Maps with multiple floors
<div class="IPBDescription">Has anyone considered this?</div>First of all, the top down view of the Commanders is the obvious reason that multiple floor map design is avoided. But while I can't do much yet as far as mapping, I can picture a map that at least gives the FPS players the illusion of multiple floors.
There are easily more argument against doing this than there are for doing it, but I think it could be done in a limited way. I'm talking about more than something like in Central Drilling in Mineshaft, where the edges of the room are at a higher elevation, and the catwalk that runs down the middle, I'm thinking completely separate rooms, connected by a vertical pathway rather than a horizontal one (elevator, staircase). With enough creativity in the layout the rooms on different floors could be staggered so that the commander's view of the lower level isn't hindered at all, and also the lower level isn't too far away from the camera (likewise with the upper floor being too close).
Any mappers considered this as being viable or does it present too many problems?
There are easily more argument against doing this than there are for doing it, but I think it could be done in a limited way. I'm talking about more than something like in Central Drilling in Mineshaft, where the edges of the room are at a higher elevation, and the catwalk that runs down the middle, I'm thinking completely separate rooms, connected by a vertical pathway rather than a horizontal one (elevator, staircase). With enough creativity in the layout the rooms on different floors could be staggered so that the commander's view of the lower level isn't hindered at all, and also the lower level isn't too far away from the camera (likewise with the upper floor being too close).
Any mappers considered this as being viable or does it present too many problems?
Comments
I've tried to get this feeling into my NS1 map, by having elevations that are mirrored on the other side. On side was on level2 while the other side was on level1, tying it together in term of having multiple decks on the map. That is a subtle way of doing it...
That's what I was referring to the distances of the lower and upper levels. The elevations would have to avoid being too extreme for overall visibility of the Commanders, let alone med/ammo dropping.
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I started to write a response to what I thought you meant, but I realized it's probably not what you meant. You're saying that for example the west side of the map's floor level would be about level with the ceiling of the east side of the map, where traversing across the center would mean using steep ramps, stairs, or elevators?
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/B2BAj.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
Not quite, What I meant is that the map was setup with a ship layout, but didn't go into overlapping areas with different levels. instead the Starboard side was one deck higher (level 2) then the Port side (level 1). By having some areas destroyed/damaged it gives the impression of multiple decks. Using this along with doors that cannot open, but take you from level 1 to level 2 for instance.
SO basically the map itself has "decks or levels" but they do not overlap, instead there are hints all over the map to give the impression of multiple decks using inaccessible detail or damaged sections that make it possible to traverse from deck to deck.