Current topics for ET documentation

[sock]

At the moment we are busy writing all the documentation for ET. We have a list of topics which we hope to cover in the documentation. If you feel you want something else in the documentation then please post here with your suggestions.

Current topic list.

Overview of changes between mapping for RTCW and ET
Minimum Map configuration needed for ET (quick start, including a sample map)

Game mechanics of ET
Design considerations
Effective use of the character classes through objectives
Directory structure of files of note

Spawnpoints
Setup of the autospawn feature
Switching between teams
Door blocking and how to minimize it
Spawn camping
Landmine considerations

Command maps
How to setup the command map from worldspawn
Suggestions for creating them and where to store them

Objective cameras
How to create basic objective cameras
Moving objective camera setup
Spawn room camera setup

Command Posts
Explaining individual/neutral configurations
How they change charge bars across teams
Trigger objective info setup

Health/Ammo Cabinets
Explain purpose and suggestions for locations
How they can be switched state
Trigger objective info setup

Constructibles
How to setup axis/allied constructions
Neutral constructions
Multiple stages constructions
Trigger objective info setup

Environmental effects
Lightning/Storm via Dlights (Entities)
Rain/Snow effects (Worldspawn)
Distance fogging (Worldspawn)
Foilage (Shaders)

Surfaceaparms
Footsteps
Bullet materials
Landmines

Compiler/Editor options
Sample configs for the compiler
New/Special compiler commands
New bobtools icons/functions

Useful ET console commands
R_speeds
R_showtris
R_triscolor
R_lightmap
Cg_drawfps
Cg_drawreinforcementTime
Cg_drawgun
Cg_draw2d
Cg_thirdperson
Cg_thirdpersonangle
Cg_thirdpersonrange
Con_drawnotify
G_scriptdebug
G_debugconstruct
Timescale
Timelimit
Nofatigue
God
Noclip
Map_restart
screenshot

Trace maps
What they are needed for?
How to create them

Arena/Campaign files
What they are needed for?
How to create them

New Scripting commands

Message system
Wm_objective_status
Wm_teamvoiceannouce
Wm_addteamvoiceannounce
Wm_removeteamvoiceannounce
Wm_announce_icon

Trains, splines and animations
Setstate <targetname> invisible/default/underconstruction
attachtotrain
followspline
followpath
setposition
abortmove
setspeed
setrotation
stoprotation
startanimation
gotomarker
setposition
playanim
attachtotag
faceangles

Command Post stuff
sethqstatus
Setchargetimefactor

Tank related commands
allowtankexit
allowtankenter
setdamagable
changemodel
remapshader
remapshaderflush

Func constructible related commands/states
State: built stage1
State: death
State: final
State: destroyed final
Construct
Setmodelfrombrushmodel
repairmg42

Construction system
constructible_class
constructible_chargebarreq
constructible_constructxpbonus
constructible_destructxpbonus
constructible_health
constructible_weaponclass
constructible_duration

Sound commands
playsound volume x
stopsound
togglespeaker
enablespeaker
disablespeaker

Misc commands
Globalaccum
accum x trigger_if_equal
accum x wait_while_equal
trigger self
Setautospawn
spawnrubble
Kill
remove
Setglobalfog
Cvar
Wait <random> <min> <max>

:moo:
EDIT: de-stickyness …

[pazur]

that is not a real topic. but did u use .ase for the tree models? if yes releasing the ase files would be great

[sock]

that is not a real topic. but did u use .ase for the tree models? if yes releasing the ase files would be great

No the tree’s are MD3 models. There will be a selection of MD3’s released with the ET editing tools.

Sock

[wudan]

Thank goodness for that! Do you mind if I post the entities lists for each map as they appear in the BSP, and the textures used in each BSP?

Some folks might want to see how their favorite effects are linked up, but I don’t want to anger Splash Damage.

[sock]

Thank goodness for that! Do you mind if I post the entities lists for each map as they appear in the BSP, and the textures used in each BSP?

Im not sure how this could help anyone as they are viewable in most text editors anyway. The documentation will tell people what the entities do. Long lists of map entities will not be not use without an explaination of what they do.

If anything mappers should be thinking about …

• planning map layouts. (paper is usually a good start)
• Linking up with mappers to create campaigns. (team working is good)
• Researching themes (locations during WW2)
• Creating/collecting together prefabs for the maps.

Trying to second guess ET mapping is just a waste of your time. Use your time wisely and prepare your map ideas first.

