RPG custom objects ideas thread

[HawkGer]

Right now we can't really make any useful Stadium RPG objects since the importer tool doesn't work yet. But that doesn't keep us from forming some ideas. This is especially important because not all object makers are good track builders and simply don't know what objects would be useful.
So use this thread to share your thoughts on what kind of objects we would need in the future.

Sometimes it can be hard to explain what exactly you have in mind when describing objects. Maybe resort to pictures from blocks of other environments then or make a few sketches...or try to find similar shapes in real life photos.

[nom²]

uhm i'm not too comfortable with the new editor.. so what are you talking about? 3d models? i've seen these ugly 3d signs, or are we actually able to convert new blocks? which would be weird thinking of their properties..

[eie]

It should proably be some kind of half-blocks, like in Canyon. Like just a regular platorm block, just split in half, or just a cornerblock. That'd be somewhere to start at least

Would it also be possible to make new track pieces, to fill in the current which are missing. When I say missing I specifically talk about transition pieces, probably. tilted road->platform. Platform->dirt. I figure blockmixing would become a necessity when dealing with such blocks, but I think transition pieces are the most important. Not just between different tracks, but between different heights, such as jumping pads or slopes with steeper or not-so-steep uphill roads.

Ok I'm just rambling a lot of words, but it's late already (at least for me ^^). I could make some pictures maybe, but for now this is what I've thought of

[HawkGer]

nom

[XT3]

nice idea! what about bridges? like archways? MAybe Statues of sorts. trees? bushes. invisable road blocks to replace floating water! giant doors. pipes that slant up and down at an angle.

Those are a few ideas. Wait giant rocks. Ghost based fences. I got alot of ideas. Even spikes! Even remakes of TMU blocks?!!

[HawkGer]

yeah a round and thin block for an archway would be great. Also a square pillar would be nice I guess.
Giant doors....hmmm....I think we could actually assemble those when we make a few basic objects.
Rocks: yep! Also a cliffside like in Canyon would be nice to have (doesn't need to be as big though).
Statues: How epic a gargoyle like in Batman: Arkham Asylum would be!

[maxi031]

Title already looking sexy .
Here are some Tubes i made when testing sizes.
In case someone is not filling dizy. Just extract them in Maniaplanet/Blocks folder, then they should be available in editor.

Right now there is no moving z axes for objects, best way to connect them is to use huge platform and place them there, or strait on the grass.

I did make some rails too, but U shapes are not finished yet, when i finish them ill share with you guys.

I gave some thoughts to curved and sloped pipes that are connectable to already existing pipes in stadium, that is going to be my next goal.

Some scenary like bushes and trees sounds great, never liked that artificial nature blocks in stadium.

How are we going to organize folders for objects so i does not looks messed up in game?
Each object should be easy to find.

This one looks interesting for scenary:

[HawkGer]

Such a tree would be epic. I'm a bit concerned about file sizes though. The files seem to get quite large when the objects are really big. So maybe divide one tree trunk section into four pieces that fit together seamlessly. That way you could build trees in any height. Oh and yeah of course we would need a sexy bottom and top for the tree.

About folder organization....I think that will be a discussion for later when we have a few objects gathered. You guys don't have to work on Icons btw. It would be best if most of them had the same style...so one person should probably do them all in one swoop....
That's why it is important to keep the original .FBX files so that we can make changes if needed.

Those tubes you made are really great. Too bad though that snapping them into the right place when building up or down seems pretty much impossible.
For the lazy and curious: http://www.vinummusik.de/Trackmania2/Screens/customblocksideas7.jpg

[eie]

How much do we know about performance issues with these objects btw, do they quickly increase lagg or do they have the same effect as normal blocks?

[HawkGer]

I think objects are handled the same way as normal blocks. You only need to make sure to optimize your objects. For example my "boob heads" (as Occam called them) cost 500 coppers in Canyon. But that is only because the object is 13mb big and hasn't been optimized. In contrast, the tubes that Maxi made cost only about 18 coppers. As I understand with more coppers the lag increases....

I think we should recreate at least the following blocks to give them transparency:

[XT3]

makes sense I wish we could blockmix though!

[eie]

blockmixing isn't really necessary when you can create blocks that appear like blockmixing :d

[XT3]

not what I mean, but I see you point. I'm talking about overlapping current blocks that we have to. like dirthills.

[HawkGer]

is it possible to create macroblocks from mixed blocks? Someone should investigate If it's possible then one could simply access those mix templates with one click...
XT3...dirthills wasn't even possible with Unlimiter. But maybe it is possible with macroblocks?

[GSNPaul]

I think it won't be too long before there is a new version of Unlimiter available, as there's one for Canyon already.

