A Path Beyond APB Hostile Waters - Life Signs

[Raap]

Life signs, the best kind of signs.

Preview of the revamped Hostile Waters, Soviet base. Key feedback was always that LST landing parties had too many easy angles of approach, so each of the two bases are gaining some significant terrain changes to make attack routes more defined. The Allied base uses more natural terrain for the same purpose, while the Soviet one uses more industrial themes, an approach I also used back on Siege.

Note that I'm having a few strange issues that are roadblocking further development progress, so as of now the only thing I can work on is aesthetic changes and general terrain changes, such as this one. This means, no ETA for when I finally get to complete this APB level. Upon delivery, release is entirely the decision of Pushwall.

Added note: Due to time restrictions and concerns regarding network based gameplay behavior, the rail cart system and related underground tunnels have unfortunately been cut from the reboot project, despite having been largely completed already.

I figured I'd make this a post regardless of the lack of substantial 'meat', I might post future updates in this thread however.

[Mojoman]

Could you post some screenshots of the rail cart and underground tunnels? Sounds like it could be an interesting concept to start off an infantry map.

[ganein14]

I guess I'm of the minority that preferred the original release you gave us for this version of APB Raap. Many defenses coupled with primarily air/naval combat I found to be quite fun.

[MPRA2]

personally, I loved Hostile Waters all the way back in... Beta was it? or Cold Fusion? it was one of the releases before naval combat was completely removed.... I agree that the "current" release of Hostile Waters had some flaws (mainly the early LST rushes and air superiority issues), despite it being a very well crafted and beautifully immersive map. As someone who enjoys naval combat in APB, I'm really curious as to how well the map will turn out.

[Raap]

5 hours ago, Mojoman said:

Could you post some screenshots of the rail cart and underground tunnels? Sounds like it could be an interesting concept to start off an infantry map.

Here is the max files for the cart rails. They are fully functional but requires some LE configuration. 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=15Ew6xxk6PNsJTOi0lEOcen03cO-2Byjd

4 hours ago, ganein14 said:

I guess I'm of the minority that preferred the original release you gave us for this version of APB Raap. Many defenses coupled with primarily air/naval combat I found to be quite fun.

A lot of complaints were regarding that the map was too difficult to finish via primary objective. Based on this feedback, Pushwall reduced the number of defenses.

This updated version improves the map in a few different ways:

• Expanded iceberg accessibility by increasing the number of landing areas from 2 to 4, as well as expanded the play space by an additional two icebergs.
• Overhauled both base islands to resolve key shortcomings, most notably the extreme ease of LST assaults due to the open space.
• Improve the economic situation and remedy the slow game progression by introducing a "new" structure; the Gem Silo. It includes new art and audio.
• General iceberg infantry play adjustments; More cover, more opportunities for balanced air versus infantry engagements, less emphasis on requiring Engineers.
• A lot of aesthetic improvements, from water to icebergs and more.
• And a few other smaller things I don't bother mentioning, such as a lot of game logic updates.

Edited January 19, 2018 by Raap

[Raap]

4 minutes ago, MPRA2 said:

personally, I loved Hostile Waters all the way back in... Beta was it? or Cold Fusion? it was one of the releases before naval combat was completely removed.... I agree that the "current" release of Hostile Waters had some flaws (mainly the early LST rushes and air superiority issues), despite it being a very well crafted and beautifully immersive map. As someone who enjoys naval combat in APB, I'm really curious as to how well the map will turn out.

As I said in my reply 10 seconds after you ninja-posted, LST cheesing will become much harder, and infantry versus air engagements will be more enjoyable due to having more cover, as well as any form of repairing being usable to capture buildings, which means SAM Sites will be able to shift ownership more easily, and your team will not be automatically "screwed" upon Barracks destruction. 

 

This forum is pretty nasty to use without source view, I cannot edit quotes into a post without it, so that's why this is a double post.

Edited January 19, 2018 by Raap

[OWA]

7 hours ago, Raap said:

This forum is pretty nasty to use without source view, I cannot edit quotes into a post without it, so that's why this is a double post.

I'll look into this for you @Raap, there might be something that we can do.

[thedisclaimitory]

pls add  cruisers to this map or something as a special it would be cool but over all nice work raap the new details on the walls even the terrain changes nice work!!!! And what other maps will come back to apb????????

 

[Raap]

Sorry, no Cruisers, or other game-breaking units, for that matter!

Currently managed to lose my 3DS installer... after uninstalling to try and fix an issue. Pending magical installer delivery service.

 

[Raap]

Nearly all major development roadblocks resolved. I got one last 'major bug' on my list and the rest is just graphics development time, AKA the less brain-melting part of level development.

Fingers crossed nothing else super weird pops up.

[neko soldier]

Why not add an optional objective with destroying special unique ships being produced at the Adv Naval Yard/Sub Pen. The Allies get a cruiser and the Soviets get a Dreadnought prototype with V2 rockets. The ships could be accessed in the last 5 mins of a match then someone tries to end the game using those unless they're destroyed beforehand.

Edited January 22, 2018 by neko soldier

[Raap]

"Why not"? Because modelling a Cruiser and a Dreadnought (which is not native to the time era of Red Alert 1) would take as long as two additional levels! The size of such vessels make them large enough to be maps of their own, and they would not be able to fit even in the Advanced naval buildings. 

Anyhow, I needed a somewhat industrial bridge. You can make things in two ways; Straight forward towards the concept, or the Raap way... So this thing below is an infantry bridge connecting two icebergs, hooray?

