Leaderboard

The past couple days I have been working on the arena. The original one in the game's files, m31aa_00a.mdl/mdx is a bit of a mess, and also seems to be scaled differently than the rest of the game. Some of you may know that at one point in time during development, the environments in KotOR were scaled larger. About 33% larger than the current scale. I can't remember precisely how the change came about, but they ended up liking the smaller scale that everything ended up at. I believe the arena is leftover from this phase of development. It seemed a little bit large during testing, so I re-created it from scratch in 75% scale of the original. The original had a few minor issues that I've adjusted as well. I think this is turning out rather nicely, and I like the new scale and lighting: Also, I have made the floor modular to add in other obstacles or such for variations in the arena. The other two areas still included in the files have what seems to be a "maze" style arena and a "king-of-the-hill" style arena. The maze is little more than a few walls, but it breaks up the place. The "king-of-the-hill" is an elevated platform with ramps on the sides. I am open for suggestions on how to make these different "game-modes" work. One idea for the "king-of-the-hill" arena is to have two switches on either side of the arena, either of which will knockback all PCs/NPCs off the center when triggered. On the center platform there would be a trigger that activates a counter when members of either team are on it. First team to a certain count wins. I am thinking there will be 10-15 different matches over the course of the game, with escalating difficulty. Sort of like a Taris Dueling Ring for the entire game. It would keep the player coming back to Sleheyron and allow for higher level enemies. I also had an idea that after a certain point in the matches (maybe about halfway through the 10-15 matches), you have to side with one of two Hutts as your sponsor. This would affect which teams of gladiators you would encounter. Another question I've been pondering, should these matches be death matches or just knock-out matches like Taris? Death matches for the entireity seem a bit macabre, and potentially darker than the lighter tone of KotOR. They are also problematic for light-siders to participate in. But why would the Hutts restrict the matches to knockout only? Perhaps a steady supply of good fighters is hard to come by. Maybe by restricting the matches to KO only, they retain their fighters and the losers get a chance to learn and improve, leading to more competitive matches and larger betting pools. Let me know what you think! I am open for suggestions and discussion as to how these concepts would work, and other ideas anyone may have to keep things interesting.

For the totally open one, perhaps a series of duels. You get to choose which player on your team participates in each round, and the last team standing is the winner. I think this would be a good opportunity to make use of the SwitchPlayerCharacter() function, which is only otherwise used for the Leviathan prison break. There can also be a variations on this, such as how many and which teams participate in a round, and how many members of each team participate (1-3) and could even be determined by a random number. There could also rules regarding who is allowed to compete in a round (like you can't send the same team member twice in a row, for variety) or what sort of weapons are allowed (so you have to be strategic with who you send). Hmm, would there be any conventional combat in this? I suppose some grenades and Force powers have a knockback effect, but the usual shooting/slicing does no such thing. Maybe rather than just being knocked back, they have to hold down a switch and can't be involved in combat. And if they're attacked, they can't use the switch - or to make it simpler, you can't use the switch as long as an enemy also occupies the hill. The goal could be to hold down the switch for a certain amount of accumulated time. All the knockback stuff could still apply, of course - if they're not on the hill, they can't hold the switch. An alternative would be to have being on the hill offer some advantage rather than being the goal. Like maybe as long as a team member occupies the hill, it gives the rest of your team shields or heals them or makes their attacks do extra damage... but the person on the hill has to stay there, giving you a numbers disadvantage as before. A few LucasArts games had a different sort of king of the hill style too, with the hill having some object to collect that you have to hold on to for as long as possible. If I remember correctly - we're talking older than KOTOR here - this was called "Kill the Fool with the Ysalamiri" in the Jedi Knight games. You had to hold on to the ysalamiri to win, but as long as you held it, it would disable your Force powers, and of course everybody would try to kill you to take it from you. I think one of them changed the premise a bit and made the item to collect a lightsaber, so you had an advantage while you held it instead of a disadvantage. The goal could again be the duration the item is held, or maybe the amount of kills you make while holding the item. This might be more suitable for the maze arena, as you would have to hunt down the item or whoever holds it through the maze. I think you could justify it either way. The audience might want to see bloodshed but they also want to cheer for the teams they like and see them win and death matches put a damper on that. And obviously the competitors don't want to die. Maybe it's just better business. You could always have both options too. Maybe one of the Hutts you can choose does death matches and one doesn't. Death matches do limit the gameplay options, though. Logically the game should be over as soon as any of your party members are killed - because they can't die for story reasons - and that's not how combat in the game usually works. And this limitation wouldn't apply to the other teams, because who cares if NPCs die. So I'd suggest limiting death matches to solo encounters, if they are to be used at all.

