Well, they aren't actually nukes, technically (let's not forget a real one can destroy a city). For the sake of ease, I just use the same animation. And Janus isn't affected because I evaded the missiles. Most of the time, anyway (prepare to save, as it is an intense sequence).
I'm influenced by a lot of things in my campaigns (movies, TV, books, music, etc), and I thought I'd share some of that here. Includes some spoilers from Crimson Moon.
Brother Tyrone: I got his name from a character named Brother Mouzone from the great TV series The Wire. Here's how he looks:
Janus: the name is obviously from the Greek god Janus. Again, the resemblance is in the name, not the characteristics. I don't know when I came up with the name Janus Ora, though I do know it's a name that's been with me for quite some time.
Quarinius: another Greek god, though I spell it a bit different (it's originally Quirinius). Janus and Quirinius (the gods, not my characters) are also connected in the original mythology.
Corelia: from Star Wars, actually. I struggled for a long time to come up with a good name for her, and then I remembered Han Solo saying something about the Millennium Falcon being able to outrun "corellian starships". Problem solved! Thanks, Han!
Mission 03: A Future Uncertain: Taken from a Nevermore song, off the album This Godless Endeavor:
The Perfect Soldiers program: In the mission Graveyard of Memories, Janus learns that his memories are not his own, and that they have been artificially placed within the confines of his mind. This is a staple of science fiction. Look no further than the movie classic Blade Runner, or the japanese anime Ghost in the Shell:
The Amina musical theme: this appears first in mission 05, The Shortest Straw, and later opens Amber Sun. It is played whenever we visit a desert location of Amina. The track itself is called , and is from the film Once Upon a Time in the West, easily my favorite western of all time. The film contains a lot of famous themes, but for some reason, this magnificent piece of work is not among its most famous. That worked pretty well for me, as I don't like to be too much in the audience's face with my influences.
I continued the western influence in Amber Sun as well, as can be seen in this shot:
The mountains in the background are made to resemble Monument Valley, which was already a popular location for western films long before Sergio Leone decided to use it for Once Upon a Time in the West.
Placing the climax in the penultimate episode: anyone who's watched HBO shows may recgonize this trend. It started with The Sopranos, which would typically place its biggest moments in the next-to-last episode, then use the finale for resolution. The Wire also employed this norm (even more consistently than The Sopranos), even using the same writer, George Pelecanos, to pen every season's penultimate episode (the guy apparently had a gift for executing characters). The most recent example of this trend can be seen in Game of Thrones, which always drops some major moments in every season's 9th episode (each season always has a total of 10 episodes). I am guessing the writers do this because they are either channeling or adapting novels, where this custom is more ordinary.
I tried to do this myself in Crimson Moon, more specifically with the mission Perfect Soldiers. Some people didn't like it that way, but I stand firmly by my choice. That being said, the final mission of Amber Sun will be intense, that much I can promise you!
Combat Jack: this is an episode from the superb Iraq war mini-series Generation Kill. I first thought the tern was a nick name, until I figured out its true meaning. I used the confusion for my mission Alzadhar (if you've played it, you'll know). And yes, if you are a wondering: several characters do perform the procedure in the series (though the audience is fortunately spared too many intimate details).
Red Fox: the odd moments from the final moments of Alzadhar is pure David Lynch, though I did put my own spin on it. I hope to spin some more surrealistic moments in the future, though I'll need to find the right place.
There is also more to come! For instance, the sixth mission of Amber Sun will feature a long, uninterrupted opening shot, ala Touch of Evil and Boogie Nights. Obviously this is less of an accomplishment in the map editor, but it still looks awesome.
Of course, TeaLSC. I'll send you mission 5 and 6 (you even get to play the updated versions). I presume you've played 1-4? They're available on the campaign page, anyway.
And yes: meet DEFILERRULES, who loves nagging me about Warhounds (which now can be found in mission 5) and critters (same thing), as well as writing extremely short feedback.
