This is my first post to this board, so please bear with me
I just wanted to pop in and congratulate you all involved in the project; RTC is great!!
I'm a old fan of DM and I've played probably all DM clones out there (eob series, knightmare, captive, dm, csb etc.) and I still think DM is the best game ever. And now I can finally play this great game on my windoze system!
I'm planning to write my own DM clone and I've actually written a prototype already. Check out the URL below if you're interested:
There used to be a DM clone project board (http://enzofr.free.fr/) but with all the current clones it has died off I believe... an existing clone engine based on 3D movement might have people interested again though...
There was just a post on the DM Encyclopoedia board asking about the possibility of a DM 3!
You just link to a screen shot...how large is the prototype demo? Can you make it available?
Was unable to (permenantly) kill off ian_scho (Haynuus), Ameena, oh_brother (Westian), money (Falkor), raixel (Petal) and Lord_Bones (Aurek) in the DM D&D game Time's Champions!
CONGRATULATIONS TO THOSE WHO MADE THE GAME WHAT IT WAS - GREAT!
Uff! Looks great.
My idea how to make DM for the 21st century was to use full 3D accelerated graphics. IMHO it has following:
pros:
* variable screen resolutions without any problems
* accelerator will make all work for graphics, like light, transulency, dust, lens flare, water, shadows, fog etc. effects
* very flexible dungeons in light/dark aspect (not the old DM model with only ambient light in dungeon)
* very flexible spell effects because power of accelerator could be used
* smooth monster/objects animation/movement
cons:
* 3D accelerator need (I think it is not problem today)
* some puzzles counted with only 2 fixed floor&ceiling&walls graphics so if teleported, you could not see that you are of different tile. I think it would be recognized in 3D mode
* 3D monsters could look worse compared to bitmap graphics
My vision was this 3D graphics combined not with free movement like Quake, but with tile movement like DM, enhanced with smooth movement between tiles and rotation (something much better than Lands Of Lore). I think it coud be user option if he does preffer tile or free movement.
Variable screen sizes and all kinds of special effects like transparency, lighting and shadows are definitely doable with 3D acceleration. Also, dynamic lighting is no problem. Still my goal is NOT to create eye candy, but concentrate on the game play. Of course the world has to look believable and consistent. And this is exactly why the original DM looks so good IMO.
I don't think teleporting puzzles would be more difficult to implement in 3D than using tilebased engine - if geometry in place A and place B are exactly the same, you won't notice the jump when moving instantly from place A to B. That is, it doesn't matter if the graphics are drawn in 2D or 3D if the player maintains his relative position to the tiles/geometry/whatever while teleporting.
About 3D monsters looking worse than 2D: well yes and no. The animations would look much smoother in 3D, but yes you lose the unique feel of 2D graphics.
My apologies that this thread is a bit off the topic of this board but I do not know anyother place for enthusiastic DM fans out there.
That is the only other game that has felt nearly as immersive and frightening as Dungeon Master. It's a good example of how to transfer to full 3D without losing atmosphere, where most other 3D "dungeon crawls" have failed in this aspect...
What you'd need for DM over the UU engine though, is true Z dimension (e.g. walk over and under the same bridge) and on-the-fly deformation (open up pits, walls, etc.) A third feature that would be very nice is position-relative teleporters. If you are careful with your textures, it is possible to re-create the "get lost" puzzles of DM, where invisible rotators and transports get you all turned around. I've tried putting this in a Rise of the Triad level for instance, and the trouble is that once you step on the teleporter, you are "re-centered": that is, even though you might be slightly to the left of the center of the teleporter tile, you get centered on the tile you are teleporting to, and thus this jerk lets you know that you indeed have teleported... thus, what is needed would be a position relative teleporter: when you step on the teleporter tile, it puts you in the exact same location relative to the center on the new tile as you had on the old.
Likewise, it's probably important NOT to use a lightmap system like in Quake, if you want to keep your players confused, and also to avoid fancy architecture and lighting effects.
If you really want, you can still use 2D sprites in a 3D game A La DOOM, but this does present some problems with looking up/down and isn't quite the same as true 2D. Still, doom's monsters were a helluvalot cooler than anything in the quake games, and UU used sprites for monsters well enough.
http://dmweb.free.fr/Forum/ - DM&CSB Encyclopoedia.
The owner of the site keeps track of all the clones, so will be interested if you are continuing this project.
Also, one of the people from the original clone project, Drake, has a forum at http://network54.com/Hide/Forum/126792, if you wanted to continue this thread in a different forum.
I definitely think you are onto somehting though...I've always been intregued about the 3D idea mostly for combat...Dm#s only weak point is that sometimes there is not too much you can do movement tactics wise but stand there and slug it out.
I liek that the lighting ambiance is still retained in the 3D setting while also having impressive high areas, and the screamers don't look too bad either ; )
The intereface is going to be the main thing though....
Was unable to (permenantly) kill off ian_scho (Haynuus), Ameena, oh_brother (Westian), money (Falkor), raixel (Petal) and Lord_Bones (Aurek) in the DM D&D game Time's Champions!
CONGRATULATIONS TO THOSE WHO MADE THE GAME WHAT IT WAS - GREAT!
If you are interested in pursuing this engine to a commercial level I would be interested in talking to you about that. there are a few possibilities that I could propose.
One of the companys I do work for will be looking for a new title to work on and they are interested in putting together a new 3D engine. (well they have one mostly done actually.)
