S.T.A.L.K.E.R. on Cryengine2 What do you think about it?

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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. on Cryengine2 What do you think about it?

Postby VinoBob on 06 Sep 2009 11:44

Hello!

I am planning to make a S.T.A.L.K.E.R. mod on CE2. I know about similar projects, but i dont want to join them. I am just trying to estimate the feasibility of the project. I would like to know who would be interested. I search for people who have experience with game modding, especially with Sandbox 2 and Xray SDK, but other cil would be needed as well( like sound - music/ concept/ 3D artists) , so course every every helping hand is welcome. Here are the basic parameters of the project:

- usage of original Stalker assets:

I saw a link a few weeks ago, what said that its free to rip the assets from stalker, and sent an e-mail to GSC, and they said its true, but only if its non-commercial. Since these are indispensable features of stalkers atmosphere, in think the best is to reuse most of these.

- redesigning and rebuilding the levels to get a more closer design to the real environment where stalker is laid in:

Stalker is an awesome game, but the level design in most cases is far from the original places aside from a few exceptions. My plan is to redesign the levels, replace their place on the PDA following the real world places and heightmap, and setting up the environment so as it in real life is. I also plan to use more dense vegetation like you seen on the photos of those abandoned places, Cryengine 2-s powerful vegetation features would be perfect for this.

- larger levels then in SoC, to have a more sandbox like gameplay:

One of SoC greatest features is the freely playable environment. However, the levels have a main linear direction, where the actor passes through the level, and there is less action at the periphery of the levels. This makes me feel that i am still locked in one directional move. I think with a larger map( 4 square kilometers without sea ) and a decentralized design of game actions the players could free themselves more free like in a little virtual world: It would be like you would take for example Cordon, Garbage, Dark Dolina, and Darkscape and place them into one roamable level without any separating mountains or hills.

- more features by taking the best elements from crysis and at the other hand by adding new own content

Well its hard to do better then the UI of stalker, but i have ideas for a more user friendly and more usable interface by combining it with the UI of Crysis. There would be also new anomalies, artifacts, and new hazards as well as drivable vheicles ( i mean "normal" quality vheicles, as in Crysis not as in certain Stalker mods ), more weapons and war machines

- I also have a - i think - "number one" story plan for this mod. If you like the story of SoC then you'd surely like this the same.
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Re: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. on Cryengine2 What do you think about it?

Postby Nightwatch on 06 Sep 2009 16:17

Welcome to the forum, VinoBob, :mozilla_smile: and thanks for the posting your plans.

This is a great initiative. :thumbright: I believe STALKER could benefit immensely from the Crytek 2 engine. Your plans are very interesting, also excitingly ambitious. You sound like you know what you're talking about. So, I feel we can see a fully functioning end product at the end of this initiative.

Level design work has always been a big trouble on STALKER modding, as far as see; but there are still a few people around who have so far worked on Level Designs who may well offer their help.
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Re: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. on Cryengine2 What do you think about it?

Postby VinoBob on 06 Sep 2009 17:23

Thank you Nightwatch!

Well, i hope that there will be a few people who would be interested. Basically i'd need six people to start, one or two with Xray SDK experience, but as i said everybody is welcome, who feels ambition to add some work to the project. Later on, if the project grows, there will be more men needed.
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Re: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. on Cryengine2 What do you think about it?

Postby MeanderingBeing on 08 Sep 2009 03:10

Hey, cool idea man! I would really like to see this come to fruition! Cheers!
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Re: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. on Cryengine2 What do you think about it?

Postby VinoBob on 08 Sep 2009 19:06

To be honest i expected more interest from modders, there was only one volunteer until now. I hope there will be more later on.
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Re: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. on Cryengine2 What do you think about it?

Postby Nightwatch on 08 Sep 2009 20:46

This is a very interesting and promising project, that's for sure. Integration of Cryengine 2 to STALKER (or the way around) is an immensely important initiative. However, experience shows that prior to the project (in fact during it) it's very difficult to establish a "team," and even when it's done, then again the experience shows that such teams do not last long, not long at all. If I'm right, recall that teher's only one team around which has still been working together for over a reasonably long time.

So, I think, the best approach can be that you should maybe start the project on the engine basis, then as your work requires specific inputs, you can ask the community on those specific helps, like can you do this or that, then it seems this approach works better in the practice. It is starting to sound like a human nature analysis, :mozilla_smile: but more or less it's the way things seem to go, right or wrong. When you need a specific help, though I'm extremely busy, still I'll do my best to offer any assistance if possible. :mozilla_smile:
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Re: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. on Cryengine2 What do you think about it?

Postby VinoBob on 09 Sep 2009 17:34

Thanks Nightwatch for offering your assistance !

