[June Is End Boss Month]

"SNAAAAAKE! IT'S NOT OVER YET!"

[Gap Generator]

On 2017-6-3 at 7:35 PM, Raap said:

As with all things, yes.

The only thing I've unwrapped in Max 8 was that small crate you now find in every map and building in APB, and that's because it is literally a box! If I tried to unwrap, say, the icebergs on Hostile Waters, well... NOPE.

I've even taken it one step further with an asset created for the upcoming HW revamp, it was created purely using UVW mapping while using a unwrap-like texture, to result in a single mesh - something I needed to do for this specific asset. For me, this process was faster than fighting the 3DS Max 8 unwrapping tool (with no plugins).

@Madin 512x512 resolutions eh? I think the last time I worked with that was around 2008. For APB, all regular materials are 1024x1024 and quite a large and growing number are becoming 2048x2048. A lot of low-res textures I still use are old and for building interiors or man made objects. They are OK to use for small objects without repeated tiling though but I'd rather re-create many of them, and often I do, but it's not like I got the time to remake every single texture in the game (and simply up-scaling is pointless since you fill all that extra space with absolutely zero extra detail!).

I'm not aware of any unwrapping plugins existing for Max 8, but even if they do exist, I doubt it works. Max 8 on Windows 10 is a barely functional application. Sluggish performance, strange graphical anomalies, unexpected mesh behaviors triggered by unknown factors at random, plugins not working properly such as the FBX importer or polyboost requiring a re-installation every single session (I'm surprised the object painting plugin works), and the list goes on and on. Yes, this is akin to a pet peeve of mine, a daily annoyance that triggers me whenever the tools throw shit at me. 

If you'd like to learn move about unwrapping @Raap, take a look at my UVW unwrap tutorial!  

 

[Refillable insta-heal for medic?]

An idea which nobody has talked about yet is using the med-kit as a pseudo-beacon. We could consider making it a place-able object that grants a healing buff in an AoE. This would require medics to time when they drop their heals during a firefight to get the most out of their ability. Also this means that medics can't move their healing ability with them and keep Tanyas practically invincible for long periods of time. These place-able objects could have a limited lifespan and be refillable (via refill or supply truck). There could also be multiples in the inventory upon character purchase is needed.

A separate idea is to keep the way that the medic works right now, but make their healing ability a lot more gradual like the mechanic. That way medics can keep a group of infantry healed in the same sort of way that the the Medic from TF2 and Mercy from Overwatch keep units healed. It means that out of combat Medics would be great at healing infantry, but in combat the advantage to having them would be reduced slightly.

Food for thought anyway.

[Refillable insta-heal for medic?]

What is the problem with the medic that needs solving @Pushwall? You explained the potential solution in the first post but not the problem that needed solving.

My guess is that medics are a bit too good currently?

[Weapons used in Tiberian Dawn (Mostly related to something I wanted to do for a long time)]

That's a pretty big necropost there. 2 years is a new record I think?

Please don't reply to un-pinned threads that are years old.

I'm just going to lock this.

[Chris Cornell dies at 52]

Chris Cornell was an absolute legend. I'm glad that we'll always have the music he created, as that will never die.

[Manchester]

It was pretty horrible hearing about this today. It always stings a little when something like this happens in your own country.

[Underwater and Team Donate]

16 hours ago, Raap said:

Stuff like the water logic and appearance could be improved upon if there was a programming contributor with the required time and skill-set to take on the issue. 

This would definitely be an improvement to the omgblue we have at the moment.

[File Submission Guidelines]

The new file system, powered by IP.Downloads, is now live! The power is now in your hands to upload your custom files, mods, audio, maps and textures for Red Alert: A Path Beyond and Tiberian Sun: Reborn!

Categories

Here's a quick overview of the categories that we have currently implemented.

• W3D Hub - Contains useful programs and tools that will assist players in playing our games! This is where you will find the W3D Hub Launcher! Only W3D Hub Staff can upload to this category.
• Red Alert: A Path Beyond - Contains user generated content and mods for APB! Any non-banned user may upload to this category!
• Tiberian Sun: Reborn - Contains user generated content and mods for TSR! Any non-banned user may upload to this category!
• Other C&C Files - Contains other C&C files from around the wider community! Only W3D Hub Staff may upload to this category, but please feel free to make suggestions for any files that you think should be in this category by messaging @OWA, or by using the idea box on the W3D Hub homepage!

Submission Guidelines

Here are some guidelines and rules for uploading files to the W3D Hub File system!

• Be descriptive in naming your file and in your file description. Keep the latest updates, news and known issues to the top of the description so users see it first.
• Keep the description updated with known issues, caveats and walk-through installation guide where possible. Feel free to ask other users and staff members for help when writing walk-throughs.
• Upload screenshots. Create a preview image for your file (a square 200x200 image is the size limit). We will release marketing templates of all the game's logos in .png format for your use soon™.
• Avoid generic names. Do not post “test” files to the public, our Moderation team won't approve these types of files.
• When you update your file, please post what changed in the Version Notes.
• Files have an upload limit of 100MB. If this is a problem for a specific file that you wish to upload, please message @OWA.

