Sumea Challenge 7 mod related?

sounds good to me. would get a lot of content for the game that way.

however i am not very good at concepts, and i was hoping to be able to model off someone elses concept for the mod. would i still be able to do this if there were an extra concept lying around?

I think it?s a great idea. It could really get some enthusiasm for the mod happening. It would be difficult to organise though. Lets see, what are some possibilities (sorry for writing so much, but I felt like brainstorming):

Create 3 models ? one of each class?

Or maybe create a character and a vehicle?

Maybe the challenge could have a couple of categories, like characters and vehicles? This could make an easier challenge category, like make a single vehicle, and a more difficult challenge category, like make 3 character models, one of each class. I think that could result in a wider spectrum of work being created.

Like Souri said, the top few concepts could become the base/guide/inspiration for the challenge. In fact, this would be essential in keeping the challenge entries to a similar style. But at the same time, it would be good to encourage challengers to try new concepts based on the style of the base concept designs. So maybe don?t make the challengers stick rigidly to the original base concepts, but have those concepts more as an inspiration? Also, if everyone made models from the same couple of concepts, the challenge could get a bit repetitive.

Another possibility is whatever the actual challenge is, the final submission requires a render of a scene which include a certain number of environmental assets? So each challenger can chose from a list which assets they want to make, and include them in the final scene render with their challenge creation.

Of course one problem with all this is that challenge winners would need to submit their creations (the actual models, not just the renders), which people don?t always like doing. Plus there could be a lot of wasted effort if people who don?t win the challenge don?t get their creations in the mod. Maybe a possible solution to that is to put every complete entry in the mod?

Another idea: after the modelling challenge, we could have an animation challenge? Again it faces the same problems as the modelling challenge for Sumea mod would face, but it would (hopefully) create a wide range of animation assets.

I think giving people the option of selecting a pre-existing concept or creating their own is the best way to go. It does not inhibit those who like to create their own stuff, nor does it penalize those who are not confident in their abilities to concept. A character and a vehicle could be a good way to do, but multiple characters (3) will severely restrict your number of entrants, and I don?t think it?s a good idea.

Pantmonger

have each entrant do all three calsses would be a great way to make lots of different teams, and then people can be as original as they want in the cahracter design - so long as it conforms to the games art style and technical requirements of the game. however, like Pantmonger said it would probably put some people off as it is a LOT of work.

if we say that you have to make one of the three classes, conform to the technical guidlines, and art style - but can create any type of creature/design otherwise, that could work. that way they would all fit the game, and you would get a large variety. if you wanted to take it further so that teams are made up of matching units then perhaps take the top concepts (if there were say a robot concept, a human concept, and alien concept, etc) and say that the entries must be one of the three classes and also from one of these species, clans, whatever. that way, if you regulated it so everyone didnt just do one class from one species, you could get a variety that also makes up nice teams.

only probalem with that is it limits freedom a little.

mmmm....not that keen on this idea, dont really know why either.
I know we are struggling in the character design stages of the mod, but I think thats the one area that we will be able to do quite easily. As we have a lot of 3d artists here. What are we going to do for maps/coding/UI design, etc
Bah, ignore me. Its been a long day :/

Looking in the concepts thread, I think we have enough ideas and available talent to work the characters.

I agree we will need much more content in other areas. We've already done characters to death in the modeller challenge, and we've already covered the futuristic soldier theme as well, so there's no point in covering that again. It may be worth making the next challenge something different entrirely, like a level design competition. It's something that all modellers should be able to do.

perhaps modelling/animation? rather than a simple render we could go for an 'idle' animation (or walk/run cycle) and one attack?

Wasn't the plan for the next challenge to involve normal maps?

I think that including normal mapping would be alot more chalenging but in contrast you would have to extend the comp to maybe 5 or 6 months. Having a longer cometition time would be really handy to those people who don't get alot of free time.

This would definately be needed if you were going to make another 3 model challange again as the last one didn't allow for much time :(

But I suppose if you are using Unreal 2004 which dosen't include the ability to render normal maps, then it would kinda be pointless to add them in [:P]

Deus Ex 2 used the UT engine and incldued normal maps, so it must support it. though that might have been their own code they added.

a level design comp sounds good to. something different, though a lot of work too.

If you are able to lease the engine you can add whatever bells and whistles you want to it. But if you are only going to be using the Unreal editor to create a mod, then you can't use normal maps as it is not in the original engine.
Perhaps the HL2 can support slight normal mapping, but I think it needs to be looked into :)

I suspect that making the challenge a level design one would see much fewer completed entries, as would normal mapping, because of the time necessary to create such content. Actually, making it a 3 model challenge would probably also see few entries.

