New Dys Tutorial, Now In Beta!

[Xaxu]

I announced earlier that I am going to make a new tutorial (4th post down, I believe), and I need your help to do it. So far, I have

• Expanded decking
  • Defenses
    Navigation
  Shooting range (already in the works, but the damn pathed target isn't working)
  Previous thread. (I haven't read all the way through yet, Furt just pointed out that I'd missed it.)

And that's it. I will add to the list as I get suggestions, so this is where you do your thing and think up some improvements to the tutorial. I do like the general design of the level, so I'll probably keep it somewhat as it is. Just a heads up.

[Furtal1ty]

Nobody wants to lead the project. There are plenty of people willing to contribute ideas and/or map areas, but nobody wants to lead. Until someone steps up, I doubt this will get any further than previous threads.

[Xaxu]

I am going to make a new tutorial

Last I checked, that means I AM GOING TO LEAD. I am asking for ideas because I want to make something robust and useful, not because I want someone to step up and do it themselves. Read, think, reread, THEN post a reply, please.

[Furtal1ty]

http://www.dystopia-game.com/forum/view ... 49&t=19513

[Pyroguy]

No one has got past more than forming ideas and playing around a bit.

It's a pretty big task, figuring out how to make a tutorial that exposes enough things so that players become comfortable learning the rest and yet is done in a manner that is engaging and not redundant.

Also, UC wants it to have story. I think you might be able to make it more effective by just not worrying about story, and throwing something on top afterwards (digital simulation, whatever). Telling people what keys to press is important, and you can't do story if someone is telling you to press keys. I would recommend hints just like HL2, which are supported, but no one has used. But if you do that then UC may not want it.

[Xaxu]

I forgot to link that, didn't I? Thanks, Furt. The reason I decided to make a new thread was because that one hadn't been posted on in a while, and I have a thing against hijacking old threads. It just seems rude to me for some reason.

No one has got past more than forming ideas and playing around a bit.

Yet. I've got plenty of spare time and enough motivation to see this through. Still a daunting task, but I'm confidant that it's do-able.

Also, UC wants it to have story. I think you might be able to make it more effective by just not worrying about story, and throwing something on top afterwards (digital simulation, whatever). Telling people what keys to press is important, and you can't do story if someone is telling you to press keys. I would recommend hints just like HL2, which are supported, but no one has used. But if you do that then UC may not want it.

Story/info balance is a tricky issue. I don't completely remember the HL2 hints, to be honest, but the first thing that comes to mind is the current system for orders (voice w/ text) with the second, non-dys-specific, text system for providing hints like which keys to press. I believe that it would be possible to steal the keys from the user's keymap that way as well.

[Xaxu]

I officially started working on the story last night, and am starting the level design later today. With any luck, I will have a functional demo level by Sunday, and from there it should be quick, a demo level every 2 days or so. I plan on making the full tutorial, however many maps it may take, before I refine any of it, but my aim is officially now to be in time for the release of 1.3.

[Neon Girl]

I love you Xaxu.

[Xaxu]

Why, thank you, ma'am.

Question: How do you get the spawn like on the current tutorial? I have a forceloadout, but I still get the loadout screen.

EDIT: I have tangible results! It's the base for a series of helper .res files, voice script, and a few level design notes.

Example:
Helper 1 (Handler): Spawn
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Blah blah blah blah blah.
Blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah. Blah blah
blah.

Helper 1 (Voice):
Blah blah blah.

Helper 1 (Message):
Press <button> to do action.

Helper 1 is the helper file, Handler is the name on the message, spawn is the location of the trigger. The string of 'x's is so I can remember to keep the proper formatting, and the 'blah's are the message. Voice is the voice script for whomever is doing the voice-over. I might actually put them through the voice synthesizer I have with Fruity Loops. Message is the Steam-standard message, which I use as a sort of tool-tip for which key to press to do what. I am hoping can find a way to make it output the key from the individual keymap rather than the standard keys.

