Recently i've been asked some times wich tools we're using to do this project and how can they start learning as well, here i will write most of the usefull tools (mind that some we're not using but we would like to be :P ) and some good sites to start.
I hope it helps, here we go:

Tools:
Unreal
-Unreal Tournament 2k3/2k4
-Unreal Engine 2 Runtime
3D
-3D Studio Max 6/5/4 or GMax
-Kaydara's Motion Builder

3D Plugins
-Kaydara's HumanIK
-Texporter
-ActorX

Texturing, 2D, etc...
-Adobe Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro 8


Sites:
Main Site
-Mastering Unreal
Unreal
-UDN Unreal Developer Network
-Unreal Technology
-Unreal Wiki
3D, Animation, Etc...
-3d buzz
-3d total

kinda important question here,
what's the polycount limit and texture size limit for 3d models?

Usually it's recomended for normal use in Unreal 2k3/2k4 (bot fights where there are a lot of bots onscreen and the models are animated, etc.) ~3000 tri. Thought this value can change a lot depending on the video card/ number of models/poly on screen at the same time, etc. If it's a static mesh that needs to be detailed we can rise or decrease the value depending on what we need, again it depends on the ammount of poly onscreen.

Textures need to be 512x512, 1024x1024 or 2048x2048, depending on the detail needed. Anymore is FPS killer, anyless it's not detailed enough.

well I know textures need to be 512x512, 1024x1024, etc, as most games only support square textures.
my question here is, what is your standard for texture size? having some models use a 512x512 and others use a 2048x2048 would cause a difference in the detail, which isn't good, so I guess you need that to be the same for all the models.
Also, a 2048x2048 is actually an fps killer by itself, afaik no game uses those yet, I think UT2k3 has a limit of 1024x1024, and I don't think UT2k4 (or even the just-released, visually-stunning Far Cry) uses 2048x2048's.
Therefore, I'd recommend that all models use a 1024x1024, because if it shows to be a FPS killer, it can be resized down to a 512x512 (unlike when growing smaller textures)

I got a ?

Just what kind of system reqirments are you aiming for? I mean, anything 3d is gonna need alot of ram, and a good graphics card; the question is how good will we need?

I believe the system requirements will be the same or at least very similar than the game they use as the engine
if they use UT2k3, check UT2k3's system req's, if they use UT2k4, check UT2k4's req's.

Actually both UT2k3 and 2k4 use 2048x2048 for the high detail mode in characters. I usually use 1024x1024 for the usual stuff, 2048x2048 for characters. The compression of the textures is what matters most, I usually use the DXT1 compression, unless it has an alpha layer, for that i use DXT5. Generally if someone forgets to compress their dds textures the game runs very slow.

So a half way good graphics card, atleast 512 megs of ram, 2.0 megs or highter or processer unit?

the performance is going to narrow down to the mappers, and character modellers. mappers mostly. a skilled mapper can zone occlude lots of stuff in a map so that basically the engine is only rendering what is in immediate view. i have a lot of experiance with that. fog helps dramatically but kills realism. and i'm sure we'd like to see a lot of huge, vast landscapes :) but PLEASE dont work trying to keep everyone's PC in mind. people can only build stuff that thier computer can handle. dont think about the majority until you have something for the minority :)

its been my experiance, working on a few failed/killed projects in the past, that even though people want to prove their skills to the world early on, things must be kept VERY basic in order to create a project "flow" that adapts and allows everyone involved. there are many effects and nuances that will simply be impossible. and people need constant assurance and motivation to not get hung up on petty stuff that hinders it's entire future. one thing that concerns me are dynamics such as monsters. i saw a concept sketch for a frog that had it's tongue waving around: i guarantee you cannot achieve this effect in anything, unless you spend WAY too much time developing it's own karma skeleton. this would not only kill the artist's positive attitude, it would kill the engine's framerate. things like ponytails, fur, foliage, and high detail pawns (like monsters) are going to be 1: too difficult to progress this project and 2: too difficult to pull off realisticly within a 30-60 FPS goal (and the current mainstream GFX card is a geforceFX 5200, about 200mhz LESS gpu than i have in any of my 5 systems, and unfortunately about 50-100mhz MORE than a lot of people will want to play the mod with)

so that gets me thinking, Chrono Trigger is all about the fighting. are battles going to be real time or turn based? if its real time, you have a very good engine capable of all sorts of crazy stuff in terms of AI and animation. but you lose a lot of RPG fans along the way. if it's turn based, you gain a little creative freedom and can detail the heck out of your characters, but the engine's AI is going to be doing hardly anything, a big waste if you ask me.

i think games these days could use a little simplicity. if the pace of the project, people attempting too high of detail, is making you frustrated, perhaps you could start with a more "animated" look and when the bulk of the coding is done, start adding all the awesome detail that will get you the WOW's that you so rightfully deserve :) thats just an opinion. i'm just trying to contribute a little creative brainpower.