After uploading a file, a member of W3D Hub's Moderation team will verify it's contents before it becomes public.

Once your file is public, the forum will automatically start a public thread devoted to it in the "Community Project Releases" forum and will link to it in the description; so that you can get feedback and bugs from other users.

Please note that files are subject to removal at the discretion of our Moderation team.

Reasons for File Removal 

Examples of reasons to remove files include, but are not limited to the following:

• Do not upload files that include cracked/pirated software or games.
• Do not upload files that include copyrighted material.
• Do not upload files taking content from other games, mods or files unless you have permission from the creator.
• Do not upload files featuring nude or sexually explicit material.
• Do not upload files that include hate speech, malicious content, or content that slanders/harasses other members.
• Do not upload files that include private information.

Cheers!

Thanks for reading! Please enjoy using this awesome community resource once again!

Also, a big special thanks to those of you who have donated to us over the last few months! This new feature is one of a few new things that were were able to get up and running with your support!

[W3D Hub Featured on Kotaku UK!]

23 hours ago, Raap said:

Just one comment, I do think referring to these projects as 'mods of renegade' is somewhat invalid. Mods are changes to gameplay based on the engine a game shipped with. W3D launched in 2002, but when you then apply 15 additional years of community driven engine development you start to reach a point where calling it a mod is discrediting to the work of the programming team. 

Then there is the fact that during BHP days, EA actually gave full permission to allow these projects to be marketed as independent games (providing no profit is generated due to using the C&C IP), and even outright gave the W3D source assets they still had - the full source code was lost, not even EA has it. But according to Jonwil, everything but the AI pathfind generation has been reverse engineered and updated, with this last thing being quite complicated. So essentially, the community has code in their hands that EA does not, top that off with an incredible number of code changes over the years, and you're more looking at a W3D 2.0 than the W3D that shipped in 2002.

The vast majority of true modifications offer no engine improvements due to various reasons. You can look at a mod for C&C Generals and recognising it as a C&C Generals mod. If you compare Renegade to for example, APB, you'd not see the comparison, and the few connections you do see - victory by base destruction - is actually there by design due to both games being C&C inspired shooters (to further add to my point; APB features gameplay not native to the 2002 W3D engine in various levels).

I think that marketing our projects as independent games, (whilst EA said we could release them as standalones) is a risky move due to the legal implications. By saying that our projects are Renegade mods, it instantly sets it apart from your average free-to-play games that may or may not have monetisation. With a mod you always know it's going to be free, which at first glance is good at getting our message across that we are free forever.

I think that the best way to describe the projects would be standalone total-conversion mods. We started with a game, Renegade, and built off of that; so I think that classification fits us well without stepping into the murky waters of indie, free-to-play and freemium games.

[Numpad Animations]

I'd love to see these come back!

[W3D Hub Featured on Kotaku UK!]

Kotaku UK have featured W3D Hub in a fairly lengthy article that sheds a nice light on what Command & Conquer-related projects we are working on. A while back I met a freelance journalist who was really interested in covering the work that we do here. Over the course of a few months, I gave them some info about the community and the result was this article!

A link to the article can be found right here: http://www.kotaku.co.uk/2017/05/02/the-renegades-remaking-command-conquer-as-firstperson-shooters

Although it's great to get acknowledged by a major gaming publication, there are unfortunately a few inaccuracies that are mentioned in the article. I've listed the facts below to set the record straight:

• Renegade was a 2002 game, not a 2005 game
• @OWA is currently moonlighting as a Seconded Game Designer at creative Assembly, so no longer a Tester (for now)
• Renegade X was in development as far back as 2007, so the devs didn't all leave to make Reborn in 2011 as the article suggests
• @OWA didn't have much of a hand in the handing over of Reborn at all. That task was masterminded by @Wallywood, who made sure that the game was in good hands before moving it back over to what was then Bluehell Productions
• It's Nod, not NOD (old joke is old)
• MCT terminals, i.e. Master Control Terminal Terminals
• Reborn doesn't feature Thieves
• The section about 2009 graphics upgrades is uninformed. Here's the scoop straight from @saberhawk: "We slowly took over the rendering engine and rebuilt most of it a few times; the original game was D3D8 (DirectX 8), all the latest things are D3D11 (DirectX 11)"

Even with these inacurracies, it's really great to see this level of attention from a major game news site (even if it's only from the UK branch of Kotaku) and get our message out there that C&C isn't quite dead yet. This shows that even though we're creating games on an older engine, it still continues to spark interest, which I think is amazing. I'm really proud of what we achieve every day here and I think we should all enjoy being in the limelight as one of the few teams still standing that is continuing to carry the banner for the Command & Conquer franchise and fans everywhere!

With improvements and new site features on the way, W3D Hub is going to be a community that will be around for years to come! Stay tuned for more good stuff right here!

[blurb]Kotaku UK have covered W3D Hub in an exciting news article, featuring our very own OWA![/blurb]

[thumb]thumb_tsr.j.png[/thumb]

[[AUDIO] Classic Renegade Boink for APB]

View File

Classic Renegade Boink for APB

---

Exactly what the title says it is; the classic Renegade Boink sound for use in APB (and TSR... or any Renegade mod for that matter! The sound name is hard coded! )

Read the included readme for install instructions (also pasted below!)

Installation Instructions:

1. Extract the archive into your Game\Data folder (So the sound file should be in "..\W3D Hub\games\apb-release\data" or similar)
2. Boot the game and kill someone!
3. ???
4. Boink!

Hope you enjoy this!

- OWA

---

• Submitter
  OWA
• Submitted
  05/09/2017
• Category
  Custom Audio

 

[Screenshots!]

Pinning 'dis.

[AR :: May 2017 Update]

On 2017-5-5 at 4:26 PM, Raap said:

I like the consistent stylized unit design, but the level design makes it feel mismatched. Given that you're not trying to follow APB's art style, what are your plans for a matching environmental art style?

If I had to make a 5 second guess, I'd say a more vibrant color palette should be used in your environmental textures and level assets. Red Alert 2 was known for using a lot of strong colors so applying to it W3D based levels seems like a good direction. I'd also say instead of using real world photography as the bases if your environmental textures, instead opt for high resolution hand drawn terrain using previously mentioned vibrant color palette.

Overal, good work!

Side note, I wish APB had an infantry character artist, @Romanov seems like a great asset to your team, a true do-it-all guy!

 

On 2017-5-5 at 6:50 PM, devilslayersbane said:

In addition to what Raap said, I think a good "vibrantly colored" world to start off with would be the recently released "Breath of the Wild." While a significantly different game, the stylized design could prove as a good starting point.

 

To be honest, our problem lies with the fact that we haven't actually made a map for AR in many years. We've been focusing on the big gameplay features currently, so once those are in, we can turn our attention back to making maps once again.

APB doesn't need a character artist, all the characters are done.

[APB Pick-Up Games Announcement]

1 hour ago, OrangeP47 said:

Ah, 3 pm my time. Sadly then I probably can't be around for that.  I'll likely be on the normal server before hand for our normal weekend get together though.

Though also.... 8 GMT is 2 CST.... I imagine this is what happens when we're not careful with the fact that it's DST right now

According to google, GMT is currently 5 hours ahead of CST, so 3 "should" be right.

[W3D Hub Pick-Up-Games (PUGs)]

Sign me up. I want to relive 2008 all over again.

Also guys, if you want to have some of the best games of APB possible; sign up for this.

It's gonna be special.

[Which old APB maps should we bring back?]

TWT, NBNW, Volcano, Metro, Glacier, Fjords, Bunkers. Probably in that order.

[Give the APC a horn?]

22 hours ago, Pushwall said:

I'm all for this but I've been having trouble finding something unique for the APC. My last resort will be using an MLG airhorn and I really don't want to do that. 

I have a few horns kicking around. I'll send them to you sometime.

[APB Madness]

I KNEW you were going to include that clip of you sniping me down the ramp on Complex.

Well played!

[Anti-stalemate feature]

You guys need reinforcement bays.

But in all seriousness it's good to see that this is being taken into consideration, as it's one of the fundamental flaws with this game currently. There potentially a number of solutions to this problem and I would agree with Raap surrounding the whole "requires chat" solution.

You could drop in vehicles for the losing team periodically (if they've lost their WF) via Chinook; that would stop the game from being as stalematey, but maybe the solution isn't to give the losing team things, but to debuff them so it's harder for them to defend a single building in the end.

We already know that we can make buildings take more damage when others have been put offline, so an alternative solution might be to make buildings take more damage when there are less of them left. So, for example, if a team has just a Barracks left, that Barracks will take twice the damage so that the game can end quicker.

It's food for thought at least.

[TS: Reborn August 2016 Update]

There's definitely been progress. Keep posted and we'll try and reveal something cool on a regular basis.

[Get rid of "instant repair" Golden Wrench?]

On 25/03/2017 at 8:19 PM, Pushwall said:

I'll have to ask the scripters about this, sounds like a solution. Could be extended to refills as well since we still don't have a proper solution for refills in combat.

Thing is though, respawning counts as buying a character; currently we have a thing that prevents you from rebuying too fast - 3 seconds - and if you try to buy right after spawning you get denied. So adding this feature would make spawnkilling easier?

A better solution to this problem would be to disable purchasing until X seconds after combat, the same way that the health regen system works. Then there's no need for a hacky, heavy handed "freeze this guy in place" mechanic.

[Orca-like aircraft in browser game]

This is pretty good for a browser game, but the controls could be way better. My hand starts contorting when trying to do wasdzx. I guess you have to play it with two hands.

[Zelda: Breath of the Dark Souls]

I've been having a ton of fun with this game. The difficulty spikes pretty hard, but I really enjoy that it's challenging me. The checkpoint system isn't really that punishing either, so if you attack a camp of Bokoblins and get rekt, then it will load you up to pretty much try again.

I love this new direction that they've taken the game.