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Duke Nukem Boards => Duke 3D Modifications => Topic started by: James on 24 December 2011, 22:00:34

Title: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: James on 24 December 2011, 22:00:34
The AMC TC is released!

http://msdn.duke4.net/AMC_THE_TC_V1.zip

This mammoth 8-character TC is finally ready for release, after several years of hard work. Featuring a huge range of features and effects (far too many to list here) The TC can be considered it's own game in it's right, taking story ideas from Duke Nukem as well as carrying on the storylines set in Imagination World (By myself), Oblivion (By Zaxtor) and Brave New World (By Mikko Sandt).

Featuring an episode of high-quality maps, built by myself, Rusty, Geoffrey, Highwire, Mikko and Sang. All the con coding, excluding a few parts by other coders such as DeeperThought, was by myself as well.

The AMC Squad is a paramilitary group formed by a man whose identity is unknown to all but a select few in the EDF and EAF. Using funds from both of those agencies as well as his own, he hired an old friend to track down 7 of the best and most skilled fighters on Earth. This squad was formed to tackle the most severe threats to Earth's safety, including fighting off the notorious Cycloid race of aliens. However, events soon unfold that dramatically increase the scale of conflict, and the AMC squad must soon deal with a new paranormal world that is new to even the most supernatural members of the team.

Can you fight as the AMC Squad, and take care of this threat? Will you scour the battlefield, find and aquire research and equipment and tackle the threat strategically, or just run in guns blazing? Will you choose to play as Sangluss, A warlock with great power who overcame a dark past? Or as Merlijn, the knight from Holland who wields ancient weaponry to deadly effect? Mikko, the Cybernetic leader of MS Corp industries, brings a range of deadly and hi-tech weaponry to the battlefield whereas Highwire relies only on good old fashioned guns (Preferably russian made!)

To those of you who played Imagination World and beat episode 4, if you copy the iw_complete.amctc file into the data directory in your AMC TC folder you'll unlock the 1911 and Jackhammer from IW for use when you play as James in the AMC TC :)

Please note that for the best experience, play this in Classic mode, Polymost does have support with widescreen functionality but Classic is what the vast majority of the team designed it in. Polymer is not supported.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/Jstanf35/AMC_1.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/Jstanf35/AMC_2.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/Jstanf35/AMC_3.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/Jstanf35/AMC_4.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/Jstanf35/AMC_5.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/Jstanf35/AMC_6.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/Jstanf35/AMC_7.jpg)
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: Puritan on 24 December 2011, 23:53:54
Merry Christmas!
Screenshots looking great!
Downloading  ;)


Edit: Why is Mapster32 included in the zip?
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: MSandt on 25 December 2011, 01:37:00
Quote from: Puritan on  24 December 2011, 23:53:54


Edit: Why is Mapster32 included in the zip?

Maybe someone wants to map for it and the included Mapster32 is guaranteed to work.
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: Forge on 25 December 2011, 05:35:28
cool!

i know you worked hard on this, especially lately just to get it out for xmas eve.
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: Merlijn on 25 December 2011, 13:03:26
Wow.. now that´s a neat christmas present! Can´t wait to play the final incarnation of this great mod!  8)
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: Forge on 25 December 2011, 16:09:32
Wrote a review this morning before the rest of the family woke up. The time crunch and James' detailed description didn't make my job very easy.

In any event, the review doesn't do this TC justice because it's that damn good
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: James on 25 December 2011, 16:22:06
Cheers Forge, looking forward to reading it :)
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: Puritan on 25 December 2011, 17:59:26
The AMC TC and a review is now hosted here at Come Get Some  ;)
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: James on 25 December 2011, 18:10:25
Thanks guys, for the host and the review :)
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: Arghantyl on 25 December 2011, 19:41:23
The best TC ever.Sure more than Starsheep troopers.

I've not finished it yet but the realisation is fuckin' good.Never seen that.
I'm just a pretty sick than it's included to mod section.You cannot compare this to WGspace or something else.

And the place of this topic is not right.
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: James on 25 December 2011, 20:18:31
Thanks!

I just found a bug in abyss that makes progression not possible, you'll have to download this:
http://www.mediafire.com/?d7hon8f2g5da38r
to proceed.
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: Arghantyl on 25 December 2011, 20:21:59

Sometimes i can't pick up the evidences and this game suffers from huge maps.
But it's ok.
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: James on 25 December 2011, 20:45:17
You only pick up evidence the first time round - if you picked it up, then died or something than it's already been 'stored' so you won't take it the next time :)
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: Micky C on 26 December 2011, 00:25:44
I never get used to how good the maps are. They're huge, they're detailed, they each use their own individual textures so they're unique and give the TC huge variety. And the atmosphere and ambiance is truely amazing. Each level absolutely nailed the atmosphere it was going for, plus extra.