We still have all the people who want to be involved with the mod to create content for it, so it?s not like it?s essential for lots of content to come from the modelling challenge. I just think anything to help the mod along would be a good thing.

If the modelling challenge was to create a single character for Sumea mod, lots of people might get motivated to make and finish something that they would get to see in-game.

Of course there would then be the animation issue?

If you guys are serious about the mod then why not tie several comps into it.

Concept Challenge: Design 3 iterations of a team.(posed colour view and model sheet.)
1st, 2nd and 3rd prize designs are in the MOD, giving you 9 total ideas for next challenge.

3D challenge: Choose from the 3 sets of designs and model a whole set or choose 1 design and do 2 or 3 levels of LOD.

Animation Challenge: Animate a complete animation set for one of the winning 3D challenge characters.

You could even do seperate concept and 3D challenges for both vehicle and characters.

You know, that sounds like a pretty good idea. Having these stages as challenges instead of simply requesting submissions would have to see better results.

i dont know why none of us thought of that before! pluss then we can have more challenges!

I love the idea too... Do we normally dig up prizes for art challenges?

Ok, I think I need to really give this mod a real kick in the arse to get things moving. Making the next Sumea Modeller Challenge related to this mod will do it. I'm going to run with the idea I had in the first post of this thread.

Challenge will start on the 1st of April and finish 1st of July, so that's 3 months.. I will post the guidelines and specs for the challenge up in April and maybe get some prizes organised (fingers crossed).

ok... just wondering..
i dont know much about the unreal editor... briefly opened it..
i want to model the heavy guy.. and i really have this cool idea about creating a kinda weapons dock into the suit...
which would allow the character to dock the weapon itself straight into the suit..
i know this isnt how weapons are treated in unreal... is this a problem from the competition perspective.. and secondly.. if i were to this (because i really would like to) could i mod the model afterwards so that you guys can use it in the game if you want to...

also .. am wanting to put glowing bits... am i best of doing this through the unreal editor??.. i have use enviroment maps and stuff before... but would have to learn how to use them in the unreal engine??

not to sure what you mean about docking the weapon. do you mean the weapon is part of the suit or can be connected to it in some way? i dont see that being a problem. you would have to allow for different weapons to be docked though. but i think just make your own weapon and use that, then change it for the game afterwards. looking at the ideas so far i think any one that's going to go in the game will have to be 'fixed' for one reason or another. not that anyone is making mistakes, it's just that we dont really know any guidlines for actual use within the game yet and many people ahve a lot of diffent ideas that will screw with how weapons and animations work.

as for glowybits, if you just wantthem to be illuminated, it's as simple as painting a greyscale mask, the set up in the editor is resonably straight forward.

cheers for that LW..
i meant kinda like a big chunky socket extending out of one arm ... that different weopons could connect into.. rather than relying on the charatcer holding the weapon with their hand.. ..

i think i might play around with the unreal editor anyways... probably going to be a similar set up when the new engine comes out... and we all want our hands on that... :)

been tryingtoget a box into the unreal enviroment..

can tseem to save or export static mesh??

can anyone help..

tried all the links... must be doing something wrong??

error:

warning: No valid skin triangles digested (mesh may lack proper mapping or valid linkups)

Make sure you read and follow the exporter's instructions carefully. Most export plugins are quite unforgiving if they encounter anything they weren't directly made to deal with.

what software are you using?

using max5.1

it must be a setting thing.... although i think i have played with everything..

bought unreal 2004 with bonus disk... hopefully there will e something in there...

so are you trying to get the box in as a static mesh or as a character? if a character you need to use the actorX exporter from the udn, if it's just a static mesh you can simply export it as a ASCII formt from max's export menu. just check gemoetrym, normals, materials, and other such general stuff, and it should import straight into unreal no worries. characters are more complicated.

Are you exporting to .ASE format? Did you give the box a UVW map before you exported it?

hey guys..
sorry i havent read this post in ages..

i cant remember what format.. but i followed the book fairly closely..

doesnt matter anyway cos my unreal ed isnt working any more...i downloaded a new one... still doesnt work.. think i seriously have to clean out my machine..

i am pretty keen to get my sumea challenge into the engine.. so ill give it another go at a later date..

what is the story with the sumea challenge?.. will any of the characters make it into the mod?

The mod is in a bit of a hiatus at the moment.