Posted by satchmo on Fri Oct 21st at 5:08am 2005
I like your creativity and thinking outside the box.
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Posted by KoRnFlakes on Fri Oct 21st at 8:03am 2005
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Posted by Underdog on Fri Oct 21st at 12:31pm 2005
#4.
Would have been 5 but, I reserve those for truly horrific maps.
I think we should come up with a whole bunch of names for these type maps.
So far we have:
1) Killbox's
2) Killcircles
3) Now we have this map, a "Killskybox" " SRC="images/smiles/icon_lol.gif">
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Posted by ReNo on Fri Oct 21st at 12:48pm 2005
I've never played a surf map before, don't even know how it works really, but I guess by their very nature its hard to do one that is really good looking. I don't quite know how you hit upon the word "beautiful" to describe this to be honest - it may well be creatively designed and quite distinct, but it's no oil painting.
I'd go with non-directional textures that aren't so obnoxious when used over such large surfaces if I were you. I'd also suggest adding some trims around the edges - if it's quite distinctly different to the "bulk" texture you use then it will help bring out the shapes and define their shape better too.
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Posted by swej on Fri Oct 21st at 12:49pm 2005
Posted by Captain P on Fri Oct 21st at 1:10pm 2005
For surf maps, wouldn't it be much better to give it an actual 'surf' theme? Some sort of transparant wave-textured brushes, with beach and wood platform parts in between? At least something different than the standard metal theme...
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Posted by Underdog on Fri Oct 21st at 1:13pm 2005
To be more informative on my part:
There is a map sort of like this one and if I can find it again, I will post a link. The only complaint that I had about it was its gargantuan download size. There was absolutely no way to run it online in a server because it was just not realistic. I am not saying this one will follow suit, but it is a consideration when creating this style of map.
I do not usually play these styles of map because I truly hate maps where falling off of things is an ever present situation. However, if done well, it can entice.
As to this map, the texture choices are currently its most obvious shortfall. One can have maps of this nature and never use the same texture more than once. I always found it difficult to understand how people can envision maps so well, but cannot texture them worth a damn.
I will go look for that other map. I may not be able to get a link, but if I can find the name, then you can look for it and possibly find it and then you will have a model of what this kind of map should look like when you complete it.
Surfing may be a different playing style than the map I am referring to, but architecturally, its similar.
BRB
[edit]
This is what a great platform map should look like. As I said, its only shortfall was its 40 meg, unzipped file size. It was just to unrealistic to place on any server. Even zipped its a fair sized file.
Use it as a model for your results.
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Posted by Dark|Killer on Fri Oct 21st at 1:36pm 2005
Rated: Good
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Posted by Andrei on Fri Oct 21st at 1:58pm 2005
It still needs a lot of chiselling, especially when it comes to texturing. It's pretty intersting to look at, though it gives me a nasty sensation of randomness, the kind of feeling you have looking at someone's first attempts at mapping.
Posted by Underdog on Fri Oct 21st at 2:24pm 2005
Every time I see a poll of this nature I cannot help thinking that one must throw out the high and low scores.
firstly because, a map like this could never be considered excellent by anyone unless they are biased in some way.
secondly, on the opposite extreme, it could not be considered terrible for the same reasons. It compiled, and it appears to be error free in spite of its ugliness.
One has to wonder the reasons for the votes though. They must have had interesting experiences to encourage the options. 
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Posted by swej on Fri Oct 21st at 2:25pm 2005
I'm considering posting the beta so people can actually open it and see the work i've done in a more blown up porportion. This map certainly is no kill box, I designed it so KDRs are postive! I know how to texture well, I made a map of my school where I made 60 different custom textures and used every last one. There is a scheme to the textures I used, plus with an env_cubemap.. the textures look quite hott. I'll definitely make this map downloadable in a few minutes.