Code: Select all

Helper 1 (Handler): Spawn
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I'll be your handler tonight. Your
file says you just joined Realitek.
Welcome aboard the team. Head down
the hallway and we'll get started.

Helper 1 (Voice):
Good evening, newbie, I'll be your handler tonight. According to your file, you just joined Realitek. Let me be the first to welcome you to Realitek, Artificial Intelligence Recovery Services. Head down the pipe and we'll get started.

Helper 2 (Handler): Below ledge in room 2
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Time to stretch your legs. Use your
legboosters to jump up and grab hold
of that ledge, then pull yourself up.

Helper 2 (Voice):
Time to stretch your legs, newbie. Good thing I spawned you with legboosters. Rev them up to get flying, and pull yourself up.

Helper 2 (Message):
Hold <legbooster sprint> and <jump> to charge, and release to jump high.

Helper 3 (Handler): On ledge in room 2
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Good job. You're getting used to
those implants quickly. Go over to
the door and press the button.

Helper 3 (Voice):
You like that, huh? Well, good job. You're getting used to those implants quickly. The next step is nice and easy. Just go press that button by the door

and you can advance.

Helper 4 (Handler): Passing 'door1'
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This place is home to the original AI
made by DataTrust. It's old and
buggy, but they want it back.
Nostalgia, no doubt.

Helper 4 (Voice):
This place is home to the original AI made by DataTrust for their DataSpheres. "The Queen", as they call it, is old and buggy, but they want it back.

Nostalgia, no doubt. I'd love to get my hands on a copy of her source, just to try to debug her myself.

Helper 5 (Handler): Entering lobby. (DESIGN NOTE: DataTrust logo on the floor, embedded in unbreakable glass.)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Good old Alpha Site. I used to work
here, before DataTrust downsized the
AI team. Good memories. The AI
service point is on the bottom floor.

Helper 5 (Voice):
Good old Alpha Site. I used to work here, before DataTrust downsized the AI division. A lot of us techs worked on The Queen, back in the day. Good

memories, but I digress. The AI service point is on the bottom floor. Take the elevators, they always were quite fast.

Helper 6 (Handler): Outside the elevator.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sorry, buddy, I forgot that they
would probably be offline. Just use
the Jack-in Point next to
the doors to reactivate it.

Helper 6 (Voice):
Sorry, buddy, I forgot that the elevators would probably be offline. Just use the Jack-in Point next to the doors to reactivate it. It's easy, I'll walk

you through it.

Helper 6 (Message):
Press <use> to access the Jack-in Point.

Helper 7 (Handler): Cyberspace spawn room 1.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
This is cyberspace. Your body is
still in the real world, but your
deck renders it in a way that you can
understand. Go on through the hole.

Helper 7 (Voice):
This is cyberspace. Your body is still in the real world, but your cyberdeck implant renders the computer's internal structure in a way that your mind can

understand, drawing energy the entire time it's active. Every system is different, so if you're going to navigate the same one often, it's worth it to use

some of your spare time to get familiar with the architecture. Go on and go through the hole in the wall ahead.

Helper 8 (Handler): Outside cyberspace spawn room 1.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cyberspace can be hard to learn. In
cyberspace, gravity is determined by
the computer, and the standard is
to have very low gravity in tubes.

Helper 8 (Voice):
Navigating in cyberspace can be tough to learn. In cyberspace, gravity, or the perceived faxcimilie to gravity, is dependant on the computer's architecture,

and the standard is to have the gravity very low in tubes like this.

Helper 9 (Handler): Inside cyberspace objective room 1.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
This is a very basic cyberspace room.
It's got a floor, 4 walls, a celing,
and another room inside it. Run up
to the other room.

Helper 9 (Voice):
This is a very basic cyberspace room. It's got a floor, 4 walls, a celing, and another room inside it. The floor is white for a reason, but we'll get to

that later. Run up to the red binary part of the wall on the other room.

Helper 10 (Handler): Outside cyberspace objective subroom 1.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
This is an ICE, and it needs to be
disrupted or broken before you can
pass it. Use either Wedge or ICE
Breaker to get through.

