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DM_Hydro by Agent Smith

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NEWEST UPDATE: Well I've finished beta 2 of DM_HYDRO so it's ready for some playing. Finallys the pit is back up so I can get some decent commentary.

DOWNLOAD FROM HERE: http://files.filefront.com/DM_HYDRO_B2/;3802345;;/fileinfo.html
EVEN NEWER UPDATE: Here are some screens of the changes/additions made since the competition, which will be featured in the beta 2 released in a couple of days, new weapon placement permitting. The shots show the new larger tunnels, the addition of a walkway and structure across the canal, and small stairs that have replaced all of the jump crouch areas (they've been clipped so they work smoothly).
NEW UPDATE: Here are some new screens from the compile that I have sent for the competition, showing the basic layout out and features of the map. It's still got some bugs I haven't had time to fix, but they are only minor and do not effect gameplay.

Once I had fixed some obvious errors in the map the compile time was only 2 1/2 hours, just goes to show how rooted it was before, with a compile time of 60+ hours and counting :P.

Download should be available sometime after the competition closes.
UPDATE: Here are some new screens for the map, including some of the partially constructed and still under developement surrounding environment.
Here is my entry for the Valve Mapping Competition which I've been working on since the release of the full SDK. It's set amidst a partially constructed and subsequently abandoned hydro electric plant at the base of a dam.

In its current stage it lacks detail which will be added shortly, as well as the surrounding environment and part of the playable area. I wanted to go for a more open and realistic environment for the combat as supported by the new Source engine, with various vertical levels of combat as well as a mixture of close-long range fighting. These shots show the main generator building with partially completed generator pits (linked with piping) and a section of the water front area. This structure will be situated directly at the base of the dam.

I hadn't intended on posting anything till it was finished, or just about, but after getting back from a weeks vacation and seeing Tarky's release of dm_cascade as well as other maps of a similar theme I figured it might be a good idea to put it up, lest someone thinks I've ripped it off.

Anyway, it has a long way to go still so be gentle. Now I'm back home I should have some updated screens shortly.

Discussion

Posted by Agent Smith on Sun Feb 13th 2005 at 2:40pm
[Author]
Sorry Orph, the screens were a bit of a rush. I even shrunk em down and
everything. I think at the time it was a bit of payback on some
assholes on the steam forums. Give me a bit and thy wish will be
granted. (I usually optimize them, I swear!)

I'm not quite sure what your talking about, culverts and such. If you
could explain and perhaps point it out on my overly bloated screenshots :smile: .
Posted by Orpheus on Sun Feb 13th 2005 at 2:30pm
my god smith, do you truly not understand "Optimized screen shots"

i do however love the improved sections.. don't misunderstand.

whispers less than 100k bud.. less...

[edit] one observation: culverts rarely look "bored" as with yours, they are jointed additions to the network. try to make the additions look realistic. some sort of a transition is needed.
Posted by Agent Smith on Sun Feb 13th 2005 at 2:07pm
[Author]
Well I've finally
gotten the beta 2 done and its now available for the general public.
I've had it up on the steam forums for a bit while the SnarkPit's been
down, but now its up again I can get some decent commentary, and
hopefully I won't have to repeat myself hundreds of times because
some stupid f**kers can't read!

Screenshots:

See next page for screens (blame Orph)http://img201.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img201&image=dmhydrob20028b9xo.jpg

Download from Here:

http://files.filefront.com/DM_HYDRO_B2/;3802345;;/fileinfo.html

Enjoy
Posted by keved on Sun Jan 30th 2005 at 1:18pm
<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>? quoting Agent Smith</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>Oh, and it turns out it was the ambient light making the shadows pink, I'd changed the colour and didn't remember. Anyway, if I select a gray instead the map becomes too dark and loses a lot of its feel.
</DIV></DIV>
Thought it was as I had the same issue in NP_Refinery. I'm finding it's a balancing act to juggle this ambient value; a colourless value and the prop shadows look ok but the lighting throughout the level is grey & lifeless, but too much colour in the value and the prop shadows look totally unrealistic. A separate value for prop shadows would have been nice...
Posted by Gorbachev on Sun Jan 30th 2005 at 10:03am
Oh, and it turns out it was the ambient light making the shadows pink,
I'd changed the colour and didn't remember. Anyway, if I select a gray
instead the map becomes too dark and loses a lot of its feel.
For ambient light, I suggest a grey, or a very slight tint to the grey.
So if you wanted warmer make it a slight orangy/reddish tinge to it.
Posted by Agent Smith on Sun Jan 30th 2005 at 9:57am
[Author]
Well you might find the fps to be a bit low on a system that isn't that
good, my system included. I can put that down however to the fact that
we only had a month to build the map right after the release of the
game. Myself and a number of other people over-estimated the
capabilities of the new engine, buying into Vavle's hype about how
f**king awesome it was and how much you could do, and discovered that
holy s**t, it isn't as f**king awesome as they said.

That in mind kind of consider it a first map of soughts, an extreme
test of the Source engine. On that note however, the lowest framerates
in my map are only slightly lower than the low points in dm_lockdown
which, compared to the level of complexity and detail in my map, is
crazy. In a good way though.

Oh, and it turns out it was the ambient light making the shadows pink,
I'd changed the colour and didn't remember. Anyway, if I select a gray
instead the map becomes too dark and loses a lot of its feel.
Posted by Mikee on Sun Jan 30th 2005 at 7:56am
I will be very interested to see how it fares in terms of FPS, and with the HL2 engine borking most maps when more than 12-14 people join a server. ie) Ones like Rebar & NP_Petrol, Lockdown do ok with 16, but Torque, Watergate, Depot_rc1, and many others that look great become unplayable lagaramas. I have 16 players in my server much of the time now, so I'll try it out when it's released. keeps finger crossed :smile:
Posted by Agent Smith on Sun Jan 30th 2005 at 12:53am
[Author]
Hopefully as soon as this map becomes available for download, some major servers will put it up for rotation.
Here's hoping.

I have considered the ambient lighting being responsible for the pink
shadows keved, but the problem there is that the ambient lighting is
more of a purple colour, which is present in the shadows cast by static
props. Only the physics objects, weapons and items cast this wierd
shadow.

Thanks for the encouragment guys, very much appreciated. It's almost done now.
Posted by onniguru on Sun Jan 30th 2005 at 12:26am
Hopefully as soon as this map becomes available for download, some major servers will put it up for rotation.
Posted by pepper on Sat Jan 29th 2005 at 11:00pm
I just wet my pants....

Respect for you smith!!