What about a train

[Papicola]

I think a train is in order to get aside from the norm of ships

[[OL]ReNo]

Its certainly a possibility in terms of keeping with the style and theme of the game, but I'm not entirely convinced of the gameplay potential. One big, long, glorified corridor doesn't offer much possibility of losing your hunter. I suppose a double decker train could potentially work a little better, but would it be enough? Its something that I've certainly considered and I'm sure the other designers have also, but it would need a lot of thought to make it play well. Thanks for bringing it up though - any other thoughts on this idea would be welcome :)

[marcquish]

Since the surrounding areas aren't moving, you could make it so that the train is currently waiting at a railstation, and another train could have stopped next to that train, creating the possibility to switch between the trains, losing your hunter would be possible this way :D

[SlaktarPizza]

You are able to make a dynamic surounding with the help of textures.
But I hope valve did invent a way to be able to let the 3d sky box to move
along a chosen path within the skybox area.

[Papicola]

ya the 2 trains do sound good but what about just a double decker train with 2 corridors (wide train) and how about a 3d moving skybox that souns interesting..

[marcquish]

Should they be able to make the enviroment move, a double decker would be necessary, and maybe the ability of walking on the roofs? Than there would be three 'decks' already?

EDIT
I've been looking around...
Maybe you can work with this?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30249779@N00/128985062/

[[OL]ReNo]

That photo is the sort of thing I was thinking, albeit a level for The Ship would be more luxurious and definately wider. Don't know if you have played Resident Evil: Zero, but it has a double decker train in it that is a reasonable size, but even so, I'm not convinced it would work in a gameplay sense.

[marcquish]

Yea that one is quite big...
I'm not really sure how to do it.
It would ask a lot of thinking on your behalf, though, as gameplay indeed will be different on a train.

[SlaktarPizza]

Once you're able to make maps, someone will probably introduce this.
So either way, don't worry. :)

If it's released in the future, that is. :D

[fullmetal34]

Why not that train-car thing from metalopocolypse? its huge...

[fullmetal34]

Since the surrounding areas aren't moving, you could make it so that the train is currently waiting at a railstation, and another train could have stopped next to that train, creating the possibility to switch between the trains, losing your hunter would be possible this way :D
well, why not make it so they both "move" from station to station, i mean basicly there would be 2 tunnels, and the trains would go in each one, they would head opposite direction until eventually they met, while "moving" every once and awhile they would pass eachother giving you a split second oppertunity to shoot your quarry/hunter in the head as they move by (by split second i mean split second damnit!) there would be the oppertunity for a jail at the town where the trains meet, and i mean a small, 5 or six building town with a hospital, resturant, an inn... jail, bathhouse, and a gunshop, with guns for around... 4kish... each train would have a temperary holding cell where the criminal could be escorted by guards to the jail, if they see a gun on the way they could make a brake for it and switch trains adding a sense of surprise to your victom who thinks there safe. While the train is moving, go onto the roof and when you pass JUMP onto the other, that would be awesome... or a fight scene on top of a train with branches to knock you off... in a tunnel concrete rafter things. there would be securtiy guards at the station of course... well thats my addon to his idea, tell me if ya like :D :) :D

[fullmetal34]

Since the surrounding areas aren't moving, you could make it so that the train is currently waiting at a railstation, and another train could have stopped next to that train, creating the possibility to switch between the trains, losing your hunter would be possible this way :D
well, why not make it so they both "move" from station to station, i mean basicly there would be 2 tunnels, and the trains would go in each one, they would head opposite direction until eventually they met, while "moving" every once and awhile they would pass eachother giving you a split second oppertunity to shoot your quarry/hunter in the head as they move by (by split second i mean split second damnit!) there would be the oppertunity for a jail at the town where the trains meet, and i mean a small, 5 or six building town with a hospital, resturant, an inn... jail, bathhouse, and a gunshop, with guns for around... 4kish... each train would have a temperary holding cell where the criminal could be escorted by guards to the jail, if they see a gun on the way they could make a brake for it and switch trains adding a sense of surprise to your victom who thinks there safe. While the train is moving, go onto the roof and when you pass JUMP onto the other, that would be awesome... or a fight scene on top of a train with branches to knock you off... in a tunnel concrete rafter things. there would be securtiy guards at the station of course... well thats my addon to his idea, tell me if ya like :D :) :D

[fullmetal34]

p.s. sorry for dub post!

