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DM_Hydro by Agent Smith

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Map Description

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 Anthony on Tue Jan 18th 2005 at 7:43am
Looks VERY nice. Looking forward to the release.
Posted by Orpheus on Mon Jan 17th 2005 at 7:32pm
<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>? quoting Inflatable</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>Is there a ETA yet for the release of this map?</DIV></DIV>

sometime after valve is done perhaps?
Posted by Inflatable on Mon Jan 17th 2005 at 7:25pm
Is there a ETA yet for the release of this map?
Posted by Inflatable on Mon Jan 17th 2005 at 3:54pm
Map looks awesome.. But I hope the fps-performance is ok aswell..

ETA on release?
Posted by Tracer Bullet on Fri Jan 14th 2005 at 3:28am
Nothing big here since I think everyone has already done a pretty through job.

User posted image

I bet you never though your map could be this ugly! Welcome to my computer.

User posted image

Besides being slow, this is way too long of a sight line for the confined space. I think that even if you make the pipes big enough to run through, you still ought to put an occluding model or something to make these places less exposed.

User posted image

Brush overlap.

I agree with everyone else's assessment. All that duck-jumping and stuff got very annoying. the pink shadows were weird, but I honestly might not have noticed if it hadn't already been pointed out. There really isn't much left to be said.

Good Job!
Posted by Agent Smith on Thu Jan 13th 2005 at 8:38am
[Author]
Thanks guys. Well the good news is that most of those dodgy bits, like
the pipes and things, are easily fixed, so they'll be done for the
public release, along with the fixed up weapon placement to correspond
with the changes. Hopefully that'll make the entire map the same high
standard.

I don't know what was going on with the water Grobachev, but I noticed
it too. It only does it from a few places and only on that water. I'll
look into it, along with the poofy pink shadows :razz: .

Thanks for the helpful comments, with them it shouldn't take too long
to get the map ship shape. If any of you have maps you want me to check
out I'd be more than happy to return the favour.
Posted by Gorbachev on Thu Jan 13th 2005 at 6:13am
I got the map to crash. :razz:
I threw a grenade at the pair of barrels near the gas pump, one blew up
towards the water...the other rolled down the hill into a pipe and
didn't explode, it finally went in the tube and the game crashed.

[edit] I'll throw in a few things I found.

For the record, this is my system:<br style="color: gold;">
-Barton 2500+ at 3200+ speeds<br style="color: gold;">
-1GB RAM<br style="color: gold;">
-128MB 9800 Pro<br style="color: gold;">
<br style="color: gold;">
Video Settings in-game:

User posted image

Only this area and angle did this...water's okay here...

User posted image

Step forward a touch, and it fogs up and gets almost flickery.

User posted image

<br style="color: gold;">
Lowest fps I could get in the corner was 36fps. Could be worse, could be better.

User posted image

The cement brush is overlapping a few feet above the pipe there.

User posted image

Perhaps use the bent piece of fence model on the left there to add a bit more connectivity?

User posted image

The decal is getting cut-off here, maybe switch it with a thin one somewhere else, a trade-up.

User posted image

This problem is evident in most places...the
stairs are all repeating the same texture and alignment, mix it up with
slight variations to make it look natural.

User posted image
Posted by Yak_Fighter on Thu Jan 13th 2005 at 4:43am
I am astounded at how well this map runs. Granted I can get FPS lows of 35 in a couple of areas, but for the sheer size, openness, and detail of the map this is just something else.

I agree with much of what Reno and Orph have said, but I would add that I think there may be too little cover in the waterway area, especially when compared to the ground level of the under-construction area. Although perhaps diversity is a good thing. All the duck jumping and crawling gets very annoying, and really isn't conducive to good DM flow. There were too many long pipes to crawl through in my opinion, especially for the RPG (given that there's one in the waterway in the cargo container that's easily gotten). They are deathtraps, and in a game with more players they will probably be completely avoided, which could hurt the connectivity you're going for. I would try to make the pipes big enough to walk through (except for the RPG one, where it makes sense to have something that dissuades players from constantly going after it). The connectivity is both strong and weak. It's easy enough to get to most areas of the map, but then there are sections like the piping and the topside of the construction area that can become chores to move through. If I were playing in a game I would deliberately want to avoid using certain passages because I would know I would die without any real chance of returning fire. That may be what you're going for though, so its up to you.

I would say this map has sections of utter brilliance (the ground level close to the cliffside), some decent areas (waterway), and some really annoying areas (the whole pipe section). The map is really let down by these weaker sections, but it's impossible to ignore the awesome sections and the gameplay potential they provide.
Posted by Mouse on Thu Jan 13th 2005 at 3:30am
I'll be putting up a download link after the deadline. It's not that I
don't trust the people here at the Snarkpit, but it could be possible
for someone to rip off my work or trying and pass it off as their own.
It is merely a precaution... and it also serves well to build suspense
:biggrin: .
I was thinking about that possibility, so I threw the VMF file on the
CD, also. Map looks real nice, can't wait to download. All
these quality maps that have been released or announced in the last
week are really a step up from some of the earlier maps. The
Valve contest is a great way to step up the quality level.

And yet killbox is still on 20 different servers.
Posted by MJ on Thu Jan 13th 2005 at 2:31am
one of the better map entrys imho..

good luck!