Occasionally I get the urge to make a map for this, but even before I can open mapster, I remember how good the original maps are and get scared off.
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: James on 26 December 2011, 10:53:28
Don't let that stop you! I'd love to see even just one usermap for the TC, it'd make even more of the work worth it :)
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: Micky C on 26 December 2011, 12:07:22
I had a look at some of the existing user maps in the classic collection, and they seem like moderately standard vanilla maps. Given some time I might be able to whip up something - I'll start on some concepts and familiarize myself with some effects after I've finished my current project, which should be done in two weeks. Hopefully I'll have something to show in a few months. (Not looking forward to getting used to the new texture set, haha).
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: Arghantyl on 27 December 2011, 23:28:14
If you want a little luck than bodys make some maps for your mod,add a mapper manual.

I 'm playing this TC and it shows some weakness.

I 've not finished yet but i i've the feeling that this game is a patchwork of mods.From looting all arts they could do,perhaps this team forgot to create a coherent game.Even the scenarii seem just go everywhere.
Unlike Imperium,i can easily stop to play it each chapter.

And i think too than the character development is just pretty sick.Could be better if people could developp them (why not) through an Xp system which allow to increase the max of health and armor.
Something which make the game a bit more addictiv.

But perhaps i'm too fast and the developpers team will create some new episodes and deep the concepts of this game.



Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: MSandt on 28 December 2011, 00:48:44
Quote from: Arghantyl on  27 December 2011, 23:28:14
I 've not finished yet but i i've the feeling that this game is a patchwork of mods.From looting all arts they could do,perhaps this team forgot to create a coherent game.

That diversity is our strength. Coherence is in the background, the intertwined storylines and the shared universe.

QuoteAnd i think too than the character development is just pretty sick.Could be better if people could developp them (why not) through an Xp system which allow to increase the max of health and armor.

Not enough maps for a system like that; it's simply not needed at the moment.
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: Micky C on 28 December 2011, 07:29:29
Bit of an oversight, according to the review on the front page, it says it requires Atomic Edition in the box at the bottom...
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: Puritan on 28 December 2011, 08:55:51
Quote from: Micky C on  28 December 2011, 07:29:29
Bit of an oversight, according to the review on the front page, it says it requires Atomic Edition in the box at the bottom...
Ahh...my bad. Will be corrected asap.
Thanks.
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: James on 28 December 2011, 10:01:40
As Mikko said, one of the major points of the AMC TC is it is expanding the game world set up by a large collection of other Duke mods such as Imagination World, Oblivion TC, Brave New World, .etc .etc There is thought put behind everything in the mod, and every enemy/gun has some kind of history in the world.
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: Arghantyl on 28 December 2011, 14:32:11
I was completely seduced by the idea but sometimes the achievement failed.
I'm speakin' especially for graphics.

I do not want hurt anyone but when you play a map wich is highly detailed with the Zaxtor's stuff (by example),the result is ugly like hell.

Do not be mistaken,i 've got a lot of fun playing this game (i will have because i've not finished it xD) but sometimes these kind of bad surprises waste my pleasure.
This TC has a lot of ressources and i'm more motivated to make map for this one than any other.
But sadly for me there 's not any manual to explain "how to".
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: James on 28 December 2011, 22:39:59
There is a manual, if you check in the AMC TC folder you can see a file called 'manual.html' which has a build guide to it which covers the majority of the new stuff.

Anyways sorry you feel that way about the graphics, unfortunately I'm not an artist and had to get the graphics from wherever I could. I would like to have matching high quality graphics but with zero budget that's simply not possible.
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: Merlijn on 29 December 2011, 01:04:14
I haven't finished the episode yet, but one of the coolest aspects is the immenseness of the world, almost feels like 10 years of mapping are combined in a huge, cohesive world (even planet x64-2 gets a mention!).
It's too bad those precog machines from the Megabase levels are such a small plot point though. It has a lot of potential IMO.

Anyway, I kinda want to make a map for my own character now.  :P A part of Amsterdam taken over by demons or something..
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: Puritan on 29 December 2011, 01:12:56
Quote from: Merlijn on  29 December 2011, 01:04:14

Anyway, I kinda want to make a map for my own character now.  :P A part of Amsterdam taken over by demons or something..


