This level was created as coursework for my Games Engines & Physics module at Staffordshire University as part of my Computer Games Design degree. The brief was to create a level in the source engine (we had created a level in the Unreal engine in the first semester) based around Staffordshire University, beaconside campus.
The level is set several months before the events of Half-Life 2 and the player is briefed via Text messages recieved on their phone from various sources.
"From: Student Union
26/03/09 20:15
The combine have been oppressing the students at this university
for several years now. The vast majority of students couldn't be
bothered to get out of bed to fight the overlords, but now they
have reason. The oppresors have denied the sale of alcohol on
the university premises. The time to fight has come.
Fight your way to the Lounge and Legends bars and turn on all
beer taps."
Note that this level is not 100% complete for public release. While it is completely playable from start to finish, it would be confusing for anyone who doesn't know the Staffordshire campus. A slightly updated version with signs and various bug fixes should be released in a week or so.
And note, this is my first map finished in many, many years.
Discussion
Posted by Agent Smith on
Fri Apr 7th 2006 at 1:49am
Being done is sweet, I graduated from a graphic design/new media degree
at the end of last year. Now I commute 4 hours a day to a job I don't
enjoy, its fantastic!
If its based off your university, you could be cunning like me and obtain a CAD map of your university, export it to a model, then import it for use as an HL2 model around which you can build the map to perfect scale. I've never actually done this, but it would work- I just don't have the programs to do it unfortunately, otherwise you'd see me mapping out my buildings all the time (architecture degree, like Duncan I'm almost done)!
I'm inclined to agree, I liked KingNic, I'm warming much less to this new fangled "daedle" character :wink: Do bug Gwil if you want your old account though, as it's a shame to seperate yourself and your work into two profiles.
daedle said: Yeah the same KingNic. Didnt realise that names could be changed so I just signed up again.
Yeah, tis easy enough. I like the old handle better but, its your call. I'd use the old account and have Gwil fix the name. The lower member number and all that.
Yeah the same KingNic. Didnt realise that names could be changed so I just signed up again.
Did the demonstration of the level this morning. People seemed to like
it - many commented that it made them look bad so I took it as a
compliment :wink:
I will work on this level this week to bring it up to scratch so to
speak - gotta finish off a couple of pieces of work then I'm off home
this weekend.
daedle said: Oh, and nice to see you're still around ReNo - bumped into you a few times years ago with the alias KingNic :smile:
So, are you the same KingNic from here? I noticed that he logged on yesterday as well. If so, why the new account? Gwil can change your name in the old one easy enough.
Either way, welcome, or welcome back.
Posted by Elon Yariv on
Wed Apr 5th 2006 at 5:32pm
Reno is right. Add volumetric lights only in a foggy/dusty areas. After all what you actually see is the fog/dust particles. :wink:
In the last two pics it's really over used and that area doesn't look deserted and/or dirty so it doesn't fit and makes it uglier.
Oh hey bud, good to see you back! Glad to hear you're going into a career in game development too :smile: Sounds like you have had a good first year, I hope every year is that interesting for you. At Abertay, with it being a tech course I'm doing, there are very few modules that I find really interesting :sad: Ah well, almost done now, just a month or so left!
The games design course here is brilliant :smile: Did 3DS Max modelling,
Unreal mapping, games design documentation and photoshop for print in
the first semester, 3DS Max modelling pt2, Source mapping, level design
documentation and Manga drawing (urgh) for the semester 2. They don't
go into much detail and just expect ya to be practising non-stop
outside of lesson. Most people don't do that though :-p I wouldnt
personally recommend Stafford uni though - out of about 700 first year
students (on all courses), there's less than 30 lasses :sad:
Yeah, I should really cut down on the spotlight use :wink: Just tends to be
a bit of an easy effect to boost visual quality. Lighting's certainly
something that I want to learn to play around with a bit more in
source, but unfortunately I know next to nothing about optimisation so
ya know which has a slightly higher priority.
Oh, and nice to see you're still around ReNo - bumped into you a few times years ago with the alias KingNic :smile:
