Re: PitCrew the original
Posted by Dr Brasso on
Fri Nov 28th 2003 at 5:40am
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so whats the physical status of the level now orph?...tweaked?....finish compiled?....
Doc Brass.... :dodgy:
Re: PitCrew the original
Posted by Sinner_D on
Fri Nov 28th 2003 at 9:38am
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not sure if this has been addressed yet, but where do i get signs.wad?
looks amazing in worldcraft...cant wait to check it out ingame, omg is this map HUGE, u guys not believe in vis-groups or somethin?...lol
anyways, i think it looks absolutely amazing,u guys really pulled off a mericle here.
Re: PitCrew the original
Posted by Gollum on
Fri Nov 28th 2003 at 3:52pm
Gollum
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How about:
snarkbite
hunting_of_the_snark
snarks&ladders
snarkdom
spit
pendulum&the
Re: PitCrew the original
Posted by Orpheus on
Fri Nov 28th 2003 at 4:07pm
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i was thinking..
1) snarktastic
2) snarkdom
3) snark_crew
but "Spit" does appeal to my wit :heee:
Re: PitCrew the original
Posted by DocRock on
Sat Nov 29th 2003 at 6:30pm
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Since the map is made by some of the guys here at the SP, don't ya think the map oughtta have some more snarks in it?
I ran through it. Um, where are the weapons? And only 10 spawnpoints for such a huge map? (3 info_player_starts??)
You can't be serious, guys, to have such a huge map with only 3 shotguns and 4 machine guns? uh?
I'm not saying to make this map a "GA style" map with tons of weapons, but jesus, man ya gotta have more than 1 frickin crossbow in the whole map! lmao.
Map looks ok, don't get me wrong, but when I spawned in I saw a very nice hand drawn snarkpit cartoony thing...but I couldn't see the whole thing since the wall looking out the window was so high...
Also I ran right through some guard rails here and there...be nice if they were clipped off.
And, btw, is there a theme here?
Now, I don't know if you guys have discussed this already here...I haven't read thru the whole post...but MOST DEFINITELY you need many many more weapons.
My opinion in a nutshell of this map: A very nice looking unorganized theme map. The map has no meaning. Just a bunch of stuff thrown together, and the map is gigantic. Also, I had to run around for a few minutes before even one weapon was found, unless you count tripmines...in that case, I found 6.
Overall, on scale 1-10, IMO, this map deserves nothing more than a 3. If it was a single-player instead of a deathmatch, defintely would get a better score, but as it stands right now, with hardly a weapon to be found, I can't score it any better.
/throws a shield up to try and hold back the oncoming flames
Re: PitCrew the original
Posted by Dr Brasso on
Sat Nov 29th 2003 at 7:29pm
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SPLA 1 (snarkpit leadership adjunct) as opposed to ours, which im thinking in my own head means....
SPLA 2... snarkpit lesser assholes...
completely toungue in cheek gentlemen .... :heee:
Doc Brass... :dodgy:
Re: PitCrew the original
Posted by Orpheus on
Sat Nov 29th 2003 at 8:40pm
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Doc, constructive feedback, even negative is always welcome, but i have to say 2 things,
1) be sure you have version 21, cause literally dozens of items have been added since before then.. onlyent compiles and all, tis easy to add, tis one of the major reasons i add weaponry last.
2) you obviously didn't look around much, cause the cartoon pic is fully visible from the floor below which you were upon.
give the map another looksee.
gollum, the lights are off, but no place is to dark, at least on my screen.. in fact i made sure there are none, but as i have said, compile times are quite long, and i refuse to do another one till i get some substantial feedback first.
many sections had items placed in advance of my recieving the map so the layout and placement has to be off, this i know.. but where? this is the question i seek.
lastly the water in dietz area, i lowered it purposely, there are 2 major weapons beneath that grating, and i want them accessable from only one outlet, if you want the weapons, you need to be willing to pay the price to get them..
you can only climb out from the inactive lift, which i left broke on purpose to illistrate the need to use it.
i am not above altering the map in any way, but compile times warrent i be selctive.
yaks area, specifically the teleporters require trigger brushes and another full compile, so i was delaying till i ran all the onlyent compiles i needed.
i am afraid to brighten the map any more, its fairly blinding in some areas already.
also, grimlocks and daves area have gobs of items already, maybe i should lightspot them so people can see items in this map??
i admit its just to freaking huge to have to few items, but it is far from being barren as doc seems to imply, i would say its pretty near complete on total items in quantity, it just needs them moved around to more sparse areas..
give version21 a peek guys.
