h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So, what's the general plan? I'm used to Quake levels, which are small and individual. I've played a bit of Half-Life, and it seems to be capable of one huge level loaded in portions according to where you are. Can this be done with WorldCraft?

Yes, it certainly can!
Unfortunatly though, this is not possible for multiplayer, as the entities used for the transitions are ignored in this system.
However, if you are thinking of linking the levels together for the whole of h2g2 to be explored in single player, this is certainly a possibility!
It would take even more effort than just the MP levels, but it might be worth undertaking...
I will put that on the Project Page as an extension option...

Actually, theoretically, if we got a coder on the Team, we could get him/her/it to fiddle around with the engine a bit and get the MP system to perform level transitions...
We could set up a MP adenture...a team game where we fight to rid h2g2 of some vile aliens or something...

Sounds fun. And we could add 'XML-Error' monsters, 'h2g2 Towers Powers' men in suits, 'Abi Alter Egos' that pop up in the most unlikely of areas and try to suffocate you, and 'Presidential Candidates' that surround you and try to convince you to vote for them.

Or something.

Have you ever come across the 3D world language for IE browsers? I can't remember what it's called, but it's pretty rubbish. It does have some nice touches though - you can make walls/items links; ie. if you walk up to them or click on them, it takes you to a web page or whatever.

What a marvellous idea! We could have a real Symlpost Monster!

Oh...you're talking about Microsoft Virtual Machine I think...
I've never tried developing for that actually...

Don't bother, it's rubbish. It's not totally 3D - it's like Doom or Duke Nukem 3D, a kind of pseudo-3D.
It's a very good idea, but needs updating.

Yes...probably something MS made but then abandoned...ho hum...

Just dropping by to mention that CLI would probably have "Half-Life" type monsters running around. Interesting feat you've got going here, Big C. Wish Zork had as big a following as h2g2 so we could finish that game. Good luck on the project!

Thanks Affy!
Oh, we'll probably be sending a scout around there at some stage, to map it out with your permission...we can't miss CLI out of this!
Of course, you could do it yourself...you know exactly what it all looks like...

Interesting, a couple of months ago I messed around with some HL skins to try and make an H2G2 "character",

basically I edited a scientist skin to make it look like Ford Prefect in a bath robe with an h2g2 logo on his back

sadly I didn't back it up, but its not hard to do

Hoopy...

*looks on in marvel on the fact that the forum's just started up again..*

I'm about to reskin the scientist model for multiplayer...into me!

...UPDATE:

I am now in the process of modelling the main areas of the Space Station Big C for Half-Life. It will include the Ministry of Science and Technology (thanks to MaW for the idea of modelling the Ministries for games), the Secondary Labs, the Great Hall, Hangars, and a visualisation of the Observatory, along with more details, and an outside tour of the 'station...
The levels will then be sealed off into seperate ones, and converted for multiplayer...

I can't wait to see the forum & firkin in 3d

If you want to model yourself, you can use Bt's "avatar me" which is like a 3d photobooth, it scans you in and makes a quake skin (should be HL compatible) unfortunately the only one is in the millenium dome

Hell...all the way in London...
Can't be bothere to go all the way up there...
I'll settle with my basic imaging tools...

I wonder what CLI will look like in 3D. I wonder what the CLI Monsters will look like in 3D. I wonder what the UFO will look like in 3D. I wonder what Ampton will look like in 3D.

The state of wonder is a wonderful thing.

Too true...

Hey Affy, if you know any modellers who can work in something like Milkshape 3D or 3D-S Max, do tell... We need coders and the like as well...

BTW, the levels we're presently making are only for the standard H-L multiplayer, but once that's done we can then move on to either have single player levels where you get to vanquish h2g2 from the Bad Guys, or we rewrite the multiplaayer code so we can have multiplayer missions to rid h2g2 of the same Guys...

I have a feeling that CLI is the only place we'll be able to do particularly realistically - with lots of mutated monsters running around and scientists looking bewildered. Unless that is somebody makes some new monster models for us

Is there a h2g2 Insane Military Base? That would also be easy

BT's 3D scan thing is rubbish by the way, don't bother, you'd make a better model by taking a couple of photos of yourself and pasting them onto an existing skin. Mine looks vaguely like me from a distance away but when you get nearer you see that my clothes are all completely black, I have four eyes, and a large spike sticking out of my forehead. (maybe the attendant didn't like me!)

LOL! Maybe that wouldn't work then...
Yeah...we're hoping to get some modellers on our side...see if you can find anyone...

I've got HL now so I'm teaching myself WorldCraft. It seems fairly straightforward although using monster AI is a bit annoying. Oh and the whole decals thing is done very badly I think.

Hey, glad you've got it now...
Yeah, it is quite straightforward, yes...
and you're right - the decals are a bit fiddly...I only place them around the levels once everything else is done...

Actually, Peregrin, I can think of two other places that could be done realistically: either of the space stations, or STUMPED HQ. Space stations are perfect for this kind of thing, and KL claims that his greatest scientific skill is biological science.