Various ns_caged malarky

manah · March 2002

<div class="IPBDescription">Malarky and or gubbins</div><img src="http://www.planethalflife.com/manah/maps/ns_caged/ns_f/caged03.jpg" border="0">

<img src="http://www.planethalflife.com/manah/maps/ns_caged/ns_f/caged08.jpg" border="0">

<img src="http://www.planethalflife.com/manah/maps/ns_caged/ns_f/caged09.jpg" border="0">

<img src="http://www.planethalflife.com/manah/maps/ns_caged/ns_f/caged11.jpg" border="0">

These are all around the marine starting area and command console effort ...

More:

<a href="http://www.planethalflife.com/manah/maps/ns_caged/ns_f/caged01.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.planethalflife.com/manah/maps/ns_caged/ns_f/caged01.jpg</a>

<a href="http://www.planethalflife.com/manah/maps/ns_caged/ns_f/caged02.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.planethalflife.com/manah/maps/ns_caged/ns_f/caged02.jpg</a>

<a href="http://www.planethalflife.com/manah/maps/ns_caged/ns_f/caged04.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.planethalflife.com/manah/maps/ns_caged/ns_f/caged04.jpg</a>

<a href="http://www.planethalflife.com/manah/maps/ns_caged/ns_f/caged05.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.planethalflife.com/manah/maps/ns_caged/ns_f/caged05.jpg</a>

<a href="http://www.planethalflife.com/manah/maps/ns_caged/ns_f/caged06.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.planethalflife.com/manah/maps/ns_caged/ns_f/caged06.jpg</a>

<a href="http://www.planethalflife.com/manah/maps/ns_caged/ns_f/caged07.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.planethalflife.com/manah/maps/ns_caged/ns_f/caged07.jpg</a>

<a href="http://www.planethalflife.com/manah/maps/ns_caged/ns_f/caged010.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.planethalflife.com/manah/maps/ns_caged/ns_f/caged010.jpg</a>

Ekaj · March 2002

Looks great, but seems hard for bob to climb around in.

Relic25 · March 2002

Sweet stuff! Very clean in a very good way. Looks like a place I'd like to hang out in. <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>

mr_Nebel · March 2002

Looks very cool, reminds me of System Shock 2 with the very clean texturing .. almost Anime like.

Very nice. Although as Ekaj says it might be hard to wall climb round there... although if its near the marine spawn its not too big of a deal.

realityisdead · March 2002

Awesome. <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>

Great atmosphere in those shots... in a different way.

Can't wait to see more!

nrby · March 2002

wow manah, that looks really really awesome. Nice job. The lighting is great, moody without being too dark, varied architecture great texturing. Excellent job <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>

badmofo · March 2002

ok i hate to be the ##### who pointed out what i guess no one else saw...

I looks REALLY nice man...very pretty....but it's also a blatant rip off of AVP2. Everything from the signs to the ladders.

Greedo · March 2002

It's very sharp. I like the lighting and the architecture style. If you can keep that going through the rest of the map, then good on ya <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>.

I've never played AvP, so if what BadMofo says is true, that could be a bit of a problem.

chalupamonk · March 2002

I agree with Mr Nebel, and by all means looking like System Shock 2 is a very good thing. Not in terms of architecture, sure, but in atmosphere...:D.

I haven't played either AvP or AvP2, though, so I can't say if it rips off that.

Looks very nice, anyhow.

nrby · March 2002

I've not played avp2 :/

Black_Wolf · March 2002

I think they look awesome, but i never played AvP or AvP 2 anyway so i wouldnt know about that (heard they were pretty crappy)

manah · March 2002

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td><b>Quote</b> (badmofo @ Mar. 15 2002,04:22)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">... but it's also a blatant rip off of AVP2. Everything from the signs to the ladders.</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>

Not quite, but the signs are meant to resemble the 'Semiotic Standard ' (designed by Ron Cobb I think) found in Alien on the Nostromo and used in AvP 2 and the same for the ladders, which are one of Relics textures (right?). The signs are an interesting and easy way of helping people find their way around but if anyone thinks it’ll be a ‘problem’ I’ll remove them ...

<img src="http://www.planethalflife.com/manah/maps/ns_caged/ns_f/ss.jpg" border="0">

<img src="http://www.planethalflife.com/manah/maps/ns_caged/ns_f/ss_avp2.jpg" border="0">

The feel and look of the place is also very influenced by System Shock 2, very clean yada yada glad you like it yada blah yada

Relic25 · March 2002

You betcha (about the ladder texture). I loved the ladders between decks in Alien, so I fired up Real3D, modeled one, and made a texture out of it. Nothing was copied directly, but the influence is certainy there.

Also, other than the awful single-player demo that I tried, I've never played or seen anything of AvP2.

badmofo · March 2002

well i didn't mean to rip on you sorry <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':('>. Looking at that pic...hell my map looks like an avp2 ripoff. I guess you can't get around the fact that sci-fi structures can only look so different. I see the differences between avp2 and your map after going back and playing it.