Here is a screenshot now that the crowd has been added: I wasn't sure if the crowd would scale well but it has. This one is in-game, the previous one was a render, hence the loss of some of the nice lighting.

There is a setting for viewing (or not) the signatures in the signatures section in the account settings. (Although I still can’t see them for some reason, but I’m also not convinced it isn’t just a mobile being antagonistic.)

Doesn't look so. At least I still see them

The way each faction feels about the others can be adjusted dynamically via the AdjustReputation() function too. That's how the Sand People are triggered friendly or hostile depending on whether you're wearing the disguise. So I wouldn't worry about the specifics of that; any combination is possible, probably. It could probably be done by giving each team their own faction, one of the lesser-used ones like Sand People, Czerka, and Gizka, and changing the reputation levels as needed. Should be fine so long as everything returns to normal at the end of the match. Also I totally overlooked before that you redid the arena from scratch rather than just rescaling it, so well done there.

Is this what you're talking about? The linked mod was an homage to this other mod called the "Holowan Spire" which though I don't have a link to a mod, I have a link to a video of it.

Not quite. It just means it will also attack anyone flagged as STANDARD_FACTION_HOSTILE_1 in addition to the usual friendly factions. Combatants won't attack members of their own faction. A good example is the Dark Side ending to the Sandral-Matale Feud quest, where the two sets of droids are set to HOSTILE_1 and HOSTILE_2 so that they attack each other and the player.

Player: Why would you think I would be willing to kill others for your entertainment? Hutt: You fight with big bad criminals jedi; slavers, assassins, female killers, maybe even one of your sith. Nobody miss them, you do galaxy big favor. Player: I don't believe you, I can't allow myself to hurt others. Hutt: You right jedi, but I can't allow myself to let entertainment like you slip to one of my rivals. Maybe you don't fight, and *maybe* you have accident with ship's air scrubbers. Or you could have them kidnap T3 if lightsiders refuse to fight.

[Updated to v1.0.0: June 02, 2019] What's new? New texture which I envisioned now version fits better as an alphaghoul Tweak to the model which removing the antennas/danglymesh Hair for variety. And for bit of fan-fic element which was the effect of mutation to next-phase ghoul Fix the bumpmap/tangentspace flag on the model, so it actually is working now Complete [necessary] set of unique Sound-Sets Restore the Rakghoul Fiend's Creature Item which grants them +2 active Regeneration - Ooops Bump their attributes a little bit more - Ooops

