Eleventh Hour Released
ChromeAngel
Join Date: 2002-01-24 Member: 14Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
Join Date: 2002-01-24 Member: 14Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
<div class="IPBDescription">Your thoughts here please</div> Version 1 of Eleventh Hour is finally done. Leaks plugged, r_speeds reduced, textures embeded.
<a href='http://www.planethalflife.com/nsworld/Map.ASP?UniqueId=%7BDA90AA95%2DD53D%2D4891%2DAA4E%2D1EE9D25298DB%7D' target='_blank'>GO GET IT!</a>
Thanks for all your help so far. I look foward to reading all your feedback.
<!--emo&::skulk::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/skulk.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='skulk.gif'><!--endemo-->
<a href='http://www.planethalflife.com/nsworld/Map.ASP?UniqueId=%7BDA90AA95%2DD53D%2D4891%2DAA4E%2D1EE9D25298DB%7D' target='_blank'>GO GET IT!</a>
Thanks for all your help so far. I look foward to reading all your feedback.
<!--emo&::skulk::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/skulk.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='skulk.gif'><!--endemo-->
Comments
Architecture is really blocky, and the textures don't always seem to complement it very well. You misaligned the light overlays on your little dual orange light strips. Marine spawn is dark enough to be a hive -- those spotlights just don't cut it. The hallways are far too redundant in general appearance, with little to no indicator of how any given one is different from another (aside of a few ramps). Ready room join placement was good, I agree on the note with having random team more prominent, but it seemed blockier and chunkier than the rest of the level.
Hive placement also looks to be weighted towards the east... that west hive seems a fair bit out of the way for marines.
Also, the rooms seem too big... Space is good, don't get me wrong, but everything feels overscaled. The railings over the water hive area (or somewhere near there, I believe) are the size of a marine's helmet and lie at face-level... just feels off, even if that was intended.
Also We had a tendancy to spawn at the Ramp Hive even though our start hive was support.
Now thats out of the way <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> its a good map I can see this as a good map for the use of jetpacks.
once the textures or more varied it will have a great look to it!
1. It seemed way too dark, I like the high contrast in certain areas but the commander actually need to be able to see whats going on.
2. The resource points seem a little favored towards the alien's hives every hive has two or three really close while the marines only have 1.
3. I couldnt access certain points as the commander, for example I couldn't place a resources chamber where the water hive is.
4.You might rename some of the areas as their names are pretty bland.
Looks good though, Ohh and I got some weird glitching on the observer entrance, minor graphical stuff
The problem with the aliens spawinging in the wrong hive room and the commander building on the eastern most node can (and will) be fixed fairly quickly.
With regards to lightness/darkness and resource nodes, i'll wait and see how this plays out. A few days playing and it should be fairly clear what needs to be done.
PKHG : please clarify a couple of things for me
1) What's the 'glich' you're seeing with the observer join?
2) WTF Stuaf mansion ?
Regarding cover for the aliens, i'll see what can be done without damaging the r_speeds too much.
Anything else before I start work on 1.1 ?
The room names are simple. I think the most exciting one was Skonk walk way, or something like that. It has far more character than 'water' or 'ramp' which are simple, and give the feeling that they are the names a player might give the room if he wanted some one to meet him somewhere, or - well you know how it is playing NS.
There is a lack of the intangible NS atmosphere, now I know that's an annoying comment because you can't just put in an info_atmosphere and set it to 5. I think I can see where it is failing. It is the sound. There aren't (or I didn't notice) too many big clunks, or engine rumbles. More sounds are needed.
The elevator buttons, although quite amusing should say 'press' if anything. A real person wouldn't have to 'use' the button, he would press it (and doing so, use it. I know).
The spawn points seem abit weird. I didn't start in the active hive as mentioned before.
As for connectivity, and ease of traversing the map, I can't really say anything about it till i've played online. Anyone got a server we could test this on?
Oh and I know what the observe map glitch is, I tried to take a screen hang on...
here:
<img src='http://www.parkway-capital.com/steve/ca.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image'>
You see how there is a wider bit as the text rotates out of view. Try and spot it in game, it will be much clearer than this.
Oh, <i>that</i> glich! I have no idea why it's doing that..... but I think it looks cool <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->
I think i'm going to have to increase the brightness a bit, skulks blend into those browns so easily. <!--emo&::skulk::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/skulk.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='skulk.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='asrifle.gif'><!--endemo-->
If you wanna get rid of it, try making the cylinder with less polys.
Observation in game: Abit too dark in general. I think that more ns maps are well lit, and then have areas which are dark or, have a shadow or two (ie - hera entrance and reception, bright, but the cargo area near MS is darkish). Will have to play more before I come up with a gameplay report.
2- Use button is BLEH! Get a new one.
3- More Nodes.
4- Hives are very well done as far as looks but they all feel the same. They are all basically a big open room that is wide but not deep and very tall. The bits connecting the hive is a bit diffrent but the room that the hive actually sits in is almost exactly the same.
5- Brighten up at least some areas of the map. I mean darkness IS good for aliens but IM a human, and it irritates me eyes when everything is dark. <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->
Mine is too, and has been for months....
