Well.... its a very well constructed map with ALOT of enemies(and i like that:)) but, i died several times trying to get a weapon(even though it was easy:)) very cool map...

I couldn't figure out how to escape the cell without getting killed. The turrets were bad enuf the way they were placed - but the guard just takes me down instantly - you said there were other routes .. but I could not find them. Turned on God mode

Overall its not a bad map although I personally would have liked to see more doors that open, more physics, and more traps.

Great mapping however

the player will look through the window and maybe see Gman there or something, putting a key on the table.

That's a great suggestion. I'll work on the scripted sequence to see what I can do.

<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>? quoting DrGlass</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>I ran out the window picked on of them up and used it as a shield to run over to the other one so I could knock them both down.
</DIV></DIV>

Wow, that's an ingenious approach. I typically just knock down the one closest to me and then sprint/bunny hop to the other one to knock it down. It usually only take 20-30 health from me if I run fast enough.
But DrGlass's way is better. :smile: I plan to leave the turrets there.

I ran out the window picked on of them up and used it as a shield to run over to the other one so I could knock them both down.

I think the ones with handguns were civil protection, not combine...

I kept catching of architexture... also alot of the stairwells were
barely big enough... not to mention a definate lack of glass anywhere
but in the conf room and those two on the ground floor...

Also, the 2 antlions are too easy to take out, walk outside to trigger
them, then go into the building and let the combine finish them off...

and those sentries right outside the window are useless.... not to
mention they take off around 20-50 health, then you run into the
combine with the shotty....

How about adding "the conference room directly below" in the game_text at the start of the map?

That's another thing: I suggest against using game_text's. Who would be
sending these messages to the player? The mapper? Plus, it has about as
much subtlety as a nuclear missile. That's where the "design" comes
into level design - you have to be gently guiding the player, have them
think this is all their own "independent and unique" playstyle.

Basically, make them jump through the hoops, but don't let them know there were hoops in the first place.

For example: The player will probably figure out to escape the jail
cell. I suggest removing the sentry guns outside (their placement doesn't really make sense either). Anyway, the player
will look through the window and maybe see Gman there or something,
putting a key on the table. Now the player has an objective: to see
what Gman put there in the conference room, and it was done without the
need of a game_text.

Wow, thanks for the out-pouring of suggestions. I am very
grateful for all your ideas. Now, I'll address them one by one...

I had no idea that was the conference room. You need to provide the player with more clues about navigation

How about adding "the conference room directly below" in the game_text at the start of the map?

Ambient lighting can be done tastefully without making things too much brighter

I will experiment with light_environment. But in fact, the
current ambient light setting is already the result of multiple
fine-tuning attempts. I don't want to make it unnaturally bright
so it loses the sunset ambience.

The auto saves should not save over other auto saves...

I thought the engine is set to save only two auto_saves. The
older saved game gets bumped out and deleted. That's how it works
in the official Valve single player levels (at any one time there will
only be two auto_saved games--the most recent two). So I am
afraid to accidentally overwrite people's saved spots if I trigger them.

set the distance at which models disappear so when you're out
of a room it doesn't have to render the models for instance.

I've already done that with almost all the models. It was quite a
painstaking process--to maximize performance without having the player
notice that things around them tend to appear and disappear.

if there were more objectives and they were spelled out / stated

I didn't want to over do it. If the objectives are too direct,
then the maps would feel like a guided tour through the
courthouse. The player loses a sense of free will and just feels
like an automaton following orders.

Like in the real world, you have to think on your toes and manage to escape without having all the informations.

Maybe there should be another force field to confine you to the space in between the halves of the building

I thought of that also, but decided against it. It would also
take out some of the fun and free will factor from the map. I
want to have the antlion guard in the courtyard chase the player back
into the building instead of just having a force field blocking the
path.

There are also other places where I put an excessive amount of Combines
to force the player to go one route or the other. I want to have
the player go through most of the map and semi-direct the player's
navigation without making the player feel that he/she has no choice but
to go this and that way.

It's nice to have options in how you play, but the game (the map..) should guide you into the next step

If there are real options (and sometimes there are), then it's not
feasible to guide the player's movement. Which option would I
guide the player? I already accomplish this subtly by forming
specific patrol distribution around the map so there often is one
easier way to get from point A to point B.

The beginning was difficult!

I agree. I wanted to have the first prison guard to just have a
handgun, but that isn't one of the weapon options. Perhaps there
is a way around it?

In addition, there is a trick to bash the guard's head open without
getting hurt. It's not easy, but it's definitely feasible.
You have to stand right next to the doorway with the crowbar extended
into the door frame and lure the guard to the door. Then with
your body partially protected by the wall, you can quickly and
effectively split his skull with the crowbar without him having a
chance to fire back at you.

And if you manage not to get killed by the shotgun blasts, there are
plenty of healthkits inside the prison to get you well again before
facing the next squad of Combines.

if you make it to the gate before you've done what you
need to do to unlock it, a message about what's necessary might really
help

I thought the locked sound from the keypad is sufficient clue that it's locked...

What I find most important are just a whole lot more details and finishings.