Hello everyone! Recently, we at /r/kotor hosted a general survey about the games and posting habits on the subreddit. Most of these results aren't very interesting for Deadlystream and modding in general, but we also asked some specific questions about modding and modding habits which we restricted to only users on the subreddit which had previously installed a mod for either KOTOR or KOTOR 2. I think these results are both very interesting and quite relevant to Deadlystream, and so I thought to bring it to everyone's attention. The survey thread, which includes links to all the various sections of collated survey responses, can be found here. But, for those who just want to see what's relevant, we're most interested in the two modding sections--here and here. Now, there are some really interesting results in these two categories, including how frequently users on the subreddit mod each of the individual games, how many users have used the mod builds and the ways in which they choose to do so, and some feedback and usage statistics on K1R, TSLRCM, and M4-78; for anyone here with any fingers in those pies, it's worth taking a look at the results. There are two charts I really want to bring to everyone's attention, however, and I'll repost the first of these here: As you can see, these are the usage values for typical modding sites, with the one on the left representing usage for all users, and the one on the right excluding those who have only ever installed TSLRCM before (which we suspected granted the Steam Workshop disproportionate weight, and was largely borne out). These charts show clearly that Deadlystream sits in third place for all major modding sites, even the Steam Workshop, and even after excluding TSLRCM-only users. This means that the Workshop, which only hosts content for KOTOR 2 (and a very small selection at that), and which is only available to users who own the games via Steam, is beating out Deadlystream for usage on the subreddit. This is despite official subreddit resources like the mod builds utilizing Deadlystream; this is despite official and regular subreddit warnings about the Workshop's reliability; and this is despite our policy to link to mods on Deadlystream and recommend Deadlystream's usage whenever a user comes to us with a modding question. Now, if it was just a battle between the Workshop and Deadlystream that would be more understandable, as convenience can always win out against common-sense, and other responses to the survey showed that KOTOR 2 is by far the more modded game out of the two. But we have here the Nexus as well, which is also beating out DS on usage. It's very clear from these results that, despite the subreddit's partnership with Deadlystream and all our best efforts to encourage its use, DS is losing the race on convenience (the Workshop) and popular usage/word-of-mouth (Nexus). And this is on a site which is partnered with DS and where we do our best to support it; the prognosis for use outside reddit is likely more grim still. I bring this to everyone's attention not to be a doomsayer, but instead to illuminate the issue and open up a dialogue about how we can fix it. As everyone here knows, Deadlystream is now where the most (and the most-updated) mods are hosted; users who utilize the Workshop and Nexus not only deprive themselves of many mods, but also deprive themselves of stability due to the Workshop's poor architecture and the outdated nature of many of the mods on the Nexus. This, then, is not merely a perception problem affecting the userbase here--wherein users quite likely believe the KOTOR mod community anemic or even dead based off of perceptions surrounding the infrequent uploading and support of mods to the Workshop and Nexus--but also a usage problem, in that the end-user is being deprived of a stable game with maximum available content. I've already looped @Tyvokka into this discussion and we had a chat earlier today about wiki integration and how the subreddit (which is tied to reddit's very limited wiki functions at present) might migrate our entire wiki here in the future, which might well serve to encourage more cross-site traffic and familiarity. We also again discussed cross-site administration, events and support, and hopefully on the administrative level we can do some cooperative work to combat this trend. As has been mentioned before, at the very least when wiki support is added here and the mod builds are next updated I'll post them here, and begin dual-site support between reddit and DS. I don't want to understate the work that can be done on the level of the individual user here either, however. For example, let's take a look at the second chart, I spoke of earlier, an entirely more hopeful one: As you can see, about 50% of polled users would be potentially interested in making a KOTOR mod! The subreddit currently has a little over 37,000 subscribers, of which I'd estimate about 15,000 are still for accounts which are active on the site. I know this is a bit of guesswork, but let's just say that 75% of the "Maybe" category will eventually decide they don't want to make a mod or modding tools, and 85% of the remainder doesn't have the skills to do so and will never learn them. If you add them all up, that's still 450 users who would want to make a mod and would have the skills to do so. And I fully admit these are hypothetical approximations of skill, availability and dedication, but it's not a number to scoff at. Regardless of outcome, it's clear that there is potential here; a userbase which contains individuals who are at least willing to try their hand at modding for KOTOR, but have not as yet. I see the subreddit as a pool of potential resources for users on deadlystream, potentially containing not just users willing to do the gruntwork of testing mods, but also artists, users with modeling experience, and maybe even programmers with sufficient skill to make tools still desperately-needed by the modding community. Not everyone will agree with the need (or desirability) to look to the subreddit and its userbase for work which, in some modders' minds, is perhaps not even necessary; that's okay. I understand that considerations for mod development differ, both based on the mod and the user. But I point out this base of interest because, for those who do see potential in it, I want you to know it's there, and as subreddit staff, we're entirely on board with any efforts to harness it. We firmly believe that greater cooperation and collaboration between Deadlystream and the subreddit--which is certainly the largest KOTOR fan community on the internet now--will help drive the word-of-mouth which will help present Deadlystream as the principal KOTOR modding site, and in so doing reverse any false presumptions in the KOTOR fanbase at large that KOTOR modding is dead. Beyond that, with the recent announcement that a KOTOR movie is likely in the works, there's little better time to present a strong and vital face for the classic games than now, when interest in the series is revitalizing. Of course, the subreddit does not necessarily need to factor into this at all, beyond serving as the vehicle for bringing this issue to everyone's attention. I invite anyone reading here to share their thoughts, possible solutions, and even further concerns; we all use Deadlystream, and how frequently it's used for its intended purpose impacts all of us in one way or another. Anything that could help, even if it's impractical to implement at present (or at an administrative level), is worth mentioning. Thanks everyone for your time!

First of all, props to all involved with the survey. It wasn't perfect, but it's nice - particularly for me -a KotOR modder/player/end-user/community member- to be participating. I haven't had much to share, though I'm going to break it down to several perspective - As a modder: DeadlyStream is the best place; to host my work, to engage with fellow modders either for troubleshooting and/or brainstorming ideas. Though it lacked chat feature that I think is necessary for more effective-and-efficient casual troubleshooting approach. I found no other platform as sophisticated as this though - as it showcased my work better than any other place I could find As a player/end-user/community member: nuff-said, I can't have any mods with more options, best quality and reliable support any other than on DS. It also fun to discuss here with fellow members, both in general or modding-specifics, with them fancy markdowns and emojis - hahah! though, I found the site lack attention lately - for example: the neglected MotY announcement/organizing, and lack of maintenance on featured mods and other feature on the site which I found them redundant Hope that the thoughts could work as constructive feedback for the site, to improve for the better of course. Last but not least - may the Force be with you all!

Tsk, tsk, look at all those Steam users. It's good news for @Effix though I guess, since it seems like about 75% of the mods on the Workshop are by him. That must more or less make him the most popular modder by user/download count outside the TSLRCM crew. It's not surprising that the Nexus remains popular, despite being even more barren now after losing all the stolen Gamefront files. Aside from sheer inertia and mindshare of the site itself, I think the average user just wants the convenience of something like the Nexus Mod Manager (or "Vortex" now I guess). It's why the Workshop is so popular. It's easy and requires little effort on their part. Maybe @Tyvokka should put some Deadly Stream ads on the Nexus. I'm sure Dark0ne wouldn't object at all.

Thanks @Snigaroo and the /r/kotor mod team for pulling this together. I think it is very telling that the Deadlystream community can do a lot more to encourage more modding by reaching out on the sub and helping out new members. It is a good reminder that pushing people away from /r/kotor and modding by being combative is not at all helpful in any way and that those attitude are really not useful to Deadlystream. Changes will be coming, I don't want Deadlystream is die a slow painful death, there are improvements in the works from me, @Snigaroo and the rest of the staff, so keep a look out over the summer.

I am still working on it! I haven't posted much because there isn't much that's extremely pretty to show. Lately I have been overhauling the street with updates to the doorways and a few other minor improvements. Other existing areas are in progress with small improvements, and I still need to model one additional area. Ironically, one of my major holdups this year was my mouse. My 3DSMax workflow is dependent on the center mouse button (or wheel) clicking properly. My mouse had deteriorated to where the center button wasn't clicking anymore. I procrastinated for several months before getting a new one. I have a new one now and progress is much improved. Haven't planned much as far as high level enemies go just yet. Will try to have some more difficult fights in there. Once again, thanks all for continued interest in the project. I will continue to work on it and post updates when available.

No. That wouldn't be a "mod", that would be an entire recoding of the engine from the ground up.

My two cents about death matches in the arena: no. Not only would the tone of the game be affected but the one death match in the game with Bendak Starkiller would lose much poignancy. There is the important matter of internal consistency to be taken in consideration, especially when adding a whole new planet to the game.

EA needs to lose the SW license. I don't hate SWTOR, and don't feel that any characters were ruined. But they need to lose the license. EA is a greedy company that hasn't cared for the customer for several years now. T3 was destroyed by the Emperor in the Revan novel. The love for all the old games will never die. They were good for a reason. EA's greed keeps them from funding games that turn out to be just as good with up to date engines. The new SWBF2 had great potential, but their greed has set it back so much.

I agree to some extent however, Drew Karpyshyn was comissioned by EA to bridge the gap between K1 & TSL to an already prewritten SWTOR galaxy. (The book came out a couple months prior to two plus years of work on an MMO) I'm fairly certain most of his major plot points, especially the ending was written before he was given the book to write. Just from how rapid and short the book was, the most creative freedom he may have had was probably the dealing of Canderous and the helmet of Mandalore, but even that was already hardcoded due to TSL lore. Really, he shoudln't be held too* responsible for that mess, despite how lackluster it felt. In essence, he was paid to string a predetermined plot with some dialogue and little more. Still, Chris Avellone would be the best guy to write k3.