Edited January 22, 2018 by Raap

[ChopBam]

Looking good at a glance!

[Raap]

Here is how that section looks ingame at the moment, keep in mind more things will be added, this area was in need of some further changes anyhow.

Edited January 22, 2018 by Raap

[moonsense715]

No permission to see those images

It looks nice on the previous picture though  

[Raap]

Yeap well I'd edit the post but I cannot edit it any longer.

These links should work;

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1IFrej7AuGmyV7p46IesQAzPm8ez63sd0

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1oCTgOP4hpRPzkTnYLoNYl5z7GGy7AN6d

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1mBDvlRI4zHzVO9pL2oxHm6Bwse1HvIMq

I'm not using imgur because they started downscaling images a lot lately and I've yet to find a reliable host beyond that, so that's why I am forced to use google drive for the time being.

[OWA]

The bridge is looking good @Raap! I can't see the other stuff because the firewall at work blocks google drive for some reason though. If you want to upload attachments to the forum I think you should be able to do that.  

Edit: I also wanted to add that I have taken a look into enabling the forum source editor stuff and I might have a solution. I don't think it's a good idea to edit HTML editing, since there are some security risks involved. 

IPB switched the text editor to CKEditor when they pushed out IPB4, which dropped the BBCode source edit button. I think I may have found a way to get it back, so I will take a look tonight! 

[Raap]

It's pretty silly that a company that creates a forum software package relies on a text editor from another company. Especially in Chrome this editor has a lot of shortcomings in usability. 

I've seen it on other IPB forums as well in recent months, some are barely functional anymore. Source view would at least allow you to clean up messy editor stuff that the editor itself cannot remove or edit. 

Oh well, I guess I'm just extra easily triggered after having had to solve 463 3DS/W3D bugs just to get this project going again.

[ChopBam]

Imgur is scaling down images? I haven't heard of this.

[NodGuy]

Did I see a SAM truck?

[Raap]

The Mobile SAM is... immobile and a static prop.

But I made a fully rigged version for Siege that didn't make the cut. More than a single turret doesn't work properly.

[Raap]

Added underwater caustic effects, as seen on Siege.

 

Also made the under sides of icebergs a darker shade of ice.

Currently also fighting an issue where weather is bleeding through the water.

Lastly, all previously linked images of the bridge are outdated again as I've done a number of texture changes. Nothing is ever really 'final' with me until I reach a hard deadline.

Edited January 24, 2018 by Raap

[Raap]

Another small update, this one is on the Soviet base layout.

The whole base is elevated about 3 meters above the rest of the island, the walls hide this elevation and the 4 ways into the base are therefore also serving as uphill ramps into the base.

The Gem Silo is protected by these (indestructible) walls, and can only be destroyed by infantry or air units. Same will apply to the Allied Gem Silo. I needed to help ensure the match economy isn't easily broken so these structures are harder to blow up than regular Ore Silo's. On top of yielding more credits per second, they also have a bit more health, as well as EVA voice-over warnings upon taking damage and being destroyed.

Base defense placement is not final, and there will be helicopter landing pads as seen in Siege. But for now, I am liking the Tesla-Coil-like placement of the single Flametower; It can currently reach most places of the base due to being positioned on top of a wall.

Lastly, the area around the red arrow is not finished, but it will feature one-way terrain; Players can jump down from there to exit the base quickly, but they can not enter the base from there.

[moonsense715]

Nice updates!

Also wow, that advanced pen is huge! :D

[Raap]

The 'Advanced' Naval buildings are largely unchanged from the last HW release, outside of a few small corrections. If you think the pen is big, you haven't seen the Allied 'Advanced' Naval Yard...

AFAIK it is the largest functional base building in any W3D project and not without reason. Both naval buildings feature protected spawn bays to prevent camping, so the naval yard had to be big enough to allow for a Destroyer to be spawned inside of it.

Unfortunately I cannot present an in-game screenshot reliably due to an always.dat interference issue that's a bit of a pain to constantly work around with each update, but next APB patch should hopefully have that resolved.

Edit: I accidentally deleted the bridge screenshots from my Google drive so here is a new one from that:

Edited January 25, 2018 by Raap

[Raap]

Due to time restrictions I will need to be finishing up development very soon. If anyone has any last minute concerns, now is the time to tell me.

[moonsense715]

I'm not complaining about the sizes, I just like them.

[Raap]

I didn't think you complained.

I was just making a general "if anyone got a concern let me know".

The map is feature-locked now, and I produced a first potential release candidate. Due to game file consistency issues I cannot share it for public testing however.

Here be Allied Gem Silo:

[Raap]

This will be the last update, the map is scheduled for delivery sometime next week, providing that nothing goes wrong.

I've fixed various Advanced Naval Yard areas, added some polish here and there, and most notably, added a new area outside the naval yard that allows more quick navigation for the Allied team and make MCT room camping notably more difficult.

[Ice]

On 1/22/2018 at 6:46 PM, Raap said:

The Mobile SAM is... immobile and a static prop.

But I made a fully rigged version for Siege that didn't make the cut. More than a single turret doesn't work properly.

The map is looking awesome, but I always thought that Mobile SAM's design was kinda far-fetched. IMO it would look far more feasible as a standard V2 chassis with 1 SAM turret. Plus that would enable it to work properly in-game too.

I'd also recommend that, if there's gonna be a bridge between two icebergs, then they should be joined into one big iceberg with a canyon where the bridge is (or at least, joined underwater). Two separate icebergs would rip any bridge apart as they drift around.

Overall, the map is coming along really nicely! :D