That would have been absolutely awesome!
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: James on 29 December 2011, 09:27:29
That would be amazing since that's part of your character's backstory and everything :D

Also those precog machines will be important again in the future :)
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: Merlijn on 29 December 2011, 19:46:55
Well, who knows.. I first need to get understand how all the features work. :)
Millhaven is an amazing level btw, great music as well (Nine inch nails?).
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: Forge on 29 December 2011, 20:01:59
A monumental task, but it would be pretty cool if each character had a patch to the game with their own mini-episode
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: James on 30 December 2011, 10:03:50
QuoteMillhaven is an amazing level btw, great music as well (Nine inch nails?).
Yeah :) Rusty picked the main background music for both levels whereas I picked the music for the libary, boss fight and ending cutscene. I did the cutscenes with Jekyll and the ending one as well, all of which I think turned out great. The ending cutscene was just inspired by the music track it's played to, I heard it for the first time and Imagined a scene like which plays out.
QuoteA monumental task, but it would be pretty cool if each character had a patch to the game with their own mini-episode
Yeah I'd love that too, but of course we're all getting less and less free-time these days to do things like this :(
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: Arghantyl on 30 December 2011, 10:51:26
Quote from: Forge on  29 December 2011, 20:01:59
A monumental task, but it would be pretty cool if each character had a patch to the game with their own mini-episode

Same.


Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: Maarten on 02 January 2012, 22:43:51
Just popping here to say hi, I'm sure gonna give this TC a go, I'll see when I've time but seeing the reactions, and the small parts I watched Merlijn playing looked really promising.

Speaking of mods/tc's, it's weird our Imperium episode is already released like a half year ago....  :o
Time flies, haha :D
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: Micky C on 03 January 2012, 14:33:18
I've given some more thought to my user map I'm attempting to make. I think most of it will take part in a giant underground cavern housing a facility/complex for cloning octabrains, just in case anyone else was thinking of the same idea. I've found that software mode was a lot more stable with TROR than I thought, so I might try to use the feature to help me make the map stand out from the rest, because quite frankly it's the only advantage (if you can call it that) over most other mappers.

I'll probably wait for the wiki to be finished so I can have a complete set of the effects.
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: James on 03 January 2012, 16:07:48
I guess that's more motivation for me to start the build side of the wiki then heh heh :D I'm already liking the sound of the story, I do have more plans for the Precog plotline - not so much the Octabrains though but what they used to be instead.
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: Merlijn on 03 January 2012, 22:15:04
So now I'm at the last level, For providence. Yeah I know, I'm slow as hell. ;)
So far, Millhaven is still my favorite. Revolution was pretty cool as well (I especially liked the design of the city - those burning buildings in the background were a great touch).

However, I do think the Revolution maps have some flaws. For one, the AI of the comrades wasn't very good, they kept getting stuck and the fell off the sprite bridge and got stuck in the water 2 times (I had to replay that part 3 times). Secondly, the boss fight was a bit too hard (as someone on Duke4.net also pointed out). And lastly, it didn't really connect with the rest of the episode, storywise. Would have been better as a separate mission

(but then we're getting close to Forges idea, to give every character their own little background adventure.. I think I'll go ahead and make a map for my own character, even though it won't be as ambitious or conceptually grand as these official levels.. I don't think I have the time for that  :-\).

Anyway, back to the final level. I've played earlier beta's of it, so I know it's a kick-ass level already. ;) Can't wait to properly finish the episode though!
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: James on 03 January 2012, 23:06:05
Glad you're liking it :) I am aware about the ally AI problems, I never got round to coding at least basic waypoints and stuff for them - when I get some time I'll have a go at patching that stuff in. I have also slowed down the rate at which the robot's grenade launcher fires as well, it's much fairer now.

Storywise, whilst it is unconnected that's not the last you've seen of the characters established there :) There was originally plans to have a single occult room and have James and Highwire commit about how silly it was in a case of dramatic irony, but I thought that would go too far - I didn't want paranormal elements infecting EVERYTHING since that's only a small part of what will happen in the future.

And glad to hear about the map - even if you only end up showing a shot or something, seeing a Merlijn-style map with the AMC texture set would be cool enough :D (If you need help or want some help with cinematics and stuff when the time comes, give me a shout - Highwire's revolution map started the exact same way since he wanted to build a map about his backstory and it turned into the final product just fromt hat)
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: Merlijn on 04 January 2012, 18:05:09
Well shit, I can't go back now.  8) Concider it a deal; I'll try to start a map about a demon infestation in Amsterdam. Can't promise I will finish it though. ;D
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: Micky C on 06 January 2012, 09:44:04
Are there already half-finished levels that will be in episode 2? There's some stuff in the 2009 trailer that wasn't in the first one.
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: James on 06 January 2012, 09:49:15
Yeah, there's a fair amount of the first 'all-character' part of the episode done, and a few of the later levels have been started on as well :)
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: Micky C on 09 January 2012, 11:35:52
Ha, ideas don't last long. The underground cavern *might* still be in the map, but now I'm thinking I really want to do a flying ship. That way you can fight on the decks, inside the ship, and under the ship on hanging platforms (which you won't want to fall off of).