There is however also a need for a new version of ChallengeEdit, as you need such a tool to create elevated terrain blocks and also to "clean up" some of the mess Unlimiter causes (well, I suppose you could go all hex-editing again... ). For now the only workaround is to do the editing with TMF/CE and then port the track over to TM2. You still have to deal with how TM2 mixes stuff up though, especially if there are several layers of terrain above each other.

To go back ontopic, I shall also add one custom block idea: torches
I am a big fan of the "oldschool temple styled" RPGs, and given the fact that because of the new graphics there now is a need for much more lighting, I thought it might be a great addition to have these. It would also make for some great atmospheric tracks.

However I think I read somewhere that custom blocks don't give off real light, which would make these objects less useful than decorative. Still, I guess it could be nice to have. Perhaps you could even use the "flickering texture bug" in a constuctive way: after all torches are supposed to "flicker" .

[HawkGer]

hehe yeah I thought too that torches would be real nice to have. Especially if you could change the color of the light to a warm red. But unfortunately it doesn't even seem possible to add any light...
About the Ulimiter....the maker of that program has retired as I heard and there seems to be noone else right now updating it. Or have you heard anything differently?
I hope at least ChallengeEdit will not be discontinued

[Promaxer]

alot of interesting ideas, the one that got me thinking was the statues, we could really get more pleasurable tracks by putting statues in egiptian, middle age and asiatic rpgs :thumbsup:

[JumperJack]

well, someone called MirExpress from france got the source code of TMUnlimiter, and is going to try to keep updating it.

follow the thread closely here: mania-creative

also, since the source code of Unlimiter is publicly available in that topic, if someone is interested.

[HawkGer]

Well, let's hope that someone is going to come up with something and that we can use blockmixing some time in the future. For RPG it is not that bad though. We could always include the most blockmixed stadium blocks as objects in the RPG title. I have most of the stadium blocks ripped already, only recreating the right textures might be tricky. So I think for us we will be good.
_______________________________________________________________________

I thought a little more about what objects to include in the RPG title and I came up with a very elaborate plan.
My idea is to create a sort of simple version of a 3d modelling program. Basically the title would provide you with the basic building blocks you need and with those you can build structures and save them as macroblocks.

For example picture a pyramid shape. You can use a pyramid shape on all kinds of structures. In small size it could be added to the top of a fence post....go larger and it could be the top of a castle wall. Go larger and it is the roof of a castle tower. Go evern larger and it's a real pyramid.

Now what do we need? Many shapes. In different sizes and dimensions. WIth different textures that can be modded.

So let's say there are 10 basic shapes. For each of those shapes let's say we need 20 size variations. And for those 20 size variations we each want to have 10 different texturing possibilities. That would give us a total of 2000 objects !!!
Sounds a lot and yep...it is a lot. But the shapes can be very easily made in a 3d program since they already provide those.

I made a few pics to show what I mean by "basic shapes" and size variation:


http://www.vinummusik.de/Trackmania2/ForumContent/customblocksideas3dsmax2.jpg
http://www.vinummusik.de/Trackmania2/ForumContent/customblocksideas3dsmax3.jpg
http://www.vinummusik.de/Trackmania2/ForumContent/customblocksideas3dsmax1.jpg

The big advantage of this plan is that once this "simple 3d modelling editor" is done people would be able to build more complex objects in the editor and save them as a macroblock to be used later. Macroblocks are not bound to a Title pack like objects (although I guess they can be inlcuded in the title pack as well) ...so they can be freely shared in the community.
Macroblocks can also be freely added or removed by every user....that is another great advantage.

So what do you guys say...is this a whacko idea or a brilliant idea?

[XT3]

very cool idea! We only need them to adapt textures from the other blocks from the game. This way they take the textures from a mod.

[trunks_11]

I would like to see blocks from trackmania in new positions, that they just rotate in proper angles.. That's something I would have loved to do in tmuf when i had no inspiration being in the editor. Now it's possible, so what do you think about that? And if my expression wasn't clear enough, I added a picture of what i mean, with some examples:

[JumperJack]

amazing idea! would like to see those too.

[maxi031]

Here is the preview of some experimental objects i cooked:
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxC0MgP_mfY&feature=youtu.be[/video]

[eie]

we can has moving images? this almost makes up for the lack of .gif's on billboard

Can you drive through that fan or is it a solid disc?

[maxi031]

You can make it as you wish, it can be collision block, no collision, or it can be half/half.
Object animation is not possible so far, it is just texture animation. That animation is actually from stadum fan texture. I just pointed material to that texture and it picked up its animation. So its just single frame rotating around its center, i think that is how stadium fan works.

The other object(invisible one) can be used as replacement for mixed water block, and it can be any shape not just strait as water was. I think it does not have shadow(can cause game crash) and there is no way player can know it exists at all.