Phoenixan

Re:Mobilize is a modification for Quake that adds in new features around advanced movement, such as a grapple hook, trampolines, and wire meshes. Version 1.2 was recently released, which includes some new tools, as well as a set of new maps. One of which is one I contributed, titled Reverse Polarity.

My aim with Reverse Polarity was to create something built more around exploration, similar to my Arcane Dimensions map, Grit Under the Eyelid. As a result, the layout is more vertically-oriented, with many layers on top of one another. I selected Rubicon 2 for the primary theme, choosing to also skin enemies accordingly. Re:Mobilize is built on top of Progs_Dump 3, which allows for more extensive monster customization, so I was able to apply models from the Rubicon 2 & Alkaline mods.

I originally wanted the map to be even larger. I had more planned around exploring multiple labs with different purposes (originally inspired by Ijed’s Telefragged, from the amazing Rubicon Rumble Pack), but I wound up reducing the scope for time. The labs are still present in the final version, but they’re very much simplified, with one just containing zombies that can be optionally killed with an electric trap, and the other 2 out of 3 displaying something of a teleporter & portal experiment.

The “portal experiment” arose out of a desire to use the new magnets feature in Re:Mobilize 1.2. In practice, they work somewhat like Quake’s trigger_push (used in wind tunnels that push the player around), except the motion is more fluid and gradual. I created a custom texture, which is just an inverted version of the vanilla teleporter texture, to make a white field that spits the player out, while regular old teleporters suck the player in. In hindsight, I think I should have focused on this mechanic even more, using it throughout the entire map, but it at least serves as a demonstration that other maps can follow with this toolset.

Back at the Start

From the beginning, I knew I wanted to create a prison break sequence, even a brief one. The player starts in a cell with nothing but an axe. The idea was to have a moment of exploration to set the tone for how the rest of the map would play out: you need to look around to find the path you should follow.

Since Re:Mobilize & Progs_Dump 3 have the ability to set pacifist flags on monsters, in addition to applying custom models and skins, I thought about setting up two separate “factions,” where a different styled knight would break the player out of their prison cell. In the end, I decided to just keep it simple and hold onto this idea for a future project.

Malice

I started work on Reverse Polarity immediately after finishing another map for the Quake total conversion, Malice. For this one, I spent time converting textures from Daikatana to Malice’s color palette. It didn’t go smoothly since I had to do a lot of touch-ups to make it more passible, but in my view, it brought in more detail than Malice’s own textures would.

Mostly, this served as an experiment so that I could get more comfortable with editing and creating my own textures.

Download Re:Mobilize version 1.2 on Slipseer or ModDB.

Download Malice Jam on Slipseer for some light cyberpunk action.