The Dark Tide

SITE UPDATES - 02.09.07
This site doesn't get updated too often anymore - it's been down for several months, and hadn't been updated in over two years. But it's not completely forgotten, and things have happened in the meantime. Dark Tide 3 has been released! Someday, hopefully, eventually, I (Matt) will go in and put in the missing wax, music, and cutscene or two, but the main essence of the game is there, and it's pretty spectacular. Real world stuff - Patrick is now working as a level designer for Threewave Software. We're all thrilled for him. I've been busy planning for my wedding in May. And Barry is... I'm not sure what Barry is doing at the moment. But even though I've pretty much phased out of Dark Forces existence, Barry is still hard at work at Dark Tide IV, which so far, looks impressive, to say the least. So... don't give up on us, we're not dead yet!

SITE UPDATES - 01.30.05
There's a new review of Patrick's new Jedi Academy map, Twilight on Tatooine. It got a 9 out of 10! Woo-hoo! If you're a JA player, and you haven't seen it, CHECK IT OUT. We're also putting put some additional download mirrors to get the level from.

SITE UPDATES - 01.21.05
We're proud to announce the release of Twilight on Tatooine - Patrick's new free-for-all level for Jedi Academy. Pat has been working his butt off on this awesome multiplayer level which takes place at a backwater garrison on Tatooine, just before sunset. Sound familiar? It should, since its roots come from the garrison in Dark Tide 2: Nightfall. (The original hi-res music used in this mod is also from DT2.) We have played... er.. tested this level extensively and have had a lot of fun with it. At 31 mb, it's a weightier download, especially compared to the other levels on this site, but that's often the norm for Jedi Academy.

SITE UPDATES - 01.02.05
Happy 2005 everyone! Patrick, Barry, and Matt are all still here, a little older, a little wiser, and still not done with the Dark Tide parts III and IV. But fear not. They'll absolutely be released this year. Really. We mean it! Unless of course, we're not done. In which case, it will be released whenever. Sorry -- Our real lives keep us busy enough to make progress on the projects very slow. And if that's not enough, there are other projects going on as well, such as a Dark Tide-related mod for Jedi Academy which will be released soon (This is not Dark Tide V.) But regardless, progress is being made none the less. Pat had some trouble with level 2 of Dark Tide III, but now that that bug seems to be fixed, he's able to open it up and edit and works on it when he can. Matt has been working on cutscenes for Dark Tide III, so that's been moving along. And Barry is still working on his fabulous Coruscant lower levels for Dark Tide IV. We recently received an e-mail telling us that we have some dead links in the level downloads section of the site. We were linking to DF-21, but their directories have moved around, invalidating the links. We apolgize for the inconvenience. The problem has now been rectified. Also included, soon, will be a section for other non-Dark Tide levels by the Dark Tide authors, starting with Patrick's upcoming Jedi Academy mod. The section will also include Barry's levels: Boba Fett: Episode I- Assassination on Nar Shaddaa, the DF-21 Hall of Fame winner; The Death Star Plans, winner of the Secret Base Remake contest; and Anchor Hed: Tusken Raid, a sweet little mini-level; and more. We'll also include the work of "Jacqueline Foss," also known as "Jackyfrost" (which was an alias for Patrick): Raid on the Ovarid (winner of the 'One Room Wonders' contest at DF-21) and the demo for The Rising Fire.

SITE UPDATES - 04.16.04
I recently realized that our pitiful little band of fans was unaware of the development plans for our series. So I think it is best if I (Patrick) clear up a few things: The Dark Tide III: Eye of the Empire is currently scheduled to consist of a first level, a second mini-level, and a third and final level. The Dark Tide IV: Xizor's Web by (co-authors Matt Hallaron and Barry Brien) can best be described by quoting a recent e-mail from Barry: Just to let you know Matt, I went ahead and split level 1 into two parts. I was able to paste the level one bits on to your work (the imperial city bits, the sewers etc) and now everything's working great. No more homming or adjoin problems. I also built a little skyhook for the beginning, so essentially level 1 is now complete :D Level 2 is the bit just after the lobby of the Imperial building, this is nearly complete as well. It'll be done as soon as the running ronto is complete. If we still go ahead with the arena minilevel that will be level 3. Level 4 is the other level I was working on, the dark one with the tie bombers. This is about 30% done I'd say. And finally level 5 is Xizor's Palace. We're not doing too badly. And lastly, many may know that The Dark Tide V: Darkness Reborn will be a mod for Jedi Academy. The story will play like a sequel to Episode IV, but of course the gameplay will be very different. Also the name "Darkness Reborn" will most likely be re-worked since I titled it before the "Reborn" were introduced in Jedi Outcast.

SITE UPDATES - 10.03.03
Brad Oliver made an update to his GobViewer, bringing it up to version 2.0.1. The source code has also been updated to 2.0.1. He says this is as far as he's going to take it.

SITE UPDATES - 10.02.03
Brad Oliver, the creator of the Dark Forces editor for Macintosh Dark Forge, has just released an updated version of GobViewer. This 2.0 version brings the program into the 21st centruy by carbonizing it to run in OSX (but removes support for 68k Macs,) as well as adding some new features, including some Jedi Knight GOB and GOO support. Brad has also released the source code (35k) and says that "you can do whatever you want with the source," but would like bug fixes sent back to him. Brad is also currently working on carbonizing Dark Forge. It is currently in a usable state, "although plenty of rough edges remain." We'll see how this new development turns out!

SITE UPDATES - 9.05.03
Patrick here -- After so much work on this, I gotta tell you that I am really getting burned out on this. This most recent area's fiasco has nearly driven me to drink. Everything I have done with it should work according to the specs, but the engine is just getting to the point where I am taxing it too much, and so I am forced to find alternate methods of the alternate methods I previously tried after the first set of alternate methods. I will probably curtail the whole original story for Episode III and just release this thing with only the last loose ends tied up. I am starting to look at how long it has taken me to get to this point- and if I plan on a whole other level than the question is will there even be an audience? It's the entire story of The Dark Tide that is most important, so if it is ever to be finished, this might all be necessary. I am starting to think that after the mini-level, level 3 will be smaller than anticipated with only my best effects ideas incorporated. It would still be the largest episode yet, with level 1, mini-level 2, and semi-mini level 3. I will be pestering Matt and Barry for more help, especially with object components, etc. Screens of recent work can be found here. Matt here -- I have to say, the stuff Pat's been working so hard on is very, very cool. You'll be blown away, I'm sure. Barry and I are still keeping busy with Episode IV. Barry has started working on part 3, adding some nice 3dos and such, while I've been working on the opening sections of part 1. (You can see some of our work in the updated screenshots section. I want to finish up the area I'm working on so I can get back to cutscenes and other components to help Patrick out with Episode III. I'd also like to give another congratulations to Barry for winning the Secret Base Remake Contest over at DF-21. Admittedly, he didn't have a whole lot of competition, but his entry got a relative landslide of votes (12 to 2 to 2.) Good job, Barry!

SITE UPDATES - 6.13.03
Matt here -- In case you haven't noticed, we've had a few problems and we're at a different location now. We unfortunately lost "thedarktide.net" and some git snatched up the domain name. Fortunately, we've gotten both "thedarktide.com" and "thedarktide.org", so we'll be alright. The worse news is that we also lost the site as well. The better news is that we've been able to put it back together from old backups. There may still be a few glitches we missed, but hopefully, it's all here. In other news... Barry's fantastic level, Assassination on Nar Shaddaa has recently gotten into the DF-21 Hall of Fame, joining the two complete Dark Tide levels. (Hopefully they'll have a page for AoNS soon.) Congratulations Barry! Just so you know, however, Patrick, Barry, and I are still working on The Dark Tide. Patrick also has some other surprises in the works...