The function of the ship is kind of like a flying base. Similar to the Valiant from Dr Who (http://images.wikia.com/tardis/images/d/df/Valiant.png)
Of course it won't look anything like that, it'll be more like a traditional sea ship in design.

Stay tuned for a few weeks until I change my mind again  :P Nah I've got a good feeling with this, and I'll try and take my time with it.
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: James on 09 January 2012, 12:37:54
Very cool :) There is a skybox feature added into the game like it was with IW - it kinda screws up scopes and stuff but if you don't plan on needing the player to use them than you can always use that to make a dynamic backdrop to the map. If you look at the map DMEPION or INVEPION you can see a pretty detailed example of what you could do :)
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: Micky C on 09 January 2012, 12:56:23
My god, that was impressive. I could probably whip up a large ocean with some mountains sticking out of it. By scope problems do you mean like sniper scopes, and the reflex sights that one of rusty's weapons have?
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: James on 09 January 2012, 13:11:59
Yeah, and some guns really mess up the view on classic mode when you're firing them. I've reported the issue to Helix; hopefully he can fix both problems which is why skyboxes weren't used in the main episode even though they're supported.

QuoteMy god, that was impressive. I could probably whip up a large ocean with some mountains sticking out of it. By scope problems do you mean like sniper scopes, and the reflex sights that one of rusty's weapons have?
If I were you, I'd do this and then use some sprites to simulate clouds; maybe have high mountains with clouds at the top of their peaks or something? :)
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: Micky C on 12 January 2012, 03:22:41
I created the frame of the ship a few days ago, but I really don't want to start texturing it or adding detail. It was bad enough learning new textures for WGRealms 2 and this texture set is 4 times bigger (WGR2 already had more textures than atomic edition). I'm still hoping something's going to happen to make the transition easier, so I'll wait a while before I dive into that.

(http://i734.photobucket.com/albums/ww345/crimic01/eduke322012-01-1212-39-17-47.jpg)

I've also been experimenting with the skybox feature, and I don't know what you did James, but the skybox is much smoother than in IWv2, which tended to jerk when you looked around. I still can't figure out how you got the ship to 'fly in a circular path', I've tried to mimic the conditions of the epion map but its difficult without the complete documentation.
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: James on 12 January 2012, 21:19:28
If I were you I'd copy the skybox completely to get it working first, than remove all of the stuff apart from the effectors and start from scratch. I should of documented the stuff but 99% was added when I needed it rather than planned stuff, and I had no idea if anybody else was ever gonna use it. I'll take another crack at filling up the wiki with more information on new SE effects though :)

The textures should be organised, but there's a limited amount of new tile sets I can create so I had to prioritise the special sprites. I've got a bunch of days off next week so one day I will at least add categories for decorations and stuff :)
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: James on 13 January 2012, 12:32:03
I've updated the wiki page with information on all the new stuff I've added to the sector effector sprite - hopefully it'll prove useful to you :)
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: Micky C on 14 January 2012, 05:56:55
I found that section both a useful and interesting read  :D

Thanks for putting that up, I wasn't aware there were such advanced options for changing textures that could simulate sectors rising out of or falling into liquids.
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: James on 14 January 2012, 15:18:42
Yeah, it's used frequently in Dis Base for several of the effects in that map (Like the emptying pool of waste) I did intend at one point to make a 'module' with those new effects and release it as a bit of CON code for other people to use, but the only people who'd use it are con coders who already know how to code that kind of stuff :)
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: Sanek on 07 June 2013, 15:08:26
Just discovered that you guys can made this TC MUCH earlier if you don't find this idea stupid back then. ;D
http://www.amcwebforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=2593.0
"Lets kill eachother"  :)
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: James on 24 June 2013, 11:31:35
Heh, that was a neat little topic that I never saw back then :D The mod started completely on a late night MSN session between me and Highwire, when I was working on Nuclear Showdown. We thought it would be cool to make a AMC HQ map, and then the rest is history. The TC went through alot of changes in tone though, it was originally sort of a joke TC but as we put more work into it, it became a more serious project (and it was definitly better for it)
Title: Re: AMC TC released! Merry X-mas!
Post by: Puritan on 21 May 2022, 20:18:03
A brand new channel on YouTube holds tons of user maps from the AMC TC  :)
In addition; you will find tons of Doom gameplay videoes as well.


Necro Insomniac channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq0uiJmyYhoezqRUDmQkiOg/videos)