Sock

Sock

[wudan]

Well, my assumption is that the targetting and linking and whatnot of these very cool high-end entities will be confusing for people, it was confusing for me, but hey, sure, whatever.

[demoneye]

In the “design considerations” I hope you will include useful pointers as to maximum entity count the engine will support and recommended maximum r_speeds.

DeMoNeye

[CrymSYN]

could you please include a few more source maps, say the .map for radar
i have some ideas for multilpe objectices where they have to obtain say 3 pieces of a model, and assemble them, at a certain point, like taking the 2 pcs of the radar to the truck, and the .map of radar would be very helpful in seeing how you accomplished this with radar

[sock]

could you please include a few more source maps, say the .map for radar
i have some ideas for multilpe objectices where they have to obtain say 3 pieces of a model, and assemble them, at a certain point, like taking the 2 pcs of the radar to the truck, and the .map of radar would be very helpful in seeing how you accomplished this with radar

Atm there is no plans to include any source maps with the ET tools. There maybe some small sample maps, but that is all.

Sock

[CrymSYN]

any reason why we cant have some source maps? it would be greatly helpful, and supremely appreciated

[sock]

any reason why we cant have some source maps? it would be greatly helpful, and supremely appreciated

I know how you feel, trust me I do but at the moment there is no plans.

Sock

[system]

Don’t forget to include the source for the Bot-Support.
There are some coders already waiting to finish them.

Some things like lighting with dlights, rain and the snow stuff is already aviable for rtcw.

I think a good LMS map to get into the ET mapping would be a good start for everyone.
But i have to finish of a rtcw-map before i do something for et. But the documentation will be a while until it’s released.

[wudan]

[quote=wudan]Thank goodness for that! Do you mind if I post the entities lists for each map as they appear in the BSP, and the textures used in each BSP?

Im not sure how this could help anyone as they are viewable in most text editors anyway. The documentation will tell people what the entities do. Long lists of map entities will not be not use without an explaination of what they do.

Sock[/quote]

The entities appear in the BSP in the exact format as you would find them in the .map file. I changed the extension on the .txt to .map and loaded it up, and what do you know, it’s like i’m viewing the map with everything else filtered out!

In light of the fact that this is really pow’ful stuff, I’m not going to be posting it anywhere. It’s pretty confusing, and the docus’ will probably make things clearer anyway.

[sock]

Don’t forget to include the source for the Bot-Support.
There are some coders already waiting to finish them.

Atm there is no plans to release any of the source code for the game so it is very unlikely bot support will be added to ET. Plus adding bots to a map is not that straight forward as flicking a cvar on or off.

In order for all maps to support bots they would have to be bot clipped, smoothed out, maybe even some unfriendly bot architecture removed! Adding bot code is only a fraction of the problem.

Sock
:moo:

[system]

Yes i see the point sock. Reworking all the maps would be a huge amount of work.
But then Et was announced i looked forward to the bots, brcause a big lack of RTCW was the missing bot-support.
I thought bots in rtcw could establish a really good custom-map community like LVL for Q3 or just to play the huge rtcw-maps at small LAN parties and put some bots in for support.
So then i heared that no bots are in ET i was disapointed because all the people who play “just a round” after work will switch to other games.
I think a game in thees days without bot-support is not “complete” because a large ampunt of players switch to other games.

To put a good support in a tactical game like this i really hard (and costs a lot of money).
But ET is free so i think if a “small” bot-support for Last man standing-mod only were a good idea.

Anyway. ET is the best game i played lately. Not so grey like rtcw and very god arts.

[pazur]

i agree with fiesling. the custom map community is suffering because of the lack of bots.

[ydnar]

Some things like lighting with dlights, rain and the snow stuff is already aviable for rtcw.

The dynamic light and atmospheric fx code are completely new.

y

[MuffinMan]

yeah but what fiesling meant (i guess) was that there are already ways to do it or at least come near to it…

[Womprat]

If it’s not too much too ask could the editing tools be made available for linux too?

They are available for rtcw in linux. I don’t know how much has changed if a new compiler would be needed or what.

[sock]

If it’s not too much too ask could the editing tools be made available for linux too?

They are available for rtcw in linux. I don’t know how much has changed if a new compiler would be needed or what.

The SD editing tools for ET are based on GTK which I believe is cross platform (well in theory!) so I understand that there is a linux version. The new SD editor features are being ported into the main GTK tree.

Sock
:moo: