Screenshot Of The Map I'm Working On
WarpZone
Join Date: 2002-11-03 Member: 6264Members
Join Date: 2002-11-03 Member: 6264Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Still haven't given it a title yet...</div> <i>Pics updated yet again. 11/25/02</i>
<a href='http://warpzone.cust.nearlyfreespeech.net/halflife/graphics/ns_wz1.jpg' target='_blank'><img src='http://warpzone.cust.nearlyfreespeech.net/halflife/graphics/ns_wz1t.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image'></a>
<a href='http://warpzone.cust.nearlyfreespeech.net/halflife/graphics/ns_wz1.jpg' target='_blank'>-Marine Spawn</a>
<a href='http://warpzone.cust.nearlyfreespeech.net/halflife/graphics/ns_wz2.jpg' target='_blank'><img src='http://warpzone.cust.nearlyfreespeech.net/halflife/graphics/ns_wz2t.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image'></a>
<a href='http://warpzone.cust.nearlyfreespeech.net/halflife/graphics/ns_wz2.jpg' target='_blank'>-Everyone loves glass tubes!</a>
<b>Updated Story:</b> Early on in the colonization of the Ariadne Arm, United American business interests were already preparing for the day when prosperity and competition finally reduced cost of phase-gate travel and the constant influx of prospectors to the vast resources of the Ariadne Arm began to result in permenent residential settlements, and even space-touism. That's right, alongside all those mining outposts and trade routes, United America was laying the groundwork for its future malls, fast-food outlets, and theme parks.
The Luminare Museum of Cosmology was designed entirely with tourists in mind. With dizzying vaulted ceilings, transparent sections of floor, the most advanced holographic planetarium availible in the known universe at that time, and over 3 tons junk food and 5 tons of crappy gift-shop merchendise purchased and shipped in ahead of time for the grand opening, it looked ready to be the biggest place for terrestrial tourists entering the Arm for the first time to waste a lot of money and get sick from the impossible celestial view.
Then, of course, the Kharraa arrived, killed all the workers who were installing the first round of educational and vaguely entertaining holographic displays, squirted mucus into the plannetarium's multi-bazillion dollar projector system, and ate the first year's supply of salty pre-packaged foodstuffs. The crates of gift shop merchendise, they largely ignored, demonstrating that they may be more inteligent than humans after all.
<a href='http://warpzone.cust.nearlyfreespeech.net/halflife/graphics/ns_wz1.jpg' target='_blank'><img src='http://warpzone.cust.nearlyfreespeech.net/halflife/graphics/ns_wz1t.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image'></a>
<a href='http://warpzone.cust.nearlyfreespeech.net/halflife/graphics/ns_wz1.jpg' target='_blank'>-Marine Spawn</a>
<a href='http://warpzone.cust.nearlyfreespeech.net/halflife/graphics/ns_wz2.jpg' target='_blank'><img src='http://warpzone.cust.nearlyfreespeech.net/halflife/graphics/ns_wz2t.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image'></a>
<a href='http://warpzone.cust.nearlyfreespeech.net/halflife/graphics/ns_wz2.jpg' target='_blank'>-Everyone loves glass tubes!</a>
<b>Updated Story:</b> Early on in the colonization of the Ariadne Arm, United American business interests were already preparing for the day when prosperity and competition finally reduced cost of phase-gate travel and the constant influx of prospectors to the vast resources of the Ariadne Arm began to result in permenent residential settlements, and even space-touism. That's right, alongside all those mining outposts and trade routes, United America was laying the groundwork for its future malls, fast-food outlets, and theme parks.
The Luminare Museum of Cosmology was designed entirely with tourists in mind. With dizzying vaulted ceilings, transparent sections of floor, the most advanced holographic planetarium availible in the known universe at that time, and over 3 tons junk food and 5 tons of crappy gift-shop merchendise purchased and shipped in ahead of time for the grand opening, it looked ready to be the biggest place for terrestrial tourists entering the Arm for the first time to waste a lot of money and get sick from the impossible celestial view.
Then, of course, the Kharraa arrived, killed all the workers who were installing the first round of educational and vaguely entertaining holographic displays, squirted mucus into the plannetarium's multi-bazillion dollar projector system, and ate the first year's supply of salty pre-packaged foodstuffs. The crates of gift shop merchendise, they largely ignored, demonstrating that they may be more inteligent than humans after all.
Comments
And the textures are a bit repetive.
And the lightnin is really dull.
Sorry... <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo-->
Well... I mean...
At least you have to admit it's not <i>boxy</i> or <i>too dark.</i> <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo-->
I'll have to see what I can do to make the textures and lighting more interesting...
What did you mean by "It looks too DMish" though? I don't play Deathmatch anymore, but I played it a little once when I first got HL, and I don't really see where you're coming from. <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo-->
*tries <i>harder</i>*
It doesn't look like something that would fit in the NS universe.
Heck it reminds me of a UT DM map.
Now wait just a darn minute here... I'm purposely using custom textures to get a slightly different feel from the default NS maps... it's still a space station, though, geez! Hopefully, once I get the textures tweaked a little bit so things are less repetetive, it will look less like a generic DM "metal base," and more like a proper NS space station. (I think I see what you mean by DM now... I'll see what I can do to fight that look and feel. Most of the custom textures are from Evil's <i>excellent</i> Doom3 packs, and some are modified with permission from him.)
I'll admit the lighting is very plain, but that's because this is the marine side, and all the light fixtures are working perfectly and everything is bright and clean and symetrical. I guess a lighting theme would help, like lights cast through bars in ns_nothing or spotlights in ns_caged. If I can think of anything better, I'll certianly try it out.
I should probably cut some brushwork into the floor. The floor as it is is one flat plane, but it gets all chopped up by the compile tools anyway... so I might as well do something with it... and I've already found a nice way to add detail and variety to the beams overhead.
If either of you, or anyone else, has any suggestions on how to make it better, please reply here.
And thanks for the brutal feedback, even though I panicked when I first read it. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> The SvenCoop had made me soft.
<!--emo&:angry:--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/mad.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='mad.gif'><!--endemo--> No? Then I will bite your head!!!!!!!!!! <!--emo&::skulk::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/skulk.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='skulk.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&:0--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wow.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='wow.gif'><!--endemo-->
Seriously, mapping for SvenCoop <i>does that to you!</i> <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo--> You can take a screenshot of just about anything and post it in the mapping forum there, and someone will go "Cool!" and only one specific guy will say anything bad about it! <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo--> He almost got banned, in fact, because so many people got angry when he criticized their maps honestly and with an eye for detail... well, anyway, it's good to be among picky people again! <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
I mean, there are stars, and planets, and asteroid belts and nebulas out there...
[edit Other than that good work I give it my Four Gorges Mark of Approval <!--emo&::gorge::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/pudgy.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='pudgy.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::gorge::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/pudgy.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='pudgy.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::gorge::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/pudgy.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='pudgy.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::gorge::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/pudgy.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='pudgy.gif'><!--endemo--> ]
Otherwise, I'd recommend you not respond so fast to the people that respond. I know you're probably sitting on the edge of your seat waiting for responses, but it'll probably be a bit easier on your sanity if you let more of a collective opinion develop, about ten posts down the line. This way other people don't feel you're attacking their individual opinions, and are more likely to respond, and you'll be basing your response on a better sampling of the community.
<b>Hirebrand:</b> This skybox actually HAD a nebula to begin with, the camera just wasn't facing it in the last screenshot, and I hadn't put in an light_environment entity yet. <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
Just by putting in a light_environment (It's not too pink, is it? I wanted to match the nebula color without being obnoxious...) and making some changes to the ceiling beams, I seem to have increased detail, reduced texture repetition, created some nifty lighting effects on the floor, and added some color and contrast to the area. Or so it seems to me... I could be wrong.
I know it's still far from perfect (and far from complete!) but I'd like to know if you guys think I've addressed the problems you originally brought to my attention? <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo-->
And thanks to everyone for the feedback! <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> Keep it comin'.
NS for me is dark, eerie and filled with steam and warmth. U know, those places u cannot stay in too long without dying from fear or the surroundings themselves. I would like to see u try some narrow passes and corridors, cuz if u do it the same way.. my god =).
Keep it up.
2. I love it. I like the idea of a commander up top. But it does keep it rather open for attack. I mean...nothing keeping a lurk from flying in and camping away from the turrets and sniping your command chair. Just a thought.
Keep up the good work.
<b>chubbysteve:</b> Yeah, mind-boggling, isn't it? That's exactly the kind of feeling the architects of this space station (a deep-space observatory, in fact) wanted to convey. The "glass" sections are actually made from the same metal as the rest of the station's bulkhead, except with photon-conductive fibers threaded through it at the nano level. When light hits one side of it, it gets transmitted through the fibers and comes out the other side. An eccentric architect was paid a lot of money to design a space station that seemed to encompass all the heavens. I'll make up a name for him by the time the readme comes out.
<b>DarkMantiZ:</b> Around 520 w_polys. And no, I'm not going to fill it with water, but I will definitely add some more detail down there. The commander will provide the furnature. I understand where you are coming from, but trust me, this is the marines spawn. The goal of this room is to lull the players into a false sense of security. Then as they get closer and closer to a hive, things get darker and creepier and more things are broken, until finally... FAM!! FAM FAM FAM! You turn a corner and run into a pack of OCs! Trust me, you'll love the gradually-building creepyness when it's complete.
<b>About Onos access:</b> After thinking about it, I have decided to make the side doors the same size as the front door. I didn't realize this, but most maps have a front door big enough for two onos to crowd past each other with a little effort.
<b>About the ramps and platforms in the spawn room making it too easy to defend:</b> Let me ask you something. You ever tried defending the room with 2 resource nodes in NS_hera? That's what I'm TALKING about. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
The door is too small IMHO, not just because it would be rather difficult to assault through but also because it looks a little out of proportion to the rest of the room.
As far as the ramps and stuff go, my only worry would be that a skulk can race up the side to the command chair while a marine has to go all the way around to rescue it. I didn't realise at first just high up the chair was until I compared it to the door!
The lights halfway up the pillar there are a cool idea, if somewhat useless!
You will find that people tend to look at the ceiling alot less than you would expect so sometimes it's better to keep your detail towards the ground (especially in a marine spawn where aliens shouldn't be up there) but on the other hand try not to make detail that will get in peoples way (slopes can be rather frustrating with tht HL engine).
Keep up the good work, all the screens in this forum are inspiring me to maybe post some of mine sometime!
But wait! "Skulk rushes will be a complete and utter waste of alien-power" in this map, remember? <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
I think a few of you are just begining to realize that something weird like this will make you think of <i>all sorts</i> of unusual tricks and counter-tricks specific to this map, given time.
You might want to add a small bevel going back in before the beams hit the sky texture... like make them get sligtly smaller again? Not sure if that would make it look any better, but at the moment it just looks weird.
Playing maps which do not use the NS textures actually rather put you off the map. That was my experience with ns_freon and ns_penumbra.
I know I *should* have stuck to the default textures, but most of them look so grainy, and Evil's textures look so sweet... and I just couldn't resist! <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo-->
I utterly <i>love</i> the fact that people from BOTH sides are telling me that this layout is unfair. It means I'm on to something that could go either way, depending on what type of strategy the players use, <i>and</i> it's something that none of the original mappers happened to use. This is great! It means players who play my map will develop their <i>own little strategies specifically for use with this map!</i>
Assuming it works in-game the way everyone thinks it will, that is.
-you gotta change the door.. it doesn't match the other textures (the way they appear in-screen)
-the texture of the high cilindrical platform in the middle is a bit dull..
-yes, it'd b great it u added the computers and chairs..
-the roof design is unique, i like it!
-but the architecture and deisgn of the ground is.... quite dull
-darken it
but ey, i'm sure this isn't your final compilation, and thus... i'm sure when you did our suggestions it'd rooock!! <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
On second thought, no, it's a bad idea, because then if the commander jumps out and gets eaten, nobody will be able to get to the CC anymore...
Still, I find it interesting that you people suggest things like that.
<i>Remember Hera!</i> The CC in ns_hera has its OWN LITTLE ROOM, completely sealed off by a CORRIDOR and its own little DOOR and everything! And aliens STILL manage to win on that map half the time!
Work with what I give you. If it doesn't work out during playtesting, and one team has a distinct advantage over the other due to my layout, I will either make the nessesary changes to fix it, or else scrap the map.
<i>Finally, I'd like to remind you people that if I don't seal off the CC, you can put tueets in the 4 corners of the room, any anything that enters the room and heads for the CC will get shot up. And marines can shoot the skulk chewing on the CC from anywhere in the room, too, as long as they are simply on the right SIDE of the CC.</i>
Think strategy, people.
I would add more than one bridge to the command area, or at least consider it.
Is that the only entrance into the marine base? Add another way in...even just a vent, to prevent turtling with a million turrets.
DETAILS! Computers, pipes, wires, girders, flickering lights! GIRDERS. Supports. Beamz! Lighting for down below the CC.
Hoo-hah!
[EDIT] And yeah, a glass texture for the roof would at least be nice. Show me teh new screeniez soon! <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
HOWEVER, I think I must agree with the others that it doesn't remind me of NS. Using the general idea of this room you can definitely make a very nice NS-flavored map with lots of nice contrast, but from what I can see, it all looks a little too BIG and open.
The reason? NS maps are made to be realistic. Not CS realistic, but Sci-Fi realistic. That is to say, it can be as creative as you want, provided it still looks like a really strange space ship, not just a "map in space." While it's true that I've seen just one screenie, it just doesn't give me the feeling of a recently-abandoned spacecraft, just some interesting architecture set to a spacey skybox.
Keep working on it. I've found from my *four* failed map attempts that really big and crazily angled rooms usually don't end up too well in NS, simply because of r_speeds and general looks. Maybe shrink EVERYTHING by a little? Don't give up or start over, you seem to have quite a bit of talent (or at least mapping skills), and this could be a cool map if you change some things around.