Castle in DB for World History

[Ninjalah]

So my World History teacher is going to make us draw a castle blueprint on Monday, and said over the weekend we could make a castle ourselves for extra credit, and we didn't have to do the blueprints.

I asked if I could include "digital art" too, and he said it was fine. What I have so far is this:



Is it good so far? What do you guys think?

Also, is there anyway to get rid of doomguy's hand or have no HUD at all? I'm giving my teacher screenshots of it for the project.

[Ninjalah]

Updated screenshot:



I'm going to start doing the "farmland" next, and make a full blown manor of sorts.

[esselfortium]

Since you're using ZDoom, the easiest way to get rid of the hud elements in ZDoom is to bring down the console (press `) and enter r_drawplayersprites 0 into it. You can also hide the crosshair with...I forget, what is it? r_crosshair 0? or just crosshair 0? I can't remember. Something like that, though...

[Ninjalah]

Thanks, and I forgot about the crosshair. I can just go into options for that, no problem.

I'm going to make a road connecting the few farm areas. Should that road be indented into the ground or level with it?

And one more thing, is there a sort of corn/wheat sprite thing out there I could use? Sorry for all of the requests guys, thanks anyways.

[printz]

What if the teacher expects or believes you're doing true-3d art? You'll use the 3d floors?

Still, using Doom or any game for a school project is always cool. Will this become a real level too eventually? :)

[Ninjalah]

printz said:

What if the teacher expects or believes you're doing true-3d art? You'll use the 3d floors?

Still, using Doom or any game for a school project is always cool. Will this become a real level too eventually? :)

I told him I was using the Doom game engine, and he didn't question it and said it was fine.

Don't wanna dash your hopes Printz, but I'm pretty bad at mapping, so it will probably be impossible to turn this into a WAD. It's as simple as it looks, just a huge castle majigger.

Also, don't hit me, but I don't really understand 3D floors. :D?

[Kagemaru_H]

It's ok, NinjaIah. The closest thing I got to 3D floors is bridges, but I know that bridges work in software mode. I play in software because it's the only thing that my tin can takes.

[Gez]

Doom is not very adapted at modeling realistic anything; and this doesn't look like a realistic castle. Too square, too small.

A few points:
- slopes! Castles were virtually always built atop a hill or mountain. It was important to see from afar, and to maximize the range of the defenders' ranged weapons (bows, crossbows, arquebus, etc.) while minimizing those of attackers.
- irregular shape: the castle was built according to the terrain; its shape was a natural consequence of the land. Further, angles in curtain walls were better if they weren't too steep; a 90° angle is much less practical than a softer angle; so the walls should be about round.
- Room: a castle's courtyard was actually quite large. It was also subdivided into parts, with inner walls; at least a lower courtyard and an upper courtyard; with the donjon (or keep) in the upper courtyard. The keep was not necessarily a tower, by the way.
- Speaking of towers: round! Square towers are harder to built, more expensive, and they are frailer as well. Square towers might be used for the donjon, but not for the outer towers.
- Towers were large. They're not just there to provide a stairway, they actually served as full-fledged buildings as well.

Pictures:
http://www.kamaxx.com/jdlf/img/photos/2711_1-chateau-fort-sedan.jpg
http://www.licencephoto.com/mini_photos/EHv5KIOGkg/Edifices-Edifices-11438.jpg
http://photos0.hotelsearch.com/0018/8644/le-chateau-fort-sedan.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ch%C3%A2teau_Najac.jpg

[Ninjalah]

Damn you and your logic!

I know that the towers are usually round, and after I added the center lookout I noticed the courtyard was way too small.

And I have NO idea how to use slopes either, I kinda just use Zdoom (Skulltag in openGl atm) to pretend like I'm gonna learn how to use them, then don't. Is there a really quick tutorial? I don't wanna spend hours just for a minor detail eh?

[Xtroose]

Are you mapping in Doom format or in Hexen (or even UDMF) format?

If you are using the latter, I would recommend using some slopes for the terrain, to make it look less flat. It is a really quick and easy solution to give the environment a more realistic touch. You can find some useful information about it here.

The castle could also use some custom textures, because I do not think BIGBRIK works well if you strive for realism. GothicTX, RETRES and EsselTX all contain some textures that would make the castle look a lot better.

Take a look at this for a demonstration of what can be achieved with ZDoom. It is MAP27 of Eternal DOOM IV: Return from Oblivion in case you are wondering.

[Ninjalah]

Nope, using Doom in Doom format. Too lazy to transfer to Doom in Hexen format, and heard it was a kinda long process too. Am I doomed (LOL) to a flat surface?

[Xtroose]

Not necessarily. You can use ZWADCONV to convert Doom format maps into Hexen format maps.