HEAPS of coding would be required for a turn based system but i am thinking both? maybe a happy medium between run and gun, and turn based? sorry if this has been discussed before, i am new after all :)

and consider me already your PC specialist, i can help anyone that needs it, with both their problems and upgrade questions, i am also very price savvy :)

An informative post indeed. Welcome to the Remake Forums, by the way! Anyway; I agree... I do like the models and everything up to this point, but I am well aware of the fact that if the game's graphics are too good, we will have trouble even playing it. My computer currently is horrible... 18 GB HD, and a mere 128 MB of ram, in actuality... my computer is nearly obsolete. There is hope for me, however... as I do plan to get a laptop, which will have 512 MB ram.. and probably 3 times the space in the HD.

The point of the remake is to bring the remake to the realm of 3d... but nowhere was it mentioned that the game had to be so advanced that only top-notch computers can play it. The idea is to find a healthy balance... make graphics visually pleasing, while not make the system struggle to play it.

I suppose I may not be able to play this without a laptop... but I will definentally have it before the time the game is actually ready. :unsure:

Don't worry, this will take time...

I am poor and so is my comp. My original one broke down many months ago, and it was decent (only prob was mobo went bad). So I stole a comp from the high school I worked at and salvaged some parts from my old comp to kinda upgrade this "new" one (it's got pros and cons compared to my original).

Now here's my problem: I d/led the Unreal Runtime, but I can't use the editor because I need to have 32-bit color, and I can only get up to 24-bit. I can use the UE2 Runtime to check out maps and junk (fly around in them etc.), but that's it. I don't have a copy of U2k3/2k4, but I'll have one in a few weeks, but I'm not even sure it'll run on this computer (its vidcard is a standard Intel one VERY CHEAP, not even nVidia or anything). I was able to get gmax and can use that, but I can't export into any Unreal formats (since I don't have the game). I can export some things but only in .psd format (Plasma or whatever).

I have Photoshop 7.0, so I can still do texturing, and I can still make 3d-models and maps in gmax, but what should I do about exporting things so other people can check it out and use them? Just leave things in .gmax format?

I'm checking out Blender right now, too, and going through its tutorials. That may be more promising, but who knows. I'm going to attempt a vidcard transplant in a week, so maybe that'll open more options. Does anyone know a way I can get my models and meshes and such to other people? Should I just wait til I get a new vidcard (in 4-6 weeks) and get a copy of U2k4? Does anyone know a way I can convert things to Unreal format without having the game? Or a way that I can run the editor if I only have 24-bit color?

Sidenote: I'm getting a website so I can at least show some of the designs, textures, and such I've made, and host any songs I'm making.

Well....I can host you.
I just need 3 things.

1. Your site name
2. Your Screen Name (The log-in name for your site)
3. A password (So you can log-in)

I'm in the same boat. I've got an ancient pc. 21 gigs, 256 ram, 1 cd drive, no floppy drive and like 1 usb port.

For anyone with a slower computer that wants to help, you should check out Milkshape 3d. That's what I use and it is meant to be used for low polygon modeling. I think it has and unreal export ability, but I can't check right now. The website for it is www.swissquake.ch/chumbalum-soft

Would the tutorials that came with UT2k4 be enought to learn how to do this stuff? Because I have the DVD.

/Galidan

Yep.
I got that to, but for some reason it still made no sence to me.

So i gired some guy to come over.
And teach me...alot more still left to learn though.

I hired him for 1 week, and well...already I made my first map.


it is 4 stories high, and has about 10 rooms...nothing great though.
There is literally just NOTHING in it.

All he did was teach me the basics...i still gotta learn

• Texture Alignment
• Lighting
• Movers
• Bots
• Animated effects
• The cinima thing that comes with it
• and some more on Static Meshes.

Tomorrow he is teaching me more on static meshes, Texture alignment, and the basics of lighting.
He stays all day, and I make sure I take notes...just incase.

He is fairly cheap to, he said he will teach me if I paid him $20 A day.
So for one week, he is charging me $140 :)
OH YAH! I might hire him for an extended time for programming.

I need to learn unreal, and C++ right?

It's too bad those tutorials didn't make any sense for you. I've been watching them for just under an hour and have already made my first 3 room map with lighting, AI paths, you name it. I hope to be able to help out here after a while.

/Galidan

well...ya.
But now, I went to the tutorials..and they mostly made sence to me now.

I added lights...and A few 3D MODELS :)

1 thing though..for some reason, the second I start the "play this level" or somthing like that.
I just die O.o

Whats up with that?
I think I accidently set my floor to be acid, or somthing.