SITE UPDATES - 1.05.03
Matt here -- First update of the 2003. Wow, two updates in less than seven days - quite a banner week. (Be sure to check Patrick's update if you haven't already.) I echo Patrick's thoughts regarding the fun we've had with The Dark Tide this past year. After months and months of "coming soon", I have finally put up the music section of the website. This includes the soundtrack midis for the two levels so far, as well as notes about the music. As more levels are made (with more music), that section will expand. Yesterday I finished up a hi-res R2 unit wax for Episode III's mini-level. What I've seen of the mini-level looks really cool. It should be a fun and new experience for all Dark Forces gamers. I also put up some more screen shots from Episode IV. Barry has been doing some terrific work, as we already have some really great set-pieces to show off different parts of Coruscant. We're really glad to have him on board. And lastly, we are happy to announce that The Dark Tide II: Nightfall has joined the ranks of Wasteland Survivor in the DF-21 Hall of Fame. The voting had more problems than a Florida election, so it took a while, but we're glad it turned out the way it did. Many thanks to all our supporters.

LEVEL UPDATES - 12.30.02
Patrick here -- It's been a fun year working on The Dark Tide series, and I thought it proper to record one final update before we head in to 2003. Episode III has grown much since October, and now the first of the episode's 3 or 4 levels is near completion. Yesterday I managed to create the bulk of what will be an innovative new mini-level (and I do mean mini), where the player will have to control a droid remotely into high security areas and monitor it by remote camera, an effect I believe is the first of its kind. If it sounds like something from Jedi Outcast, don't blame me. The idea was discussed by Matt and I over a year before Outcast's release, and I was dismayed to find that Raven beat me to the punch! A screenshot of the mini-level is now here. The level's massive special effects sequence involves some fun with flashes of light, too. More screens of this can be found at DF-21.net.

LEVEL UPDATES - 10.16.02
Patrick here -- The Dark Tide rolls on! Both III: Eye of the Empire and IV: Xizor's Web are actually progressing frightfully fast at the present time. Although honestly IV is moving even faster, as both Matt and Barry Brien collaborate, and Barry is just prolific! Their combined efforts has produced a level far larger than the current build of III. I am Embarrassed... I continue to retexture and reconfigure the brilliant work of Trip Stallings and David Arandle for the Xizor's Palace level. Screens of the results are available now. David, thanks for stopping in at the pop-up hell that is the forum here! The Dark Tide III has been given yet another facelift, and I have worked out the overall Imperial look of the Invisor, so it is finally growing in size. Screenshots of our latest work are now available. Also, rejoice Mac users! Jedi Outcast for the Mac will soon be available! So I have given up on the Jedi Knight petition for Mac, I suppose it is better to have JK2.

LEVEL UPDATES - 8.13.02
Matt here -- Work on the Dark Tide series continues. I've cracked open WDFuse and finally started learning how to create and edit levels. It's also to help develop new tricks and techniques (I couldn't let Patrick get all the credit and take all the reward.) Patrick's been building off the hangar bay sequence in Dark Tide III. Meanwhile, I've been developing some architectural techniques for some winding passages deep within the Invisor. While DT3 will remain mostly in Patrick's hands, I've (more or less) taken the reigns of The Dark Tide IV: Xizor's Web. As you may recall, DT4 takes place on Coruscant where we will be incorporating David Arandle and Trip Stallings' unfinished work of "Xizor's Palace." However, since that work was first created, the latest Star Wars movies have given us a much greater understanding of what Coruscant looks like. As such, I've been practicing making buildings and architecture to really captures that big-city Coruscant feel of the films. Screenshots of our latest work are now available.

DT3 TEST DEMO- 4.03.02
Since the actual game version of The Dark Tide III is underway, I have decided to release the test GOB file that I am using to test new components. It is available in the downloads section, and screens from it can be found in the screens section. Also, screens from the real version of The Dark Tide III are also now available to view.

