Escape: Yavin IV
By Darrow Linder
Date: 02-16-2005
Screenshots
Readme
*****************************
* JEDI ACADEMY MODIFICATION *
*****************************
Title : Escape: Yavin IV
Primary Author : Darrow Linder
Beta Testers : Adam Escobedo, Chip Hossler
E-Mail : darrow_linder@hotmail.com
File Name : escape.zip
File Size : PK3 ~ 110 Mb
Date Submitted : January 24, 2005
Tested With : Jedi Academy + 1.1 Patch
Overview:
---------
Ready for a brand new Jedi Academy mission?!?
This is a new single player mission for Jedi Academy. It utilizes models, skins,
and saber models that I found interested from the jk3files.com over the past
year or so. The bits posted by other authors have been stripped down to their
bare minimum, to keep the size of this mod down as much as possible.
Some highlights:
- New and different opponents / challenges in each level of the game
- Custom SP maps (13 in all including 2 bonus and 1 cinematic level)
- Custom missions with helper NPC's
- Custom menus including saber descriptions
- Custom saber models
- Custom saber abilities
- Custom sounds and sound effects
- Custom music
- Custom visual effects
- Custom weapon effects
- Custom skins
- Custom cinematics (almost an hours worth throughout the game)
- Custom HUD
- Custom objectives (43 in all)
- Secret areas included in nearly all the maps
- Powerful sabers and force abilities from the beginning
- Several opportunities to upgrade / replace your sabers
- Over 20 new opponents with varying levels of difficulty
- Approximately 10-14 hours of challenging game play
A walkthrough is provided in GameData/escape when you install the mod.
This mod is hard -- much more difficult than JA -- but very playable. So if
you pick this up, expect something more challenging than what you're used to.
Installation:
-------------
To install this map, extract the contents of the ZIP file into the 'GameData'
folder of your Jedi Academy install directory. Double-click the batch file in
the GameData folder and you're on your way.
************************************************
*** ***
*** PLEASE USE THE BATCH FILE TO LAUNCH AND RUN JA WITH THIS MOD ***
*** PLEASE DO NOT USE WITH ANY OTHER JA MODIFICATION ***
*** ***
************************************************
To un-install, simply remove the 'escape' folder and the .bat file from your
GameData folder in your JA install directory.
Story:
------
This starts out pretty much where Jedi Academy left off. It assumes you chose
'the dark side', stole the scepter, and went on your way of domination. Because
of your dark ways, what was left of the imperial and rebel forces were destroyed
by bands of cultists and other dark jedi.
A powerful Sith gathered followers (called loyalists) and made a deal with you.
Hand over the scepter, or die. Your life was spared, but the scepter is now in
the hands of the Sith. He threw you in prison cell buried in the rugged mountains
on the planet moon of Yavin to rot. Your force powers faded as the sith
dominated planet after planet. You home is the last to be overthrown.
In a deperate attempt to contact you, the queen from your home planet used her
telepathic ability to send you a message. Your force powers have faded to the
point where you can't receive the distress call.
After years of meditation, you realize the error in your ways and wish to seek
revenge on the Sith. An accident gives you a chance to escape. And this is
where story begins...
Gameplay:
---------
In all, there are 13 levels (1 is a cinematic level only and two are 'bonus'
levels that give you a chance to upgrade sabers). Each of the levels have
anywhere from 3-8 objectives that must be fullfilled before proceeding. To
estimate the length of the mod, from start to finish is probably somewhere
between 10 and 14 hours. This entire mod is one very long mission broken up
into 13 maps. The opponents get progressively more difficult (although your
force powers and your opportunity for saber upgrades keeps the playing field
somewhat fair) throughout the game.
One hint: keep a close eye on your cursor for things to push or break -- it
is sometimes required to continue on with the level. You may want to turn on
force hint in your config (cg_crosshairForceHint) if you can't work things out.
Enough said -- you can figure out the rest.
Issues:
-------
There really aren't too many issues. I found a few bugs with JA itself. The
noticable issues include:
- JA crashes during simultaneous thermal detonator and saber throw effects
- Saber properties sometimes ignored on restart of JA and loading saved game
- JA leaks memory (I watched it). These maps are very large, and playing across
several of the levels (like most of them) for an extended perior of time will
lead to a decreased frame rate. Restarting JA corrects the problem.
- Some of the cut scenes and cinematics are a little unstable. Some of the
sound cuts out part way through and sometimes the NPC don't go to their
specified navgoals. I don't know, maybe my problem, but they work sometimes,
sometimes not.
- There are a couple of brushes with issues. One causes a HoM effect (tiny
little sliver of a brush in a massive area -- but you have to walk over
it). A few brushes have some vertex problems, so there are gaps. I didn't
bother to go back and fix them -- they are hardly noticeable and don't
impact gameplay. There's close to 85000 brushes in this entire game and
probably less that 10 with noticable issues.
That's about all worth noting.
Credits:
--------
The following lists the skins, saber models, mods, etc. that were all put
together to create this mod:
Skins:
======
Abbaddon ............................. El Cuko
Asajj Ventress ....................... Monsoontide and Psyk0Sith
BPPloKoon ............................ [BP]Plokoon
Bain Elite v2 ........................ -=SOTG=-Bain_Elite
Boba Fett ............................ Brian Jones (Bones)
Darth Maul ........................... mrdefender
Death ................................ +]Nekroscop[+
Egor ................................. Unknown
Howler ............................... Light Ninja
Knight ............................... Unknown
Lamasu ............................... Crying Gods Germany
Maddog JKA ........................... Maddog
Neo Reborn ........................... Drakkan
Razchrome ............................ Unknown
Sabergirl ............................ v2 by Sabergirl
Samus ................................ Kurtis 'KMan' Smith
Shinobira ............................ Crying Gods Germany
Sithress ............................. DarthVengeant
Soulseeker ........................... Unknown
Swoop Racer .......................... Nick Aikenhead (Kahn)
Witchblade ........................... {EJA}DarthVengeant{S}
Xian ................................. Unknown
Sound Effects:
==============
Enhanced Saber Sounds ................ Aryyn
Saber Models:
=============
Light Disc ........................... Wolrajh/Xantcha
Eclipse Saber ........................ +POO+Sigma
Dual Lightstaff Sabers ............... Red Sith
X-Saber .............................. Jon Hill
Desann Saber ......................... CHoSeN ONe
Skywalker Saber ...................... CHoSeN ONe
Reborn Saber ......................... CHoSeN ONe
Majestic Sai Staff ................... Tiri
Punisher ............................. Darth Khan & Lord G-Spot
Imales ............................... IMALES (Damir Berkovic)
Darth Maul ........................... Unknown
Weapons:
========
Rocket Effects ....................... Rhinen
Concussion Effects ................... Spector
Disruptor Effects .................... Spector
Interface:
==========
Menu Tutorial ........................ Red Sith
Startup Screen Images ................ http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Lair
HUD .................................. Chewy²/Uber Noober²
Maps:
=====
duel_valley (modified and extended) .. Raven
t3_rift_sample (excerpts only) ....... Raven
t2_rancor_sample (exceprts only) ..... Raven
Permissions:
------------
THIS MODIFICATION IS NOT MADE, DISTRIBUTED, OR SUPPORTED BY ACTIVISION, RAVEN,
OR LUCASARTS ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY LLC. ELEMENTS TM & © LUCASARTS
ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY LLC AND/OR ITS LICENSORS.