START THE DOWNLOAD! I appreciate anyone who takes this map for a spin, hopefuly the big picture inclines anyone in a more postive direction. And I did optmize this map, i've played it on a atleast 6 other computers, I beta tested this map on my server and other users have no problem running it. See for yourself, thanks!
TRIPOD = GAY, i'm trying to host somewhere else
Posted by Dark_Kilauea on Fri Oct 21st at 5:25pm 2005
I like some of the complex geometry. Your texturing however is repetitive. Here's a rule of thumb, rarely should the floors, walls, or ceilings of any room be textured the same.
Otherwise, you seem to be learning well, keep up the work.
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Posted by swej on Fri Oct 21st at 6:14pm 2005
Posted by habboi on Fri Oct 21st at 6:21pm 2005
I find surf maps quite entertaining for a while...
Your map at first stunned me not cause of the metal but the mountain textures look good...Are they HL2 default? Anyway your displacements are good and the metal blends well...
My only negative is your name made of brushes...Looks weird.
Posted by Windows 98 on Fri Oct 21st at 6:47pm 2005
A surf map is a map that has slope for you to... slide on. If you hold the opposite direction then you can stay on it and slide, and if anyone one here has played a surf map then youd get the picture.
http://www.csbanana.com/?section=viewlist.maps.maps.main.56
There is a whole genre of maps like this (im saying this because most of you play HL2DM). It is either hated, or loved by people. Not a lot of people a in the middle about it, some people like habboi think they are good fun for a bit.
Now, compared to other surf maps, this map is very well done. Stop complaining about the texturing, your not supposed to texture surf maps correctly/good. And it seems he took the time to do it anyway.
Rated: Good
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Posted by Captain P on Fri Oct 21st at 6:58pm 2005
Some people like to see something nice while having fun, you know...
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Posted by Dark|Killer on Fri Oct 21st at 7:40pm 2005
I liked it, it was really fun, i love it lol..
But hey, there are some places that are hard to reach, for example, in the first slope, when you go down, you should go right, there are like 3 triangles for you to jump on, i had some hard time reaching the last, and the one that goes up to the ring, its really hard to go up with no HIGH speed..
Fix these and this map will be fun and superb
Overall, nice map, im looking to download the map when you're 100% done
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Posted by swej on Fri Oct 21st at 9:25pm 2005
There is a map sort of like this one and if I can find it again, I will post a link. The only complaint that I had about it was its gargantuan download size. There was absolutely no way to run it online in a server because it was just not realistic. I am not saying this one will follow suit, but it is a consideration when creating this style of map.
I do not usually play these styles of map because I truly hate maps where falling off of things is an ever present situation. However, if done well, it can entice.
As to this map, the texture choices are currently its most obvious shortfall. One can have maps of this nature and never use the same texture more than once. I always found it difficult to understand how people can envision maps so well, but cannot texture them worth a damn.
I will go look for that other map. I may not be able to get a link, but if I can find the name, then you can look for it and possibly find it and then you will have a model of what this kind of map should look like when you complete it.
Surfing may be a different playing style than the map I am referring to, but architecturally, its similar.
BRB
[edit]
This is what a great platform map should look like. As I said, its only shortfall was its 40 meg, unzipped file size. It was just to unrealistic to place on any server. Even zipped its a fair sized file.
Use it as a model for your results.
Well i checked out that map, it's for a different mod! It is not a surf map, I see what you mean by how it looks like mine. But the only similarity are the blue and white combine textures.. obiously since our texutres are similar, they look the same.. but that isn't a surf map.. surf maps have to have jagged edges and triangles. If you ever built a surf map you would see why they look like that, the brushes in agora look displaced and i do not believe surf maps should have that kind of displacement in it. But if there will ever be a "surf_swej_2" then I will try displacement in my ramps.
Posted by fishy on Fri Oct 21st at 9:47pm 2005
i voted terrible, just to try and balance out the fact that you called it beautiful. it didn't work though. 
i've always hated those 'random block' type textures, so having one covering so so much of a map looks, to me, very very bad. [no matter what the gameplay]
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