Be Excellent To Each Other

So I'm doing my research project into Gaming Engines in non-gaming uses. I'm going to be building a map of one of the uni buildings for people to stroll around and explore to test a game's suitability for non-gamers to use as a navigation tool.

My lit-review has lead me to the various versions of the Unreal Engine and I was wondering which version to stump for. I already own UT2003 which uses the Unreal2 engine, I can get the Unreal3 engine with UT3 for about £15 but I'm not sure if the benefits are worth the extra work (demo is downloading now).

All of the design and modelling work will be done on my quad-core work beast but I have be sure it'll run smooth on the laptop I've bought for demoing and testing. This is the laptop I've bought. I've installed XP on it and intend to up it to 4gb when payday rolls around.

Any Unreal modding experience in the group?

EDIT:
CHANGED TITLE SINCE THERE'S ONLY ME READING THIS THREAD

I'd personally use the original Unreal engine from the original Unreal Tournament. I found that version of UnrealEd to be significantly easier to use than any of the newer versions, although admittedly I've not touched UnrealEd since UT2004 (possibly UT2003).

As a side note, does anyone else find UnrealEd's method of creating maps far better than other engines'? Unreal Engine starts you off with an infinitely big solid block and you "carve" rooms out of it and then apply textures to the inside walls of the carved out areas. So you can create a room just by creating a cube primitive and carving it out of the map.

In other engines, at least in my (limited) experience, you'd have to create a primitive for each wall and then join them together which seems to be needlessly duplicating work.

Exactly Gaz, that's why I chose unreal.

Also, since 2004, maps in unreal have been made almost entirely out of 'static meshes'. UnrealEd can do detail, but you can model something in Max or Maya and import it into the engine as a static mesh, hence the increasing detail and complexity of models and maps. It's faster and prettier and you get better modelling tools in Max. I have nearly 10 years 3d modelling experience now and I'll be fucked if I'm going back to using boxes!

If you've got 10 years experience in it then your choice of engine is largely irrelevant, I'd have thought.

Is it just the map you're going to be doing or are you going to mod the game as well so that people can walk around the building without the ability of shooting it to shit with the ASMD Shock Rifle?

that's the idea. Long term, new front end, no guns, tour guide. But this is undergraduate, so prob just no guns

edit: all my modelling experience is in MAX and before that Softimage. I've never modded a game before

In that case I'd probably go for one of the later versions, as I'm assuming that they made UnrealScript more powerful in later versions. If it's just no guns you're after, the original UT would be more than capable (and the UnrealScript syntax is probably simpler) but you'd have to do all your mapping in UnrealEd as I think static mesh support in that version is limited.

PEW PEW! I like teh Unrool Injun 3 in GoW 2.

I thought the Doom engine was best for planning school massacres.

I may do a small test in the version I've already got and see how the lappy handles it. And try the demo of UT3, obv.

Oh and Myp? Ta, I LOL'ed

no Zardo, man. The Unreal engine offers proper 3d and defenceless Hoomans to slaughter. And the PEW PEWs are louder

I remember on or around 13 September 2001 watching some TV news program in which an idiot journalist showed how you could (SHOCK) crash into the World Trade Centre using MS Flight Sim.

[Edit - grammar)

The Doom engine is amazing if you want to feel that the eyes on paintings really are following you around.

You're not editing my Grandma!

Also, yes, I remember earnest face journo, clutching his joystick and gesturing at the screen.

I have just order UT3 through SavvyGamer for peanuts, so it's worth a go I suppose.

Nothing to do with Unreal, but I know that a prestigious London architectural school uses the Crysis engine for 3D modelling.

I want the next game that uses the Cryengine to be called Crypes!

Man, an 'If...' based FPS would be acebest.

That was in my lit-review.

*Taps noggin* Not just a hat rack, my friend. Also, Some of the work these guys do is awesome

CryBaby, and FPS where you have to take care of a squalking infant whilst fighting korean ninjas

Or they could merge with the Burnout developers to form Cryterion Games.

or 'Cryst, he's thin!' in which you have you go around replacing scary crucifixion sculptures with ones depicted Jesus sitting on top of a cross, with a cheery smile and a can of pop in his hand.

"Jesus Cryst: Thirst for Glory" The long awaited action game of Life of Brian

rip George Carlin. Party on dude

When I used to make Quake maps I used to carve out the rooms from a solid cube. I can't even remember the name of the editor I used. Worldcraft or something.

Yep, worldcraft became Hammer, which is still used in the Source SDK up to and including the Orange Bawks

Fucking UT3 Demo. Wants me to make a profile, and provide my email address. But wont accept 'davpaz' and I can't type the @ symbol. AND you can't quit cos there's no exit button. SHINY! One more go at home and then KILL IT WITH FIRE!

Have you tried SHIFT+2? It might be set to US keyboard for some strange reason.

did. gave me the " symbol.

The normal @ combo SHIFT + ' brings up a console. It does say 'beta' demo though. Maybe it was a restricted beta in some way

ok, installing UT2003 now (as I had it in my desk) lets see how well these static meshes work then, huh?

This is turning into my Uni Progress blog

ANGER! UnrealEd is flaky. If I lock the workstation (Ctrl-Alt-Del) which I have to do a lot as I get called away from my desk, UnrealEd crashes the system. Completely, blue screen death.

How... irritating.

That's usually driver issues, isn't it?

yeah, my work PC has a very expensive Quadro FX (cost about £2000 a few years ago )that uses optimised drivers for 3ds Max. I may revert back to the boggo ones, see if it helps

Hey! It worked!

Sorry about the massively bloggy thread. I'll desist now.

Excellent stuff.

Update! I have successfully imported a Dav-made object into Unreal.



Look upon me and MARVEL!

It's missing the drop of blood across the eye.

that sucks m8 but you are still lucky! i helped make a DeusEx mod back in the day with some guys and kieron gillens from PC gamer? Unrealed used to crash about every one in two times i tried it. and at least youve got a proper sdk to work with cos the one for deusex was the worst thing about it, couldnot do that much, shitty for modding with. actually it was teh second thing after working with kieron lol. just kidding k!

Oh hell this thread is making me want to play UT2003 again.

Must resist...

You'd probably be deviant and play it on a PC or something.

Tedious update time!



I HAS TABLES! And I've figured out the texturing gubbins. I'll have this project boxed off in a week, I sware!

Ok, last one I promise. I'm getting the hang of it now.

I think your university building needs to change to energy-saving bulbs, they last longer than incandescent ones which looks like it'd be a definite bonus.

Latest update, I have now modelled my desk, the archways that make up most of this building's structure and a few scraps of furniture.

Enjoy!

Well, I finished this. Well, not finished as much as run out of time.

Video to follow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6u16A8iobGU

looks pretty log on youtube actually.

Damn!

Edit: Watch it in HQ mode and it looks a whole lot better.

That looks awesome. No doors though, I notice.

I used to do this stuff with Half Life, all the time. That must have taken ages.

Also - fuck me Simon Cowell can make a car handle

No that was deliberate. Initial feedback said that grannies and other non-gamers would be using it, so as little to interactive with as possible would be preferred.

That's pretty damned awesome DavPaz.