Custom story: Courage [Canceled]

[DIGI Byte]

So I've been playing with an idea for a Amnesia mod, and I'm going to try something different then the standard hallway/maze run from terror

This mod is inspired by an old TV cartoon "Courage the cowardly dog"
and will be somewhat of a tribute to the crazy world this show brought us

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The Idea;
"Alone in a house in the middle of no-where, but strange and terrible things happen in the middle of no-where"

You start in the house, alone, as as you explore and look around, depending on what you touch, something horrible will happen sooner or later, but what?
it all depends on how the player interacts in the world, stealth and cunning is your survival, research and exploring is your weapon, find ways to defeat an evil before its to late

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I need help, not only would I be creating a mod, but a open source model pack containing new walls, floors and all new stairs and windows, modders need a lil variety instead of castle, castle and more castle...
maybe even new monsters instead of just Mr Flappy jaw & Chuckles

it all depends on who is willing to help out~

I have floor plans and designs I'm currently working on, and collecting ideas for wall designs and furniture, I'm aiming for a 40's-60's look with a slight warp look to add insanity to the game

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how this game will play...
Quest 1: you start in the attic, passed out at the computer which is fried so you need to repair it, you need to head to the basement and grab a new network card and replace the cover

If the player just collected the network card and completed it without touching a "quest item" the game will simply move onto the next quest by default.... how ever, if the player touched a different item first, then it will load to that quest before continuing onto the original 2nd quest

due to limitations on the game engine/level editor the switching between quests will be split up in 'days' 1 quest per day
simply put, once you complete a quest you have to trigger the game to load the new quest by either walking to your bed in the attic or using an 'auto bed' item in your inventory that can only be used once your quest is complete
the system is similar to mafia 2's mission system (with an auto complete feature added )

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The goals of this game is to recreate the courage cartoon dark style in a realistic and more 'matured' horror sense and essentially evolving from the G rated horror by adding environmental effects and feelings that change depending on whats happening whether its hiding from a patrolling monster lurking in the house or escaping the darkness as it hides in the walls or fire daemons spitting out of the fire place.
To change the pace once and a while, the player would be sucked into parallel worlds in a heart beat... like a tiny tropical island with sunny skies before the skies grow dark with blood and blood boils from the sand to the underworld to rescue a golden wing for a magic potion to save your home.

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The mod would be updated and released in segments
1 world per quest, this adds a great opportunity to continue as far as we want, and fixing a quest would be simply updating that 1 world, whether to make it more scary or to fix a bug

I'm familiar with mod making, but new to amnesia modding, I can't do this alone, will you help me?

[Alex7754]

This sound very cool.
Another user named everlone posted a download for a conversion of the infected from penumbra black plague, and if im not mistaken, dog from overture aswell. That would add some variety but if you have a way of animating and modeling new monsters, or if its possible, re-skinning old ones, I might be able to do some concept art if its needed, maybe. I'm not a professional but if you find your self needing some, I might be able to help. again, id do my best but I'm no professional.
I also might be able to make some music... depending on what kind you would need. well see.

I recall in courage the cowardly dog there being a a gas station near by. perhaps you might not only add new quests for the house, but also make quests where you have to go to a nearby place to find an item your missing or something. Its pretty hard to make outdoors levels so you would probably just have to have the door leading outside, lead to different places depending on what quest your on. mostly they could just be expansion quests made by the community using your models or/and you after you finish the base mod.
I really like your idea with the house feeling like a 1940s style house straight out of the twilight zone it would seem. (just don't make it black and white).

[Tottel]

I must say this sounds very interesting; I always enjoyed watching that show on TV.

I wanted to start a solo-mod of my own, but frankly, I don't have the time to do mapping, scripting and modelling. I can help you with 3D modelling, if you want. I'm very occupied for school at the moment, but I would be able to provide you with some non-organic models.

[DIGI Byte]

I recently downloaded the complete courage the cowardly dog series ( 5 seasons)
Enemies - yes, we can import models from other games and re-skin old ones, we just need that animation files for new monsters which would save a lot of time so we can work on the important stuff
hmm... I wonder if we can export models and animations from silent hill 2 & 3... they would give us some interesting skeletons to play with
what we need is monster animations so we can make out own monsters and save months on making our own animations

with the outside of the house, it will be all open and walkable, as you will be able to walk to the old water pump, the truck, the chicken cook and even the fence. The map will be large enough to give a large space, and as for players running to the edge of the map I'll have darkness from amnesia to teleport you back to the house if you go too far out, but you'll get a warning first

for traveling you would grab the keys and go to the truck, by putting the keys in the truck you'll be prompted with places to travel too

Concept art is ALWAYS needed even if its scribbled on a napkin

Music - I'd love to have some new music, there would be different situations and monsters that would call for different music and sound effects
the key effect and importance of the house is to have an ominous and subtle music, the house will have sutblies which will make your eye twitch when you see a candle move in the corner of your eye

as for community project if I can I will release everything in an organized kit...
frankly the Dev's who made amnesia are morons in file organization...
its a complete mess trying to find things if your new

[Akumasama]

frankly the Dev's who made amnesia are morons in file organization...
a file hierarchy should look like this

I don't think you'll make friends with this.
This is only a small company, not a company like Unreal or whoever made that...