You might be having your guy spawn in the floor.

/Galidan

The reason above or you didn't press build all before pressing play.

Yep, it was the build all thingy.
I knew I forgot somthing ;)

BTW...Uh, now there is a new problem.
Whenever I try to enter the editor...well it loads fine.
But when it opens.

Everything is all white.
I have all the toolbars on the top, bottom, and on the side.

But the Top, Front, Side, 3D View are just shown as all white. and nothing else.
:'( And my teacher is here and he cant figure it out :(

My video resoluion is currently...

1024x768
32 Bits of color
and its on A GeForce FX 5200 Video card...so what can the problem be?

Hurry before the guy leaves :'(
There are no refunds :unsure:

You have now a viewport problem:
View->Viewports->Close All
View->Viewports->Configure, select the layout and press ok.

Joseph I am quite proficient in UnrealEd. I could have taugt you online for free.

One word...err smiley

:ph43r:


DAMN, That sucks :\
Oh well..but he stay with me for hours and hours at a time till I understand every little thing on the subject.

I don't know..but if you would do that for me.
You'll be savin me some cash that could go to some internet tools.

Because...well it finally happened.
My dad put me on A budget -_-
I never knew watching money was so hard...to me this is like asking A 5 year old to program an artificial intelligence chat bot..or somthing along the lines of that.

It was bound to happen though...I was just waiting till i got married :(


EDIT: Thanks brain..it works now :)
I think he just wanted to scam me out of 1 days pay ;)

No biggie...I guess

Can you teach me?
i know a little C++ and im okay at sketch drawing.
and you dont need that good a computer to run UTk4
i got a 1.3 iwht 256 ram a geforce 4mx440 and i run it on 1024X765 and everything on high :blink:

cheers
trigun

I could help a bit with the map designs and stuff whenever you figure out how to use that program.

To Chrono Trigger Artist:

To get the program, simply buy UT2004 (2003's editor also works for everything but 2004's gametypes and new content). There are countless tutorials all over the internet:

www.planetunreal.com/architectonic
www.udn.epicgames.com
www.angelmapper.com
www.beyondunreal.com/wiki

It'd be nice to have the help of another mapper. Right now it's only me, Brain, Jack (and Alezunde soon), and Jack has only recently began mapping. Brain is very good, and I'm pretty skilled.

Hope you learn!

you can count on me, i used to make maps for duke nukem, kingpin, and halflife i used to design some sick maps.

oh btw can I be a voice actor? hehehe I guess I'd like to be chrono but I could settle for someone else.

*EDIT*

wait a minute... chrono doesnt even have any lines

Hey guys, your project looks very good so far. I was actually think about using Unreal to build an RPG of my own. I'm still getting people together to get the project going.

Quick question, how is your battle system going to work?

Just exactly like the original game.

Let me know when you get a site up, I'd love to see some other original mods for 2004.

Not a problem. Thats still a ways away, the project right now is still only on paper. I'm doing a ton of research on how to go about doing this, I've never done a mod like this before, and most of the people at my school haven't either. I at least want to sould like I know what I'm doing when I present the idea to them. :D

The battle system in my RPG is gonna be FF Tactics/ Disgaea based, so maps are gonna be a big thing in it, hense why I decided to do UT for the mod.

My god, I just realized that my game idea could be put into UT too. Lol, everything can fit into UT. Well, either that, or I'll do it as a stand-alone game using 3D GameStudio. But my 3d GameStudio isn't llegal. Hm..... what to do what to do.

I hope someone responds to this, I was wondering if I can use a different 3D modeling tool called "Cinema 4D XL" which is very good at making low poly models and bones. I know it's possible for it to save projects as other formats, but I was wondering if it's okay for you guys if I do this. Also, I have a program called "BodyPaint" which I'm learning to use right now and was wandering if that won't interfer with the models for your game since your using the Unreal Engine and other texture programs.

I'm not sure if that would work, you need something more conventional like Max or Maya. Both of these proggys have downloadable plugins that allow you to export models into Unreal as static meshes.

BTW, all models in the Unreal Engine must be fully triangulated and have all polygon normals facing out.

If you can't afford a better program, Maya PLE is a free download and is also available on the UT2004 CD/DVD editions. On the CD edition it is on the Play Disc.

Hope this helps.

If his program can export to a max/maya format or .ase or .lwo it's fine.

I'm not sure if this helps any, but I think I found some free online classes..
3DBUZZ Online Classes
They claim to be free, and to travel at the studen'ts own pace.
I'd try them out, but I need all the space left on my comp for school... <_<

That link was on the first post.

Whoops.. X.x oh well consider it to be a "refresher" ;p
(I didn't get through all the links before I posted that x.o)

So then... How long do we thing the games going to take until fully completed? Weeks,(yea right) months, years