I think maybe i should declare exact positions so people could apply for them, maybe they dont know what are the requirements to join the project. So here they are:

>> a coder guy:

scripter( lua, action script 2.0 ) and later on coder ( C++ )

>> a texture artist:

photoshop or GIMP or other image editor( it can be a spcific texture creator SW as well ) program and texutre painting skills, knowledge of DDS compressions( know how to create bump, specular, normal, POM, etc. maps )

>> a 3D artist:

Mainly 3DStudio max 8 or 9 knowledge. CE2 is also compatible with Maya, XSI,Zbrush, and Sketchup, but i cant help if you want to use these, becasue i worked only with max. Most of the work here is just importing models from xray, and exporting them to cgf and cga( CE2 formats ), but if someone is creative, and want to build or use his own assets its not forbidden. The one who wants to get this position needs to know how to handle/create models( modelling techniques like CSG, polygon, wireframe modelling, basic modifiers ) materials and UVW mapping/unwrapping.

>> a music artist:

He has to know( or learn ) how to handle sounds music in CE2( placing soundspots, ambient volumes etc ) and if he( or she ;) ) wants he can create own sounds and music( mainly drone and dark ambient ) if it fits to the atmosphere of stalker.

>> Animator:

The situation is the same as the 3D atrists, so the main softwares used here are 3D Studio max and Sandbox 2 animation tools, but XSI, Maya or other modelling programs can be used as substitution of max. The things to do are mainly convering the animation files of xrays into CE2-s and testing them to see if they work properly. The other part of the work is creating scenes in Sandbox2 trackview editor, and making the facial and body animation of the characters.

>> Xray SKD domain speciallist:

Here is an advanced knowledge of the Xray SDK required. The task is to export the 3D models, animation files, and all whats possible into a 3D max ( or other SB2 compatible sotware ) readable file format. The deep knowledge and experience with the SDK is also needed, to know whats the best way or implementing stalkers features in CE2, to know what are the bottlenecks, disadvantages, and possible bugs. This is a key position, this guy has to know how to deal with the 3D modelling softwares also, because he has to be the one side of the bridge between Xray and CE2. He has to be up to date of all stalker mods as well, to know what is worthy reuse and whats not( i mean what was a successful mod, and what wasnt and why ).

>> CE2 domain speciallist ( this would be me :D )

The same stuff is true here as well what was mentioned above, expanded with other stuff, like game design, level design, and project management.

Basically these seven people should be enough to start, but a number over it is accepted as well. There are several points where the tasks can be divided into smallers, like last three part of the task of mine. They dont seem to be a lot of work, but they are. For e.g. there are usually 2-4 people who are creating a level in SB 2, one who creates terrain, vegetation, ai paths, smart objects, buildings, etc.., another one who creates particle systems and/or sounds, and a guy who creates flowgraphs ( CE2 custom " built in " scripting tool used for creating missions, game events, UI interaction and several stuff ), and that was only one thing, there are game desing, project management as well. On the other hand people could give advices to each other, so there is no hard edges between the positions. For example if there is a animator, who has a great idea for the story or for a good mission, he can discuss it with the game designer, or if the 3D artist figures out a good texture for his building he ask the texture artist to create it. The strong communication between the members is indispensable at a good team, because it can help and boost up the performance of each other. It is also possible two positions to be filled by one person. If someone is a good modeler, and can create good textures as well, he can do both if he wants. If someone feels that he knows something that could be useful and he feels himself motivated to help, than he can find his place in the team by all odds. I did not mentioned everything whats related, just whats necessary. I mean for e.g. a concept artist, who wants to draw cool pictures in the theme of mixing crysis and stalker, or a web designer or web publicist or PR guy who can create a site for the mod, so every useful advices, help, etc. is welcome.

For example now i am thinking how could i make the project more interesting and attractive for others.I think that i should make other announcements and invite people on other sites to get more publicity. I already made a topic about the idea on four forums, exactly at crymod, at filefront, at the GSC official site, and here. Does anybody know some other forums where it would be worthy to post my ideas?
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Re: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. on Cryengine2 What do you think about it?

Postby DARK TEMPLAR on 09 Nov 2009 16:13

Sounds interesting enough, has there been any luck on this thing or is it dead.
And as allways when it comes to actual modding and stuff, I lack the nescecery skills.
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Re: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. on Cryengine2 What do you think about it?

Postby VinoBob on 22 Jan 2010 19:59

Nope it isnt dead, i just didnt have time to check previously opened threads.

You can check our team profile here:

http://www.crymod.com/moddbslist.php?id ... 6f440b5a3f
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Re: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. on Cryengine2 What do you think about it?

Postby ket on 23 Jan 2010 02:21

GSC should just make Stalker on CRE2 full stop :d Nothing against X-Ray it was good in its day and stil holds a lot of potential now, but the engine is bugged to hell as it was never debugged properly, and Lua is the most messed up language to use. Everything GSC want to do is quite easily done with CRE2, C++ and scripting.
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