Right before Thanksgiving weekend, where I would've had four straight days of sweet modding, a faulty download from Microsoft sent my modding/gaming computer into a vegetative state. As a temporary replacement I have a PC that can't run any 3D app for its life. I'm hoping to get a better one for Christmas, but until then, I have no functional copy of BF2.

But is that an excuse to stop modding?

I managed to get ZE up and running through 3D Analyze. Taking a break from my other projects (I still haven't recovered the files yet anyway), I decided to get into some good ol' ZE object placement and make a simple environment. I could use the practice at placing props. To that end, I dug up some of my old preliminary sketches from when Islands was a contendor for the December contest. Choosing one I liked, I opened up my half-dead ZE and got to work.

Mandruska: Island

The globe of Mandruska is an overwhelming blue. The planet is covered in shallow seas and crystal waters. At sporadic intervals, islands poke above the cyan waves. The trees are lush, the air is humid, and the sunsets are lovely.

Unfortunately, it lies right on a major hyperspace route on the border of CIS and Republic space. The two factions both dispatched forces to set up colonizational posts there.

Thus was the stage set for a violent showdown in the center of a tropical Eden.

*Thanks to Omega for the pics. To do:

• AI Planning. Joy, won't that be fun?
• Properly position sun on the horizon, to make a realistic sunset - I'll probably do this last, when I find a way to get BF2 to work, as it will involve heavy trial/error cycles.
• Put in skydiving trooper. That's right - skydiving troopers! When you spawn as one of these, you'll spawn way up high over the island, and be able to skydive down to any drop point you want. This will be used by the AI. They will also have a Dark-trooper-esque jump pack.
• Guerilla mode - Seperate game mode with a disabled minimap, stealth-equipped units, knife-melees, etc.

That's the state of affairs, as it is. Enjoy.

Looks very pretty.

cool

I like the skydiving troopers and Guerilla mode ideas. I hope they work out.

looks like hawaii

looks very nice fiodis did you hand place the foliage though (maybe add some foliage using the ze foliage tool if you haven't otherwise great looking map)

also planning and barriers looks like a doozy for this one cheets

The foliage is, indeed, foliage, not props.

Curly Q foliage there, eh? Jk, I like the ambiance - best part of a map IMO.

Very pretty map, Fiodis. But will this map have custom sides other than the skydiving trooper??

Nova Hawk wrote:Very pretty map, Fiodis. But will this map have custom sides other than the skydiving trooper??

No. I'm somewhat fond of the stock setup.

This map would be even greater if it had customs... but if you don't want to, then I'm fine with it.

I don't want to spend longer than December working on this, so what I'm focusing on is mainly visual. By this I mean skins as well, so yes, those will be new; but setup-wise it'll all be stock.

If I don't get a new PC for Christmas this might change, as I would have a lot of time on my hands.

EDIT - A note on the foliage: the Curly Q is not the only plant in abundance on Mandruska. The second variety of foliage is visible far left in the 4th pic from the bottom.

Nice map fiodis, looks very good.

And i like the Guerilla mode idea.

Wonderful visuals and interesting ideas. The ground does look a bit too dark in the inner areas of the island, but that could be just the lighting.

That is just the lighting, but that's no excuse. I'll look into it.

Wow, that's very nice! Looks fun, I can't wait for the release!

Very nice evening feeling you got there, good work.
Keep it up, Fiodis.

looks good amd it would be even better if the groundtexture would fit the plants/enveronment and the plantskins among each other better

looks a bit like Kashyyyk and felucia in one map

I think it looks lovely