Space Station Design

chubbysteve · July 2003

<div class="IPBDescription">kinda...</div> Well I was tryng to design something along the lines of a believable space station. So consistency is key.
<img src='http://www.parkway-capital.com/steve/sigs/room0000.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image'>
The light fixings and skulking cover is consistent, and there is ample room for distractions and door ways. The upper area could easily host vents.
My main gripe is the over use of vert textures and the blocky construction.

<img src='http://www.parkway-capital.com/steve/sigs/room0002.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image'>
This just shows how I would use sign posts (blue hologram signposts) to point out map locations, and how the vents could work. That fan is moving in game, but there could be broken ones around the place.

So... I'm pretty sick of this now, I just think it looks so boring already! <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'> C&C welcome.

KungFuDiscoMonkey · July 2003

Looks like a great start there. I think you found a really good combination of textures there. The lighting in those two screens look good too. If you could successfully carry this theme through the rest of a well designed, well ballanced map, then I think you have a winner here.

BigMadSteve · July 2003

It's certainly very detailed. Lots of texture. If you can keep it consistant and make it fun this ought to be good.

OneEyed · July 2003

I agree, you have a very sweet design theme going there. Keep up the good work and keep us posted with updates =).

ChromeAngel · July 2003

It would appear to be very difficult for a skulk to climb up those walls to get to the vent, because you have that lip on the top.

The deapth of the bulkheads along the walls isn't deep enough to give any cover from attacks, but enough to get snagged on if you're in a hurry.

You seem to have a fair bit of detailing in the ceiling but very little at eye level, that bland green texture is not best used in large patches. Prehaps you could try making the walls bulge outward (like on AtomicMass) ?

Nice use of spotlights.

Reese · July 2003

Although I agree with chrome that the bulkheads will make it hard for skulks, I think I have something that will solve that problem, keep the same poly count, and let you use the same texture while making things more visually interesting.

Basically turn the walls into trapezoids with the smaller face towards the hall and running from floor to ceiling. This would kind of put a wave with the support posts in the troughs. You can keep the same texture that way while still having something that doesn't just look flat. In addition if the surface of the trapezoid parallel with the bulkhead is large enough you can make it so that skulks can easily climb from there to the vents.

CoolCookieCooks · July 2003

omg that is sooo lush!

venomus · July 2003

Not bad. I like how the ceiling is like a little hidden world for skulks to move around in. Make an interesting series of vents and holes linking up the spaces between the bulkheads (with cable and pipes going through them). Try to get scary, stark lighting like on ns_nothing. I'm still trying to find the magic formula for that.
And yes, try to get everything less perpendicular by having bulging walls etc. And slightly increase the vertical scale of the transparent cable texture, then align it to top. This will stop the annoying anti-aliasing near the bottom of the transparent bits.

chubbysteve · July 2003

Well, Thanks for your comments all!

Chromeangel:

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>It would appear to be very difficult for a skulk to climb up those walls to get to the vent, because you have that lip on the top.
The deapth of the bulkheads along the walls isn't deep enough to give any cover from attacks, but enough to get snagged on if you're in a hurry. </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>

Skulk climbing <b>is</b> an issue - usually at the corners and bulkheads in the middle is it easy and only then. I'll address that problem at the same time as the other thing you mentioned - depth of bulkheads.
Cheers for that.

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>You seem to have a fair bit of detailing in the ceiling but very little at eye level, that bland green texture is not best used in large patches.</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>

What is the bland green texture? - do you mean the nos wall texture?
For eye level detail I was planning on using the small sections on various different eye-candy set pieces eg: pipes behind a grill, drop in room sections that have computer banks (perhaps I should map this to show yous) and so on. But, I see your point and it might be remedied when I address the bulkhead issue!

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>Nice use of spotlights.</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>

cheers <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'>

and cheers for the tip reese.

Edit: posting before me venomous!! <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'> Thanks for that about the anti aliasing tip - I thought I'd already got rid of that but it's come back to haunt me <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'>
And the vent network idea has already dawned on me - planning a hive around it I think.
Cheers.

Phy · July 2003

The design is nice, but it would be pretty hard for skulks to run along the walls and ceiling, I think you could solve that with some null textured func_walls (clip brushes prevent wall running). Balance your poly count with those types of walls and it could be a great map.

Wither · July 2003

Looks like an awesome start. Keep it up.

chubbysteve · July 2003

Here is the kinda thing I plan to do with the walls to make them more interesting. I made this change to a junction so it does look okay, but it's abit different from intended.
<img src='http://www.parkway-capital.com/steve/sigs/room0004.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image'>
See the way I could have that in a straight wall abit easier. I dunno, it's just some thing I've recently done...

Space Station Design

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