I agree, but with the framerate already suffering at places, I cannot
afford to add a whole lot to the map without degrading performance
further. I've tried a lot of ways to improve performance (hint
brushes, areaportals, occluders, you name it), but I don't think there
is an easy way to drastically boost performance without some major
reconstruction of the map.

I hope you turn this good map into a professional one!

I would like to also, but in reality, I don't have the time
anymore. My wedding is fast approaching, and I am getting busier
each day with the planning process. So I will probably just
polish up this current map the best I could without spending another
month on it.

Why not just leave the door open if its this easy to esacpe?

I tried to think of another escape strategy, but I can't easily come up
with one. I agree it's strange to have the window completely open
like that, but it would be even more strange to have a key or weapon
inside the jail cell.

The gravity gun is sitting in a tiny room, just lying idley as
if it were a piece of trash. Put it behind something fancy

This can be quickly remedied. I'll put it on a table with other interesting contraptions.

I liked it, but nothing made sense. I start the map by escaping through
an open window? Why not just leave the door open if its this easy to
esacpe. I kill all enemies above ground only to go into the basement
and find...Zombies? Then outside I find two antlion beasts. The map is
a good start, but nothing in it makes sense. The gravity gun is sitting
in a tiny room, just lying idley as if it were a piece of trash. Put it
behind something fancy :biggrin:

Yes! The conf roomm skylights should look more like skylights
should and one should be able to see something in the conf room (an
insignia of some sort?) that will make the conf room identifiable when
you get there later (preferably before you enter.. the same
insignia on the door of the room perhaps?).

It's way too dark. Ambient lighting can be done tastefully
without making things too much brighter. The key is to be able to
feel your way around without the flashlight, and I think it's possible
to add lighting that won't compromise the soldiers hidden in the dark.

The auto saves should not save over other auto saves.. I don't
have the definitive answer here, but auto-saves should work fine and
create a new file without a problem.

It's too bad the antlion guards or whatever they're called don't always
run away when they're getting shot from someplace they can't
reach. Or at least get enraged.

The few zombies feel out of place not because it's a courthouse, but
because there are only a few.. it doesn't seem like they belong
in the map at all since the rest of the map is populated by combine and
a couple beasts. If there are zombies there, why aren't there
more zombies? Well it's ok, I think, but I wanted to clear up why
DrGlass said they're out of place, if possible.

It's very possible to do better vis blocking, and I think you can set
the distance at which models disappear so when you're out of a room it
doesn't have to render the models for instance.

That addresses points DrGlass made. Campaignjunkie said some things I'll reiterate, too.

There's some great gameplay, but almost too much non-linearity.
It's not obvious what the next step is. You can jump down into
the courtyard and make for the gate, which of course won't open.
Once you cut the power in the basement you can head to the conference
room, but I have no idea why going to the conference room unlocks the
main gate (it ought to be obvious). It'd be better, I think, if
the player was kept from jumping down into the courtyard, if there were
more objectives and they were spelled out / stated somehow or just felt
natural.

While there were jail cells at the top, not much more in the way of
functional designations for rooms or parts of the building. The
force fields were odd since you could go around.. Maybe there
should be another force field to confine you to the space inbetween the
halves of the building (where there's already one large force field).

This map felt like an alpha version: there ought to be more layout work
done, the windows didn't make sense to me.. felt like arbitrary
holes in the wall rather than windows, more texture work, obviously a
lot more detail. Staircases were too narrow or the railings too
think. Perhaps the rocket launcher should have been hidden
better. The buggy was unneccessary, though some might find it
fun. But features of the map should have a function, and there
should be more of a direct and creative challenge in accomplishing
objectives I think. It's nice to have options in how you play,
but the game (the map..) should guide you into the next step.

I'd prefer it if you were making a real jail break: alarm sound (if not
too annoying), spotlights perhaps. Or if the place is in chaos
due to zombies and antlion guards then there should be more chaos, more
fighting between beasts and combine, things going on in general.
Maybe people in other cells could take part in the story. Perhaps
you'd have to let a man out and guide him to a door panel that he has
to be manning in order for you to get thru a security door.

The beginning was difficult! In HL2 sp when you only have a
crowbar the first guards you run into that you must kill are
pre-occupied and thus they are easy to take, and to take their
weapon. I wish there was something similar at the beginning of
this map. Did I miss something? Would the turrets attack
the guards if I set them up right? A real player with a crowbar
may be enough to take down a soldier with a shotgun, but it's perhaps
not as easy as it should be to get started. I also think it's too
easy to wander the wrong way at game start (die easy). Guess it
doesn't matter since you'll learn fast..

Lastly the prison gate shouldn't simply make the screen go dark.
It should stop the game and show a message or something. And if
you make it to the gate before you've done what you need to do to
unlock it, a message about what's necessary might really help.

What I find most important are just a whole lot more details and finishings.

There's lots that's good about this map, too. It was fun to
explore and challenging when I was surprised. I liked the
conception of the building and the senario. The basic mapping
work was done well. The reason there's so much to suggest for
improving the map is because I hope you turn this good map into a
professional one! It takes a lot of attention to detail, but this
map has all the right potential. Thx

for sharing and keep it up!