[Ninjalah]

Stop providing alternatives! I'm trying to find ways to lazily get out of actually working hard on this project! :P

EDIT: That ZWADCONV or whatever has never worked for me in the past, not now, not before. I hate it and if it were a person, it'd probably would be a hooker who was smarter than me, and making fun of me not knowing how to use it.

[Ultraboy94]

I was thinking of using a doom level to display some geography research for a project. I could have imported graphs in as hi-res custom textures and everything. sadly i dont think it would work out, but for some shots in my media project i may use doom to make the inside of a spaceship, etc.

[pavera]

You're 100 points cooler for doing this. Nobody else in your class is gonna have a castle with such.. class.

[Ninjalah]

Krispavera said:

You're 100 points cooler for doing this. Nobody else in your class is gonna have a castle with such.. class.

Yeah, seeing as other people are going to use cardboard boxes and Popsicle sticks :P.

[Captain Toenail]

Heh, why not use Hexen, it has lots of castle textures? (remember to populate the town with lots of Strife peasents wandering around randomly in the mud, heh)

[Ninjalah]

I have no Hexen stuff, and I already finished the manor (best I could with Doom anyway). If there is any wheat/corn sprites, that would make a whole lot of a difference, but if not, it's alright. I didn't think it looked too bad.
Pics:

http://i48.tinypic.com/1075r8i.png
http://i45.tinypic.com/2n7qgit.png
http://i45.tinypic.com/npf1bb.png
http://i45.tinypic.com/2yobjnb.png
http://i49.tinypic.com/312boci.png
http://i49.tinypic.com/fn9xm1.png[url]
[url]http://i48.tinypic.com/jb5mo6.png
http://i47.tinypic.com/1zzki3d.png

All links to prevent a huge ass thread.

Opinions? Tips?

[EvilNed]

Could work as a map for Heretic!

[Creaphis]

If you're concerned about making a castle that's in any way realistic then you will need to learn to use slopes, 3D floors, custom graphics, and most importantly by far, photo references, because castles don't actually look how you think they look. But, there's no need to build it to a higher standard than your teacher expects, and what you've made so far works as a cute little proto-castle.

[Ninjalah]

Creaphis said:

But, there's no need to build it to a higher standard than your teacher expects, and what you've made so far works as a cute little proto-castle.

Exactly. Pretty sure he won't be expecting too much, and honestly, I wouldn't be too devastated if he turned it down, I liked this little project and hope to do more in the future.

[lupinx-Kassman]

Heh, I always enjoyed seeing doom used for little projects such as these. Sure it might not be the most realistic castle in the world, but it still made me smile. Hopefully the teacher isn't so uptight as to look past the work put into it.

[printz]

Well...

Maybe the teacher doesn't know about Doom and will assume this is merely a computer rendering or simulation, and will be quite able to see the possible drawbacks.

Gez's examples show quite some Doom compatible castles.

[Ninjalah]

lupinx-Kassman said:

Heh, I always enjoyed seeing doom used for little projects such as these. Sure it might not be the most realistic castle in the world, but it still made me smile. Hopefully the teacher isn't so uptight as to look past the work put into it.

What it was intended for :D.

Yeah, I honestly don't think he will mind it looking like a lego castle, seeing as legos were one of the materials we could choose. If only I could buy some classic legos and not "SPACE CAPTAIN T REX DELUXE SET LEGO LOL".

[Ralphis]

You guys are thinking way too nuts. He's just trying to make a simple castle to get an A.

I used Doom Legacy to do this exact same thing way back in 9th grade. I'm not even sure ZDoom had slopes yet when I made mine (but it did have 3d floors which I only used one for the bridge anyway.

I also made my teacher's face the m_doom graphic and hud face and gave the player a crossbow that replaced the rocket launcher.

Anyway, I don't know the age of your teacher but if he's in his 40s or older, you've probably already got an instant A looking at your pictures. Anything else you do will be just going above and beyond.

[Gez]

printz said:

Gez's examples show quite some Doom compatible castles.

I do not quite agree with that assessment; not without going overboard with the efforts needed.

[printz]

I mean that they're mostly boxy and coarse, and one of them has a layout very reminiscent of Doom. They don't have an immense number of small towers and stuff, like the Disney castle, which isn't usual in Doom.

[Viewtiful-Chris]

Odd question.

How does he know you made it?

[Reaper978]

I think it looks pretty cool. There is no light variation, though, and it would probably look a lot better with varied lighting.

[GreyGhost]

Having nothing better to do today - here's Castle Wolfenstein GreyGhost (day 1)


(1280x800 - 151k)

Plenty to do yet - find some better textures, finish the battlements, put a gate in the gatehouse, add an access road and lots of slopes.