My version of a server room

zastelszastels Join Date: 2003-11-29 Member: 23731Members
in Mapping
<div class="IPBDescription">NS2_BasilRun</div>Hey everyone, I've been working hard on my NS2 map. I completed my greybox to about 90% and decided to start detailing a section for fun. Tram recently got a new server room, so I decided I would have my own go at it. I'm still new to Spark, I have a lot to learn, and my goal is to have this map ready for the retail launch of NS2.

My goal is to embody the essence of NS1 in my NS2 map. I do this by trying to use a full range of colour, having lots of sci-fi looking forms with a sci-fi function. I want each map section to be very different, and I want each section to be iconic. This server room is actually part of an underground river system. Water flows over giant heatsinks that are cooling the servers, and the steam created from the cooling process is vented out.

I'm dedicated towards making this map competitively viable, and publicly fun. Optimization is something I do not take lightly, I want people on low end system to be able to play my map. Right now it is only partially optimized, which means nothing besides the room you're seeing is being rendered. I've attached a screenshot with r_stats enabled. Yes, I have a lot of lights : )

My map is called BasilRun, it is a facility dedicated to being self sufficient in terms of energy. It consist of a biodome based around a natural hydroponic system, a promontory which acts as ventilation through the facility, pristine white laboratories, and more.

I consider this alpha 1, but please provide feedback if you wish. My draw calls are a bit high, same with my lights, but on my current hardware it does not appear to be a problem, I get about 70 fps. I'm on a AMD 6950 2gb, AMD 8120 bulldozer.

<a href="http://i.imgur.com/BYGfM.jpg" target="_blank">http://i.imgur.com/BYGfM.jpg</a>
<a href="http://i.imgur.com/Ky76J.jpg" target="_blank">http://i.imgur.com/Ky76J.jpg</a> (r_stats enabled)

Here is a video I made of a quick walk around.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8WaDUnh54Y&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8WaDUnh54Y...eature=youtu.be</a>

Enjoy!
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Comments

  • DrakennzDrakennz Join Date: 2012-03-11 Member: 148620Members
    How did you enable fog and get the fans to spin dude??? :-)
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  • Soul_RiderSoul_Rider Mod Bean Join Date: 2004-06-19 Member: 29388Members, Constellation, Squad Five Blue
    Looks beautiful, but if you are getting 52fps, I would expect about 15. :(

    Max recommended under 1000 draw calls, if you could get yours down to that sort of level I might hit 25-30 fps :)
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  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    edited March 2012
    <!--quoteo(post=1919126:date=Mar 28 2012, 10:31 PM:name=Drakennz)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Drakennz @ Mar 28 2012, 10:31 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1919126"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->How did you enable fog and get the fans to spin dude??? :-)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    prop dynamic only starts spinning when the round has been started (cheats 1 for example) currently, and the steam/fog is a cinematic



    I like the look you've got going, quite original NS indeed. All except the purple bit at the center, it kinda looks out of place...
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  • DrakennzDrakennz Join Date: 2012-03-11 Member: 148620Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1919171:date=Mar 29 2012, 01:24 PM:name=Kouji_San)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Kouji_San @ Mar 29 2012, 01:24 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1919171"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->prop dynamic only starts spinning when the round has been started (cheats 1 for example) currently, and the steam/fog is a cinematic



    I like the look you've got going, quite original NS indeed. All except the purple bit at the center, it kinda looks out of place...<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Thanks Kouji_san - So how do i add the cinematic for the fog as i really want to add fog to a part of my map but cant for the life of me figure out how to do so?
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  • zastelszastels Join Date: 2003-11-29 Member: 23731Members
    edited March 2012
    I didn't add fog.

    What you may be mistaking the fog for is a spotlight with atmospheric density, or the particles of steam jetting out which is a cinematic. It could also be an illusion from my environment light not quite reaching the extents of the level, letting it fade to a darker colour.

    There is a fog_controller entity, but I haven't used it yet.
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  • DrakennzDrakennz Join Date: 2012-03-11 Member: 148620Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1919178:date=Mar 29 2012, 01:41 PM:name=zastels)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (zastels @ Mar 29 2012, 01:41 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1919178"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I didn't add fog.

    What you may be mistaking the fog for is a spotlight with atmospheric density, or the particles of steam jetting out which is a cinematic. It could also be an illusion from my environment light not quite reaching the extents of the level, letting it fade to a darker colour.

    There is a fog_controller entity, but I haven't used it yet.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Yeah i mean the steam jet thing... lol
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  • zastelszastels Join Date: 2003-11-29 Member: 23731Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1919180:date=Mar 28 2012, 07:46 PM:name=Drakennz)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Drakennz @ Mar 28 2012, 07:46 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1919180"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Yeah i mean the steam jet thing... lol<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    What I did was boot up the cinematic editor and checked out which particle effects I liked. Much more efficient than loading up the game. Once you pick your particle (I'm not at home or I'd tell you specifically which one it is), create a cinematic entity, and select the particle file (also called cinematic) from the list.
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  • zombiehellmonkeyzombiehellmonkey Join Date: 2007-08-31 Member: 62093Members, Squad Five Blue
    Starting to look very good, but I feel there are too many colours in that room at the moment without any transition/gradient - bring them closer together and it will look more coherent. The fans and particle effects look like they're actually working to cool the room. I likey very much.
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  • john_bjohn_b Join Date: 2011-03-10 Member: 85608Members
    <img src="http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff34/Blade4509/vg69868_i-came.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

    EPIC WIN

    It's about time maps felt NS1 again.
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  • IndustryIndustry Esteemed Gentleman Join Date: 2010-07-13 Member: 72344Members, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Supporter
    Looks really good. My only criticism would be the floor, I find it to be a little out of place. Maybe break that texture up with some trim to give it a bit more visual variety.
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  • peregrinusperegrinus Join Date: 2010-07-16 Member: 72445Members
    Really strong visuals in that room.