[SlaktarPizza]

well, why not make it so they both

Why not make only the surroundings move?
It's an old trick. :)

If you've played Unreal Tournament (the first one) That train map, the train itself is standing still
while the surroudings is moving, it looks very cool for being so simple.

[fullmetal34]

Why not make only the surroundings move?
It's an old trick. :)

If you've played Unreal Tournament (the first one) That train map, the train itself is standing still
while the surroudings is moving, it looks very cool for being so simple.
Ahh but this conflicts with my idea, two trains that pass every once and awhile and land at a train at the same time after awhile:p

[Kemuel]

Anyone remember AS-Highspeed, from the original Unreal Tournament?

By varying the sizes and shapes and such of the carriages they managed to overcome the corridor aspect and make a train level a lot of fun.

I think it could work for The Ship, an Orient-Express style supertrain of sorts.

[SlaktarPizza]

That's exactly the map I was talking about earlier about
dynamic surroundings with just textures. :D

Ahh but this conflicts with my idea, two trains that pass every once and awhile and land at a train at the same time after awhile

In my earlier posts on this thread, I was talking about that I hoped
you could make a dynamic 3d skybox. So that's the trick to that one. :D

Or really not. You just add a track and sometimes a train passes with some rumble effects or anything.

On a dragonball map on Half-life 1, someone had created a track where a train disappears and the train appeared through a portal-style tunnel (with nothing behind except space you could walk on) on a totally different place. That means you could easily make that the train reappears after a time back on it's usual spot and then the train passes your train again.

That could work, but I would use a 3d skybox so you can get the surroundings too and if it was possible you would have the 3d skybox cam moving at a pace and then just follow that route over and over again.

[fullmetal34]

OHHH, sorry for that! >.<

[SlaktarPizza]

You don't have to apologize.
I don't really know why you're apologizing for either. :D

[kenjara]

Ive played with trains on hammer before and its easy enough to make a train come off one end of the map and make it appear back at the other with a delay if required. Took some time to get used to how to use trains but theres a nice sample map with a roller coaster made in hammer.

I remember highspeed on UT the was a great map. :D

[SlaktarPizza]

Yeah, its easy to just make a train appear/reappear.
But how about repetetive terrain in 3D skybox. ;)

[Dajmin]

If you were going to add a train you'd have to give access to the roof as well. Who hasn't seen a movie with a train rooftop finale between the hero and the villain, eh? :)

UT's HighSpeed level was exactly what I thought of when I saw this thread :)
And a double deck train with a couple of routes through each carriage would be pretty cool. Something resembling the Orient Express would probably fit the 20s theme best.

Not sure how easy it'd be to make the 2 moving trains thing, but if it was possible, rooftop access would make it even more dangerous as you'd get insta-killed if you were up there when you reached it.

[kenjara]

I can see the moving scenery being hard to do. I suppose if you made the skybox a train as well and had it move. Argh im confusing myself already. :confused:

Actually you wouldnt need to move the skybox you could have brushes in front of it represnting the terrain that moved as long as the sky box was plain.

[SlaktarPizza]

Yeah but if we say that we have a detailed train area + advanced displacements + water and such in the background being able to see through windows and outside, what would happen with the fps? :D

Yeah, but if you could use a train on the 3D skybox camera, making it moving through as you want it to.
But still, when it comes to its end point it will restart with the same speed, if the end area isn't similar to the start area, then you'll notice some errors.
But that's a way to create a loop.

Dunno how it would affect the performance though.

[kaikai]

i love this idea!!
a two story train, with roof access, so three levels to run around in.
genius!