I have Half-Life 2 and it shows up as a missing texture as well; might want to re-check your pack again.

The npc's work fine, except maybe the strider, who can't interact with the player all that well because it's trapped behind a wall, and the player can play in the rest of the map without it noticing him.

The area looks fine, but you still need to buildcubemaps in console. I don't care if it's just for a test release, all released maps should have 'em built.

I think the map needs an introduction. How did the player character get there? Did he wake up in an alleyway with an HEV suit on?

The area looks almost believable and the architecture is nice, but I'm unsure of what exactly this place is. For example: there are tons of explosive barrels, yet, it looks like there are enough storefronts, and apartment building fronts leading around a central square, like a park. A park with explosive barrels? I've never heard of that, and there doesn't seem to be any indirect reason to have them there except for gameplay reason, which shouldn't be the case.

I think you should also change the soundscape. It's too repetitive and doesn't sound like anything. I'm supposing it's supposed to sound like distant wind, but just sounds like my grandmother breaking wind.

The lighting seems rather dull, except for maybe the blue lighting from the combine spotlights on the distant buildings, but I couldn't tell ya what time of day it was. Just very generic.

There is plenty of debris to make the place feel abandoned, and it seems properly placed. The decals are a nice addition and help to break up the redundancy. Although, some of the Combine decals and poster decals seem to be too close to the ground to be logical.

The gameplay by itself though is very, very hard. Even with an rpg clip of 9, and rockets strewn about the map, it just seems very unlikely that it's fair to the player to have to endure all those enemies one after the other without a break.

Overall I like how this map is progressing, and you're right, the npc's are a nice and needed addition, otherwise the map feels dead. I think adding an appropriate city soudscape will help that even more, as well as some interesting lighting. It needs a good story to belong to. Give it a reason to exist! Good job, keep it up!

I just downloaded the newest version, and that middle texture with the tree is missing for me. If that's your custom texture then its not showing up for me. If its hl2 then that explains it because i only have ep1.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e3/tfcbeetle/misc/hl2error.jpg

I am now in the finishing stages of this map (Thank hell), and know this: It took me a weekend to make the brush based world of this map, plus the relevant environmental entities. The other couple months I have been fighting tooth and nail to get N.P.C. type entities working properly. Now to all you multiplayer mapping naysayers: Entities aren't binary, it is not a case of "If you set them up correctly they will work". This is simply not true. They are completely non-linear in their operating. They have wasted me countless hours slaving away at the computer. I won't give any examples because inevitably ppl will say "Did you try this..." and I can't be arsed to put every single workaround I tried in here. But I got everything working moderately well. Now this is the fun bit- I am asking you to play the level! Yes, that's right. I have decided that the best way to test balance is for a few ppl to play the map. As this is a computer gaming website, I am sure that won't be a problem :smile:

There is a custom texture included in the .bsp file (I zipped it in with pakrat)

http://s24.quicksharing.com/v/9669366/Courtyard.rar.html

Warning: You need WinRar to open this one.

And for those of you who don't want the hassle of WInRar:

http://upload2.net/page/download/imPXvjJs423WkMY/CourtYard.bsp.html

Okay, I have added benches. I have also made the blocked off street look dark and forboding with Combine lights:



Obtain the updated map here:

http://www.fast-files.com/getfile.aspx?file=2981

Happy now? :rolleyes:

The trim you added seems ungainly. I would look for something texture based as there does'nt seem to be any reason for the brick tghings you added (unless they're balconies or something). Also, there are too many of the windows below that. Does'nt seem natural that there would be so many across the front.

Haha. Knew there was something weird about that. Try this:

You should put a trim between the top "layer" of the building and the roof. At the moment the transition is just a sharp and sudden edge. Break it up with a thin (8/16 unit) trim that extrudes out from the building face and maybe leans outward on its top edge, and then start the roof from set back behind it.

Okay, I have made some updates here mainly spawned by comments on V.E.R.C. forums:

Download link: http://www.fast-files.com/getfile.aspx?file=2266

Image of a building:

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r233/Flynn_bucket/courtyard0006.jpg

<DIV>

<DIV>
<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>? quoting Stadric</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>That looping wind sound is annoying, repetitive, and loud. Turn it down and add some randomly playing sounds or a soundscape for some variance.

The texture of the central displacement was missing.
</DIV></DIV></DIV>

Okay, the looping wind sound.

This time around I forgot to change it, but in the next update hopefully I shall remember.

How do I make random ambients, btw?

The reason I am not changing it this time is because compiling, embedding files, zipping and uploading is quite a hassle.

If I was allowed to update just the .bsp then I might have been able to change it;) The texture of the central displacement is now present.

<DIV>
<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>? quoting Stadric</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>The blue texture you use for the bottom part of this building is meant to be used more like windows that as a wall. Add some more brushes as lining for the blue texture. </DIV></DIV></DIV>

You are wrong, a building had this texture in City-17. So I will leave that as it is :biggrin:

<DIV>
<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>? quoting Stadric</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>All around this building, the window texture tiles too far down. I suggest adding some cement around the base of the building to hide this. </DIV></DIV></DIV>



<DIV>
<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>? quoting Stadric</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>Fill this empty space with something. You had time to add boxes cannisters and trash in the playable area, you have time to add some of the same to this empty space. </DIV></DIV></DIV>



<DIV>
<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>? quoting Stadric</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>Most swing sets and slides aren't on pavement. Put some dirt of sand in there. </DIV></DIV></DIV>



[quote =Stadric]Only a small complaint here. Those smoke stacks could be set back a bit more.

<DIV>
<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>? quote:</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>

</DIV></DIV></DIV>

I did and now you can't see them :argh:

<DIV>
<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>? quoting Stadric</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>Most of the buildings in the map have flat roofs. Add some angles to 'em.</DIV></DIV></DIV>

Again, I haven't noticed this.

</DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>? quoting Stadric</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>Also, the broken windows texture you used on this building tiles very evidently. I would use a non-broken window texture. </DIV></DIV></DIV>

No idea what you mean here, but changed them anyway.

<DIV></DIV></DIV>