    What's the blue under the floor? Coolant for the servers? It looks a bit odd...all that blue...

    The vent smoke is a nice touch I'm surprised more people haven't used that in their maps.
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  • john_bjohn_b Join Date: 2011-03-10 Member: 85608Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1919473:date=Mar 29 2012, 01:08 PM:name=peregrinus)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (peregrinus @ Mar 29 2012, 01:08 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1919473"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Really strong visuals in that room.

    What's the blue under the floor? Coolant for the servers? It looks a bit odd...all that blue...

    The vent smoke is a nice touch I'm surprised more people haven't used that in their maps.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    It's a placeholder water texture
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  • AsranielAsraniel Join Date: 2002-06-03 Member: 724Members, Playtest Lead, Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester, Retired Community Developer
    looks nice. but you should use less colors for lights. There are yellow, green, red and probably blue lights. For example, replace the green lights with yellow ones, the red ones should probably become yellow too.

    Other than that its a nice architecture and i really love the smoke :)
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  • roCosroCos Join Date: 2009-06-04 Member: 67685Members
    looks neat, but i have to agree, there a bit too much colors. something like a gradient or just a good crossing between the colors would be helpful
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  • AurOn2AurOn2 COOKIES&#33; FREEDOM, AND BISCUITS&#33; Australia Join Date: 2012-01-13 Member: 140224Members, Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Forum staff
    and less of a heart attack on pc's! I hope if yo u make a map from this you don't make the hallways too detailed!
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  • zastelszastels Join Date: 2003-11-29 Member: 23731Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1923457:date=Apr 9 2012, 05:10 AM:name=AuroN2)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (AuroN2 @ Apr 9 2012, 05:10 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1923457"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->and less of a heart attack on pc's! I hope if yo u make a map from this you don't make the hallways too detailed!<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    I'll max the detail out best I can while preserving a very modest overhead in performance.

    If people can't play my map because of performance issues, then I blew it!
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  • SmaugSmaug Join Date: 2011-05-23 Member: 100283Members
    edited April 2012
    Out of curiosity, how did you make the placeholder water texture? If you could show me the way, I'd really like to use it in my map too, but it's not important if it is a super sekret :<

    Edit: And I really like the look of the room, really good work!
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  • ScardyBobScardyBob ScardyBob Join Date: 2009-11-25 Member: 69528Forum Admins, Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow
    More like the server lair :)

    This must be the mother supercomputer for all those nanites.

    Good work!
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  • paradoxumparadoxum United Kingdom Join Date: 2012-03-05 Member: 148193Members
    woah that server room looks epic. EPIC.
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  • XariusXarius Join Date: 2003-12-21 Member: 24630Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    Looks like google's server room no doubt.
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  • Evil_bOb1Evil_bOb1 Join Date: 2002-07-13 Member: 938Members, Squad Five Blue
    This looks very cool. A little warning though. Looking from r_stats you already have +1600 draw calls, +300 lights and nearly 600 models in that scene. I don't know if there are other things being rendered that we can't see and if you have occluded them, but this is a very heavy scene. Plus the many particle effects.

    When a game is running there are also a massive amount of game entities and models running in parallel. Not the mention the game code.

    Try to be more expressive with less. Try to imply things rather than showing us everything.
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  • TechercizerTechercizer 7th Player Join Date: 2011-06-11 Member: 103832Members
    edited April 2012
    I'm definitely not a mapper, but I'm tired of playing Tram, Summit, and Mineshaft to "imagine" details that are "implied" in fundamentally grey/uniform environments.

    OP's Server Room might be colourful, it might be intensive, and it might even be impractical to play, but it's nice to see someone bothering to make something that actually looks <i>nice</i> in the NS2 tools. I like that he has lots of colours; it's a welcome departure from the norm.

    I'd run it if I thought anyone else could render it. Otherwise, I'd use it as a solo practice map =P
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  • Evil_bOb1Evil_bOb1 Join Date: 2002-07-13 Member: 938Members, Squad Five Blue
    Well, a creation of man is always an implication of what he is able to perceive of reality. So what you are looking for won't be found in a video-game which will always be an abstraction limited by technology. Even reality is limited by our perception of it and calls for imagination to be able to feel all what is going around us and open our senses and develop our imagination.
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  • TechercizerTechercizer 7th Player Join Date: 2011-06-11 Member: 103832Members
    While I support your statement on a philosophical level, I repudiate any potential implication it has on the colorfulness and variety of maps. I've been in some extremely colourful labs in my time, both due to visual information systems in some places and due to haphazard assemblies of equipment. I'd also point to this room as an example of a colourful, varied environment (though potentially an impractical one due to resource requirements).
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  • Evil_bOb1Evil_bOb1 Join Date: 2002-07-13 Member: 938Members, Squad Five Blue
    Well, my warning was mostly on a technical level rather than number of colors or visuals in any sense. I am sure the same feel can be achieved with much less strain on the system was what I was trying to point out.

    :)
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  • TechercizerTechercizer 7th Player Join Date: 2011-06-11 Member: 103832Members
    I sure hope so, and I look forward to playing more and more maps of differing kinds and themes as performance improves and the game comes closer to release.
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