----------------------------------------------- SOL CONTINGENCY: PROVING GROUNDS CUSTOMIZATION KIT 1.0 - August 22, 2025 ----------------------------------------------- CONTENTS 1. What is it? 2. How to install the Customization Kit 3. How to launch UDK and the game for testing 4. Mapping resources and links 5. Contact ----------------------------------------------- PREAMBLE This release is provided to you AS IS without any warranty of functionality. It contains development resources that are unfinished or untested, and is meant to be explored and used by anyone with curiosity about mapping for Sol Contingency. This is not the finished game! If you want to play that, follow the links below. ----------------------------------------------- 1. WHAT IS IT? This file set contains assets and UnrealScript packages required for content development for our game Sol Contingency: Proving Grounds with the Unreal Development Kit (UDK), released by Epic Games. It adds the "SDOF" codebase and the UDK development files to your Proving Grounds game installation, and provides a separate "SDOF" content folder containing the raw assets and map files. With this kit installed, you will be able to open our development assets and maps within UDK, modify them, and make your own for playing inside Sol-C. However, the UnrealScript source code is not part of this development kit and will be released separately at a later date. This kit also enables you to just play custom maps released by other developers, which is not possible with the original release of Proving Grounds. Please be aware that assets and especially some maps may show you errors when opening them because they have not been completed or updated to the 1.0 version of our game. If you want to make some of these maps work, it is up to you to fix them! If you want to learn more about UDK and mapping, follow the links below. ----------------------------------------------- 2. HOW TO INSTALL THE CUSTOMIZATION KIT You will need a working installation of the game Sol Contingency: Proving Grounds to start. The "Install.cmd" script will run the Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 x64 Redistributable installer, which is required for the UDK Editor to function and will need administrator rights to install. Please grant the app access when the prompt comes up (or run "Install.cmd" as administrator). Installation of the Customization Kit is straightforward: - extract the downloaded .zip file anywhere - run "Install.cmd" - in File Explorer, open your Proving Grounds installation folder and copy the folder path from the address bar at the top - paste the folder path in the "Install.cmd" command line window (or type the path) and press ENTER - if the path is correct, confirm with Y and press ENTER - press any key to confirm the Installation - allow the Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 x64 Redistributable installer to run and click through its setup screens - after completion, press any key to exit Your Proving Grounds game folder structure should now look like this: Binaries Engine SDOF UDKGame Assets and maps are inside the "SDOF\Content" subfolder. Please look for any maps you want to open in "SDOF\Content\Maps". The "UDKGame" folder can be used for mapping, but our game separates maps and assets from the UDK vanilla content via the "SDOF" folder. I recommend you put your new files there too. ----------------------------------------------- 3. HOW TO LAUNCH UDK AND THE GAME FOR TESTING After installing the Customization Kit, you can start the UDK editor to make content via the included "UDK_Editor.bat" batch file found inside your game folder. If you want to make a shortcut on your desktop, the target path is: \Binaries\Win64\UDK.exe editor Starting the game itself still works via the start menu and desktop shortcuts. Please note that the game executable is in \Binaries\Win32\SCPG.exe -- you can play the game from \Binaries\Win64\UDK.exe, but this is intended for development only. If you want to playtest the game with UDK outside the editor, use one of the included batch files inside your game folder. They are: SDOFGame_FrontEnd_*.bat: runs the game UI in a UDK window or full screen, depending on the batch file's name. SDOFGame_LocalMPtest_*.bat: runs a client, server or client+server instance of UDK in small windows for local multiplayer testing. SDOFGame_Vertigo_*.bat: runs the "Vertigo" map directly (offline) in a window or full screen, depending on the batch file's name. You can customize these batch files or make your own by following this format: cd Binaries\Win64 start UDK.exe ?game=SDOFMultiPlayer.SDOFDeathmatchGame?timelimit=?goalscore= -nomoviestartup -useunpublished -windowed -nosteam -ResX= -ResY= WindowPosX= WindowPosY= -log -ConsolePosX= -ConsolePosY= Adjust the parameters as needed. You can simulate network lag with the -pktlag parameter. Launch the game as a server via the ?listen parameter. For a dedicated server, use "start UDK.exe server". To join a server, use "start UDK.exe " (127.0.0.1 for your locally running server). ----------------------------------------------- 4. MAPPING RESOURCES AND LINKS https://discord.gg/s8dGCnpP - Our new primary home for Sol-C development is the "6DoF Online" Discord server. There are dedicated mapping and modding channels; check them out! http://sol-contingency.com - the new website hosting the Sol-C: Proving Grounds installer, the Map Development Kit, an archived UDK installer and future patches and updates to Sol-C. I will also provide an archive of great classic UDK tutorial videos that will get you started mapping! https://docs.unrealengine.com/udk/Three/WebHome.html - the archived official documentation for UDK from Epic Games. It's an exhaustive information well that will help you get started and also answer more technical questions about UDK development. Ignore the warning that comes up (you can hit the checkbox to make it disappear). ----------------------------------------------- 5. CONTACT You can find me on the "6DoF Online" Discord server via my handle @MadMax1998. If you need to reach me directly, e-mail me at madmax1998@gmail.com Happy mapping! - Max