Quality mod team looking for help

[the_culture]

Hello HL2 community –

I know there are lots of mods and teams out there and it seems like everyone is looking for help. We, Liquid Element, are looking for new members too. My name is Alex and I’m the Director/Creative Designer of Spatial Fear: Prologue, a single-player total conversion for Unreal Tournament. We released it in December 2002 and Spatial Fear: Prologue has been featured in 6 gaming magazines worldwide and has been downloaded over 40,000 times. It was a highly atmospheric sci-fi FPS. PC Gamer likened it to System Shock 2. Spatial Fear: Prologue served as a taste of what we wanted to do.

We are now working on a full-fledged game. Spatial Fear will be a complete game experience using the Half-Life 2 engine. This will be a total conversion. It will have the atmosphere and tension of games like System Shock 2 and Alien vs. Predator, the fluid gameplay of Half-Life, and the engrossing immersion of Deus Ex.

Our team currently consists of 5 people, but we are in need of more. We, Liquid Element, are looking for serious-minded people who want to join an established team and work towards the goal of securing a publishing deal. Our immediate goal is to create a demo to show potential publishers.

What were looking for-
Programmers
3D modelers/animators
Texture Artists
Level Designers

If you have skills in any of these areas and are willing to commit to a project, please send me an email ([email protected]). You can also visit our site to see our previous game (http://dynamic5.gamespy.com/~le/sf).

 

[Kon]

wont you need to license the source engine first before you find a publisher?..
or will you do that afterwards?..
i dunno

 

[the_culture]

As along as mone is NOT made before you license an engine, you're fine. So we hope to create a fully-functional demo to show off in hopes that a publisher will fund the engine license purchase.

If we're unsuccessful in this, we'll still continue to develop it for the community as a free TC. It's our ultimate goal to get funded.

 

[Shinobi]

Good luck and keep us updated

 

[NoNe]

I actually tried to join your team while you were working on the prologue, but in the ended I changed my mind, because you seemed inactive. Too bad I never joined. If you need 2d designer, mail me at [email protected].

 

[the_culture]

*bump*

BTW- Does anyone know what sound files Source will support? I thought I looked through the Source FAQ and couldn't find anything.

 

[ComradeBadger]

the_culture: will most likely be .wav files, since thats what HL uses

 

[The Dark Elf]

*bump*

BTW- Does anyone know what sound files Source will support? I thought I looked through the Source FAQ and couldn't find anything.

Someone at Valve did mention it will have mp3 support. BUT I don't remember if they meant simply for music or for FX or both. Just use .wav files and you should be fine, simple enough to batch encode a load of wav's to mp3's these days if you find you need to.

 

[SidewinderX]

valver has said a few times tyhat it supports .mp3 files for everything... (maybe not voice stuff...)


just a few questions...how are you doing the demo w/o an engine? are you using an opens ource engine for that?

And generally, a publish isn't going to purchase you an engine...If you're starting w/o a publisher, generally a publisher will want to see an actually game before signing on. If you werew to be an independent dev studio, the publisher's main role would be to advertise, and, well, publish the game. They'lll print it and distribute it.


I hate to sound pessimistic or down on ya'll, but I cna almost guarrentee you that you won't find a publisher for you mod...and starting out will na attitude that "getting funded is the ultimate goal" won't help.




All that being said, you can always make the mod and use valve's system to charge for it.

 

[Shinobi]

ever heard of gunman chronicles?

 

[IchI]

valver has said a few times tyhat it supports .mp3 files for everything... (maybe not voice stuff...)


just a few questions...how are you doing the demo w/o an engine? are you using an opens ource engine for that?

And generally, a publish isn't going to purchase you an engine...If you're starting w/o a publisher, generally a publisher will want to see an actually game before signing on. If you werew to be an independent dev studio, the publisher's main role would be to advertise, and, well, publish the game. They'lll print it and distribute it.


I hate to sound pessimistic or down on ya'll, but I cna almost guarrentee you that you won't find a publisher for you mod...and starting out will na attitude that "getting funded is the ultimate goal" won't help.




All that being said, you can always make the mod and use valve's system to charge for it.

I have to agree with that tbh. They are way to many mods with ambitions that are just way to high. At the end of the day why is your ultimate goal to be published? Surely you would just want to make a mod like everyone else. Do you think because you have made the mod before you need it publishing now. I think this comes down to making money tbh, just make your mod join a games production company when you need to earn money.

 

[neozero]

I'm experienced in both C++, C and JAVA, but that doesn't go far beyond AP Comsci(which I got a 96 in and am expecting a 5 for the AP test, not to brag) and robotics programming (MOE U.S. F.I.R.S.T. team #365 (the code always worked even when the bot didn't)).

It would be cool to join you though, but am I qualified? I mean I have no actual game programming (well I've made simple games when I first learned LTP/DARK BASIC in 8th grade)

Just wonderin' you guy have awesome Ideas, and it would be an honor.

BTW I downloaded Spatial Fear for the original UT, and it R4wkz0r3d my s4wkz0r3s. HL2 is a perfect next step. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

 

[the_culture]

I'll try to answer everyone in order.

Sidewinder asked, "how are you doing the demo w/o an engine? are you using an opens ource engine for that?"

No. Our goal is to create our game using the Source engine once the SDK is released. As soon as we have a polished demo created, I then want to "shop it around" in order to get some realistic feedback. I should have clarified that point. But as I mentioned previously, if we're unsuccessful in this, we'll still continue to develop it for the community as a free TC.

Believe me, I'm not some 16-year-old on his summer vacation wanting to make a game and make money. I understand that the odds are against me but I enjoy creating. And I am currently working in the games industry and trying to work my way up.

To everyone who responded regarding the .wav and .mp3 support, thanks for the info.

Lastly, neozreo, if you want to email me, go ahead and we'll talk. The programmer on our first mod only had "traditional" programming experience and had never touched UScript before, but he ended up doing an excellent job.

 

[ComradeBadger]

I may be interested in doing Level Design for you guys

I'll grab some examples of my work for yee :E

 

[IchI]

No. Our goal is to create our game using the Source engine once the SDK is released. As soon as we have a polished demo created, I then want to "shop it around" in order to get some realistic feedback. I should have clarified that point. But as I mentioned previously, if we're unsuccessful in this, we'll still continue to develop it for the community as a free TC.

I think Sidewinder is trying to say that the SDK is different to the way you would develope the game if you licenced the engine. Making a mod and using a licenced engine are completely different.

 

[the_culture]

Yes, using the SDK and having a full license are different. But the SDK will allow us to create a total conversion.

 

[WaterMelon34]

DAMNIT! I want to join a mod so bad but I know I can't because I'm still only learning about modeling! Can all mod teams friggen wait for like a month?

 

[the_culture]

DAMNIT! I want to join a mod so bad but I know I can't because I'm still only learning about modeling! Can all mod teams friggen wait for like a month?

Most mod teams are only creating preliminary stuff: concept art, weapons, characters. Level design and coding won't be done until the editor/SDK is released. So I wouldn't get too upset. Now is actually a good time to start developing your skills since there's no great rush because HL2 is not out. :dozey:

 

[the_culture]

***BUMP***

We're still looking for a concept artist with excellent drawing skills. Must be able to create imaginative landscapes and enviroments, convey the proper mood and settings, and have a good sense of the color palete. Send emails to [email protected]