R&D - Maps

[Drakous79]

Time to start this one.

 

So what do we need to create new maps with UDK? Understanding of XCOM maps structure, so we are able to re-create them. Working materials. Time and passion. I will start with what I learned about volumes. They are defined in Engine.upk and XComGame.upk.

 

Each map has few basic volumes:

• XComLevelVolume - It's the very foundation of each map. Seems to define walkable area among other things.
• XComCursorVolume - Blocking volume for cursor? I guess it defines level border too (red scan lines, when a cursor is nearby the border).
• LightmassImportanceVolume - For lighting purposes.

A lightmass importance volume is a special volume that determines how high the quality should be in a specific area. So everything inside one of those volumes will receive full quality lighting, the parts outside these volumes however will be lower in quality. The practical use of this is for example a level surrounded by a city. In such case only the playable section of the level should be covered with the volume because it would be pointless to calculate high quality lighting for that surrounding and distant city.

 

Other volumes:

• TriggerVolume - Triggers an event,when a soldier walks in it. For use with kismet scripts. For example birds fly away, rats run away, a narrative starts. Also used on computer screens to make them flicker, after a bullet fly-through.
• XComFloorVolume - For walking on roofs aso.
• XComBuildingVolume - Around buildings. Possibly to know, if a soldier is inside, so building's roof is hidden for visibility purposes.
• XComNoSpawnVolume - Where nobody should spawn, like inside trucks.
• GameCameraBlockingVolume
• PostProcessVolume - For post process effects.
• DefaultPhysicsVolume
• XComVolumeDuckingMgr
• XComRebuildWorldDataVolume - Not sure if this is connected with cover.
• XComStairVolume - Stairs?
• XComRainVolume - Rain?
• XComDamageVolume - Should damage a soldier, when entered, like fire.
• XComCapturePointVolume - For covert ops.

To see these volumes in the game, open dev console and type:

ToggleFOW
Show VOLUMES

To see loaded classes in the log, type:

Obj list

To show/hide particular volume, type:

// Set ClassName bHidden 0/1
Set XComCursorVolume bHidden 1

---

 

You shoud see something like this:

http://i.imgur.com/VfdoyYu.jpg

 

To use XCOM volume in UDK, you have to add its class into YourUDKFolder\Development\Src\XComGame\Classes\.

 

Edit YourUDKFolder\UDKGame\Config\DefaultEngine.ini:

[Engine.ScriptPackages]
+NativePackages=XComGame

[UnrealEd.EditorEngine]
+EditPackages=XComGame

Run Unreal Frontend and compile scripts. Run UDK, right click volumes icon and choose the volume you'd like to add.

 

Placing XComLevelVolume, some light, something to walk on and XComSpawnPoint could produce playable map.

Edited August 26, 2017 by Drakous79

[Dethraker]

I look forward to more progress on this in particular, just imagining larger maps with more enemies, or even more indoor maps with long corridors where you can't help but tense up because opening a door on either side could bring in a bad time. I'm no artist, but using assets created by others I can see myself playing around with level design.

[Drakous79]

No progress lately, because I have been fighting a lawn instead of UDK.

 

My plan is simple. To create playable map with spawn points, level border, cover and sky light. It can be small, without textures and decent shadows. If it works, textures and destructible actors can be added. And emitters.

 

Maybe XCOM 2 parcel system could be mimicked somehow. I imagine placeholders in persistent level, on whose place could kismet stream another map that would be a car, or rocks, or nothing. To add some randomness.

 

I want to create terror map, where aliens are invading military base somewhere in a desert, and soldiers fight back. There would be moving tanks, shooting, maybe landing UFO with reinforcements. Everything to see proper conflict.