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Unreal: Steele Dawn (cancelled expansion pack restoration)

Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2022 1:32 pm
by Delacroix-(DOG)-
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Developer: Various Unreal Community Talents (mainly Yrex, but see credits), based on original work by Level Infinity

Status: Released

Synopsis: 47 years before the events of Unreal, a civilian Terran colonist Brandon Steele finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, when the city of Vegra, part of the Seriate IV colony on the moon Io falls the victim of a brutal assault by the terrorists of the Vesspine Confederation. Having realized he's in the middle of a warzone, he has to fight for his life as he is pursued not only by the terrorist forces but also the terrifying Skaarj Empire.

Features:
- 8 all-original missions
- 4 new weapons and 3 significantly modified classics
- New deadly enemies: human terrorists from the Vesspine Confederation, terrifying new Skaarj leader units and more

Latest News: V2.0 released on March 15, 2023.

Links:
Level Infinity official site (original cancelled project) (on Archive.org)

Important Notice: This is a community restoration project of a cancelled expansion pack for Unreal. Leo(T.C.K.) has recovered all eight levels that were planned, some in larval form, others partially complete, some even nearly complete. After he provided the initial fixes and conversions, Yrex and myself have taken it upon ourselves to get some work done in order to fully complete the add-on. Currently the project is complete.

Downloads:

Download @ NewbiesPlayground

Installation:

1. Extract to Unreal or UT folder.
2. Music files are most likely going to repeat - stock ones from Unreal or UT, if you already have them. Skip everything.
3. Move maps from MapsDMU1 or MapsDMUT into the Maps folder (depending on the game).
4. Move files from SystemUT into your System folder if running UT99.
5. Play!

Credits:

Level Infinity:

- Levels:

1. Escape from Vegra -- Nick Parde
2. The Old Township -- Steve Farrow
3. River Ruins -- Neil Munday
4. Lava Power Plant -- Crista Forest
5. Mountain Stronghold -- Jeff Miner
6. StarPort/Communications Center -- Ryan Isenberg
7. Planet Head -- Jim Semkiw
8. The Jolly Roger -- Emil Gustavsson
DM Level 1 (Facility) -- Mikael Wahlberg <myrddin@fragzone.se>
DM Level 2 & 3 (Town) -- unknown (not Eric Boltjes, as it was believed)
DM Level 4 (Flux) -- Crista Forest
DM Level 5 (Mansion) - Crista Forest
DM Level 6 (Ladders) - Joe Wilcox
DM Level 7 (Cosmic Smack Arena) - Steve Farrow
DM Level 8 (Groove Machine) - Steve Farrow

- Models -- Roger Tweedle
- Programming (UnrealScript) -- Jess Crable
- Skins -- Crista Forest
- Sound FX -- Ken Post
- Texture Art -- Crista Forest

Community Edition:

- Leo(T.C.K.) - recovery, asset/map conversion, various fixes
- Yrex - map restoration (StarPort, JollyRoger), map fixes (various),
multiple fixes and improvements to the code, map finalization,
practically complete authorship of Vegra and huge contribution
to OldTown, [CLASSIFIED]
- Bleeder91 - original 227 code for the Skaarj boss character
- GamesHarder - examination
- Rikia - pirate skin (prototype)
- PaperCoffee - pirate skin (finalization), Nali Female skin
- AlCapowned - adult predator creature (full remake), Nali Female model
- SteadZ - the skybox
- Delacroix - story finalization, skinning, archive management (Alpha 1 onwards)
- Aspide - for version 2.0!!

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Re: Unreal: Steele Dawn (cancelled expansion pack restoration)

Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2022 1:43 pm
by strategy-(DOG)-
This project looks very cool!
Please keep us updated about the progress!

Re: Unreal: Steele Dawn (cancelled expansion pack restoration)

Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2022 12:29 am
by PMX-(DOG)-
Wow, nice story.
Can't wait to play those levels, thank you for the great work.

