Checked out 11th_hr11 and this and FOR ME AT LEAST the paricles in the water hive were not working. Also i decided to see how far apart your hives where and they were only 10 seconds apart. I thought it was a requirment for them to be 30, or is that just running distance for a marines. Might be, i was a skulk and that does make it alot easier, but if it means for skulks as well ur gonna need to fix that.
Big rooms still irritate me, but maybe i could get use to it.
The Wide open spaces i really like, it helps the marines more then the Aliens but i like it, The lighting is great..just lovely.. and the marine spawn is quite nice and open also.
I liked the Middle Cavern room, it had an echo..and the lighting was very interesting and fun...
The only things that i didnt like much were the room names, 2 of the hives looked quite alike.
<!--QuoteBegin--TheScapegoat+Nov 21 2002, 03:45 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (TheScapegoat @ Nov 21 2002, 03:45 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Checked out 11th_hr11 and this and FOR ME AT LEAST the paricles in the water hive were not working. Also i decided to see how far apart your hives where and they were only 10 seconds apart. I thought it was a requirment for them to be 30, or is that just running distance for a marines. Might be, i was a skulk and that does make it alot easier, but if it means for skulks as well ur gonna need to fix that.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> If you read the guidlines you'll find that it's around 30 seconds <i>for a marine with normal loadout</i>. Eleventh Hour was built to see how NS functions with a smaller than usual map (It was being discussed when I started mapping it). It's actually around 20 seconds travel time for a basic marine on foot as I measure it.
If you extracted all the files to the right directories the water hive should be dripping heavily, please check that you have myrain.spr in your ns/sprites directory. Apparently it takes a while for PS to start up when a map loads, so give it a little time, just in case.
kronikwisdom & SpiritMaster : I hope that's sick in a good way. If you extracted all the files to the right directories it should work, please check that you have ns_11th_hr11.spr in your ns/sprites/minimaps directory.
I've just ran through it for the first time. It's rather nice, but could be better. Advice? Don't mind if I do!
The biggest problem is its uniformity of space. There is nothing small here. The rooms are huge, the ceelings are tall, the drops are deep, the corridors are big, the lifts are long. Make some areas cramped, some areas"just big enough." and add a few vents. This place feels like it was designed by giants--or as if its some sort of cathedral (though even cathedrals have small rooms). <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
Second, which you are working on so I won't bug you too much, is the map needs more detail. This is a human structure, people work and/or live here, so they have places to sit when woking at dataterminals and such. Don't forget your station needs entrances, maybe an airlock here and there, cargo bays. More weldables and doors too.
A few small things..
-- You can make the hallways more skulk friendly by making these:
--The lifts need ladders in case they break down, or a gorge builds under them. Some areas need more ladders and are hard to get around without jetpacks.
-- The ladders have a funky shape and look really wierd.
-- "USE" the standard NS lift button / switch. <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->
-- Some areas have abrubt transitions from less echo to more echo.
<!--QuoteBegin--KungFuSquirrel+Nov 20 2002, 10:13 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (KungFuSquirrel @ Nov 20 2002, 10:13 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin--ChromeAngel+Nov 20 2002, 06:12 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (ChromeAngel @ Nov 20 2002, 06:12 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Regarding brightness it has been said that some monitors physically cannot cope with an env_gamma setting of 2 (as used in this map), this may be why it appears overly dark on some systems.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> I hate to have to go defensive again, but I own a Sony/SGI 20" monitor... I'm somehow doubting there's a physical limitation there, heh...<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> Why you using that small monitor? try sony 24" Trinitron WS.. (I have that monitor on home and work)
I agree with Hirebrand's suggestions about the hallways. Many of them could use the same makeover. I have some general suggestions/comments. I apologize if they're not detailed enough to help you.
I think the map feels like NS, but it's only half way. It feels a little rushed.
I think there could be a lot more ambient sounds. In fact, I only noticed one throughout the whole level. Sound is a must have.
I think the level overall could be more detailed. Too many walls are plain, flat floors, etc. Things could stand to be more interesting to look at.
I don't know about game play yet, but I have setup a "Map Test Party" to see what it's like. I've posted the information for my regulars on my forum <a href='http://www.joshbeeler.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=43' target='_blank'>here</a>. Come play with us if you like. Anyway, I'll post my thoughts on game play after I have a chance to play it with others.
