Level Over Level Building!

deadlyassassin

<div class="IPBDescription">i think i found a way!</div> Ok, make two make two levels, but make the floor inbetween the two a func_illusionary, then make clip brushes above and below it, but touching, and thin brushes. The only problem is, is that mariens could shoot thru the floor... i am not sure this will all work tho, i havent tried yet, i just occured to me thru my head. The only way this couldnt work is if u cant build thru clip brushes, but give it a shot

taleden

I think the issue isn't whether you can or can't build thru a clip brush, because either way, you will only be able to build on one level - we just don't know which one. If it is possible to build thru clip, then all buildings will drop on the lower level, and there will be no way for the commander to drop buildings on the upper level; if it is NOT possible to build thru clip, the opposite will be true, but either way one of those levels cannot be built on.

The real trick would be to figure out some mechanism for toggling the floor - like have a button in a locked room (so only the comm can push it) which triggers some complicated entity structure which moves brushes around or changes their properties such that in one configuration, the comm can build on the lower level, and in the other, he can build on the upper level. It would still be cumbersome, but the whole point is for it to be possible to build on either level, at the comm's desire; I think your illusionary/clip setup will, one way or another, only allow him to build on one level.

Insane

<!--QuoteBegin-taleden+Mar 27 2004, 09:18 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (taleden @ Mar 27 2004, 09:18 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> The real trick would be to figure out some mechanism for toggling the floor - like have a button in a locked room (so only the comm can push it) which triggers some complicated entity structure which moves brushes around or changes their properties such that in one configuration, the comm can build on the lower level, and in the other, he can build on the upper level. It would still be cumbersome, but the whole point is for it to be possible to build on either level, at the comm's desire; I think your illusionary/clip setup will, one way or another, only allow him to build on one level. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Of course, that would use up too many entites to be viable, beacuse you'd end up with a level that was way over the limit. Even if you don't want the level to be official, too many entities will cause lag and other such trappings of badness.

taleden

Nod, it would probably only be viable for maybe one large-ish two-level room, and even that would limit what you could do in the rest of the map and still have a reasonable entity count. It certainly wouldn't be doable to have an entire map with two levels.

Wolv

To add to this: the comm has already got a hard enough job as it is, managing his rines and structures in a tense online game. Do you really need to add the complexity of multiple levels to it?
As the current ns_ maps shows, it's very well possible to make levels with a lot of vertical interest, without the need for multi-levels in the first place.

deadlyassassin

Ok, look at the picture. We make two clip brushes, one on top one on buttom. Then we make a func_illusionary inbetween the two. Then we make a door entitiy tied to a button behind the cc chair. IF we are able to make thru clip brushes, then this is definatly possible. But, there is the problem that i dunno if we can build on clip, anyways, im going to be trying my idea out right now, please post.

menohack

Well there is a solution, and its fairly simple. The only problem is someone will need to write a program for it or edit the ns source code. Just make the level of the comm's veiw changeable. Add up and down keys and the map maker can specify in the info_whatever brush (i forgot the name) rather than the height of the comm's view, there could be 2 things a maximum height and minimum. Then when its lowered to its minimum you can see through the higher structures because as you get closer the ceiling disappears so wouldn't it happen with the floor too? and if it doesn't then the source code can be edited again to add a flag to func_wall that allows comm to see through it at a certain height.

Something like that might work but only if the ns source code is edited, and i doubt the makers will want to just for this little idea.

taleden

I'm not sure how well this would work, actually. In a standard map, the "commander's height" is generally set not at the level of the highest ceiling in the map, but slightly higher than that - if the comm's view was only as high as the highest ceiling, then people standing on the floor under that highest ceiling would be very close up, and the comm wouldn't be able to see very much area because his view would be so 'zoomed in'. By adding up/down keys for the comm view, it would be possible for the comm to lower his view through the floor in a two-level area, but he would then be very close to the next floor down, which isn't very convenient for him.

Avitar

There is a easier way to cheat level over level that I am using...

Basically you can have openings that go to the ceiling with severall smaller spaced out platforms, but then you kinda end up with big holes in your roofs of structures that look like outdoor buildings.

it isnt great but requires no special entities.


I dont understand why they dont modify the source to allow com veiws to go higher or lower to the ground. It would be a major conveinince regaurdless of the type of map you are playing (level over level or not).

Often times I am not happy with the height set by the map maker, either being too high or low. Allowing coms to have some leway on their height by like a 2x zoom and 0.5 zoom in game would be wonderfull.

Some_tall_guy1

I had this topic before, and it ended with Max saying that the comms job is complicated enough as is, that adding little gizmos like this would only make it harder.

DarkATi

NS Classic should never have level-over-level. If you want to make a level-over-level map, make it for Combat not NSC. <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif' /><!--endemo-->

~ DarkATi