Re: Unreal: Steele Dawn (cancelled expansion pack restoration)

Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2022 7:30 pm
by Delacroix-(DOG)-
While we are still not entirely ready for the private co-op beta test yet (I promise you, it won't be long), here's four shots showcasing SD.

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The Beta milestone is almost there.

Re: Unreal: Steele Dawn (cancelled expansion pack restoration)

Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2022 11:07 pm
by Delacroix-(DOG)-
Another couple shots.

Our osX BC desktop:

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Level 3: River Ruins with the final skybox:

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Level 5: Mountain Stronghold with the final skybox:

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Level 7: Planet Head

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Level 8: Jolly Roger... talk about dependable allies, am I right?

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A bunch of inhabitants of the Ruins out in the open. You'll find out what they're doing, on release.

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This will most likely be the final batch of promotional screenshots prior to wrapping this up.

Re: Unreal: Steele Dawn (cancelled expansion pack restoration)

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2022 10:32 pm
by Delacroix-(DOG)-
The beta-testing has begun! A coop session will be held in a couple days on the new Experimental server. Please give us time to organize...

Re: Unreal: Steele Dawn (cancelled expansion pack restoration)

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2022 12:05 am
by strategy-(DOG)-
Sounds very good! :)

Re: Unreal: Steele Dawn (cancelled expansion pack restoration)

Posted: Mon May 09, 2022 9:44 am
by Delacroix-(DOG)-
PSA: We've reached Beta 2 milestone and a coop test is live. I apologize for the delay. However, if the coop test does not yield any serious problems, May is it for Unreal: Steele Dawn. Please stay tuned for further announcements.

EDIT:

Steele Dawn is now out!

Re: Unreal: Steele Dawn (cancelled expansion pack restoration)

Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2022 12:03 pm
by Leo(T.C.K.)
I'd like to point to the historical thread on ou that started with the recovery

https://www.oldunreal.com/phpBB3/viewto ... 49&t=10072

latest post being
https://www.oldunreal.com/phpBB3/viewto ... 62#p100462

where i showed the original iteration of the interactive keypads, going back from 1998 from the developement of AWGD which was a commercial addon that never came...this meaning it had interactive keypads way before dnf or modern games.

and also this ut99 thread where a lot of discussion took place

https://ut99.org/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=14852&start=90

I also have to point out that Eric Boltjes did contribute to the project and it was the dm02 maps while stuff originally in dmtown directory was by unknown author but possibly someone else from the team or contributors.

On the topic whether this pack was supposed to be commercial or not, I'm lead to believe that initially yes but by the time the website took on the form it did now it was just planned as a free addon with possibility of being included as extra on some discs, but basically a free download.

Still makes it an expansion pack and not just a mere mappack though. But you can see where Level Infinity stood after having bad experience with publishers during the Twin Dragon period. Which was the project they completed before this, so they were fresh out of that experience of their project not being released due to poor sales of shadow warrior and them having to secure the rights back so they at least release it for free.

This was a major factor in SD's developement. And also reason why it was not completed, as reported by developers they were busy on all kind of other, commercial projects and the constant patching of Unreal at the time didn't help things. (the project survived from vanilla unreal to 220 to early 224 even reportedly, but that phase was cut short and had no system files)

But yea apart from Twin Dragon(being part of that sw re-release stuff) the only thing from them that ever saw itself in any commercial release was in netpack extremeties for quake 2, this was actually an idsoft release but it featured a mod by level infinity.

That and they contributed to Quake 2 Zaero as well.

Re: Unreal: Steele Dawn (cancelled expansion pack restoration)

Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2022 11:50 pm
by gamerz31w
Unreal Gold/even for Tournament GOTY is great game mod. Delacroix I highly recommended it. So what’s coming next?

Re: Unreal: Steele Dawn (cancelled expansion pack restoration)

Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2022 10:14 am
by gamerz31w
Oops sorry I noticed a typo grammar error mistake.
Unreal Gold/even for Tournament GOTY is great game mod. Delacroix highly recommended me it. So what’s coming up next?