I also have a mirror for you: <a href='http://www.joshbeeler.com/doombrigade/files/ns_11th_hr11.zip' target='_blank'>http://www.joshbeeler.com/doombrigade/file...s_11th_hr11.zip</a>
Despite a few minor things, it looks good overall. Good work. Keep mapping.
<defensive> By ambient sounds I take it you mean that deadful screachy alien hive noise. I think you can guess why I didn't include that. It does have several ambient noises, it just happens that they are so ambient you haven't noticed them. I daren't use HL sound effects, because I'll get blasted for it (ns_next taught me that). Few of the NS sound effects are applicable to this map. </defensive>
Due to the way I built 11th Hr its easier to inset the panels between the columns than to deepen the columns themsleves. I also plan to raise the hallway ceiling in a few places to allow skulks to get the drop on marines. I think I'll probably add some L shaped consoles in the corners of the big-somke. I'm dropping the ceiling beams in the cavern to hive more ceiling cover.And i may have to move the ramp hive further from support. Then I have to optimize the r_speeds. Again.
However, for feedback, I would have to say it is much more marine friendly and the aliens have a hard time because there are not many vents, so few little places to hide.
I only played this map once. I think it's too dark. The alien rooms are great, but the Marine spawn is too small, has only one enterence, and is pretty much just a window-box in the wall.
If you'll check the <a href='http://www.natural-selection.org/MappingGuidelines.htm' target='_blank'>official style guide,</a> you'll see that they recommend making the marine start big, well-lit, and with at least two main entrances.
The room you have has three walls and a large open area where a fourth wall could have been if you wanted to make it an official "room." A Fade can chuck a bile bomb in there, and hit about 50% of the room with the splash damage. That is just downright <b>wrong.</b> Your hive locations, on the other hand, seem fine. (Am I correct in guessing that you play as alien a lot?)
If you want to make the map better, I suggest you completely redo the marine spawn so that, you know, the marines can occasionally build things, and then still walk around afterwards. If you *really* wanted to be nice to the marines, you could try making it like Hera or Caged or, you know, <i>any other NS map ever</i> and require more than two ranged attacks to damage every single thing in the room.
And as for the lights, I'm not saying you should light up the ENTIRE map, just the marine areas. Make the marine areas have lights as bright as pre-disaster balck mesa, keep the hives as they are, and make the lighting transition gradually betwen those two extremes as you move from alien country to marine country. Dark corners for ambushes is one thing, but I should not require my flashlight to hit a gorge spitting on me in at the second closest resource node to the marine start. That's just silly.
Looks like the Kharraa aren't any happier than I am... seems like your map could use improvements all around.
It was the area around "big smoke." I could see the node itself just fine, but the gorge was hopping around in the hallways connected to Big Smoke, and spitting at me. I had to turn my light on just to be able to see what I was shooting at. (This was a 2 vs 1 game, since hardly anybody actually had the map at the time, and I found much of the marine play very frustrating. Eventually, a second alien joined, and then it was just no contest.)
I suggest putting a little light fixture in each of the hallways near the marine start, and adding some more lights around big smoke and other nodes. These can be lights that <i>don't illuminate very far,</i> if you want to preserve that dark, moody look. But there's a difference bewteen "scary dark" and "I can't see what the hell I'm doing dark."
Don't add any lights to the alien hives; those are just perfectly dim and spooky. But the rest of the map should generally be brighter, so marines can generally run through a room without tripping over anything. The marine spawn and the first few areas leading off from it should almost be downright cheerful. When a marine low on health runs back to his base, he should see the lights and clean walls and spacious architecture, and combined with the softly beeping sentries, think "God, it's good to be home!" <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
Your general layout seems okay, though more vents is always a good thing for the Khaara. Follow the style guide, and don't connect hives to other hives, or hives to the marine start, but instead connect the rooms a little ways outside of hives to choke points near the center of the map.
Good luck with all this. Your new marine room looks bigger, anyway. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> Perhpas if you really wanted to mix it up, you could make the marine spawn a kind of an L shpae that goes around the corner, so that it has 2 doors, one facing down each of the hallways there? Could make it more interesting.
I just realised that if I make that new MS, Fades will have no way to get from 'The Cavern' to 'Big Smoke' without walking through the MS (unless they want to go though the support hive, which is a looong route).
It has to be fair to have shadows in those hallways WarpZone, it is right outside the Water hive after all.
Here's what i've done with the 'big smoke' so far...
The long straight hallway from 'Two Arches' to 'Cold Steel' has been cut and 'The Courtyard' has been moved over there. 'Cold Steel' had to be cut to make room for 'The Courtyard' in it's new location.
Aside from adding vents into the MS I really can't see anywhere they would be needed, if you have ideas please post them.
I plan to add a few alcoves (see attached) to the remaining corridors that are short on cover, this should help the aliens out.
I juts played an extremely fun game of this yesterday!! Of course, "extremely fun" being defined as "aliens winning" <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
That marine room thing is SO fun to play around with. Lerk + Scent of Fear + Spore Cloud = hilarious. Fire the spores, and up pop the marine indicators!!!
However, you might want to add another entrance to the marine base. They can weld that door to Big Smoke (as I found out) which leaves only the main arch area to get in (it gets pretty spammed with grenades).
Oh, and I like your alcoves, but as someone was saying, the arches in the ceiling need to come out more so aliens can hide behind them. This alien-helping thing could be balanced by adding a few lights in a few places.
The floor is very repetative, hallways are far too long, too dark, the level itself is too big, and there REALLY need to be lots of vents...i refuse to believe that a place that big dosnt have some sort of heating and cooling. Now to go into detail why...
Floor, well...that red floor is used everywhere in that map. The hallways are FAR to long, marines have a huge advantage over aliens running down them. All during the map I had to look very hard to try and spot a marine who could just be hidign out in the open because it was so dark. The level being too big is probably an illusion by having such HUGE hallways. Vents...just not enough
I have some input for you Chrome. I do like your map and it does have some interesting possabilities but, could use some help. I'll show you what I meen. <img src='http://www.killerz.dns2go.com/images/11th-hour.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image'> The area labled "two arches" is a major choke point in the map because the marines and aliens both have to walk through this point because there are no ladders in "ramp" and "support" hives to get up the walls.
See where I have the "X" in the coridor between "cold steel chapel" and "two arches"? If the marines manage to put a siege turret there, it can reach both "ramp" and "support" hives. Those two hives are too close together.
The maps overall size is kinda small compaired to the other NS maps and you can move around from one end to the other rather quickly. It could use a few more rooms and more doors. Some of the ducts should be able to weld shut. Most of the rooms are large and spacious and offer very little cover for the weaker aliens. Most of the coridors are long and strait and can make aliens easy pray. Creating jug handles in some of these coridors may help.
Also the jug handle coridor near the "water hive" could use more detail and better use of texture choises. All in all, it's not a bad looking map. Implementing fixes for the issues I mentioned and I think you have a winner. Keep up the good work.
As I mentioned earlier that long straight corrider has been removed, the sloping hallway next to it hasn't been changed <i>yet</i>, but it will be. Ramp hive has been moved further away from support, sieges can no-longer reach both hives.
Not sure which you mean by jug handle sandman. North or South of the water hive?
Here's the minimap of my latest work in progress build (see if you can spot the changes).
Yea I agree you should add another entrance to the marine base. Unfair to the aliens to only have 1 attack point. Marines can just turret farm that 1 opening. Also, on that one main elevator near marine base, perhaps put like some supports on it so it doesn't look like its just rising magically. Also, several of those wide hallways are kinda bare (but I like what you did with several of the smaller halls), perhaps you could put like indented windows or something. That or make the halls not a long rectangle, perhaps change the shape of them or make them curve or something? I definatelly like your lighting though, and I also like the waterhive, but is it maybe too high in the air? Perhaps but a platform on wall and have it hang from it? Also since its got all that water dripping down, maybe put a waterpool at bottom to indicate its building up. Also maybe make that hive more than just a tall rectange? Perhaps put in some pillars, or add a junction in the room. That was my initial impressions, I'm gonna run through the map again and I'll post my new findings. Ok, maybe put like a lowered area under elevator that someone could hide in? Also it might be nice to expand ventilation system, perhaps have it start from that lower area I suggested under elevator? Also in the skonk works area, there is a pipe going from those 3 generator things and it just stops in the air. Is it supposed to be broken or something? Perhaps if so, put the broken piece leaning against the wall, it wouldn't have just disappeared. Also, maybe you should rework some of the hives partly, cause to get up to different areas you really gotta be aliens cause all the ladders are kinda unfair to marines I personally think. Maybe a ramp or something. I seem to be nit picking alot but I'm just trying to help you make your map better. I am also planning to do a NS map very soon , now that I got it all figured out for NS, and I hope someone is as crictical with me as I am with you.
Sorry about that. I don't know what you call this but it's what I would call a jug handle because of it's shape. Looking at this picture, you'll notice how these textures just don't look like they belong. I saw a lot of small changes in the updated minimap and can't wait to see it in play.
Ok, I dunno if its just me and my friend, but all the alien upgrades, structures, evolving costs only 2 resources, and it all builds or upgrades really quick. That and after doing several walk arounds as marine and alien, I think its an alien biased map, takes quite a while or is hard to get to many areas as marine, especially since some of the drops are huge and you cant get back up unless you go long way around.
Yeah, that's another thing. Add some frickin' ladders! <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
Stingeragent, I think you were playing in dev mode or something. <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo-->
<!--QuoteBegin--Windelkron+Nov 26 2002, 04:28 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Windelkron @ Nov 26 2002, 04:28 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Funnage! But add another entrance to the marine base, unless you've taken out the weldable door.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> The weldable door is history. It was a mistake, it seems to have un-balanecd the whole map in the aliens favor.
Since I posted that map I added a vent between big smoke and the marine base. I shal need to test it soon to see how my changes are effecting gameplay.
I was considering having a pipe you could swim up/down to get between the two halves of the water hive, since a ladder or platfrom didn't seem to fit the scene.
I played this map the other day on The Doom Brigade. I enjoyed it, and my only real problem with the map was that I had a hard time figuring out which Hive I was at, as they all looked similar to me. There also aren't many hiding spots, though it looks as you have fixed that already. It's a good map, it could use some tweaks here and there, but it's nice to see some new maps come in.
Comments
Big rooms still irritate me, but maybe i could get use to it.
The Wide open spaces i really like, it helps the marines more then the Aliens but i like it, The lighting is great..just lovely.. and the marine spawn is quite nice and open also.
I liked the Middle Cavern room, it had an echo..and the lighting was very interesting and fun...
The only things that i didnt like much were the room names, 2 of the hives looked quite alike.
GJ fun map!
If you read the guidlines you'll find that it's around 30 seconds <i>for a marine with normal loadout</i>. Eleventh Hour was built to see how NS functions with a smaller than usual map (It was being discussed when I started mapping it). It's actually around 20 seconds travel time for a basic marine on foot as I measure it.
If you extracted all the files to the right directories the water hive should be dripping heavily, please check that you have myrain.spr in your ns/sprites directory. Apparently it takes a while for PS to start up when a map loads, so give it a little time, just in case.
kronikwisdom & SpiritMaster : I hope that's sick in a good way.
If you extracted all the files to the right directories it should work, please check that you have ns_11th_hr11.spr in your ns/sprites/minimaps directory.
The biggest problem is its uniformity of space. There is nothing small here. The rooms are huge, the ceelings are tall, the drops are deep, the corridors are big, the lifts are long. Make some areas cramped, some areas"just big enough." and add a few vents. This place feels like it was designed by giants--or as if its some sort of cathedral (though even cathedrals have small rooms). <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
Second, which you are working on so I won't bug you too much, is the map needs more detail. This is a human structure, people work and/or live here, so they have places to sit when woking at dataterminals and such. Don't forget your station needs entrances, maybe an airlock here and there, cargo bays. More weldables and doors too.
A few small things..
-- You can make the hallways more skulk friendly by making these:
<img src='http://hirebrand.homestead.com/files/NS/ex.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image'>
bigger, so they stick out further.
--The lifts need ladders in case they break down, or a gorge builds under them. Some areas need more ladders and are hard to get around without jetpacks.
-- The ladders have a funky shape and look really wierd.
-- "USE" the standard NS lift button / switch. <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->
-- Some areas have abrubt transitions from less echo to more echo.
I hate to have to go defensive again, but I own a Sony/SGI 20" monitor... I'm somehow doubting there's a physical limitation there, heh...<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Why you using that small monitor? try sony 24" Trinitron WS.. (I have that monitor on home and work)
I think the map feels like NS, but it's only half way. It feels a little rushed.
I think there could be a lot more ambient sounds. In fact, I only noticed one throughout the whole level. Sound is a must have.
I think the level overall could be more detailed. Too many walls are plain, flat floors, etc. Things could stand to be more interesting to look at.
I don't know about game play yet, but I have setup a "Map Test Party" to see what it's like. I've posted the information for my regulars on my forum <a href='http://www.joshbeeler.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=43' target='_blank'>here</a>. Come play with us if you like. Anyway, I'll post my thoughts on game play after I have a chance to play it with others.
I also have a mirror for you:
<a href='http://www.joshbeeler.com/doombrigade/files/ns_11th_hr11.zip' target='_blank'>http://www.joshbeeler.com/doombrigade/file...s_11th_hr11.zip</a>
Despite a few minor things, it looks good overall. Good work. Keep mapping.
By ambient sounds I take it you mean that deadful screachy alien hive noise. I think you can guess why I didn't include that. It does have several ambient noises, it just happens that they are so ambient you haven't noticed them. I daren't use HL sound effects, because I'll get blasted for it (ns_next taught me that). Few of the NS sound effects are applicable to this map.
</defensive>
Due to the way I built 11th Hr its easier to inset the panels between the columns than to deepen the columns themsleves. I also plan to raise the hallway ceiling in a few places to allow skulks to get the drop on marines. I think I'll probably add some L shaped consoles in the corners of the big-somke. I'm dropping the ceiling beams in the cavern to hive more ceiling cover.And i may have to move the ramp hive further from support. Then I have to optimize the r_speeds. Again.
However, for feedback, I would have to say it is much more marine friendly and the aliens have a hard time because there are not many vents, so few little places to hide.
If you'll check the <a href='http://www.natural-selection.org/MappingGuidelines.htm' target='_blank'>official style guide,</a> you'll see that they recommend making the marine start big, well-lit, and with at least two main entrances.
The room you have has three walls and a large open area where a fourth wall could have been if you wanted to make it an official "room." A Fade can chuck a bile bomb in there, and hit about 50% of the room with the splash damage. That is just downright <b>wrong.</b> Your hive locations, on the other hand, seem fine. (Am I correct in guessing that you play as alien a lot?)
If you want to make the map better, I suggest you completely redo the marine spawn so that, you know, the marines can occasionally build things, and then still walk around afterwards. If you *really* wanted to be nice to the marines, you could try making it like Hera or Caged or, you know, <i>any other NS map ever</i> and require more than two ranged attacks to damage every single thing in the room.
And as for the lights, I'm not saying you should light up the ENTIRE map, just the marine areas. Make the marine areas have lights as bright as pre-disaster balck mesa, keep the hives as they are, and make the lighting transition gradually betwen those two extremes as you move from alien country to marine country. Dark corners for ambushes is one thing, but I should not require my flashlight to hit a gorge spitting on me in at the second closest resource node to the marine start. That's just silly.
Looks like the Kharraa aren't any happier than I am... seems like your map could use improvements all around.
The most gaulling thing is...
...he's bloody right. <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo-->
Yes I do play as aliens a lot (mainly because of all the n00bs on the marine team). Which node was so dark you needed your flashlight?
I have sketched out a new MS layout (attached), I may add vents from 'big smoke' and 'the cavern'.
Comment on the proposed MS please.
I suggest putting a little light fixture in each of the hallways near the marine start, and adding some more lights around big smoke and other nodes. These can be lights that <i>don't illuminate very far,</i> if you want to preserve that dark, moody look. But there's a difference bewteen "scary dark" and "I can't see what the hell I'm doing dark."
Don't add any lights to the alien hives; those are just perfectly dim and spooky. But the rest of the map should generally be brighter, so marines can generally run through a room without tripping over anything. The marine spawn and the first few areas leading off from it should almost be downright cheerful. When a marine low on health runs back to his base, he should see the lights and clean walls and spacious architecture, and combined with the softly beeping sentries, think "God, it's good to be home!" <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
Your general layout seems okay, though more vents is always a good thing for the Khaara. Follow the style guide, and don't connect hives to other hives, or hives to the marine start, but instead connect the rooms a little ways outside of hives to choke points near the center of the map.
Good luck with all this. Your new marine room looks bigger, anyway. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> Perhpas if you really wanted to mix it up, you could make the marine spawn a kind of an L shpae that goes around the corner, so that it has 2 doors, one facing down each of the hallways there? Could make it more interesting.
I just realised that if I make that new MS, Fades will have no way to get from 'The Cavern' to 'Big Smoke' without walking through the MS (unless they want to go though the support hive, which is a looong route).
It has to be fair to have shadows in those hallways WarpZone, it is right outside the Water hive after all.
Here's what i've done with the 'big smoke' so far...
Aside from adding vents into the MS I really can't see anywhere they would be needed, if you have ideas please post them.
I plan to add a few alcoves (see attached) to the remaining corridors that are short on cover, this should help the aliens out.
That marine room thing is SO fun to play around with. Lerk + Scent of Fear + Spore Cloud = hilarious. Fire the spores, and up pop the marine indicators!!!
However, you might want to add another entrance to the marine base. They can weld that door to Big Smoke (as I found out) which leaves only the main arch area to get in (it gets pretty spammed with grenades).
Oh, and I like your alcoves, but as someone was saying, the arches in the ceiling need to come out more so aliens can hide behind them. This alien-helping thing could be balanced by adding a few lights in a few places.
PS: This map made me absolutely love blink.
The floor is very repetative, hallways are far too long, too dark, the level itself is too big, and there REALLY need to be lots of vents...i refuse to believe that a place that big dosnt have some sort of heating and cooling.
Now to go into detail why...
Floor, well...that red floor is used everywhere in that map.
The hallways are FAR to long, marines have a huge advantage over aliens running down them.
All during the map I had to look very hard to try and spot a marine who could just be hidign out in the open because it was so dark.
The level being too big is probably an illusion by having such HUGE hallways.
Vents...just not enough
The area labled "two arches" is a major choke point in the map because the marines and aliens both have to walk through this point because there are no ladders in "ramp" and "support" hives to get up the walls.
See where I have the "X" in the coridor between "cold steel chapel" and "two arches"? If the marines manage to put a siege turret there, it can reach both "ramp" and "support" hives. Those two hives are too close together.
The maps overall size is kinda small compaired to the other NS maps and you can move around from one end to the other rather quickly. It could use a few more rooms and more doors. Some of the ducts should be able to weld shut. Most of the rooms are large and spacious and offer very little cover for the weaker aliens. Most of the coridors are long and strait and can make aliens easy pray. Creating jug handles in some of these coridors may help.
Also the jug handle coridor near the "water hive" could use more detail and better use of texture choises. All in all, it's not a bad looking map. Implementing fixes for the issues I mentioned and I think you have a winner. Keep up the good work.
Not sure which you mean by jug handle sandman. North or South of the water hive?
Here's the minimap of my latest work in progress build (see if you can spot the changes).
Ok, maybe put like a lowered area under elevator that someone could hide in? Also it might be nice to expand ventilation system, perhaps have it start from that lower area I suggested under elevator? Also in the skonk works area, there is a pipe going from those 3 generator things and it just stops in the air. Is it supposed to be broken or something? Perhaps if so, put the broken piece leaning against the wall, it wouldn't have just disappeared. Also, maybe you should rework some of the hives partly, cause to get up to different areas you really gotta be aliens cause all the ladders are kinda unfair to marines I personally think. Maybe a ramp or something. I seem to be nit picking alot but I'm just trying to help you make your map better. I am also planning to do a NS map very soon , now that I got it all figured out for NS, and I hope someone is as crictical with me as I am with you.
Stingeragent, I think you were playing in dev mode or something. <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo-->
The weldable door is history. It was a mistake, it seems to have un-balanecd the whole map in the aliens favor.
Since I posted that map I added a vent between big smoke and the marine base. I shal need to test it soon to see how my changes are effecting gameplay.
I was considering having a pipe you could swim up/down to get between the two halves of the water hive, since a ladder or platfrom didn't seem to fit the scene.
enable cheats on a server or a lan game and in console type
buildminimap
it takes a few minutes, but when its done you get a minimap!