Helper 10 (Voice):
This is an ICE, and to get past it, you need to either disrupt it with Wedge, or break it with ICE Breaker. You can use either one for this, but it's worth

noting that while Wedge is faster, the ICE will come back up in about 5 seconds. Though for this, it doesn't matter, because once you're through, you don't

need to go back.

Helper 11 (Handler): Inside cyberspace objective subroom 1.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Now press the button, just like you
did to open the first door.

Helper 11 (Voice):
Now press the button, just like you did to open the first door. Sometimes there will be security on it which you will have to crack, but we'll get to that

when you access the AI service point.

Helper 12 (Handler): Inside cyberspace objective subroom 1.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Now deck out and get to the elevator.

Helper 12 (Voice):
Congratulations, you can now call yourself a decker. Deck out and get to the elevator, I'm getting anxious to get this over with.

Helper 13 (Handler): Inside elevator.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
In case you aren't up to date on your
terminology, I'll give you a quick
walkthrough. Jack-in points are
commonly called JIPs.

Helper 13 (Voice):
In case you aren't up to date on your teminology, I'll give you a quick walkthrough. Most commonly of these is the JIP. JIP is short for Jack-in Point, the

thing you just used to reactivate the elevator. You'll find these all over, as since the invention of the cyberdeck, nobody wants to use the oldschool input

methods such as a mouse and keyboard for any hard work, though it's still more convenient to use them for simple things such as controlling your music

player.

Helper 14 (Handler): After 13 finishes.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Your other implants are mediplant
and a superconducting capacitor.
Mediplant simply restores health,
and the capacitor gives more energy.

Helper 14 (Voice):
Your other implants are legboosters, which you already used, a mediplant, and a superconducting capacitor. The mediplant is a wonderful piece of technology

which restores not only your health, but that of friendlies around you. The superconducting capacitor gives you an aditional 25 energy, so rather than

having 50, you have 75, which is an aditional 15 health or aditional time in cyberspace.

Helper 15 (Handler): Outside AI service point.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Here it is, the AI service point.
Use the JIP to gain shut down the
turrets guarding the server room and
to unlock the door.

Helper 15 (Voice):
Here it is, the AI service point. Use the JIP in the next room to shut down the turrets guarding the server room and to unlock the door.

Helper 16 (Handler): Cyberspace spawn room 2.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Same thing as last time, just follow
the tube to the room and I'll guide
you from there.

Helper 16 (Voice):
It's the same thing as last time, just follow the tube to the room and I'll guide you from there.

Helper 17 (Handler): Inside cyberspace objective room 2. (DESIGN NOTE: Single path up the wall to the ceiling, to the objective subroom)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
This one is tricker than the last,
but it's a perfect example of gravity
binding and multi-function panels.
Follow the white lines on the floor.

Helper 17 (Voice):
This one is a bit trickier than the last one, but it's a perfet example of the gravity binding and multi-function panels. Follow the white lines on the

floor to walk on the wall.

Helper 18 (Handler): Inside cyberspace objective room 2, after moving up the wall.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Neat, huh? Any time you see white
tracks in cyberspace, you can touch
them and 'gravity' will pull you to
that wall.

Helper 18 (Voice):
Neat, huh? Any time you see those white tracks in cyberspace, you can touch them and gravity will pull you to that wall. If you jump in cyberspace, you

move faster, and if you jump and launch your projectile, you will fly farther and faster than by running or jumping alone.

Helper 18 (Message):
Press <aux fire> to launch your projectile.

Helper 19 (Handler): Outside cyberspace objective subroom 2.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
This time there are countermeasures,
so use a (scan name) to remove the
Green ICE, followed by Wedge to get
through.

Helper 19 (Voice):
This time there are countermeasures, so use a (scan name) to remove the Green ICE, followed by Wedge to get through. If you run into a Green ICE, or if you

ICE Breaker it, you'll be decked out, and it will have the same effect as an Electro-Magnetic Pulse, disabling all your implants for a short time.