Suggestions...lose the "use" button. Um...yeah sorry but it doesnt fit in at all...looks like a star trek control panel. Area names....very boring, maybe let players name them for you if you cant think of anything. That will add to the atmoshpere in that tiniest little way. More ambience. More sounds in general. The big smoke needs to make a sound...hives need that weird NS hive sound...older halways need that creaking moaning sound etc. I noticed a bit of ambient noise...but not where I expected and in some cases, not where it was vital to the atmosphere. Overall very good! I loved it. cant wait to find a server playing it!
There's a game called 11th hour? Never heard of it.
Regarding brightness it has been said that some monitors physically cannot cope with an env_gamma setting of 2 (as used in this map), this may be why it appears overly dark on some systems.
<a href='http://www.planethalflife.com/nsworld/Map.ASP?UniqueId=%7BDA90AA95%2DD53D%2D4891%2DAA4E%2D1EE9D25298DB%7D' target='_blank'>GO GET IT!</a>
Thanks for all your help so far. I look foward to reading all your feedback.
<!--emo&::skulk::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/skulk.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='skulk.gif'><!--endemo--><!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Mirror: <a href='http://www.hukkalandia.net/pafiledb/pafiledb.php?action=category&id=5' target='_blank'>http://www.hukkalandia.net/pafiledb/pafile...n=category&id=5</a>
In some areas the architecture is good, here and there are brushes and textures that are pure beauty. In others, the architecture fails, the textures displeasing to the eye. And there's more to a map than just doors and rooms and walls, too... you need to throw in more <i>stuff</i>... preferably <i>cool</i> stuff <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> Pipes, consoles, machinery... the stuff that will make the map seem less like HL Deathmatch and more like NS! Tuck stuff in interesting corners, or in the middle of a room, or on the cieling. Stuff. Yeah.
Also, <b>get rid of the echo effects</b>. They totally ruin the map. Just leave the sounds as they are, adding room effects is just distracting and cacophonous to boot.
Anyways, I'm not saying the map sucks or anything. It just needs some work/rework <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
empty space..the big smoke..cool room..needs MORE stuff <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->..hives are awesome..but one problem i found was with the Ramp one..its so dark all around it, but still very nice..
it also needs to be more aliens friendly.. other than that though we played for like 2 hours straight setting up an anti-alien base at marine start <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo--> fun all around <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
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I think the sound is cool, but the echo is everyehere. It has big open space's so echo is going to be there. Jetpack is fun also!!!
I will download your map as soon i come home from work. But from here it seems that you have similar problems to me(too blocky, too many open spaces without cover), wich means... im not a idiot.. *g*
I hate to have to go defensive again, but I own a Sony/SGI 20" monitor... I'm somehow doubting there's a physical limitation there, heh...
About it being too dark: I liked that, both as an alien AND a marine. The only problem with darkness was when I was commander (it was darn hard to see the troops, and once I realized that they didn't build the turrets I placed down). However, you might want to add more pitch black shadows, and bright lightspots (like Nothing).
High ceilings are good, but you need more outcroppings from the ceilings that skulks can hide behind. The hallway from Big Smoke into the Water Hive elevator was very nice because you had cool brushwork there and I kept on having to check every spot on the ceiling (which is good). Once, at the node in between Big Smoke and the lower entrance to Water Hive, the marines had this little turreted base. I wanted to get past it by walking on the far wall, but I couldn't, because there was simply no cover.
However, I remember once in the Big Smoke I heard a chuckle and I just looked up at the ceiling and it was pretty easy to figure out that nobody was on the ceiling.
The hives need a little bit of work; it's very hard to tell the difference between Support and Water. Also, why does the water hive have no water in it D:? Finally, there's no way to get from the bottom of the water hive to the top without jetpacks, or skulk/lerk.
Just make sure to have good lit areas to still be able to navigate through the map.
Spotlights and dark red hallways work nice.
Things that I liked:
Open, but not too open. A nice change, and very lerk friendly(my favorite kharaa).
Very dark, almost too dark, but nice for kharaa.
Nice sounds, though few.
Pretty good textureing
Things I disliked(many are kinda the same as things I liked)
Open, very few things to make the map seem realistic in the sense that it is not just some open rooms connected.
Almost too dark in many areas, marines and kharaa alike can have quite a bit of troulbe just finding there way around.
Way more "life" and atmosphere needs to be added. More pipes, boxes, textures, and sounds please.
The map seem very Linear, instead of having many ways around there seem very few, two at most. And the result was the west hive was really far away. Try to make all the hives roughly the same distance away.
Mine is too, and has been for months....<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Same here.
Asraniel - I know the feeling, my posts get well and truly ignored too. <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo-->
~30% brighter yellow lights
Fixed alien spawns (difficult to test so if you find this still happening please tell me)
Fixed the echodrops.wav (changes to echodrops.mp3)
Fixed the particle system in the water hive (now you'll know why it's called the water hive)
Move the eastern most resource node to make it easier for commanders to build on
An additional resourse node in the cavern (near marine entrance)
Made the door between the big smoke and the courtyard weld to open
Some texture alignment fixes.
As always download from NS World. I promise I will add more cover etc, but that may take some time. I felt it was more important to get out a version with the things I could fix quickly, than keep you waiting for the whole hog.