OK, scraps screens.. thanx for the direct link.

if i made the mistake, other may too.

<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>? quoting Orpheus</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>sadly, i cannot tell with any certainty that i have a new version. the name changed but mine says:"ctf_prisonriot_b1" and is only 12.5 megs :/</DIV></DIV>
Pls make sure you've downloaded http://www.keved.com/ctf_riot_b2.zip The bsp should be called ctf_riot_b2.bsp and around 15mb in size. Seems like you've downloaded beta1 for the www.hl2ctf.com mod.

sadly, i cannot tell with any certainty that i have a new version. the name changed but mine says:"ctf_prisonriot_b1" and is only 12.5 megs :/

i did however take a few screens.. mostly just opinionated screens, nothing that needs altered unless you concur.

i will post them in a few.

Beta 2 is now available - feedback is very appreciated.

Changes in beta 2:

• Lots and lots of visual changes. Far too many to mention individually.
• File name changed from tdmctf_riot to ctf_riot.
• Game type changed from Capture The Flag to Bombing Run.
• Layout simplified above the entrance to each base.
• RPG moved to a more precarious location.
• Restored bump mapping on textures (beta 1 had bump mapping removed from 3 floor textures).

Much of the lighting has been totally redone. Hopefully you should now find the lighting isn't as flat as it was, yet still retains the oppressive prison feeling.

I did experiment with the light_env colour but opted to keep it a dark blue. Having a warmish colour, such as a sunset, resulted in weird looking isolated blobs of more colourful light on the interior floors (ie where the light_env is coming through windows above).

I'm pretty much at the limit of adding more detailing to the level - the bsp is now 15mb. Apparently the default filesize for servers uploading files to clients is around 16mb, so I don't really want to increase filesize any more & risk servers not giving the bsp to clients.

Comments are welcome. Thanks.

Edit: forgot to mention, if anyone has any ideas for what the balls get fired into (must fit into the prison theme), feel free to let me know.

<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>? quoting keved</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>
Not at all mate. Lots of valuable feedback there for me. Thanks very much for your efforts.

</DIV></DIV>

sighs with relief

/me was worried.

<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>? quoting Orpheus</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>me musta went to far. :</DIV></DIV>

Not at all mate. Lots of valuable feedback there for me. Thanks very much for your efforts. By the time beta 2 is done I'll probably have spent another 10 hours on it, mostly sorting out the visuals - lighting changes, extra detailing, etc.

RE: the shadows under the benches. The shadows for ammo pickups had been disabled but no such option exists for the weapons. :sad: There are lots of weird weapon & dynamic prop shadows in many maps I've seen...items placed on a roof with the shadows in the room below etc. Not a great deal I can do about it really.

RE: the alcove - it is indeed intended for a defensive purpose. An "outlook" post of sorts, to see attackers coming in relative safety.
RE: the stairs...yep fair point, I thought that myself so have already changed them. :smile:

/me saw keved read this.

me musta went to far. :

Notice: I do not play CTF maps so all i will do is concentrate on what i see that needs altering from an editing standpoint. Game play will have to be done by someone who plays this type of map. I also noticed that my screen shots are a tad bit darker than in the game, so do not base light intensity on my screens. Another thing of note, I do not really read other peoples critiques till I have done my own. In this way I do not pre-judge a map and possibly alter my views before I have even seen the map. If I comment on something that someone else has already, consider it note worthy enough that more than one person saw it and move on. Lastly, as i stated before, due to the HL2's engine ability, machine size is going to effect a critique in some ways. I may not notice some slowdowns now that I used to on my older machine. I figure however, anything over 30 FPS is all goodness.

Now without further delay..



Spawnpoint, at least the one I spawned on. Yes I realize the map is a night, or early morning setting, but i feel the light level can be raised just a bit. The colors hurt my eyes at this intensity. It could be only my eyes, but since this is my critique, I can only say how i feel. A bit more fog couldn't hurt. The cloudy sky would lead someone to believe that its almost ready to rain, or the humidity is high enough to warrant some fog.



2 things caught my attention right off. 1) the entry from this way looks built. Not by convicts, but by engineers. They had frames around the holes, where convicts would have settled for just opening the way enough to grant egress. 2) the rooms/cells were so empty. No debris, no dirt, not even a pile of old feces.. nothing. It was almost sterile. Of course this could be due to its unfinished nature, but at 90% or more completion, this map should have already contained a fair amount of ambient items. At the very least some old papers. The rooms/cells were mostly vacant of normal living items such as beds and potties. No sinks or other of the normal amenities were present.



No one would bother propping that door against that pillar.



Due to the light level in the map, I overlooked, or nearly overlooked a fair amount of items. I suggest some sort of an identifying feature. In my map Apex, it was dim like this and I added light spots over every item location to assist fragging.



Shadow under bench.. /me wonders how when none of the other items did this on any bench.



I asked myself at each end (red and blue) what would be the purpose of such a dead end alcove? No weapons of note existed. Perhaps I simply overlooked the purpose such as defensive. shrugs



Utility light above, old construction below would have been a nice touch. Perhaps a clean-up job left unfinished.



This washer area is sadly insufficient for so vast an instillation.



Heavy weapon and easy access = bad. Weapons of this nature should be medium to difficult to attain. Same holds true for that crossbow you had lying on the floor elsewhere I saw.



Where did all that debris come from? That pile of stuff could never have originated from above. Also it seems made up of rock, where dirt and concrete would have more likely been the major materials involved.



Them are the strongest electric wires in the history of construction



More debris, wrong material. I would also venture a guess that some plant life would grow this close to the outside. Drifting seeds and bird poop would guarantee that much.



Broken rails, no debris below.



Them have got to be the ugliest stairs in the history of editing .. seriously, they need help. They almost look added as an afterthought.



I was wrong, THESE are the ugliest. :biggrin:



I saw these lights sway when shot in other maps.. Would be a nice touch in this one as well.

Overall, a very nice map.. Considering its these. Prisons tend to be littered with dead ends so I never mentioned them. I think once the ambiance is addressed this map will move up several notches in its quality.

I would be happy to do a second critique after these things I posted are addressed, assuming I have not totally pissed you off thus far :smile:

LOL, how is it, your 3 posted screens are so well optimized, and your 3 extra screens are so.... not?

i am truly busy today, but i do want to give this map my full attention bud. if i am able, i will get to it today sometime.. (my today, not yours :biggrin: )

anywho's /me is off for the day.. be good.

Thanks for your feedback Agent Smith/Dr Glass, all good stuff which I'll be doing something about for beta 2.

DrGlass, there are already some servers running the level. When I did this search at game monitor there were 5 servers to choose from.

http://www.game-monitor.com/search.php?map=tdmctf_riot_b1&game=all&country=