Knight Rider: The Fan Game

[knightprowl]

Hi,

i still think that having a 3rd person gta style camera while on foot is a good idea, as well as 1st person on foot as well. 3rd person overhead isn't my thing and im sure lots of others what it like gta style 3rd person camera as well. so please make it gta style 3rd person camera and 1st person camera while on foot. anyways keep us posted man, can't wait to see more.

Anyways talk to you later, peace

[msKEN]

Hey Crash,

Thanks for the compliments, I'm completely open to criticism and welcome it, especially when I'm not being compared to a triple A game studio like Rockstar or EA Games. I'll respond to your comments in order.

> Thanks for the compliments, that level is just a protoype and wont be seen in the final game. I actually have no story to tell there. Our story works around Michael and KITT revisiting some old cases, and the clues end up putting a huge plot into motion that will span over 5 missions, and 15 levels. And this is just our first installment. If all goes well I would like to treat this like Back to the Future and come out with a new story every few months as time goes on.

I chose this camera angle because it allows me to do much quicker art if I'm not stuck doing small details like facial animation. Also lets me take it a bit easier on detail maps and normal maps. I also enjoy building modular levels, as it allows me more freedom to make quick changes at the last second without wasting a day to redesign the flow of an entire level.

> I agree and will be adding 4 fighting moves total, but this really isn't a fighting beat em up game. It will be more stealth based and you will find yourself using KITT via your com-link to navigate levels. You also will switch to KITT at anytime and use him to create distractions. Michael and KITT will be working together a lot. In fact some missions will be imposable without KITT's help. But there will be times as just in the show when hand to hand is going to come into play. Or if you really wanted to you could beat people up as much or as little as you want, but going up against guys with guns and just your trusty hands and feet might prove to be difficult. Also Michael can pick up just about any object and use it as a melee weapon, such as broken pipes, baseball bats, etc.

> The blood is just in the prototype. I know I want particles when Michael makes a contact with an enemy. Red blood was just easiest for testing to make sure I could see my particles. This will be switched from blood to something else entirely. No gore in this one, and it should be relatively safe for ages 13+. I've made the controls fairly fluid so anyone can pick up the game and start playing.

> The game will try to closely follow the show's formula, but mostly you will drive from one location to the other and gather clues, go to the next location get more pieces of the puzzle. Occasionally you and KITT will have to out smart some armed bad guys, and then usually the end level will see Michael and KITT infiltrating the end boss's hideout which is where more of the fighting will take place.

The story line is almost done, and the missions outlined. I would really like to find some people who wont mind having the game spoiled for them read over what I have planned and let me know if I captured the essence of Knight Rider correctly or not and make some suggestions. If I can't capture the heart of Knight Rider, then I feel I'm just wasting everyone's time.

[crashb648]

No problem! I really dig what you guys are doing, and i support 100%. And im very glad about the blood thing, so no i can rest easy! I'd rather give critisms/feedback now, than closer to the game's compleation, so you have time to make changes if nessaracy

And i wouldn't mind reading through the missions and storyline I sorta wished the new knight rider tv series would of done that, so us fans could of pointed them in the right direction.

Hit me with a email or PM, and i'll glady provide feedback (which will be probably be all positive)
Sometimes an outside view helps a lot in these kind of projects

[msKEN]

Hey guys,

I've been hard at work, Knight Racer and I have been hammering out the details of the flag semi. After looking at what seems to be hundreds of reference photos we have really started to break down how things were laid out in the semi set.

Here are some photos so you can see how it is evolving. This is day 1. I lay down the interior and start working on the desk furniture.



Day 2, I begin adding smaller details like the various computer systems.



Day 3, after some heavy research Knight Racer and I discovered that the scale of the furniture is horridly wrong. Using references I scale the furniture to its correct proportions and begin to apply the textures. On more reviews of the references we realized the shelves were horridly off, and I had no room for 2 small monitors or the chrome globe seen many times. After some work, I really start laying down the texture map.



OF course I still have to do all the little computers and misc items. To note I plan to add the kitchen area that was rarely seen as well. I can't wait to get everything finished and textured up so I can begin on the hardest part... the FLAG Mansion.

I apologize the site isn't launched yet, I plan to do development journals showcasing everything as time goes on, but I have promised to help some old friends get there website launched first, so for now I will continue to update this post until the site launches.