I was only kiddingg :( of course IeZa you are welcome on test team,it's not a my decision,is a decison of EvindL,my feedbacks are too short?The one of mission 6 is not complete,i will write a wall of text for Every new missions,and for warhounds and critters... Yes i love them!!!!
I've been reaaaaally busy as of lately. I'm just working, working, working. I needed a little break as well. I have been doing some work on the maps here and there, but it's not much. I'm moving in the fall as well to study Business Economics, so I've been trying spend some time with my friends before I leave.
Don't worry, it'll definitely be finished.
EDIT: I'm working on all the remaining missions simultaneously (a change of method to spice things up). Here are some non-spoilery pictures from Assassins in the Fog:
Update: I'm putting Amber Sun on hold for the time being. I just want to focus on school, and I'm afraid of the time AS will consume if I return to it. Hopefully I'll finish it someday.
Hey hey. Just here to motivate you a little more. I think it's really impressive that you managed to produce so many good maps in such a short time. I started my own campaign when SC2 was released and I'm still at mission 4. I also like that you put your maps out in the open so everyone can learn from them.
Cool to hear that, OutsiderXE. I still haven't done anymore on this thing. Taking school really seriously. I hope to finish it today, though I fear some of my skills may have vanished somewhat. I had such a great ending mission planned too!
That would have been a bummer. I understand taking extended breaks and losing some skill. But coming back refreshed and not burning out is also important.
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How the hell Janus isn't affected by the nuke blast radius?
Well, they aren't actually nukes, technically (let's not forget a real one can destroy a city). For the sake of ease, I just use the same animation. And Janus isn't affected because I evaded the missiles. Most of the time, anyway (prepare to save, as it is an intense sequence).
Mission 06 is getting very close to completion now. Only the final gameplay part and the ending cinematic remains.
EDIT: It's sent to testers now, and some feedback has already arrived.
Spot the influence!
I'm influenced by a lot of things in my campaigns (movies, TV, books, music, etc), and I thought I'd share some of that here. Includes some spoilers from Crimson Moon.
Brother Tyrone: I got his name from a character named Brother Mouzone from the great TV series The Wire. Here's how he looks:
Janus: the name is obviously from the Greek god Janus. Again, the resemblance is in the name, not the characteristics. I don't know when I came up with the name Janus Ora, though I do know it's a name that's been with me for quite some time.
Quarinius: another Greek god, though I spell it a bit different (it's originally Quirinius). Janus and Quirinius (the gods, not my characters) are also connected in the original mythology.
Corelia: from Star Wars, actually. I struggled for a long time to come up with a good name for her, and then I remembered Han Solo saying something about the Millennium Falcon being able to outrun "corellian starships". Problem solved! Thanks, Han!
Mission 03: A Future Uncertain: Taken from a Nevermore song, off the album This Godless Endeavor:
The Perfect Soldiers program: In the mission Graveyard of Memories, Janus learns that his memories are not his own, and that they have been artificially placed within the confines of his mind. This is a staple of science fiction. Look no further than the movie classic Blade Runner, or the japanese anime Ghost in the Shell:
The Amina musical theme: this appears first in mission 05, The Shortest Straw, and later opens Amber Sun. It is played whenever we visit a desert location of Amina. The track itself is called , and is from the film Once Upon a Time in the West, easily my favorite western of all time. The film contains a lot of famous themes, but for some reason, this magnificent piece of work is not among its most famous. That worked pretty well for me, as I don't like to be too much in the audience's face with my influences.
I continued the western influence in Amber Sun as well, as can be seen in this shot:
The mountains in the background are made to resemble Monument Valley, which was already a popular location for western films long before Sergio Leone decided to use it for Once Upon a Time in the West.
