This is smaller map based off Tstar's breakfloor map layout with ramps on the walls. Though in this version even the wall and ramps are breakable with enough bullets. The bricks are your floor and is slowly being destroyed from under you. You must reach and eliminate the other team. There are 2 ledges you can safely(?) stand on with notches in the middle of each ledge you can use to control the paddle.
Version 2
In this more themed version you are inside a monitor playing a game of breakout. The bricks are your floor, and is slowly (and sometimes quickly) being destroyed from under you. You must reach and eliminate the other team. A game score is kept for the amount blocks that have been destroyed during gameplay. Since the wall blocks are tougher they are worth 5 points.
Well, I would advise not continuing either, but you already made your claim, so I'll move on...
It seems you?re approaching this map with the idea in mind of taking all the best things you experienced in Lockdown, and recreating them here, but with a different layout.
I don't know how close you're sticking to the original, but I'd say (and I know it's only 10% complete) that in order to make it any more interesting, you will need to "invent" new or more interesting architecture. The first shot looks like it's just a box with a guard office up top. Why would there need to be a guard office up top? There are no cells to watch, and that area doesn't seem to be one of particular importance. Give it your own reason or setting. Even with the columns it still remains uninteresting. With the height of the "tower room" perhaps you can contrast that by making a "secret" or open access to a basement in the same area, make it a kitchen or laundry mat. It will make the player want to explore your map.
In order to make a map like this, you will need to work extra hard to make it exciting, because this map is one that EVERYONE already has, and to tell them that they're about to play Lockdown2!!! Doesn't really sound all that enticing, but I'm sure they'll let it finish loading out of curiosity. If you want to keep them in the map however, you will need to surprise them with the difference of how it actually looks. Sure you can have the familiar landmarks from the original like the "office tower" but give it a different context to exist in. Perhaps a work yard, or the warden's office overlooking the complex; catwalks following the walls from watch tower to watch tower. That's what will keep the players there, and will also want to make them explore too!
About the only thing keeping me interested in the map now (via screenshots) is the third one of the water. I'd like to know why there is water there! Can I turn it off? if I open a door will it leak into the next room? Can I go under it to reach a hidden place that will take me behind enemy lines? Players ask questions like that (subconsciously) and consciously as they play a person's map. So you can treat this as an aspiration to surprise players with a totally different take on the theme! A little bit harder work imo (that's why most people shy away from this kind of idea) but a worthy challenge, so if you?re up to it, then by all means, don?t let me discourage you! Please, proceed! :biggrin:
Well, if you want to go all the way, then I'd pay attention to lighting. Add some cold, blueish lights in-between, the map's lit too yellow now. Also look at how the original lockdown uses spotlights. They're very bright (with "constant" values in the spotlight properties set to "10000" or more). There's an sdk_lockdown example map somewhere in the SDK folders. You might want to check it out!
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Ill just point out there is an existing map named "dm_lockdown2". ripped from the sp level in nova prospekt
yeah.....well i wont abandon it. i already spent about ten hours on it now....ive added alot since. i didnt know there was lockdown based themes around. either way this is lockdown2 and im sticking with it.
Posted by FatStrings on
Mon Sep 24th 2007 at 7:57pm
My personal gripe would be that there are enough lockdown-themed maps floating around already. If you want to put in so much effort, I would personally try a different theme and completely new layout altogether.
I much preferred the theme of your other map which, while a little gray and random, at least offered visuals you won't find in HL2DM default maps.
Posted by FatStrings on
Mon Sep 24th 2007 at 1:34pm
aaron is definately right, just in those three screenies there is this boxy feel to the map that you want to avoid, make it feel natural, also, unless the building flooded that water filled spot doesn't seem like a place where water would be, maybe replace that with a drainage pipe or something like that [/2cents]
