EDIT: also reading another post about airstrips...I think at some point in some level there should be a small dirt airstrip and some kind of building set up of some kind for the smugglers...i.e. this is where the smugglers landed to pick up the drugs or whatever. Would add in that little element of the smugglers plane

Yeah there should be an airstrip on the island for smugglers, Unless there is a flat spot that's is land-able with a bush plane, but still SI has a great idea

[Draconisaurus]

Hmmm... a Smuggler landing strip... idk. Maybe. I think it is more likely that they'd keep evidence of their activity to a minimum.. since I doubt seriously that Site B was a primary "hub" for them. But who knows, it sounds like an interesting location to make...

[TheRaptorKiller]

Hmmm... a Smuggler landing strip... idk. Maybe. I think it is more likely that they'd keep evidence of their activity to a minimum.. since I doubt seriously that Site B was a primary "hub" for them. But who knows, it sounds like an interesting location to make...

May be make it an Easter egg and hard to find somewhere off the beaten path.

[tatu]

you should add a lot of easter egg through the levels and have a contest of who can find most

[Draconisaurus]

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh............



Oh and, I have been observing the island map (the nice topography one Sam found) and tentatively determined the other levels to be included in the game:
=East Route=
Train Station (TS)
Swamplands (SL)
Boat House (BH)
=West Route=
East Basin (EB)
Lowlands (LL)


I realized a few things that will have to change about my current terrain for IT - and gotten some other totally new ideas about how to set things up. So, the train station will no longer be in IT itself, but will one possible level to load after IT.. and I think I'm going to change it so that you cannot enter the Plains from there, for a few reasons (including the giant ridge that should block this from happening). It will instead lead to the alternate East route, which can lead either to the boat house or back into Ascent.. I'll post a full map later.

Anyway! I am now taking requests for anyone who wants to be responsible for one of these additional levels. More details will be out tomorrow to help in deciding... (Note: the Smuggler's camp will most likely be in LL)

[enigma]

I don't know about level editing, but I'll help out with selections of models sometime.


What kind of train would be used for a train station level?
Personally a diesel would seem in some ways most suitable. Can just imagine it as well, a few carriages maybe with cargo. Or maybe the train is not at the station...

[Draconisaurus]

"help out with selections of models"? What did you have in mind?

And yeah, some kind of old train would be cool - also named Island Express.

And yeah, I'm not quite sure where the train will be situated.. Possibly not at the station. Better save figuring that out for whoever takes responsibility for level it goes in.

[Second Illiteration]

Are any of those planned to be small levels?

[enigma]

"help out with selections of models"? What did you have in mind?

Any particular models that would be needed, which there's not already available. I'm sure new levels would likely require a small number not already existing elsewhere. Whatever the level design requires I'd be willing to model up something, .

[Draconisaurus]

Right.. Well I should make a models list, once we start having a general idea of what new is needed.


Right then! Here is the first official version of the Trespasser Reloaded map. Note that Left = North and Up = East, etc.

I've spent a bit of time in figuring and come up with yet another set of levels (do NOT ask how I came up with "East Basin" in the "West Route" last time... o_O the voiceovers make it confusing enough). I won't bother to list them out now - as it's very late and I want to get to bed. Big note to make is that I've created a level between BE and TS... this should help alleviate the time-of-day issue. Also - TS is a rather small level, yes. If it can be incorporated into IT without corrupting the level, I may very well do so. Otherwise, it's separate. If IT becomes corrupted by some necessary modification that can't be worked around, I will start a new level called TO which incorporates the train station (I'm trying to keep retail-mod levels whenever possible, to preserve bump (normal) maps and proper CBackdrop objects). As a final note! I've been doing some flying around and I believe it's possible to fit the entirety of Ascent1-2 and Summit into a single level. Since the base retail level is AS and that level is known to be quite stable (can even be renamed), I don't see why this wouldn't work out. Obviously we'll make a new plan of problems arise. One big advantage is that, I've found you can see the pines at the start of AS from the top of the Summit ingame! We should be able to get some great environments going. (SI, keep using SUM for testing purposes). I'm going to have quite a lot of fun with this, I can tell..........

(Typo: Swampland should be Swamplands*)

EDIT: The area taken up in Lab is currently not accurate.. the WTD doesn't stretch that far "East". I will eventually figure out how much I want to be in Lab and how much in Ascent...

[tatu]

And yeah, I'm not quite sure where the train will be situated.. Possibly not at the station. Better save figuring that out for whoever takes responsibility for level it goes in.

It would be cool if it has crashed, or stand on the rail somewhere and have a puzzle for it.