WiP
Steve0
Join Date: 2007-07-17 Member: 61615Members
<div class="IPBDescription">A lil project im playing with</div>Im quite new to mapping , and started making a corridor look the part for an ns2 map , but didnt have textures at 1st so this is what i looks like with stock dev textures.
<a href="http://infinity.alakir.eu/corridor0005.jpg" target="_blank">http://infinity.alakir.eu/corridor0005.jpg</a>
So i decided to see what it would look like textured , after speaking with KFDM on irc he pointed me to Philips custom texture pack <a href="http://www.philipk.net/portfolio.html" target="_blank">http://www.philipk.net/portfolio.html</a> (awesome job btw phil)
They are preety bad ass looking textures to be fair, so i used them in my corridor on the map and this was the result
<a href="http://infinity.alakir.eu/corridor0008.jpg" target="_blank">http://infinity.alakir.eu/corridor0008.jpg</a>
<a href="http://infinity.alakir.eu/corridor0009.jpg" target="_blank">http://infinity.alakir.eu/corridor0009.jpg</a>
Quite a considerable difference it makes when it gets textured , i sent some pm's about the ns2tr alpha ( i really wanna test it and help out) <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />.
Anyhows , some comments on the screens would be nice, KFDM already pointed out it looks kind of empty which i would have to agree with so ill probably make use of the space with some crates etc.
<a href="http://infinity.alakir.eu/corridor0005.jpg" target="_blank">http://infinity.alakir.eu/corridor0005.jpg</a>
So i decided to see what it would look like textured , after speaking with KFDM on irc he pointed me to Philips custom texture pack <a href="http://www.philipk.net/portfolio.html" target="_blank">http://www.philipk.net/portfolio.html</a> (awesome job btw phil)
They are preety bad ass looking textures to be fair, so i used them in my corridor on the map and this was the result
<a href="http://infinity.alakir.eu/corridor0008.jpg" target="_blank">http://infinity.alakir.eu/corridor0008.jpg</a>
<a href="http://infinity.alakir.eu/corridor0009.jpg" target="_blank">http://infinity.alakir.eu/corridor0009.jpg</a>
Quite a considerable difference it makes when it gets textured , i sent some pm's about the ns2tr alpha ( i really wanna test it and help out) <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />.
Anyhows , some comments on the screens would be nice, KFDM already pointed out it looks kind of empty which i would have to agree with so ill probably make use of the space with some crates etc.
Comments
Yeh i kind of see what you mean , with the concave walls on sides of each alcoves ? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
i like the design a lot - i don't think its any more repetivtive any any other hl1 or hl2 level - details can always be added in later - its the layout of the map to make it balanced and play well. Also most ns maps are pretty empty (not in a bad way, just leaves more room for gameplay), there aren't many things to hide behind except for larger rooms.
i'd be looking to put some trim around your details though - like the grates in the floor, if they had a frame they wouldnt look like they are just floating <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
Frames, borders, trims, bevels they will always make your map look more solid and "3D"
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u13AYTnQcAk" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u13AYTnQcAk</a>
Come to think of it , its soooooo dark most of the video is just darkness. I uploaded the better video here <a href="http://infinity.alakir.eu/corridor_textured01.rar" target="_blank">http://infinity.alakir.eu/corridor_textured01.rar</a> you can see a hell of alot more on it than the one in youtube.
Its in xvid format if you wondering what the codec is.
Edit: A quick suggestion, they way it's set up it looks like control panels/servers on the right are on rails almost. If you actually put them on rails so they would move up and down that hallway behind the barrier that would be neat.
Edit2: Maybe make the vertical bracing on the left side match the texture the pipes and triangle braces on the right to tie the halfway together? It kinda feels like the two sides belong to different hallways.
I dont know how to make bsp move in a map yet <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" /> , but i suppose it would look kind of cool like an automated machine that moves along behind the barrier left to right ?
Hmmmmm , that might be doable with func_door with some input to the door telling it to close on weld then lock on close, just i dont got weld scripts <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />.
Thanks for the comments on those old textures btw <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
I'm not saying it needs to have no "feel" to it and should be straight and narrow but you just need to decide on your context. Would a company build a station like this? Would a colony want to have boxes just lieing around in the hallway or on a loading dock. Now should you have say an overturned loader with boxes and kit sprawled all over or part of a ceiling caved in etc. Something to indicate why this is there and how it came to be there adds more to the map and plausability.
In the end it's just my opinion and I'm not much of a mapper but as a gamer it's what I would expect to see coming into things.
Edit: A good example would be the movie "Galaxy quest" which I thought was funny. Anyways as Tim allen and Sigourney Weaver are running from the aliens they come across a hallway filled with smashing and crushing walls and such. As Sigourney looks this over she says "why the hell is this here, what possible purpose could this serve?" (hope that's the right qoute) Tim responds it's because it was in the show but the point is when i come across a hallway filled with holes or boxes or whatever I am going to ask the same question. Why is this here, what relevence does thier serve? Why is this map laid out like this, what reason would this be here for.
i was kind of aiming for a Aliens feel for the map , i dunno what it is but it looks awesome. I cant wait for the real time lighting to get into the engine, it will make it look even better <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />.
Developing Marine Spawn atm , and just found texture displacement tool, X/Y shifting etc etc. It wins at making stuff look decent lol.
Abit slow in this room , as it has 2 corridors going into it , com char will be at the back corner opposite end of room from entrances obv for gameplay reasons and a res node inbetween the corridors.
Just dont know what sort of room to make it with better geometry work, HQ room with screens / consoles / real time cameras etc. Or like a generator room with various power plants moving compressors or something. Havent really sketched down a proper layout yet so it gets confusing making it on the fly <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" /> Ill probably go with HQ room though. Screenshots will be uploaded when it looks decent enough <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />.
<a href="http://infinity.alakir.eu/marine_spawn01.jpg" target="_blank">http://infinity.alakir.eu/marine_spawn01.jpg</a>
Just floor/rims/ceiling/walls atm , will be adding ontop of that with some more complex design soon <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" /> ( I just found the wonders of the clipping tool lol).
Make sure you'll never look for or find the wonders of the carving tool, because it's pure evil. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/asrifle.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::asrifle::" border="0" alt="asrifle.gif" />
You shouldn't post pictures in such an early stage <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
..the first pictures look great though.
Just hope that the ns2 tech release for mappers won't screw your plans, but it's good exercise anyway.
You shouldn't post pictures in such an early stage <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
..the first pictures look great though.
Just hope that the ns2 tech release for mappers won't screw your plans, but it's good exercise anyway.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I found carving is useful for pipe shape corridors but , more then 1 brush used and it crashes :<.
But how ever , my pc died a horibble death yesterday and will not work anymore (GPU problems), my HDD is recoverable though , so the work isnt lost. I think theres about 150-200hours gone into my map so far, it would be a ###### t lose it now.
Should be here by thursday "fingers crossed".