Spark Detailing Exercise
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Netherlandistan Join Date: 2005-02-03 Member: 39643Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
Netherlandistan Join Date: 2005-02-03 Member: 39643Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
I was thinking it might be fun to have a small and regular mapping/detailing exercise where I throw out a theme (and possibly some restrictions) and then we all build a small room according to that theme.
It'd be a creative exercise similar to Pixeldailies and Sketchdailies on Twitter (but not daily), and everyone will be able to give feedback to each other and learn. The idea is to get better and more comfortable at detailing an area.
Examples might be:
o Build an elevator inside an elevator shaft.
o Build a medical bay only using Descent textures and props.
o Build the interior of a garage for the derelict_apv prop, but don't use any Biodome/Derelict textures/props.
It'd be a creative exercise similar to Pixeldailies and Sketchdailies on Twitter (but not daily), and everyone will be able to give feedback to each other and learn. The idea is to get better and more comfortable at detailing an area.
Examples might be:
o Build an elevator inside an elevator shaft.
o Build a medical bay only using Descent textures and props.
o Build the interior of a garage for the derelict_apv prop, but don't use any Biodome/Derelict textures/props.
Comments
If we do have winners, I think it'd be cool to have separate categories such as "most interesting use of space," or something of the sort. In all, I think this is an excellent way for people to learn how to use Spark and design something that others can appreciate.
@Mephiles I didn't want to add too many options.
My thoughts exactly. I just want to see what cool stuff people come up with. Even the most basic things can be cool.
Or maybe what I did in the post your screenshots thread, build something cool by combining props (max prop amount/type perhaps)
I will defintly participate but i need to reinstall Windows and that will defintly take a lot of time so i would like mabey a week more?
nsl_mineshaft hasn't had any feedback gameplay wise for a while so I have nothing to work on at the moment, I would likely take part in a new one... I didn't have time to take part in the previous one unfortunately... but my entry will be bad :P
For SDE#3 I am considering actually turning it into a contest. (I don't know the theme yet, but I do have a few ideas written down.) I'd like to gather some thoughts on this.
1. Would you like to participate in a contest? Why, or why not?
2. Who should judge the contest? A poll open to the public? A few "expert" judges?
3. Prizes... any ideas?
1. Yeah i would like to participate (getting close to a solution)
2. Both i guess
3. Anything ns2 related...
#gorgeplushie
Having scoured the forums for recent activity I am wondering if anyone might be interested in another (small) edition of the Spark Detailing Exercise. The four exercises we did before have shown me that a solid size restriction gives participants a better chance of finishing their submission, so I would probably put in a similar size limit to SDE#1 (256x256 units).
Sooo... any takers?
After the competition is complete I will stitch all of the entries together into a Gorge Run map and everyone is a winner!
Here are some screenshots from the first two maps to give you some ideas of what it could be.
Might look familiar
I bet you guys can do better! What do you say?
There is certainly a level of creativity needed for your gorge run maps Tin Can, but there are issues with the two crossing over.
1. The detailing exercises can push past the boundries of what the engine is supposed to support, so high detailed areas can perform incredibly badly in an in game scenario... the beauty is that these aren't intended for play, but instead at a way of pushing yourself to become better at making things look pretty as hell, and taking inspiration from each other to make us all better mappers.
2. The restraints of the exercises are generally intended to keep you on theme, with a set idea in mind... what you propose is, well... unlimited options, anything you can think of can be done, which reduces the likelihood of us being able to learn from each other and appreciate the different spins, twists and perspectives people can put on the predefined limits of the exercise.
I definitely think there is a place for what you're proposing, and I don't doubt there will be plenty of people willing to help out and take part to create some brilliantly bizarre obstacles... I just think this isn't necessary the right place.
I guess in terms of interesting stuff to jump on. I definitely like those fans as a jumpy platform drop of dewm, I hope there's fall damage on the Gorgies, where extreme drops are concerned!
I'd love to do it, and I would hope that because we now have a few mappers actively working on maps, more people would be interested.
BUT, creating little snippets sounds awesome, we could put them in a central repo and use them as building blocks for complete maps!
Please revive this idea! :]
That idea has been tried so many times now, prefab hallways to slap together a map in a few ... slaps. the idea is sound as it would also give the opportunity to very quickly iterate layouts and see what works and what doesn't. But, somehow it's not picked up as eagerly as we imagine it to be picked up
Probably because we need a bunch of uniform and existing art pieces that all connect to each other with minimal effort for it work well, and an editor that supports it at a drag and drop level of use.