I fixed some gameplay bugs, where the player might have enemies
spawning right in front of them. I also limited the movement of
some NPC's, so they won't get lost running around in the yard.

In addition, I added quite a few visual details, so the map doesn't
look as bare and unfinished. I know I could've done more, but
I've decided that I spent enough time on this map already.

I also added some puzzles (not very difficult) to the beginning of the
map. The combat is somewhat different in the beginning. I
changed this so people won't gripe about having to deal with the two
turrets outside the jail. The first couple of prison guards also
got stripped of their shotguns, so it's not so unfair for the player to
fight with them with just a crowbar.

Thanks for writing the review. By the way, why did they reject your review?

I'll d/l it again, I wrote up a review for you but it got rejected, so its a good thing, what did you update?

Now the map is released in its final verison, feel free to take it for a spin and write a full review in this section. If you want to make a quick comment, you should still post it in the forum area.

Have fun, and aim for the head.

Now there! The final map is released. I got this thing off my chest and I am so ready to move on.

Have fun playing it, and use your brain as much as your brawn
confronting the obstacles. After all, Gordon Freeman is a PhD
from MIT. :smile:

Thanks martinloki. You're really my best and most reliable playtester.

However, I've spent countless hours playing it myself, and I am
starting to get sick of this map. I very much appreciate your
tips and feedbacks, but I think I am really done with it by now.
I know there are a few bugs that still exist in the map (like the one
you mentioned), but most players will not encounter them unless they go
through extraordinary means to trigger them.

The majority of the players will go through the most predictable
routes, and I've painstakingly covered most of the possibilities.
Designing a non-linear map is quite challenging, as I do have to take
into consideration what crazy ideas people might come up with when they
play the map. Most players will be unwilling to take a sixty-foot
fall to the courtyard or go hopping on the exterior walls to get to the
outside. And if they do, well, they'll find themselves with the
main gate locked and the antlion guards wanting them for a snack.

I couldn't have the antlion guards spawn at the beginning of the game
because the Combines inside the building will invariably notice them
and start a huge battle with them. So when the player gets to the
ground level, everything is already dead. I tried to hide them at
first and then have them patrol, but that didn't work. They don't
like the idea of patrolling, despite carefully set patrol
path_corners. They seem to not obey these rules, unlike the
Combines.

Anyways, thanks for the input. And have fun playing the final
release! It's got more puzzles and physics, especially towards
the beginning. Without using some quick wit, the player wouldn't
be able to survive very long.

I may just be spending too much time playing with this map, and I hope
i don't seem to nitpicky. While seeing what could be done I found
that the antlions can spawn with no warning right in front of
you. In order for this to occur, or at least the way I did it,
start a new game and go to the roof. Go around until you can see
the repellers getting ready. Jump up and walk the fence until you
get over to them. Now comes the fun part. There are a bunch
of ways to get down. Either jump to the statue and take some
damage, or drop to the lamp, circle around, jump to the wall
decoration, then to the arch and down, or drop to the wall decoration
above the fountian, and hop to the fountian. Now try to go inside
the breezeway. It's really a nasty surprise.

I really do love the non-linearity of this map, and can't wait for the final release.

Also, I like the antlion gaurds, and really hope you dont get rid of
them, so if you cant find a way to bring them into the game without the
sudden spawn I have a few ideas that may work. Just let me know
if you need them.

So, that was a "fake" final version. I'm making some additional updates and perhaps release the real final version of the map tomorrow.

Thanks for playing the beta all along and waiting patiently for this release.

Turned out that I still wasn't satisfied with the supposed "final" release. But I'll make some final changes and perhaps release the real final version tomorrow.

Yeah, I can see your point with the windows. I kinda got a bit carried away with the windows. But in the actual courthouse, the window designs are quite varied too (but not to the extent of my map).

I did carefully pick a distinct and eye-catching texture for the door trims. And now that I've looked at them more, I can see more of a visual impact.

I'll post the update when I'm done with some gameplay changes.

The cylindrical element was actually taken directly from the real
courthouse in Santa Barbara. I feel that it adds nicely to the
architecture, but everyone is entitled to his/her opinion and taste.

There was nothing wrong with the turret
specifically, but there's usually at least two turrrets in any building
which has them. Coupled with about 50 different windos designs, I still
feel it's a valid point. :smile:

The "stoves" you've mentioned are actually old-fashioned heaters.
They are frequently seen in old European-style buildings. I
thought they belong to those big lobby areas. Otherwise, the
lobby just seems so bare.

<br style="color: orange;">
I've never seen a stove in the lobby of a courthouse. I'd imagine they use the regular type of old fashioned heaters.

I added trim to almost all the doorways, and the framerates stayed
about the same. So they're definitely staying. However,
when I walked around in the map, I didn't notice their presence that
much, especially in the shadows.

Perhaps you're not giving them a distinctive enough texture.