The hiveroom fog might look better if it faded out rather than just vanishing when it reached the top.
Large areas of the map seemed to be too dark, I had to use my flashlight alot, I feel sorry for those poor skulks blundering about in the dark. The marine start expecially should be brighter.
Yes.. marine start needs a few tune ups... Lighting wise its too dark. Remember, Marine start should always be the most marine friendly area. a note on the vent in marine start, you might want to bring the overhang out a bit so that you can't spike the CC from the vent. Also there is a null texture by the window (while in MS, go to the top floor, look at the window, then turn around, you should see it) As for sounds, they are pretty good, but that echo effect in Tunnel12 either has to be toned down or at least have the effect at lower levels outside. Going from no echo to lots of echo can be painful. As for the Fog, its disorienting and probably needs to be changed.. I found that jetpacking around in it made me sick... really. My mind kept going "Okay now, fall into the fog... OMG?! what the hell? Where did it go?!" Ya.. it didn't like the disappearing fog at all. I suggest probably just have it completely fill the lower levels of the area, but at a lower opacity.
I uhh....I can't really say how much I <i>love</i> this map! After a quick runthrough, I found to my delight that it was even better than the screenshots made it look! The architecture, the layout - everything was put together in such a way that I think this map has a damn good chance of making 2.1 (if you submit it <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->)
Now, to the problems. First, the fog. Like a nub, I'm still stuck at 60 fps even after disabling vsync. So I'm a lil confused. But back to topic - the areas with the fog half my fps. Now, this came as a little of a shack to me - I'm running a gf4 ti 4600, which should be able to easily handle this. Nonetheless, I get 30 fps in the hive areas <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo-->
Second, there is a small vent behind the tunnel 12 hive, which is only accessable on the side from the vent (which gives the marines a MASSIVE advantage in that they can camp the vent and shoot the hive with impunity) on account of the fact that the hive blocked both ingress and egress to that opening of the vent. Here's a screen <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
Otherwise, this map gets two thumbs up both for originality and scope <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
About that fog - it's made of a load of particles with the 'face up' flag. Each particle is like any other sprite - only viewable from one side. The 'face up' particles do not orientate to permanently face you, so when you go underneath one, you cannot see it. There's not that much I can do except use a completely differnt kind of PS, which would bring it's own problems. That or have the fog only appear below crouch-level. In any case, I have seen this kind of fog in other games, and you could even say it allows a cool hiding-in-fog tactic (you can see them but they can't see you <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo--> ). I will change the fog so it's less opaque and moves less fast vertically.
<i>But back to topic - the areas with the fog half my fps. Now, this came as a little of a shack to me - I'm running a gf4 ti 4600, which should be able to easily handle this. Nonetheless, I get 30 fps in the hive areas</i>
I'm running a GF3 and the fog doesn't really have an effect on my framerate even when I'm right up close to it. I tried to make it go slow by changing various gl cvars, but the only thing which had much effect was software mode (when it was slow <i>all</i> the time). Maybe someone with more knowledge can give a real answer, I can only quote the generic "update your drivers/check your gl settings".
<a href='http://www.geocities.com/i_dont_exist666/ns_moria_beta11.zip' target='_blank'>OK a new version is up</a>, hopefully the upload was not corrupted.
I have not nearly done everything which needs to be done, just a few random changes. These include:
- fixed a few of the HOM's caused by forgotten null faces (there is still one I just noticed, hidden in a vent somewhere). The HOM in the rocky tunnel is caused by a LPSIL, havn't got round to fixing that <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo--> .
- after considerable thought, I decided to lose the env_sound echo effects. People seem to either love them or hate them, but one thing's for certain they bump up your entity count. But I also noticed the effect was causing eardrum-rape when firing a lmg in the tunnel.
- got rid of some of the more fruity readyroom effects, I don't think anyone will miss them too badly.
- tweaked the fog and a few other particles.
- made some stuff func_seethrough.
After this version, the map will most likely not be updated for some time due to various reasons...
