Eclipse first look
KungFuSquirrel
Basher of Muttons Join Date: 2002-01-26 Member: 103Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
Basher of Muttons Join Date: 2002-01-26 Member: 103Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
<div class="IPBDescription">Still very early...</div>I've got 2 pages of layout drawn out for this bad boy already, and a couple areas in-game. Here's one of the rooms from the main central connecting area between the three hive routes (Sector 2 within the map -- more on that later).
<img src="http://planethalflife.com/awmaps/exclusives/eclipse_1.jpg" border="0">
<img src="http://planethalflife.com/awmaps/exclusives/eclipse_1.jpg" border="0">
Comments
the sunken area under the bridge has no apparent purpose, and the room itself doesnt lend itself to having an obvious use. it could as well be a med lab as a weapons bay. im sure this will become apparent with retexturing and detail.
[ignore]also, i dont really like that floor texture, but i never have and dont think i ever will[/ignore]
However, the room seems pretty aimless. Maybe ... I dunno, put some machinery or a computer under the walkway?
I'm not going to offer any criticism here though, due to the early nature of the area. You would probably have everything I had to say covered. Kind of useless trying to point out things that need improvement at this stage.
Either that or "teh scr0tum" as the command center apparently resembles... I may have to change that, heh...
<img src="http://planethalflife.com/awmaps/pics/ns_eclipse_layout_early.jpg" border="0">
I can't quite see what the question next to the "ASK FLAYRA" part says. :)
Seeing all you guys draw on graph paper makes me happy, like you're really engaging in active creativity and construction. Kind of reminds me of the afternoons I used to spend creating dungeons for D&D. :)
Notice all the little tiny lines along the top and sides of the pages? So far the plotted area goes from (-1280,1280) to (3840,1592). The old ns_veil layout had 32 units clearance on the WC grid on both sides, 128 or so on the bottom, and then... well, not a whole lot around the marine spawn. I was nowhere near any limits in there. <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo--> The full layout for this map will probably be comparable to Veil's in size (if not a bit more compact to allow for the greater apparent functionality that this one should have).
Regarding the entrance factor, if you notice, there's an incomplete corridor moving in the direction of the West Hive (this will probably come in on the left (east) wall of the room somewhere). I hope to also have a jetpack-only accessible vent or maintenance shaft that will yield a third, 'sneakier,' entrance allowing higher-level marine teams to insert themselves directly behind a hive in the room (unless that seems like a bad idea for gameplay; I'd like to have this option in all of my hives in some way or another).
Also, the second route from marine spawn (which will probably be a variation on the massive landing bay from ns_veil) will probably come down in Sector 3 on the page that will find itself to the left of page 1. (Sectors are numbered as follows: 1 for Marine spawn, 2 for the central connection, 3 for the east hive, 4 for the south hive route, and 5 for the west hive route depicted here. Any elevators are labeled LS[Sector]# [for example, the lift shaft that drops down in the upper right of the left page is LS2A -- gives some interesting ideas regarding some nice glowy signs. <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo--> ])
The ask Flayra idea is in regards to the "Armory" in the lower left of the first page. I was going to ask if it'd be possible to have one of the more powerful weapons placed in there along with minimal ammo (a la the armory entities in CS). The door would be a weldable (starting shut) and I'll probably have a pair of alien vents leading into it to add to that sense of danger. The idea that I have in my mind is a marine team being able to weigh the options of moving slowly and more safely at the beginning of the game or committing a team to the Armory (a kind of sub-objective) where they try to get themselves into there as soon as possible and then have themselves just a little bit of extra firepower to use wherever it's needed -- Ideally giving the marine team another option regarding their offensive strategy. I'm not building that area around this idea, though, so if this isn't possible I won't have to orphan the map. Just a thought I had when I started the layout that seemed like it could be quite interesting.
As to the room itself, it lacks detail, that floor texture is used far to often,the lighting needs some work but that's all just temporary so, I'll just comment on the actual shape of the room. I have to agree has some nice HLDM influence, but I'm sure it will only add to the gameplayexperience, looking promissing...
Just that it looks alittle empty and u should h3xx0r some with lightning <!--emo&:D--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'><!--endemo-->
anyway nice mr.squirrel
<img src="http://planethalflife.com/awmaps/exclusives/eclipse_2.jpg" border="0">
Here, I'll add something. Long corridors = win for the level 3. This looks like a long corridor. <!--emo&:D--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'><!--endemo-->
<!--EDIT|Greedo386|April 06 2002,00:54-->
As for the usefulness of the room, why not make a storage facility or something (fun crates and all)? Or better yet, a water recycling facility? /me Suddenly sees Bob hiding in water jumping onto a marine. Ooooooo....
Don' forget... compactness makes the commander cry (due to r_speed problems).
<img src="http://planethalflife.com/awmaps/teaser_pics/eclipse_teaser3_big.jpg" border="0">