Posted by DrGlass on Fri May 27th 2005 at 5:51pm

Thanks for the intrest =) I think I'll come back to this map later, but right now other projects are more important.

Posted by DrGlass on Fri May 13th 2005 at 5:02am

I did, I hand most wall and floor light maps at 4 and I think that caused quite a bit of performance lag. So I bumped most of them up to 8 or back to 16.

am I wrong to think that lightmaps affect in game fps?
[addsig]

Posted by Juim on Fri May 13th 2005 at 4:04am

Love the map except I cant see the rock textures outside??? (untextured, and only the rock texture!)

Is my HL corrupted?

Posted by Addicted to Morphine on Tue May 10th 2005 at 1:20am

Hey Doc,

I did a run through and took a bunch of shots to give you comments before I saw that you were going to drop this map. Bottom line is I really really like the aesthetics of the map. The architecture, the texturing, the scope of the map in general... these are all things I liked a lot. Unfortunately like other people have said it's very very dark. But that can be easily remedied. The connectivity is poor. But this can be fixed by adding more teleporters (you already have one in there). The performance was poor on my computer as well. I'm not sure how you can fix that... as I'm not very familiar with techniques to increase FPS.

Anyway -- I wanted to show you the shot by shot breakdown just in case you decide to come back to the map.


The first time I spawned it was in the elevator. I walked right through the grate on the elevator without it opening. Then I noticed the TV screen and went "ooh, ahh" a moving camera! I really like this camera effect you had on all your moniters.


The smoke looked funny here as it just sort of... went through the ceiling. If you added a grate for a vent system or something it would look better.


Skybox awkwardness.


I wouldn't crouch-walk all the way down there just for the two energy balls, 1 health thing, and 2 batteries (especially since the batteries can be picked up in the hallway through the grill). It looks really nice, but I would make it easier to get in and out of that area.


It's a nitpick but you might want to fix that.


I'm not sure how you would fix the texturing, but it looks weird the way it is.


I really like this area. A lot. It's simple, but curves are sexy.


I can't see a thing. Which is unfortunate because I love the architecture in this area.


This area is really dark, and I wish it was brighter because I liked the cable hanging from the ceiling as well as the curved architecture on the ceiling, even though I'm not sure what it was. I think you captured the cafe feel well though.


I really liked this area as well. It was curved and the shadows cast by the beams were great. I also like the combine camera thing flying around. Really great idea. I wish you could blow it up, even if that meant another one would spawn again somewhere else.


I really liked the bumpmapped rocks here (at least I think they're bumpmapped) and it's too bad I couldn't see them without my flashlight. I like how you integrated the base into the cliff.


I liked the teleporters. Although I think it would help if there was a unique entrance and exit for each. That would probably eliminate accidental telefragging. Perhaps you could make the teleporter entrance on this side all the way inside the crate room (which is otherwise a dead end). Also, I think it would be cool if you added a teleport effect by making the entrance teleport you to a black tunnel with a high func_push that sent you from end to end with animated sprites and glowing stuff that once you reach the end teleports you to the exit to make it seem like you're actually teleporting and not just popping from one place to the other. the dm_Air_Hockey map that was recently posted here utilizes this to good effect I think. It's here if you want to check it out: http://www.snarkpit.net/maps.php?map=1980


I LOVED this effect for some reason. I kind of wish it had killed me the second I touched the beam, instead of the 4 seconds or so that it took for me to stand there.


I really liked the kitchen. It had a fully developed atmosphere and was bright. Unfortunately it's nothing more than a glorified hallway because there are only two entrances. I really like this room though.


Ok. As you can see, this room desperately needs lights.


Hopefully you can see the smoke from the generator coming through the floor here. If you add that vent/duct it would eliminate this.


I really liked this hallway because of the rocks behind the grate and the pipes. I wish there were more lights.. perhaps some hanging ones linked by cables?


Nitpick. Sorry.


I liked this lightfixture (especially in the red room with the skylight) but I wish you had made it a func_detail or whatever so I wouldn't get caught on while running.


I loved this pillar/architecture for some reason.


I loved this area. I wish I could get up there.


I'm beating a dead horse... but maybe you can use these shots to see what needs light, and how much.


I liked the models and props, but I wish the wall was a different color so the pipes would stand out.


I love the fact that you included details like this. The fact that the monitor is showing your map makes this room much cooler too.


Don't know why that Cafe Baltic sign was hanging there.


I liked this area and the view. I wish there was more light coming in... and I wish it was coming in at an angle.


I had to post this because I like this window area a lot. The breaking glass makes its very interesting.


The prop fadeout got so bad that these pipes were disappearing on me, bit by bit as I got closer and further away.


That rock appears/disappears strangely.


This was another area I loved, and I wish it were brighter.


How am I supposed to get the magnum and the ammo without prop jumping up there?


Dark.


You need a clip brush over the fence, so I can't prop jump over and get my stupid ass stuck on the other side


I love this canyon man.


I wish there was a ladder or two so I could get back up there without having to run all the way around and back up.


I like the ceiling a lot here. Wish there were lights up there.

I feel like I took other shots but I can't find them. There are definitely enough anyway. The canteen area with all the tables and TVs desperately needs lighting. If flashlights are off there's no way to see/kill anyone in there.

I hope this didn't seem too negative, or too nitpicky. I just wanted to show you I took the time to run through your map and write out my first impressions of each area. I hope you don't abandon this map. If you can find some way to improve performance (especially in the Cafe area) then all you need is just throw some teleporters in, some connecting paths between areas, and many more lights. I really like the atmosphere and the idea behind this map.

Edit: I forgot to mention, I wish that you could fall all the way down into the water and then die over a short bit of time (kind of like when you swim out too far on dm_island). I didn't like the fact that I couldn't savor my fall to the water below and that you die almost immediately after going over the edge.
[addsig]

Posted by Agent Smith on Mon May 9th 2005 at 1:19pm

Well Doc I had a run round in the beta today and have some commentary that I hope will be helpful.

First it up it looks big but the map is really small, and to be honest, has a really bad layout. That giant container room, unless I'm missing something (which I probably am since it was really dark), is simply a giant dead end, with only one way in, a crossbow, a tonne of ammo, and numerous dark cracks to camp in. Not to mention the only route across the gorge is the teleporter, which seriously restricts gameplay. I'd have to say that I'd focus instead on the main area and get rid of the crate room. In fact if your worrying about framerate (the fact objects disappear shortly after throwing them indicates this) I'd not worry about extending the level to the other side, simply expand the main area and make the otherside look like the level continues when it doesn't, meaning you don't see as much detailed geometry at one time.

I think I've mentioned the lighting, it was extremely dark in most places for me, particularly inside the complex. Brighten it up with some more natural lighting and some varied artificial lighting.

The general look is pretty good,and you pretty much have the style down, though I'd recommend placing detail in at least semi-realistic areas, as some items stood out like sore thumbs where they were. Also make that big glass area into something, give it some function. If its just an observation deck then just add some more stuff to give that impression.

Summing up the biggest stumbling block at this point is definately the fact that the layout is quite frankly s**t, and should be the focus rather than the look until its fixed. Obviously its still an early beta and has a lot more work to go, but I think most of this stuff could be easily implemented and will improve your map. Hope it helps.
[addsig]