Damn.. Still doesn't fix my biggest problem with the map.. Marine start. That place needs some major tweeking. 2 vents, one allowing both easy line of sight for lerks to spore the entire area AND spike the CC, with no good location for marines to fight back. the current Eclipse vent is only half as bad and already causes many problems, this one is sure to bring down the map. Either bring out the overhang to cover the CC or make the vent weldable. Also, possibly take out the other vent. MS is very DARK. Which is bad. Marine start as I pointed out earlier should always be the most marine friendly part of the map. Right now there isn't much in the way of marine friendly areas anywhere.. Sorry to hear there won't be any updates for a while.. the small bugs really stop it from being great...
Comments
The hiveroom fog might look better if it faded out rather than just vanishing when it reached the top.
Large areas of the map seemed to be too dark, I had to use my flashlight alot, I feel sorry for those poor skulks blundering about in the dark. The marine start expecially should be brighter.
As for sounds, they are pretty good, but that echo effect in Tunnel12 either has to be toned down or at least have the effect at lower levels outside. Going from no echo to lots of echo can be painful.
As for the Fog, its disorienting and probably needs to be changed.. I found that jetpacking around in it made me sick... really. My mind kept going "Okay now, fall into the fog... OMG?! what the hell? Where did it go?!" Ya.. it didn't like the disappearing fog at all. I suggest probably just have it completely fill the lower levels of the area, but at a lower opacity.
Now, to the problems. First, the fog. Like a nub, I'm still stuck at 60 fps even after disabling vsync. So I'm a lil confused. But back to topic - the areas with the fog half my fps. Now, this came as a little of a shack to me - I'm running a gf4 ti 4600, which should be able to easily handle this. Nonetheless, I get 30 fps in the hive areas <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo-->
Second, there is a small vent behind the tunnel 12 hive, which is only accessable on the side from the vent (which gives the marines a MASSIVE advantage in that they can camp the vent and shoot the hive with impunity) on account of the fact that the hive blocked both ingress and egress to that opening of the vent. Here's a screen <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
Otherwise, this map gets two thumbs up both for originality and scope <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
One other suggestion. That green hallway seems a little to linear, or is that a vent? I couldn't tell for sure.
Not bad at all.
About that fog - it's made of a load of particles with the 'face up' flag. Each particle is like any other sprite - only viewable from one side. The 'face up' particles do not orientate to permanently face you, so when you go underneath one, you cannot see it. There's not that much I can do except use a completely differnt kind of PS, which would bring it's own problems. That or have the fog only appear below crouch-level. In any case, I have seen this kind of fog in other games, and you could even say it allows a cool hiding-in-fog tactic (you can see them but they can't see you <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo--> ).
I will change the fog so it's less opaque and moves less fast vertically.
<i>But back to topic - the areas with the fog half my fps. Now, this came as a little of a shack to me - I'm running a gf4 ti 4600, which should be able to easily handle this. Nonetheless, I get 30 fps in the hive areas</i>
I'm running a GF3 and the fog doesn't really have an effect on my framerate even when I'm right up close to it. I tried to make it go slow by changing various gl cvars, but the only thing which had much effect was software mode (when it was slow <i>all</i> the time). Maybe someone with more knowledge can give a real answer, I can only quote the generic "update your drivers/check your gl settings".
I have not nearly done everything which needs to be done, just a few random changes. These include:
- fixed a few of the HOM's caused by forgotten null faces (there is still one I just noticed, hidden in a vent somewhere). The HOM in the rocky tunnel is caused by a LPSIL, havn't got round to fixing that <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo--> .
- after considerable thought, I decided to lose the env_sound echo effects. People seem to either love them or hate them, but one thing's for certain they bump up your entity count. But I also noticed the effect was causing eardrum-rape when firing a lmg in the tunnel.
- got rid of some of the more fruity readyroom effects, I don't think anyone will miss them too badly.
- tweaked the fog and a few other particles.
- made some stuff func_seethrough.
After this version, the map will most likely not be updated for some time due to various reasons...
That place needs some major tweeking.
2 vents, one allowing both easy line of sight for lerks to spore the entire area AND spike the CC, with no good location for marines to fight back. the current Eclipse vent is only half as bad and already causes many problems, this one is sure to bring down the map. Either bring out the overhang to cover the CC or make the vent weldable. Also, possibly take out the other vent. MS is very DARK. Which is bad. Marine start as I pointed out earlier should always be the most marine friendly part of the map. Right now there isn't much in the way of marine friendly areas anywhere..
Sorry to hear there won't be any updates for a while.. the small bugs really stop it from being great...