SITE UPDATES / LEVEL UPDATES - 3.12.02
The site here has been reformatted so that now all the downloads are together, both the Mac DF editors and the The Dark Tide level downloads are in the same section (roughly). The guide to Mac DF add-ons article is now with the other articles. Also our links have been corrected, and now any news posted here to the front page will be dated. The level is coming along nicely. We are planning to begin it with a bang, a big special effects sequence that should hopefully really thrust the player into it. Lots and lots of custom components of course, and this download may be a pain to some when finished, as the GOB file is about 2mb and that is before the player even encounters any enemies! We are also playing with some 3D renderings in Bryce 4. The Invisor is now a 3D model, and it will be feature prominently in some 3D animated cutscenes. I may later post one of the quicktime animation comps I have created for the cutscenes. Eventually i will be doing several droids in Bryce, and then rendering them from different angles for new WAXes. For now, you can check out a preliminary rendering of the Invisor space station here. SEE the space station The Invisor.

JEDI KNIGHT FOR MAC PETITION!
Hi all, PC and Mac users alike, I came across a great piece of news: From Allen Newman's website: Petition alert! There's a chance to request (again) a Mac version of Jedi Knight, so that Mac users won't miss the middle part of the Dark Forces trilogy when, as expected, Jedi Outcast (JK2/DF3) is ported to Mac. Although I had given up this issue for dead, my hopes are renewed because programmer Brad Oliver, who once upon a time wrote the Mac DF editor Dark Forge, now works for Mac game porting house Westlake Interactive and has volunteered to port JK for free! Westlake has already ported LucasArts' Escape From Monkey Island for Mac, so a business relationship that could make JK for Mac a reality is in place. This is the best and last chance to make this happen. Please sign this petition to bring Jedi Knight to the Mac. Please, everybody. Whether you use PC or Mac, please sign this petition in the name of your love of Star Wars gaming. Believe it or not, more JK players also means more Dark Forces players, and most Mac users are big Star Wars fans! The petition currently has about 2400 signatures. Let us please add this entire community's support to the effort. Kyle Katarn's story must live on, and the better the chance of JK being ported to Mac, the better the chance of JK2 on Mac also! Sign Here: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/JKMAC/petition.html

SCREENSHOTS AT HI-RES
We have updated the screenshots of the test level to near Mac-quality resolution, and these show some subtle but important tiling improvements made on the one BM texture with the 3-bar apparatus. Screens are at approximately 600x360. If anyone wants screenshots of their own level taken at Mac resolution, mail us a request. Or, better yet, if you are really kind to Mattias Welander, perhaps he will take a shot for you in his own Dark Forces application, Dark 3D!

THE DARK TIDE III UNDERWAY!
The Dark Tide III: Eye of the Empire is now very much alive. Thanks to me actually doing some work on it and letting Matt waste his time playing Rogue Leader for the Nintendo Gamecube instead of me. I have been focusing on the custom art for the new level, so I have created a test .GOB file to see how the new textures look in Dark Forces. Most of them are adapted and tiled from original drawings by Joe Johnston (visual effects man for Star Wars Ep. IV) of the actual surface model tiles used to construct the surface of the Death Star seen in the film. The actual level may involve some flying around the exterior of the Invisor, a skyhook above Coruscant that was actually a prototype of sorts for the first Death Star. It is this space station that Katarn must infiltrate. So to give it an authentic feel, why not recreate the look of the Death Star? I am also using interior textures given to me by Ryan over at TACC . Some environments will be painstaking recreations of Imperial locations , possibly shuttle hangars, TIE bays, etc. taken from the DK cross sections books. We hope to use custom 3DOs to enhance the DF architecture. After the BMs are done, I might work on one of the new WAX enemies next. We have posted some screenshots of the test level for your viewing. The test level itself might be posted later.