Helper 20 (Handler): Inside cyberspace objective subroom 2.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
This panel has been encrypted, so use
your (decryption) to break through
it. Once it's disabled, be sure to
press both buttons.

Helper 20 (Voice):
This panel has been encrypted, so use your (decryption) to break through it. Once it's disabled, be sure to press both buttons, or you'll either get locked

out or be shreaded to pieces by the turrets.

Helper 21 (Handler): Inside AI service station.
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This is the place. Get to the JIP
and download the AI. I'll leave you
to figure this one out on your own.

Helper 21 (Voice):
This is the place. Get to the JIP and download the AI. I'll leave you to figure this one out on your own. Remember, watch out for countermeasures in

cyberspace.

Helper 22 (Handler): Inside AI service station. (DESIGN NOTE: Alternate path leads to load point, next map has no helpers, and thus no helper file.)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Great job, I knew you were the one to
trust. Automated security ... door
you opened, so ... another way out.
Static ... heavy, ... on your own.

Helper 22 (Voice):
Great job, I knew you were the newbie we could trust. The automated security (static, 'just locked the') door you opened, so (static 'you'll have to find')

another way out. Static (static, 'is getting pretty') heavy now, (static, 'so you're') on your own. (Static, 'good') luck.

[Xaxu]

Daily progress update time!! Yay!!

I've almost got the spawn system working as per the existing tutorial, but I still get the damn loadout menu. I suspect it has something to do with how I have the triggers set up. The map is (physically) about half complete, almost all of it from scratch. You'll see what I mean by that when I release it.

The helpers are working properly, but the key messages don't show up yet for some reason. Again, I suspect the culprit to be trigger issues. I hate the trigger system. It confuses the hell out of me, and there isn't a proper how-to I like. Sure, they're out there, but I don't like them.

Let's see, what else.... Oh yeah, lighting. Anyone know of a way to make the lights compile faster? I don't really think there is one, but I figured I'd ask, anyway.

[Viz]

you can set RAD to fast,that should make it compile faster

[Xaxu]

Oooh, thanks. I didn't even think about adjusting those.

[bauxite]

just dont even put lights yet or run rad, u can play the map and test it fine in fullbright.

[Xaxu]

Now that's what I should have done. Unfortunately, I have a ton of custom light fixtures, which are all in pieces, so it's a pain to manipulate them, much less were I to try and rebuild them.

[Pyroguy]

Also, set default light detail level to 64, not 16 or whatever it is from install.

[bauxite]

Also, set default light detail level to 64, not 16 or whatever it is from install.

no lol

[Pyroguy]

It makes lighting much faster...

[bauxite]

yeah but lighting doesnt even matter now, no point of even running rad until you need to test lighting.

[Xaxu]

A little mid-day update for you readers:

The map layout is (tentatively, of course) finished. That's not counting the decals or any spiffing up. It's just the map, which runs without vrad.

Issues: I can't get map changes, which means I may or may not have to make this one insanely long to accommodate everything I'm putting into the tutorial. If anyone has a way of simple map changes, I would really appreciate it.

Oh, and I STILL can't get the spawn thing right. I can get instaspawn and forced loadout, but not forced team.

There was another issue, but I can't remember it.


Spawn point. Look familiar?

Lobby.

Your path becomes clear.

Cyberspace puzzle. Yes, I know that's a shotgun, I had to noclip.

I couldn't resist, for some reason I love that room.

While one turret would suffice, I like overkill. Fun fact, the turrets are so effective that half a second after I took the picture I was a stain on the wall.

The rest of the pictures!

[bauxite]

link bsp, do eeeeet.

btw lol, the pictures are huge, u need to link them instead of place them in the thread or something lol.

isnt half of that just lobby lol ?

[Xaxu]

Ok, pictures fixed. And in all honesty, I did steal the first few rooms from lobby, and the big round server bank.

And most of cyber, but that's just temporary until I can figure out how to make my own. But it's functional, which is what I'm worried most about most right now.


And I'm still on track for a prototype release later today. That means by 8:00 AM GMT, 3:00 AM EST, and 12:00 Midnight PST.

