Open Outcast - homemade "Outcast II" anyone?

[Dr_Ompaa]

WARNING:Prepare for a longer post

Greetz you Outcastfans out there
Heard some of you want to make OC MODs to make OC go further ... I'm actually the Co-Leader of a small german MOD Team (4 hard working, overpaid oc fanatics [lol] ) and yes ... we were the crazy guys who started the OC Gothic MOD you see a (ugly [loll] ) screen on the outcastii.net page.

Here are some of the last screenspack (but aren't so good anyway):

http://ocmod.sourceforge.net/current/screens/002-1.jpg
http://ocmod.sourceforge.net/current/screens/002-2.jpg
http://ocmod.sourceforge.net/current/screens/002-3.jpg
http://ocmod.sourceforge.net/current/screens/002-4.jpg
http://ocmod.sourceforge.net/current/screens/002-5.jpg
http://ocmod.sourceforge.net/current/screens/002-6.jpg
http://ocmod.sourceforge.net/current/screens/002-7.jpg

So why didn't we release a new Screenspack for Christmas? Well ... we actually realized that even the Gothic engine didn't gave us the freedom we needed to create a real OC Mod [snif] (we wanted to implement talans for the new Screenspack, but we found out it's not possible to include new animated meshes)
by the way: I won't try it with the UT Engine or Halflife, you would have to code the whole adventure stuff (diary/real dialouges/nice AI)

Now we went a step further and try to make a standalone game based on the Crystalspace engine [eek]

... well ... you may think we went absolutely crazy now but we are serious: WE WANT A HOMEMADE OUTCAST

OK ... we don't have either a 20 man profi gamedesigner team or a big budget [nooo] ... but who cares? [rollin]

We simply want to feel the OC feeling again ... roaming around in Talanzaar or kicking Gamor in Shamazaar ... but the only way for this is to make our homemade Outcastgame.

So what do you want , you might ask

I only want to tell you that if you'd like to work on the further development of OC you are welcome to join our team.

You also don't need any experience with anything, you should just bring lots of time and the will to learn something about gamedevelopment like we did the last half year.

Also if you're a experienced modder you'll be glad to hear that the OpenSource Crystalspace engine has importers for 3ds Files, MAP Files (GtkRadiant or WorldCraft/HammerEditor), MD3 and MD2 Files.

The engine is coded in C++ but has also python and perl support.

But I repeat: YOU NEED ABSOLUTELY NO SKILL FOR PARTICIPATING IN OUR PROJEKT IN ANYTHING. [lut]

Now you'll perhaps say: You'll never manage to handle an engine and code all the stuff yourself.
That's not true ... just a question of will and time

here is a pre-alpha-trash-hud-with-ugly-graphics-and-one-room-map-test-on-linux: http://ocmod.sourceforge.net/dev/data/artworks/ompaa1.png

you can check the code online in CVS: http://cvs.sourceforge.net/viewcvs.py/ocmod/ooc/src/

So sleep one night about it and check our page: http://ocmod.sourceforge.net/forum

You can also contact me if you have to [smokin2] :
Dr_Ompaa
ompaa@ice-ball.com
ICQ: 142382436

[Antaeus ][]

Well, I'm sorry about the failing Gothic Mod. I loved Gothic, and I think it had a lot of potential. Now I'm willing to join you guys on your project. I've got some experience in Visual Studio.NET and I could do some designing for the game (if you're making a new story, instead of converting the original outcast to a new form. I'd recommend making a new story, as it lets you have more freedom).

And welcome to the boards.

[Dr_Ompaa]

a new teammate would be nice ... I'll discuss it with the other members but I don't think it will be a problem. [smokin2]

I'd propose you join http://ocmod.sourceforge.net/forum and I'll give you access to the dev area.

The most stuff there is still german but we're about to translate the stuff into english

ah yes ... you could also checkout Crystalspace (http://crystal.sourceforge.net) and the mentioned CVS code above

So ... I think it'll be nice to have a new teammate

[ion]

we (open outcasters) want to make a sequal of outcast, not to retell oc.

[toshiro]

hi ompaa and ion.
i have been watching the progress of the gothic-mod, and i was very excited about it. oh well, i guess/hope you guys have done the right thing by switching over to the crystalspace engine.
as you have seen we(a couple of outcastii.net members) intend to recreate the oc world by using the engine of a modern game (ut, hl ... not decided yet). i'll have to wait and see what the other guys say, but i am not ready to give up this idea yet.
anyway, i hope that we will co-operate in our attempts to keep OC alive! :))

by the way: I won't try it with the UT Engine or Halflife, you would have to code the whole adventure stuff (diary/real dialouges/nice AI)

does the crystalspace engine provide you with ready to use solution to those problems?

BTW i recall that you wanted to make the gothic mod in german(becouse its your native language). what about the new mod?