[msKEN]

You guys win, I've reverted to the 3rd person sandbox GTA style game play.


krfgsh1 by theknightrider.com, on Flickr


krfgsh2 by theknightrider.com, on Flickr


krfgsh3 by theknightrider.com, on Flickr


krfgsh4 by theknightrider.com, on Flickr


krfgsh6 by theknightrider.com, on Flickr


krfgsh7 by theknightrider.com, on Flickr

[knightprowl]

wow, nice job so far ken, and im glad you did revert to the gta style game, more people will play it now that its like this, but i must say its looking awesome man, good job so far, quality is killer man, cant wait to see more, especially the flag semi and Goliath finished, also different locations characters too, keep us posted man, loving it, anyways talk to you later, peace

[Superman111994]

Looking good! I'd just like to say I would play it either way, but this seems it could be more enjoyable. Nice pics btw, I think the 2nd one is my favorite.

[james olden]

looks great i just have one question. will we be able to switch from normal or auto cruise to pursuit anytime we want to ???

[knightprowl]

id say so James, i hope so anyways, we should be able to use all of kitt and karr features whenever we want to, not just for missions or only when needed, but whenever, just for fun and because we can, but that's my opinion, either way ken does it this will be a hell of a game, one well worth the wait, so keep it up ken, your doing a great job man, cant wait to see and play the final product, lets all give ken a round of applause for his work so far , anyways thanks and peace, and god speed

[knightprowl]

also i love how the leaves fall off the trees, because i want something that's very realistic as well as fun, leaves blowing in the wind, trash blowing around, pretty much like a real life knight rider simulator with as many features and realism as possible, so keep it up man, and good luck, peace

[msKEN]

looks great i just have one question. will we be able to switch from normal or auto cruise to pursuit anytime we want to ???

Sure thing, though Auto Cruise is still a work in progress. Essentially it will work like the Taxi service in GTA4, when you have your next mission marker, KITT will plot a course and take the safest route and drive you to your next destination. Of course this can be turned on/off at anytime. Selecting pursuit is a 30% top speed increase and is really only a valuable feature in car chase/races or when you just need a speed increase overall. It effects handling so its not a feature you would leave on constantly though you can if you want too. SPM will be available too, I just have to animate that transformation which shouldn't be too bad.Where you see REAR, I've actually given you the ability to change KITT from Front Wheel Drive, to Rear Wheel Drive, to 4X4 mode which will come in handy in the desert level.

Thanks for the comments KnightProwl & Superman, It's greatly appreciated.

[knightprowl]

no problem ken, im just really glad its more like gta now, because that top view was just not knight rider like, i could if it was like halo wars or something, but before it looked like play gta in top down mode, which i cant stand, like Chinatown wars, a mix between top down and 3rd person which i cant stand and probably a lot of others cant stand either, plus with 3rd person you can make stuff look way better, because before it just looked like crap, no offense of course but that top down and 3rd person camera mix just wasn't a good idea, at all, so again thanks for the gta style, now you'll for sure get a lot more fans with this choice, a lot more, because this game is what it looks like, a gta style knight rider game, which is by far the best way to go for games like this, when theres a lot of driving involved, 3rd person for sure,

if its mostly on foot or close up, 3rd person or 1st person, if its like command and concore or halo wars, top down and 3rd person mixed, you get my point, the camera has to reflect the type of game play, and top down or 1st person isn't the way to go, 3rd person gta style, that's the way to go for this type of game, but anyways enough of my opinions, so far so good man, but being truthful the quality isn't that great as of now, i mean the buildings aren't that great looking, but then again that might just be the lod files, but the up close is very nice, but still making it more like gta 4 or even the yet to be released gta 5 style quality would be awesome, but you do what you wish, as long as its realistic and fun at the same time, and at least fair quality like gta San Andreas or a bit better ill be ok, but so far so good, you've come along way man, great so far, cant wait for more, anyways thanks and peace

[knightprowl]

also another idea is to have different versions for Michael, like the different outfits and stuff, same for Devon, Garth, April, bonnie, rc3, Wilton and so on, but you do as you wish, though the pilot look is the best in my opinion, but anyways thanks and peace

[msKEN]

