The Rainbow Mounds

[D]

4 hours ago, Jeff said:

This is really fantastic. If you ever want to do Snakepipe Hollow, let me know!

it looks like a challenge, but doable, so yes I am interested in doing Snakepipe Hollow. Making it so it runs on windows should be simple, but getting it to run on android / VR will be a bit more of a challenge because of different graphical requirements.

[D]

Happy new year everyone.

I have managed to sort out the high reflection rate of the water in my Rainbow mounds build, so here is a video of the walk to the water cavern.

https://youtu.be/GYPi4AiryZ4

[D]

Time to resurrect this thread.

I'm reworking my Rainbow mounds build to make the caves look more realistic. I've filmed it differently, using multiple cameras instead of 1st person.

As usual any constructive criticism is welcome.

  

[Darius West]

On 2/28/2024 at 7:04 AM, D said:

Time to resurrect this thread.

I'm reworking my Rainbow mounds build to make the caves look more realistic. I've filmed it differently, using multiple cameras instead of 1st person.

As usual any constructive criticism is welcome.

I am very impressed with the way the torchlight falls on the surfaces.  I think you have worked hard to give the cave an eerie feeling, and the use of the torchlight works in that way.  While I know we are only seeing the mouth of the cave system, I am concerned that the floor is too level for a cave.  IRL caves are next to never flat, except when sand or soil has settled somewhere due to water, or perhaps when something odd is happening with limestone deposits, which normally form stalactites or stalagmites, but I'm sure you know this already.  I appreciate how much work you've done, I really do.  This must have taken many hours.  Please persist with it D.

[D]

1 hour ago, Darius West said:

I am very impressed with the way the torchlight falls on the surfaces.  I think you have worked hard to give the cave an eerie feeling, and the use of the torchlight works in that way.  While I know we are only seeing the mouth of the cave system, I am concerned that the floor is too level for a cave.  IRL caves are next to never flat, except when sand or soil has settled somewhere due to water, or perhaps when something odd is happening with limestone deposits, which normally form stalactites or stalagmites, but I'm sure you know this already.  I appreciate how much work you've done, I really do.  This must have taken many hours.  Please persist with it D.

thank you. the torch light can be a bit fiddly to get right, so it isn't so bright it whites the camera out.

floor wise, I've made the entrance level as it's the most travelled section. I've done the mushroom cave as if it's got a coating of mud from when there's heavy rain and the stream and water cavern overflow. I'll look at making the rest a bit more uneven.

Stalactite wise, the description of the caves say they are dry, except where noted, which I think means there won't be any stalactites, but if I'm wrong, they should be easy to add.

this section did take a while, as I was working out the best way of doing it, so hopefully the rest shouldn't take so long.

 

[D]

I recently rediscovered my Dragonewt Plinth model, unbuilt, by Infinity-engine. As I'm not in a position to build it, I decided to make a version of it in Unreal Engine.

 

[Sir_Godspeed]

Ooh, that's very fascinating!

[D]

6 hours ago, Sir_Godspeed said:

Ooh, that's very fascinating!

thank you. 

[Darius West]

On 3/4/2024 at 3:46 AM, D said:

floor wise, I've made the entrance level as it's the most travelled section. I've done the mushroom cave as if it's got a coating of mud from when there's heavy rain and the stream and water cavern overflow. I'll look at making the rest a bit more uneven.

Stalactite wise, the description of the caves say they are dry, except where noted, which I think means there won't be any stalactites, but if I'm wrong, they should be easy to add.

LOL, fair enough.  I haven't run Rainbow Mounds since 1997.  I think I was thinking more of the Dyskund Caves from the Black Broo of Dyskund scenario, which is still a bit of a gold standard for spelunking realism imo.  I retract any criticism.

I am enjoying watching how your work develops D.  Have you ever thought of developing a Praxian mod for Mount and Blade (hint hint 🥺)?

 

[D]

when i was looking at which cave system to start with, i looked briefly at the Dyskund Caves map and decided that it was way to hard to do. Don't worry about the criticism, it was helpful, the section of cave I've just done looks better for having a rough floor.

i wouldn't know where to start modding mount and blade. If i have some free time, I'll look in to it

 

[Darius West]

1 hour ago, D said:

when i was looking at which cave system to start with, i looked briefly at the Dyskund Caves map and decided that it was way to hard to do. Don't worry about the criticism, it was helpful, the section of cave I've just done looks better for having a rough floor.

I don't know how you'd do the "squeeze through tight spaces" mechanic that make Dyskund so immersive but problematic.  

[D]

52 minutes ago, Darius West said:

I don't know how you'd do the "squeeze through tight spaces" mechanic that make Dyskund so immersive but problematic.  

it would be challenging, but not impossible. I may take a second look at it, now i know more about Unreal Engine