Placing the climax in the penultimate episode: anyone who's watched HBO shows may recgonize this trend. It started with The Sopranos, which would typically place its biggest moments in the next-to-last episode, then use the finale for resolution. The Wire also employed this norm (even more consistently than The Sopranos), even using the same writer, George Pelecanos, to pen every season's penultimate episode (the guy apparently had a gift for executing characters). The most recent example of this trend can be seen in Game of Thrones, which always drops some major moments in every season's 9th episode (each season always has a total of 10 episodes). I am guessing the writers do this because they are either channeling or adapting novels, where this custom is more ordinary.
I tried to do this myself in Crimson Moon, more specifically with the mission Perfect Soldiers. Some people didn't like it that way, but I stand firmly by my choice. That being said, the final mission of Amber Sun will be intense, that much I can promise you!
Combat Jack: this is an episode from the superb Iraq war mini-series Generation Kill. I first thought the tern was a nick name, until I figured out its true meaning. I used the confusion for my mission Alzadhar (if you've played it, you'll know). And yes, if you are a wondering: several characters do perform the procedure in the series (though the audience is fortunately spared too many intimate details).
Red Fox: the odd moments from the final moments of Alzadhar is pure David Lynch, though I did put my own spin on it. I hope to spin some more surrealistic moments in the future, though I'll need to find the right place.
There is also more to come! For instance, the sixth mission of Amber Sun will feature a long, uninterrupted opening shot, ala Touch of Evil and Boogie Nights. Obviously this is less of an accomplishment in the map editor, but it still looks awesome.
Looking forward for mission 6 :)
May i become a tester ? :P
Also , great reference post , was a funny read.
No you are too noob Damned megalomaniac IeZa
Of course, TeaLSC. I'll send you mission 5 and 6 (you even get to play the updated versions). I presume you've played 1-4? They're available on the campaign page, anyway.
And yes: meet DEFILERRULES, who loves nagging me about Warhounds (which now can be found in mission 5) and critters (same thing), as well as writing extremely short feedback.
I was only kiddingg :( of course IeZa you are welcome on test team,it's not a my decision,is a decison of EvindL,my feedbacks are too short?The one of mission 6 is not complete,i will write a wall of text for Every new missions,and for warhounds and critters... Yes i love them!!!!
I dont think World is ready for the awesomeness in mission 6 :D
EivindL , i sent you a little feedback.
Saw it. Replied back.
Yeah, you're right. I'm withholding it. :P
EDIT: When I'm finished with Amber Sun, I'll do a text showcasing some themes and details in both campaigns.
All right, mates! Missions 5 and 6 are now up and awaiting approval!
EDIT: Also, I'll be adding a feature in mission 1 later where you restart a round you lose in the hunt instead of getting defeat.
How is mission 7 going ? Looking forward to try it.
Well, not wanting to rush things up, but it's been weeks since the last beta test? When's the next mission will be available for testers?
Or is the campaign on hold and no one knows about it?
I've been reaaaaally busy as of lately. I'm just working, working, working. I needed a little break as well. I have been doing some work on the maps here and there, but it's not much. I'm moving in the fall as well to study Business Economics, so I've been trying spend some time with my friends before I leave.
Don't worry, it'll definitely be finished.
EDIT: I'm working on all the remaining missions simultaneously (a change of method to spice things up). Here are some non-spoilery pictures from Assassins in the Fog:
Update: I'm putting Amber Sun on hold for the time being. I just want to focus on school, and I'm afraid of the time AS will consume if I return to it. Hopefully I'll finish it someday.
Hey hey. Just here to motivate you a little more. I think it's really impressive that you managed to produce so many good maps in such a short time. I started my own campaign when SC2 was released and I'm still at mission 4. I also like that you put your maps out in the open so everyone can learn from them.
Cool to hear that, OutsiderXE. I still haven't done anymore on this thing. Taking school really seriously. I hope to finish it today, though I fear some of my skills may have vanished somewhat. I had such a great ending mission planned too!
I have decided to cancel Amber Sun. Nah, just kidding. I hope to resume work on it shortly, maybe already in the weekend.
That would have been a bummer. I understand taking extended breaks and losing some skill. But coming back refreshed and not burning out is also important.