MonsieurEvil · March 2002

And, to be technical, those the symbols the original Alien artists used are simply blatant rip-offs of The internalional symbols you'll find any factory or even at the Olympic games. I wouldn't sweat it too much personally...

Yamazaki · March 2002

I'm also 'ripping off' AvP2. In one spot in AvP2's Pred campaign you find a floorplan on the wall, with a little blinking light indicating where you are. I got tired of wasting so much texture memory on signs, so I made just one sign and I slap a light on top of it. Voila.

I think this map looks absolutely gorgeous. I wouldn't change a thing. Sure it borrows some ideas from AvP and System Shock, but it has a flavour of its own. For example I really like those eerie-blue illuminated stairs.

Flayra · March 2002

Really nice work, Manah. You have a nice clean and uncluttered feel here. I think perhaps you could add a little more detail in general, but your brushwork and lighting is really great.

I also really like the "semiotic system" you've incorporated. I'd be interested to see if players find it easier navigate because of those signs. I think I'm the type of player that those signs don't help (I'm intuitive, not perceptual) but I bet there are tons of players that would benefit from them. Having those signs on all maps would make them feel a bit generic though.

Nice work.

chalupamonk · March 2002

I really dig those signs. Whether or not they'll help me, I'm not sure, but I really like the effect it gives. The ship presents itself as if everything is normal and ok, but the fact that there's an alien infestation just beyond the "food" sign undermines that <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'>.

Yamazaki · March 2002

Here's what I did to help players navigate in my map. Just a simple floorplan with symbols and a legend. Then I slap on a blinking light where the player is.

It doesn't look as slick and immersive as those semiotic signs. Now I want those signs. Must... make... signs!

chalupamonk · March 2002

Nice, very nice -- but where does that elevator lead to?

Cremator · March 2002

i love the colors! what is your gamma setting at? map looks real good overall.

Kassinger · March 2002

I really really love those signs.

manah · March 2002

Thanks for the niceness …

I've got the gamma set to 1.4.

chalupamonk has got the idea of what I want in the early areas, I want the place to seem normal so when the infestation and alien ‘gubbins’ come along its all the more ... discernible, a more drastic/dramatic change etc. You know what I mean <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'>

I think the signs will help some people with navigation, I’ve been testing them on various people and they do really depend on how people play the game, intuitive or perceptual as Flayra put it. The actual signs them self need some more work, I want the icons to be easily and instantly recognisable without explanation. I’m going to do plenty of various designs/colour schemes etc especially since I talked my tutors into letting me develop ns_caged as my final project.

Flayra · March 2002

Could you have a sign that indicates "resource node"? In our playtest last night, that's what was important. We need resources, and we need them now. It would make sense to have signs for them, because they are used to power various machines normally, so I could see that people walking around would want to know where the nearest one is.

Could you have one for the commander station area too? Again, it would make perfect sense...

Btw, I'm pretty sure we're going to need a command station pre-fab. Lots of people were having problems finding the command station on our maps and it's so important it literally affected the outcome of the game a few times.

manah · March 2002

Yeah ... I've been playing around various designs, I'll post them all up when I'm more or less done.

KungFuSquirrel · March 2002

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td><b>Quote</b> (Flayra @ Mar. 15 2002,19:03)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Btw, I'm pretty sure we're going to need a command station pre-fab. Lots of people were having problems finding the command station on our maps and it's so important it literally affected the outcome of the game a few times.</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
PLEASE. Mine is just... leaving something to be desired in my mind. Needs work, at least. <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':('>

Greedo · March 2002

I don't know if I'd like a command station prefab. Well, maybe if there were a few different versions to choose from. I mean, these are going to be various different settings for the maps. Space Stations, Space ships, planetside installations, etc. Any kind of "command station" company would certainly have made different command stations to suit the different environments and conditions. Ramble, ramble, ramble.

realityisdead · March 2002

Personally, I like the idea. Not something huge or anything, but rather a nice little console or something that is easily distinguishable. Something that can be easily implemented into existing architecture, yet still stand out. Perhaps a model? That would stand out.

Moleculor · March 2002

As for the commander station sign, make sure not to actually use the word 'commander' as those things aren't designed for them. They're more security stations, station control, and other, more mundane things.

pielemuis · March 2002

I think you all know that shot from unreal 2 with the babe, she's on a bridge or something, I believe peopel coudl get some inspiration from that shot...
/me goes looking for the link

<a href="http://www.unreal2.com/images-dynamic/E3Shot04-640.jpg" target="_blank">pic</a>

Cliff_Mellangard · March 2002

Yes it reminds me of avp2 in an good way because that mean it looks awesome. <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>
I loved avp2 sigleplayer as the marine.
As an alien will work for awhile.
As predator boring.
I completed the game both as an marine and an alien and i think it rocks the demo sucks so buy the game. <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>

Various ns_caged malarky

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