[Dr_Ompaa]

Well if you ask this way ... no there is no finished solution for that [lol]

BUT what counts is that we're SURE when we write this staff WE CAN include it without asking some game studio to get more code (like we did in Gothic)

And the crystalspace engine has some other nice Features like portability (works on linux, windoze, mac OS X) or the cool Terrain Engine http://crystal.sourceforge.net/tikiwik....geId=87 [smokin2]

Actually we're preparing a new site for the new project on http://ocmod.sourceforge.net/ooc that will be primarly english to give more people access to the stuff we're doing

I think we'll also do a nice IRChat (becaus its InternetRelayCHAT ^^) to get some questions answered

So keep an eye on it ... I'll post as soon the new DEV Forums are online for ya

[Jub Jub]

Hey there, welcome. The only reason I've been preaching about UT and Half-Life is because they're easy to use and I'm a lazy person.

Anyway, I would be glad to help. I don't have many skills but I do know how to model quite well in Maya. I can also draw and write okay.
You can count me in! [moder]


PS. I can't read German. I still hope to help, though.

[GUNG HO]

Welcome!! It's WONDERFUL to have you on board!! I am also interested in working together to create OC2. I have already begun honing my skills in the UT mod but I can become familiar with another engine also. I plan to work on both avenues if we all choose to go that way - gives more flexibility - and I'm sure that one engine or the other will prove to be the better one. Whichever it is, I don't care as long as OC2 comes into existence!!!! LONG LIVE, OUTCAST!!!!!!!! LONG LIVE CUTTER SLADE!!!!!!!!!!!

COUNT ME IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [hi2]

[Antaeus ][]

Now, concerning the storyline. Has this already been decided on, or is it still a work in progress. Like I said, I'd like to occupy myself with the storyline, the characters and the quests. But first I'd like to know what has already been done concerning these area's, and what needs work.

[Dr_Ompaa]

Cool ... so many are interested

Ok ... like I said ... we currently abou to setup the new project (OpenOutcast) on http://ocmod.sourceforge.net/ooc

Because so many of you want to participate we decided to speak primarly english

We already have some kind of story (no details but the main plot) ... we'll translate it into english
We already made some tutorials and a questlist that we're about to translate

Then we already have about 800 lines of code (without the Crystalspace includes) and have the basic levelloading/HUD/INPUT stuff implemented

I recommened you to take a look on http://crystal.sourceforge.net/tikiwik....l+Space and http://crystal.sourceforge.net/tikiwiki/tiki-index.php?page=Features to see the features of the Crystalspace engine

And like a said ... take a look at the amazing Terrain engine [rollin]
http://crystal.sourceforge.net/tikiwik....geId=87

I'm currently our LEAD Coder and you won't have to worry about the engine stuff ... that's my job ... although some help would be nice in the future (I try to comment the crab as good as I can)

If you want to model something ... go ahead! Crystalspace has converters for
- Maya
- 3ds
- .map (Worldcraft/GtkRadiant)
- Blender

How about a IRCHAT on irc.de.quakenet.org this Weekend ... Saturday? and ... we need a time whenn everybody can come [lut]

[Antaeus ][]

Like I said, due to exams I'm not really available for the next three weeks.

Anyhow, I personally own a forum (well, it's invision, so it's free ) (I'm an admin) and I could create a Open Outcast forum, where we could discuss everything. Heck, it might just bring in a few members

Anyhow, let me know.

[Jub Jub]

Is this mod going to be 3rd person or 1st person? I would like 3rd person, but I don't mind either way. The reason is because I would like to know how detailed I should model guns, gadgets, ect. [cheer]

[Dr_Ompaa]

thanks Antaeus ][ ... but we have already Webspace @sourceforge.net with PHP and MySQL Support ... we'll setup a forum there

I think we'll make the whole thing like in the real Outcast, 3d Person and 1st person optional.

And like I said ... we have already a forum and webspace for the project ... [y]

EDIT: Ok ... can you reg yourself in http://ocmod.sourceforge.net/ooc ? This will be our new board ... please don't post anything for the moment in there ...

[toshiro]

good...
count me in too.
any information about importing and working with animated stuff(charcters) in the crystalspace engine?(that's what i am interested in...)
----
edit - i see that you have posted a couple of threads on the new board. does it mean that we may post over there now?

[kipknots]

Hey,

I'm pretty interested in joining the project. I have been looking around for some mod to work at for some time and this one looks pretty cool. At the moment I'm going through outcast for the first time (as my pc wasn't exactly able to play it when it came out) and I really dig the atmoshpere.
I have some experience with programming and scripting. I'm also fiddling a bit around with 3dsmax at the moment. The only problem is that I don't really speek german. And some things that might be nice too take into consideration:
The unreal engine is extremely flexible. As far as I know, all the weapons, AI, etc. of the unreal games is completely scripted with unrealscript. Even though I like the fact that you can make a standalone game with the current engine, if it has too much problems, you can always step over at this one.
Also, have you looked at the script of outcast2 yet? I think that there is a lot of stuff in there that would be suitable for this mod. Especially some location descriptions have been worked out well. It might also give some nice guidelines for the story.