Game Development Community

Arena/Stadium Direction-for Newb

by Stephen Sinclair · in General Discussion · 03/11/2007 (4:10 pm) · 14 replies

Hi,

I am an experience developer and very new to TGE. I need some strategic direction on getting started. I am creating an arena-based FPS in a coliseum ( Gladiator). I saw some models on TurboSquid and would like to use a coliseum model. I have gone through some tutorials regarding terrain, mission area, and basic mission area boundaries (script). How would I get a coliseum-like model into TGE and have the floor of the model (Play area) be the mission area. The end-result being that my player is "in" the middle of this model arena with the lighting and moving sky above as if it were outside? I am just getting started and just need some suggestions as to how this could possibly work?

The player will be able to move within the "playing field" area of the coliseum and not be able to move outside of that area. Maybe use images as the mission area walls and skip buying a model?

any direction would be very helpful!

Thanks,

Steve
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Torque 3D Owner Edward
#1
03/11/2007 (4:34 pm)
You would be probably visually better of making the stadium a huge .DIF. ANd have the arena floor being open to the normal terrain. This will give you the ability to change the floor colors with relative ease, also if you have the wall big enough, creating a water style arena, you can fill the middle with a water block :). but of course you might need to find a modeller willing to make such a large and detailed model. but inthe long run it might be a better option then just creating sky box images of a arena and such.

Torque 3D Owner mb
#2
03/11/2007 (9:24 pm)
I second that. Make it a dif, and maybe add in some detailed dts models for extra eye candy (statues, etc..).

Torque Owner Stephen Sinclair
#3
03/13/2007 (8:04 am)
Wow. Thanks guys! I really appreciate the response....I'll add you to the game's credits. lol.

Torque Owner Christian
#4
03/13/2007 (10:07 pm)
First let me say I am not an artist (as you can clearly see). This is a stadium I made in 3dws, used many .difs broken up and put them together in torque (they were too big otherwise). I'm sure you are looking for something with a lot more quality. But hope this gives you an idea for something.

img214.imageshack.us/img214/6829/stadiumcitydr9.jpg

Torque Owner Stephen Sinclair
#5
03/14/2007 (5:02 am)
That looks good to me...I am not an artist either. I am more of a developer. I am just getting started with DIFs. Do I need to use DIFs on interiors only? Did you create a large interior for the stadium or are the DIFs used to attach to the mission area. I have spent most of time learning the script and player functionality in TGE. how did the stadium in your eaxmple get into TGE? I am going to be researching this today. Thanks for the post! (looks like a fun game...;))

-Steve

Torque Owner Surge
MDNAMEDIA
#6
03/14/2007 (5:38 am)
I think that looks great

Torque Owner Stephan - viKKing - Bondier
#7
03/14/2007 (5:39 am)
@Christian: that arena look good.

@Stephen: I would make it in 2 pieces: 1 curved (1/4th of a circle) and 1 straight. With these items you would be able to create your arena.

Torque 3D Owner Edward
#8
03/14/2007 (6:11 am)
.difs are recommended for larger, building like object, they use less processor power since they are usually less polygons and the texturing give it their smooth appearance, but the picture above is a good start. Interiors are just clicked and dragged into place. a quick relight and the building is in place. anything like moveable object and NPC items, like waving crowds are all donewith .dts formats. so be sure if your adding in a space for anything you might use in the future.

doesnt a colisuem have a containment wall below the actual fan seating, unlike a stadium which is as you see above :)

Torque Owner Christian
#9
03/14/2007 (11:08 am)
That stadium is made up of about 20 'straight' pieces and 10 'curved' pieces. Once you add them to your interiors folder you simple go to world editor mode, hit F4, and go to interiors, etc whatever folder you put them in. If you would like the difs I used for the stadium to see how it works e-mail me at Christianwins@hotmail.com. @Edward I wouldn't exactly say a quick relight haha, when I have to relight my project I usually will start reading a book or go take a shower.

Torque Owner Stephen Sinclair
#10
03/14/2007 (11:50 am)
HI,

Thanks for the offer! I have 3DWS and just created my first "box" arena. I copied the map file to the interiors folder and added it the world. Only problem, the exported map file from 3dws has textures that are stf files? What are those and I can't seem to find the "materials.cs" file to reference the materials that I used for the diff. Do you know how to import 3dws materials into TGE? Thanks!

-Steve

Torque Owner Stephen Sinclair
#11
03/14/2007 (12:09 pm)
Stf files are proprietary files in 3dws. Found the answer on their forum (In case a Newb finds this to be a problem too):
forum.leadwerks.com/viewtopic.php?id=51

-Steve

Associate David Higgins
DPHCoders.com
#12
03/14/2007 (12:14 pm)
@Stephen, pretty sure you use the map2dif utility that comes with TGE to create an actual DIF from the 3dws map files -- that should then reference any JPEG/PNG texture files you have, and you simply have to make sure the textures are in the same directory as the .DIF file (not sure if you can put them elsewhere, and point to them in script or not) ... not really sure how much of that is accurate, haha -- have not yet done it personally, but I'm almost positive thats how its done

Torque Owner Stephen Sinclair
#13
03/28/2007 (11:34 am)
@David, thats what I am using now. Seems to work very well. I did run into a problem with the DIFs being too big and complicated. I was a able break them up into smaller difs to keep out of trouble. Thanks for the info!

-Steve

Torque 3D Owner mb
#14
03/29/2007 (10:20 am)
Be sure to use 'LOD' and 'portals' also to lower your framerate. You could have something detailed up close and then farther away it can be less detailed.

Here's how to do LOD using Hammer: Click Here

Also: DIF/LOD on TDN