EDIT: STILL on track to release it, but I can't get the map change working, so I'ma make it one big map. For now, at least.

Problems: No protection on the ICE, which bugs the hell out of me. Also, I'm kind of out of ideas for where to take it, now that it's one huge map. I have a few, but they're not as good as I'd like.

Also, I'm going to build it with vrad tonight, so I'll have pics with the nice lighting effects. That'll take a good hour, though, so don't expect it until the end of the deadline.

[Xaxu]

Ok, I'm delaying the release until later today. I had a spark of inspiration last night, after I shut the computer down for the night, so I'm finishing up the map now and will have it packed up and ready to go within the day, probably by 12 PM GMT (or 5 hours from this post, whatever that is).

[Xaxu]

PRELIMINARY RELEASE TIME!

http://www.mediafire.com/file/utz0jljuo ... ial1.0.zip. Everything is there for a manual install, ie copy the files like you would any replacement model or skin. Right now, there are a few known bugs, but I wanted to let you guys have a look at it. It's simple and should be way WAY too easy for anyone reading this, and doesn't cover half the things I would like it to, but it's only part 1, so I'll finish up everything I want to teach in parts 2 and possibly 3.

Bugs: The final elevator goes WAY(!!!) too fast, the fadeout doesn't work properly, and I want to add more lights in the initially closed-off section, but that's for another build.

CREDITS:

• Termi and the team who made the original tutorial, without whom I'd have been lost, and would have had to make my own sewers. I used the sewers and the big room with all the wired-up computers to honor the work put into dys_lobby. I know you guys said it wasn't a lot of work, and I believe it, but I still wanted to honor your efforts.
  
  Termi again for the models for which you are credited (or whomever made the models, if I read incorrectly the idea that they are in a folder labeled 'termi', when you select the model, meaning that termi did, indeed, make them), such as the DataSphere (Vaccore, the core from Vaccine), Coolerbottom and Coolertop (those strange things in Vaccine's 3rd spawn with the temperature readings), and Domething (which, I believe, is also in Vaccine's 3rd spawn).
  
  Warby, for his awesome prop pack, which saved me much time in not having to recreate and/or find and unpack (if I'd ever have realized it) things such as chairs and the models for which I just thanked Termi, and for the Spidertank, which is just awesome.
  
  bauxite, insane_enuf, and everyone else who reminded me to stay on track rather than playing dys all the time. Without it, I probably wouldn't have released it for another 2 weeks.

[Neon Girl]

So far so good I'd say. Only real suggestion is to change when you're in the first elevator and the helper says something like "the superconductor adds more energy" you might want to change that to something along the lines of "the superconductor increases your maximum energy."

Also, you should eventually change the order of those thermal turrets. There's enough of them right at the elevator exit so that if you were to pop around the corner, you'd get insta killed

+2

[Xaxu]

Also, you should eventually change the order of those thermal turrets. There's enough of them right at the elevator exit so that if you were to pop around the corner, you'd get insta killed

You know, I thought the same thing, then I realized that it'd be WAAAAAAAY too much fun for you wonderful testers of mine to move them on the first release . The reason I wrote the helper the way did was because of the space limitations, but I might be able to rewrite it to sound better. And if not, there will be a more in-depth audio file going along with the on-screen text. I just have to get someone to record it, or install Fruity Loops and use my voice synthesizer. If anyone wants to volunteer, I'll send you a nice, formatted script for you to record. If not, I'll run it through my synth and it'll be included with my next release.

EDIT: Changes for the next release:

• More lights in the restrooms and the 'AI Design' section (the hallway with the rooms after you climb up the ladder).
  Soda machines in the alcove between the restrooms.
  Helpers will, hopefully, be more helpful, and will have audio.
  The final elevator, the one which is locked in the beginning but becomes unlocked after you obtain the AI, will go MUCH slower. The first one is set to 100 units/second, that one is set to 1000 units/second. I want it to be crazy fast, but that's too fast. Maybe 400 or 500 would work without throwing you against the ceiling.