If I can make this look half as good as GTA SA I'll be very happy. Do keep in mind this is a hobby for me lol. But you are right, I'm not really satisfied with the city level, you are mostly seeing very old artwork, I'm kinda going threw and updating the buildings to look more modern a little at a time. But because of the simplicity the game is running very well especially on older systems. But more getting to the point as long as time is on my side this city will get a make over to look nicer. This level was made with intentions for being used over 6 years ago, technology changes so fast.


krfgsh8 by theknightrider.com, on Flickr

[knightprowl]

well if its as good as San Andreas ill be very happy, so far it looks better then San Andreas does, but yes making this and everything in it the best you possibly can to run on both low end and high end is a good idea, but still i think another option should be quality control like gta has, draw distance, detail levels, frame rate locks, anti aliasing and so on, so people can make it run on a lower end with lower graphics settings, also control and key configuration options would be nice too, because i and a lot of others use controllers for driving games like this, so having it compatible with controllers and keys changeable for controllers and keyboards is nice, pretty much all you can put in it to make it the best possible, that's all i ask, anyways thanks and peace

[james olden]

I have some more questions So is this gonna help fill the gaps after the scent of roses? will k.r.o. and martin jantzen be in this game,will Stevie be mentioned in this game, and will rc3 cone on some missions to help out Michael and kitt?

[msKEN]

I don't want to give too much of the story away but the game is essentially a fan fiction that closes the gap between the last episode of Season 4 up to the case that causes Michael Knight to retire to a life of car restoration and fishing. Basically I leave you with the events leading into Knight Rider 2000. I'm obviously bringing back Garthe, Goliath, and KARR but I'm also going to bring back some other characters as well including RC3 and April. You will even get to see the power struggle between Devon and at the time "consultant" Russel Maddock as FLAG starts its decline and becomes just the Knight Foundation. Stevie is dead in this story line, and adding to the list of reasons Michael quits the Foundation.

[knightprowl]

sounds cool man, sounds like a season 5 fan take, leading up to why he quit and the demise of flag and so on, a fan take on closing the gap between season 4 last episode up to knight rider 2000, very nice man, cant wait to play this, anyways good luck and keep us posted, thanks and peace

[james olden]

Ok so Stevie name will be mentioned in this video game although we all know she is dead

[Knight Racer]

I'd love to see the final deactivation of kitt.Meters shutting down,tires deflating and kitt saying Take care of yourself Michael.......

[Knight Racer]

What do you think of using the monitor and gages from the show as the heads up displayIts the one thing that Davilex did right.

[knightprowl]

i agree, having some neat features like that showing a hud with health, armor and money, stars for wanted level and etc, like gta is, then have the features on the bottom right corner, like speed, what cruise your in, and have a button appear saying what feature your using when its activated and then disappear when its not in use, and like a gps radar or something to track people in missions and etc, just some ideas is all, anyways thanks and peace

[Superman111994]

I don't imagine HUD is a priority right now. And I just feel like I should address this... kp... you seem a bit obsessed with this being like GTA. The fact is, this isn't GTA. It doesn't have to be a clone of a "good game" to be a good game. I get what you're saying, and I like some of your ideas. Just, you know, cut back a bit?

[knightprowl]

why dont you let me say what i want to say and give the ideas i want to give, i really dont care if i sound like i want a gta clone, which i do want a gta clone or very close to one anyways, but that's what i want, so just let me post my ideas ok, i dont get onto you when you type ideas do i? then dont do it to me, goodbye

[msKEN]

HUD is very low priority right now, I promise it will look good, and Knight Racer, that is exactly what I am doing/had planned for the minimap with KITT's TV frame around it. The gauges are a different story and what I have in mind is a bit complex and will take some time, but again it will be one of the last things I do, as the HUD currently works for proto-typing.

The only bit GTA with us right now is the fact you can get in and out of cars from a third/first person perspective. To clone GTA 100% would be imposable, my little game engine couldn't process everything the tipple A Renderware engine could pull off. My levels are very small in comparison as well, but my game is a per level deal as well. You are presented the levels in a sandbox style of game play, but it's not 100's of miles of vast changing terrain where each level is connected, you have a country level, a country race level, then a desert level, a desert race level, a city level, a city race track, etc. Each is linked together by 10 or so of their own contained missions before you unlock the next level. Once the level is complete you can access it from the game menu at anytime to replay in sandbox mode or restart missions.