News posts

Well, Phillip of PlanetPhillip.com has done it again. Now introducing: DM2SP
He's started another website dedicated to single-player maps. But this time there's a catch. The single-player maps you find here won't be stand-alone maps never to be enjoyed with your friends. No, every map posted here is guaranteed to have a multiplayer version of itself. Why? Because simply put, every single-player map posted on here will have been made from a pre-existing multiplayer map already posted somewhere else on the internet. Phillip wants to turn as many MP maps into SP maps as possible, and to kick it all off, he's giving money away for it too! There are three places to be filled and a competition to be had, so look into it!

There is plenty of time to join; you have until: 11:59PM GMT 31 July 2009 to submit your entry. Rules can be found here.

If you want to talk about your feelings on the project and maybe to rally some fellow mappers into working together on a group map for the competition, join in on the convo here.

Already and so quickly! There's an E3 Trailer and an inside playtest preview article by Rock, Paper, Shotgun!

And there are plenty of gameplay previews on youtube as well.

Hurrah! Valve has just released the Software Developers Kit (SDK) for its latest game Left 4 Dead. -Yes, we can create maps for L4D now! -Complete with all the entities and art content used in the game, it also includes:
[list] * Updated Hammer, the Source level editor
* Suite of command line compiling utilities, such as studiomdl and map compiling tools
* Updated Particle editor
* Updated Faceposer
* Example maps
* Example models: common Infected, a breakable prop, and explosives
* A set of example particle effects
[/list]Check out what all else is included, and where you can go to find out more information about building levels and content for L4D in our forums here.

-The SnarkPit is also ready to accept your L4D maps in our database. Look for the game when adding your map.

A cool new tool has been released for mappers and modders alike for Source Engine games. it's called "Duct Tape" and it's made modding important files easier!

From the site:
"A development integration and project building tool for Source Engine modders."

• Build outdated files with the press of a button
• Eliminate the need to work with batch files
• Visually create script files, instead of typing them
• Create and compile an SMD into an MDL
• Build soundscape files using an intuitive interface!

The tool was created by a few of the Interlopers community members over a period of time with user feedback. While it's still in development, it already has enough unique features to make it worth your time.

"The intent of DuctTape is to unify and automate creation of scripts, command line utilities, and compiling. For example, DuctTape can create and compile an SMD into a MDL in a matter of a few clicks. It also contains a soundscape editor." (-coder0xff)

Check it out Here!

In case no one has noticed, I recently changed the name of the 'Half-Life 2 Editing' forum to simply: 'Source engine editing.' It seemed like some people were getting confused as to where they could go to ask about other Source game editing questions. It's been changed for about a week now, and I haven't heard any complaints, so unless someone speaks up, that's the way I think it's going to remain.

-Riven

We've done it! We finally transitioned over to our new heavily anticipated host! We've been testing this for months, so I hope you enjoy all the new features! Feel free to explore around to catch 'em all! Or visit the old Alpha Thread to see a list of them.

Of course none of this would have been possible without the magnificent larchy! If you get the chance be sure to thank him for all the hard work he's put into the site! -We are forever grateful for his talents!

It has been a long and rough journey, but we're still not out of the woods yet! With all the new great features that have been added, comes the burden of possible bugs. Now, even though we've tested the site plenty of times before bringing everything over, you can always expect a bug or two to rear its ugly head. So If you encounter anything that stands out as a little weird to you, feel free to register and make a post about it in our BUGS THREAD.

For all other comments or suggestions, please post them in our new feedback thread here.

I hope you all enjoy your stay here on The SnarkPit V6.0!

-Riven

That's right, there's a new site in town! It's called the Valve Community and it makes it easy to discover other great Valve related sites! New entries are added everyday, so if you know of a site not on the list yet, be sure to register and add it! Also, ratings are kept for all the sites, so be sure to sign up and show your love for your favorite communities!

Visit www.valvecommunity.net now!

The SnarkPit crew is currently working on the 2008 compilation map project. Our goal is to get different maps from people and combine them together to form a community-built HL2 DM level. Each map is created specifically for this purpose.

Because it is a community map, anyone can submit their own! All you have to do is build your map based on these guidelines. -Just read the rules and explanation and you should be good to go! If you have any questions, simply post them in the thread linked below.

Check out the compilation map's progress here.

At last, voting has started for the SnarkPit's 2008 Mini-Competition! We received four concentrated entries that each showcased an entirely different stage of themes. Make sure you get a chance to check 'em out here! Anyone can vote, and we encourage you to leave your feedback in the thread as well (good or bad). But hurry! -You only have ten (10) days to vote! Be sure to read about our plans after the voting is over too!

Don't miss out on the fun; get involved!

[img]http://snarkpit.net/pits/riven/snarkybanner2_frontpg.png[/img]

SnarkPit's new 2008 mini-competition is currently active! You can check out the rules thread here. What is a mini-competition you ask? Well, let me explain: A mini-competition is a competition that only lasts for two weeks. The goals are small and achievable for most anyone who has played around in a level editor; it doesn't require a lot of time and it's a great way to get recognized and receive feedback from others in the community. The best part is: you can get rewards too!

The competition ends September 7th, and winners will be voted on by the community. All entries will be compiled together after the competition into one large Half-Life 2 Deathmatch level with each author's name posted in their map section!

So what are you waiting for? Quit stalling and get mapping!