Empires on UE4: UE4 is FREE edition

i dont think you addressed this: so the transition from brenodi ica to brenodi empire and the nf equivalent would require 2 different models each (or will each iteration just look the same)? because that would seem like a lot of uneccessary work for a project strapped for modelers

 

The transition would be more subtle than replacing assets.

Most of the core weapons wouldn't change (Standard Issue Brenodi Rifles wouldn't change between ICA/BE period, most likely the same with the NF/Jk stuff) but some of the vehicles may be different (IFV would be replaced with a Light Tank, jeeps would become more armored and combat oriented like putting a top on them and giving them a weapon). Also things like more advanced technology wouldn't exist in the earlier period (no Air/AA launchers, no heavy tanks, no artillery).

All in all, the most used assets should carry over as much as possible. The difference would be primarily gamemode based and environments you are fighting in.

 

Can I also randomly say that I always loved how the conflict never seemed too harsh or evil because we didn't have to talk about concentration camps or mass killings or rounding up people or anything like that.

I always liked how the Brens were bad, but also not incredibly terrible, and that the Jeks were good but not blameless.

One thing I don't really like these days is that there's a lot of escalation. Everyone wants things to be ultra grim and if you're not getting raped or tortured or mass executed it's just not horrible enough to justify a response. And it's everywhere, in film, tv, and books. People get more and more desensitised to it so we have people being tortured and their fingers cut off and their eyes gouged out on tv regularly. And people start doing it in real life, throwing acid at people and other crazy shit that's just unheard of.

I'm not saying Empires is real life. I'm just saying...it's a game. Does it have to be grim?

Also, fuck me for being truthful, but anyone who says games don't impact real life is being ridiculous. TV sure does, it's clearly evidenced by the response you can have to it. And I know this has absolutely nothing to do with Empires, but how often do you see people being phased by seeing someone shot in the face on tv? How often do we kill almost photo-realistic people in games and not feel anything more than "one down, next". When was the last time you actually saw something on tv that made you shake because it was awful? Do you even remember what it's like to feel sick at seeing someone's limbs hacked off?

We're not men because we can look at horrifying things and be unmoved by them. We're men because we don't let that happen. We're the ones that protect, that create safety, that band together and fight simply because we know in our hearts there are things you don't do. That should never be allowed. That's the part of us that reaches back in time, the part our father's father instilled in us before we were even born, the reason we all want and need to be heroes. It's the most primal part, but it's also the most transcendent. It's the thing that lets us stand up when we're beaten down, that makes us move forward when we can't move any more, that makes us run when we can't even walk.

Part of what makes Empires great is because it fosters that feeling. Something in what you all did, something in the vision of the game made that come alive. Other games have better systems, better gameplay, better backstories. But Empires has something so much more worthwhile, precious even. Empires has heart. And even more incredible, it allows you to have heart while being on any side of the war. No part of you feels terrible when taking sides and choosing teams. Sometimes you might like NF because they're the underdogs, but I never felt like BE were evil. Totalitarian yes, militaristic yes, but in the end not evil. Misguided sometimes, but fighting for order and safety just the same. Fighting to protect that which they love.

Don't take that away. Don't miss seeing it. It's the greatness of the game.



Oh, and don't forget female models.

 

The two empires co-existed before the war in a Cold War like state with one side pursuing genetic engineering and the other cybernetic enhancements and nanotechnology. Those advancements filtered down to all facets of their society before the war went hot. After the war, the societies couldn't integrate because of how they had warped their biology through technology.

 

That is the most video game thing ive read in awhile.

Back on the "factions" feed back forum thing, I pitched an idea of a exaggerated empires thing where it was mutants the fuckers from grind house versus the borg.
I can't seem to find the image I pitched with.

 

I remember reading about some sort of "mysterious benefactor" responsible for arming and supplying the Jekotians after the war. Wouldn't it make total sense if this benefactor is actually a Brenodian trying to take (or hold) political power by using the Jekotians as a scapegoat as to why the empire isn't quite as prosperous as it should be?, or something like that?

 

To answer the issue of brenodi ruling the entire planet, they don't have to actually be the one empire. If you're rebooting it, why not just have the world being more than just two empires, but that the game is centered on the conflict between Brenodi Empire and Jekotia. That way you don't have to deal with the plot issue of "brenodi are ridiculously powerful".

 

Honestly, I don't want to beat you upside the head with the lore. I want to build it into the world.

I want one of the maps to be NF attacking a ICA concentration camp. If you are just playing the game, you'll be fighting over some prison buildings and trying to attack into a guard tower maybe. But if you really think about it, the ICA is actually doing some pretty nasty shit with that concentration camp and the NF are trying to break them out. It'll just be part of the environment.

So, no... the world isn't GRIMDARKBADBADDARKDARKDARK. The story is just built into the world in a greater way than the mod was.

A huge inspiration here is Borderlands/Borderlands 2. Did anyone else notice that most of Pandora was dried ocean beds? It's like the whole backdrop... There are giant bones and oceanic cliffs everywhere... the game takes place in a dried up ocean and that's pretty dark (the world was destroyed for it's resources).

I think the One World Empire theme is not something ever explored in games, so it seems kinda interesting. It's part of what makes Empires special (Brenodi's goal of a One World Empire) and that's a theme I want to keep in a reboot.

 

Keep in mind, I'm a HUGE brenodi fanboy. I liked the Brenodi way more than the Northern Faction and I found their history, style, and themes far more compelling than the Northern Faction. The Brenodi 'One World Empire' is Manifest Destiny on steroids and not something ever really explored in videogames.

I don't want to make anyone 'Evil'. I want to make them Justified. I want every action taken by either side to feel like it's the right course of action for them and this inevitably leads to conflict. I want to make Brenodi soldiers heroes that their people celebrate. I want to make Jekotians proud of their fighters. I want to make the Brenodi people disgusted at the actions the ICA took, but even more disgusted at the Jekotians. I want both sides to be 'Right' and 'Wrong' at the same time.

I think that concept is what makes the Empires story actually intriguing. Most games have a good guy and a bad guy. They don't approach the idea of a justified atrocity. They don't approach 'The ends justfiy the means' without creating an end that is so overwhelmingly good that of course it's justified ("Oh, killing people is horrible but you just saved everyone from NUKES AND BAD GUYS THAT MAKES HITLER LOOK LIKE A KITTEN so YAAAAAAAAAY" is as far as it goes).

I don't want to be that thin. The way I see it is that Jekotia is fighting for it's homeland. Brenodi is fighting for global peace and prosperity. Both are noble ends that lead to war, death, atrocities, and other nasty business. And those themes are reflected in the level design and art of the game.

 

Brenodia is best. Jekotia filthy terrorists who don't take baths.

 

Pax Brenodi all the way.

 

So what you posted are references, not an art style.
You made some progress on the underlying lore, so we can use some of that for the art direction, but it's still missing a lot of stuff.

Your references in no way tell me, whether you want everything to look as realistic as possible, be comically exaggerated but still somewhat realistic (like Sourcepires) or be completely comical (like Borderlands). There are a lot of ways you can go.
I'd also like to know who wants to take part in this with either modeling, concept art and mapping. I would like those people to shoot me an IM here on the forum.

Also I am not at home for the next four days, so don't expect me to answer quickly.

 

Well, don't expect everything all at once. This is kind of an iterative process and I'm not sure what all you want.

This but a little less. The BE stuff isn't as exaggerated as the NF stuff (the monster truck CV lol), so a bit more in line with that.

Zenarion expressed interest in doing art.

 

The thing is you can't simply treat modeling as an iterative process without increasing the amount of work that needs to be put into it tremendously. If I had any say about it, I'd like you to give me exact specs for each handgun, rifle vehicle, building, prop, etc. you want to have in the game. (Maybe I should make a Google form or something like that for it)
As long as I don't have that, you would only get rough block outs for prototyping from me.

 

I'd +1 the google form. I wouldn't assume that programmers know how to convey specific answers without modelling experience. I don't, haha. "Um shooty thing looks good? Make look good."

 

It's not only up to the programmers. I will basically make a form that allows programmers and designers give rough specifications and intended purpose for items to an artist.
Artists are not there to think about that. (Only if one person should end up being game designer and artist at the same time on this project)

Our job as artists is:
1.) Make the stats and intended purpose of an item visually clear.
2.) Make the item look appealing.
3.) Keep the technical stats of the models within given parameters for performance's sake.

Our job is NOT:
-to come up with stats for an item
-to balance items against each other

Come to think of it, is it already decided if all weapons should offer the option to aim down sights?

 

Got a first draft of a form for infantry weapons.
This one doesn't have a technical section yet, because that is pretty much only relevant for random props. All infantry tools, vehicles and buildings will have fixed technical limits.

This form is not for suggesting weapons, it is only meant for collecting data on what is already there. Because of that I'll only send it out privately.

 

I think we should make a campaign mode where the game is multiple games in one.

There is global research and game research,global research adds new thing

to the team that is not like game research such as new infantry

weapons,new skills and weapon improvments. Normally the campaign starts

with only have the Brenodi ICA and the NF battling out in areas with only the

default weapons avaidable. The battles has a screen with areas and routes to

areas,if you get surrounding areas around a other one you will get a

advantage. Global Research is done through voting.

 

The idea is neat in theory, but that's going to take quite a while and I doubt the average player would stay for the whole thing. And if they don't they basically join into a round that has already things done they can't influence anymore and might doom them from the start.
Lore wise it's neat, gameplay wise it's a bad idea.