And what comes with that, is that I think your asking a bit too much of this small community.
Don't get me wrong; I like the idea and all, but we don't have that many active members here.

[DIGI Byte]

I understand where your coming from, I've been working with games for a few years now, and well... it kinda bugs you after a while seeing file tree's that make no sense
I'm sorry I came across and rude, getting lost in source code is one thing, but lost in files when looking for a resource... that's worse...

I know its a big project, but starting small and simple is where it all starts
first thing is to make a model pack for the community then go from there

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I don't think you'll make friends with this.
This is only a small company, not a company like Unreal or whoever made that...

your right, its late here.... early... almost 7:30am and haven't slept in almost 38 hours.... I guess I'm getting grumpy with messing around with mod files, I'll take a break and paint some concepts in photo-shop, I'll upload them for some visual goodness

texture reference of some things that will be soon ingame

  courage_references.jpg (Size: 259.93 KB / Downloads: 196)

[Alex7754]

If theirs a way to animate the models in the editor, I might be able to help with that. I used to animate and I'm actually half, half descent. not pro, but If theirs no other animators on the forum and the editor is simple enough I might be able to put some things together. Ive only ever done 2d animations but I understand all the concepts of it so It should translate alright if I only need to make some short walk, run, attack, ex ex loops.
we will see.
also, silent hill monsters would make me happy.

[DIGI Byte]

I wonder if we can make a gun... it should be possible right?

I'm doing some research in using silent hill animations but I don't think its possible
need to find another game with ghouls and monsters that's common for modders, games like Constantine aren't popular enough to spark decompiler to be made

as for quests, if you have any ideas for what monsters or what things to curse the house, please post it here~
from there we'll see what we have for animation needs

[DIGI Byte]

--- Quest 01: Dark begining ---

This is how each quest will be written up, and notes will be in this area about the quest at first there will be only 3 or 4 quests once the models and monsters are done, all these will be available for download in a pack for everyone to use

Spawn location: attic, in front of computer
Quest: computer is broken, need to find network card hidden in basement and deal with the creepy thing in the house
screenplay:
-wakes up at computer, groggy from being knocked out from electrical surge

-heavy box blocking the door with a breathing grumble from what lays on the other side, teeth marks and claw holes poking through the door

-carpet is covering a hidden trapdoor in the back of the attic, uncovering it and sneaking behind what is hiding at your door

-find the network card in the basement supply room

- go back into the junk room and make a stepping ladder to crawl back into the attic

-replace network card, turning on the computer restores it to its previous state revealing a magic spell for ghoul at your door

-also on another tab, there is a online order cart saying you purchased an ingredient

-the player already has 2 of the 3 ingredients

-a loud car door bang echo's outside when you exit the computer and hear a delivery person dropping the package at the front door before driving away
(this startles the ghoul and causes the ghoul to patrol the lower level of the house in which you need to sneak past)

-player needs to go back outside and check the front porch for the package which is now there

-player then needs too either sneak into the attic again or go into the kitchen to use a workbench to cook and put the recipe together (player should block the kitchen door's so the ghoul cant get in)

-player equips the final potion like a gun and shoots the spell at the ghoul, causing it to arch back in pain before exploding into black slime, dropping a black pendant necklace, a cut scene shows the player picking it up and admiring it before placing it in the inventory
-Quest complete

--- Map of house ---

This is a map of the house in a PSD file, each layer broken down into its own floor level
[attachment=888]

[DIGI Byte]

Modeling/map building dimensions

Walls...............
height: 4 units
width: 2 /4 / 6 units
depth: 0.25 / 1 units
Notes;
when modeling walls, make sure only one side has mesh as any excess on the back side may poke through on walls on the other side, also the flat of the wall should never be flush with 0 units as this risks parts poking through, have the wall no closer then 0.10 units which gives the wall at least a 0.2 width when objects are supposed to be mounted on walls

Doors...............
height: 2.75 units
width: 1.75 units
depth: 0.15 / 0.25 units
Notes;
nothing comes to mind as of yet

Stairs...............
height: 4 units
width: 1.75 / 2 units (centered from 2 units )
depth: 6 / 8 units
Notes;
make sure the very top step ends with the 4 units high flush, its important to keep an eye on your dimensions as anything going outside those margins risk having parts poking through walls or floors, stairs should also have "flushing" pieces that help them blend into the world, so its important the dimensions are kept strict
Stairs should be in 4 seperate parts, the main stairs, flushing, stair walls (a wall to close in under the stairs) railing (further notes coming in the future)

Cielings...............
height: -0.25 / -0.50 units (I suggest a height offset of 1 unit, so when the ceilings spawns in the editor its not below the floor)
width: 2 /4 / 6 units
depth: 2 /4 / 6 units
Notes;
much like a wall it should be at least 0.25 thick and the main flat part of the wall should be -0.10 away from the top to allow things poking through the floor slightly