JA CD Troubles

I'm in need of affordable solutions to running JA with a new CD or without a CD. Tonight, I noticed a large crack running from the center of the CD and before I could make a backup copy onto a DVD, my CD drive failed to recognize the disc. Normally, I make a backup of my games when the CD starts to get too scratched but I've taken pretty good care of this one and thus far, didn't need to make an extra copy. This problem cropped up literally out of nowhere and with the game officially out of print and used copies on amazon.com ranging from $50 - $70 (in some instances for just the jewel case!!!) I need to find an alternative and much cheaper way to get a copy or a way to run the game without the CD (I can't recall Raven releasing any patches the make the game independent of the CD so doing this is probably illegal though I honestly don't know for sure). So, I'm asking for help. If you want DFMod to effectively continue production and you want a complete gallery for all the new levels, I'm going to need some assistance. Thanks.

UPDATE: I have a temporary solution so I can load the levels and take the screenshots I need for the gallery as well as test out lighting and architectural developments. I'm still trying to iron out some glitches - entities won't show up in game - but I have a few sources for backup copies of the game CD. Thanks very much to everyone who's volunteered their help and advice. It's much appreciated.

I'll Bet It's Nice and Cool on Narshada

Hi folks. It's nearly 100 degrees here in New Jersey -- hotter, muggier, and more humid than it was in Florida last week.

But anyway, I'm back and DFMod is going to really start ramping up now. Work has resumed on Narshada and I'm putting together the online gallery. Everything will go up once I'm satisfied that the work is fully presentable but it won't be long now. I'm also going to be making a push for modelers to work on the Dark Trooper Phase 2, Kell Dragon, and terrain models for robotics facility (mainly re-texturing existing rock models for the other levels). Details about where and how to send applications will be forthcoming. Stay tuned!

Gallery Preview Images

Below are four preview images for our upcoming screenshots gallery. The gallery itself is long overdue and thanks to school I haven't had the chance to properly set up a photobucket or imageshack gallery or contact Darth Linux about acquiring administrative access to the original DFMod website. I'm going on vacation tomorrow (I'll be spending more than a week in Florida) so I won't have time to set up those galleries before the beginning of June. In the meantime, enjoy these previews of Ramses Hed, Robotics Facility, and Narshada! Click the "download" button on the left-side console to view the full-size images. It might take a while to load (DeviantArt can be notoriously slow on slower modem connections) so apologies to any 56k users out there.

http://legend-of-blackout.deviantart.com/art/Ramshed-Preview-1-86603272
http://legend-of-blackout.deviantart.com/art/Ramshed-Preview-2-86603451
http://legend-of-blackout.deviantart.com/art/Robotics-Preview-86603566
http://legend-of-blackout.deviantart.com/art/Narshada-Preview-86603899

Level Progress Updates

Screenshot galleries will be coming shortly but in the meantime, here is an updated progress report on each of the levels.

• Ramses Hed: Approximately 85% of the level has been completed, and 100% of the original layout is done. Mainly, we need to add some new areas to the spaceport leading up to the entrance to the smuggler ship since the original started way too abruptly (and I have too many cool ideas to let them go to waste).
• Robotics Facility: A mapper hasn't been assigned to this level yet but there is approximately 35% finished thanks to the original DFMod team's Karrackoo.
• Nar Shada: New textures have been applied, architecture modified, and puzzles and enemies add. About 30% of the level is finished and fully playable and we've started working on some new areas.
• Jabba the Hutt's Ship: Prospective team member Hhunter6 has been applying new textures and making adjustments to Salv's original map with some very nice results. You can check them out here:
  

http://www.lucasforums.com/showthread.php?t=187433

• The Imperial City: No progress. Only the landing pad area has been completed.
• Fuel Station Ergo: No progress. The original version is likely to be scrapped.
• The Executor: No progress. A 1/1 scale recreation of the level is available to the general public via the "extras" package from the first team (you can find it on the front page of the original website - http://darkforces.jediknight.net) and will serve as the basis for the final version.
• The Arc Hammer: No progress. A new map will have to be built entirely from the ground up.

There you have it, folks. Screenshots of the Ramses Hed and Narshada levels should be up next week. Stay tuned!

Dark Forces Mod Lives

Welcome to the DFMOD blog, the number one source for developer's updates, information, and progress regarding the Dark Forces Mod for Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy!

What is the Dark Forces mod? For those of you not already in the know, Dark Forces Mod (or DFMod for short) is a total recreation of the Star Wars FPS classic Dark Forces. Originally released in 1995, Dark Forces set the industry standard for the First Person Shooter (FPS) genre and spawned the highly successful Jedi Knight series. Thirteen years later the original game is still being modified and has a small but highly active community of dedicated gamers. Those of us on the DFMod team feel that Dark Forces deserves to be brought into the twenty-first century complete with modern game play, physics, and graphics and are modifying the latest game in the series, Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy to bring you this classic gaming experience in a brand new way!

The project originally began in 2002 as a mod for the then latest game in the series, Jedi Knight 2. Since that time, the first six levels have been completed and released to the public but due to a variety of circumstances the original team has been unable to complete the full game. That's where we're stepping in. Our goal is to finish the remaining eight levels to the same standard of professional quality as the original team members. We've already made a lot of progress but there's still a long way to go.

In the coming days, weeks, and months you can expect:

• What positions are available, how to apply for a position on the team, and policies regarding updates and submissions for prospective and active team members.
• Screenshots featuring the latest development on the remaining eight levels including Ramses Hed spaceport, Jabba the Hutt's Ship, and Narshada.
• On going news updates, developer's thoughts, and more!

In the meantime, if you haven't checked it out, you can download the six-level release from the original Dark Forces Mod website here:

http://darkforces.jediknight.net/

Plans are in the works to acquire access to the website, FTP resources, and the remaining assets the new team will need to see this project through to completion. Stay tuned!

Dark Forces Mod lives!