Re: PitCrew the original
Posted by Wild Card on
Sat Nov 29th 2003 at 8:46pm
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Personaly, I like darker areas. It adds life to a map. I mean, not everything if fully lit and visible. However if finding weapons and items in the lesser lit areas is a problem, why not adding a light_spot and a func_illusion fade brush?
I never played the map really (slaps self) because my computer with internet couldnt run it and I couldnt transfer it via A drive. But soon I will take a peek and give some feedback if its still wanted. Screens wouldnt be such a bad idea either.
Re: PitCrew the original
Posted by Orpheus on
Sat Nov 29th 2003 at 8:54pm
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if this map has even a chance of scoring low, just because i am in charge, then i recommend someone else do the last compiled version, before it is released..
this map is not horrible, even as is in its current form, but if theres even a remote chance that just because my names hooked to it that it will be hurt, i prefer another release it.
i know for a fact, that some will in fact do this, and i would feel better if another member did the actual releasing.
Re: PitCrew the original
Posted by Wild Card on
Sat Nov 29th 2003 at 8:59pm
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I dont see a problem with you doing the final compile. Whats the difference between you compiling it and someone else compiling it? In the end, its still the same map. Still made by the same mappers, still played by the same players, and still enjoyed.
Re: PitCrew the original
Posted by Gollum on
Sun Nov 30th 2003 at 12:09am
Posted
2003-11-30 12:09am
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Actually I must have been looking at the map with some screen glare earlier. I looked at it again tonight and Yak's area looks fine. There are a couple of spots - one in Grim's, one in Dave's area - that are too dark though:
[simg]http://www.snarkpit.com/pits/gollum/Forum screens/snark2.jpg[/simg]
[simg]http://www.snarkpit.com/pits/gollum/Forum screens/snark3.jpg[/simg]
Also there's an invisible floor in Dietz's section:
[simg]http://www.snarkpit.com/pits/gollum/Forum screens/snark1.jpg[/simg]
Re: PitCrew the original
Posted by Orpheus on
Sun Nov 30th 2003 at 1:43am
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scratches buttocks
invisible floor? in that screeny?
ok then, will look into it when i return.. but i honestly don't see it in the screen you posted...
Re: PitCrew the original
Posted by Yak_Fighter on
Sun Nov 30th 2003 at 8:20am
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I have a few comments but I'll wait until I see the new version and have time to write up my diatribe about weapon placement.
And this map is far from finished of course...playtesting needs to be done. Lots of it. We can't have a crappy playing map now can we? :biggrin:
But, please, Doc, this map is a 3/10? I have seen so much crap get high accolades that it's not even funny. This map without weapons is more fun than say, some of Manson's maps, mainly because the actual level design is good. Connectivity is top-notch, the map flows well, and for the huge size it is very easy to get from section to section. As for theme, who needs that? Nobody (ok, only me) gives a crap about looks or theme once they get into the heat of the game. We've got 7 different mappers working on the same map, that's novelty enough.
Re: PitCrew the original
Posted by scary_jeff on
Sun Nov 30th 2003 at 12:56pm
Posted
2003-11-30 12:56pm
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I think this map has come a very long way and is now an overall good map, but there were a couple of things that I thought weren't quite right; I would post screenshots but I can't upload to ftp for some reason.
The area with the gaudy 'da snark pit' sign has strange lighting on the cliffs, with some parts looking allot darker than others.
The lighting in the big outdoors area with the two big spotlights shining down is all wrong. For a start it seems very bright considering it is supposed to be night time, and those yellow spotlights are ugly as hell. I think a few smaller spot lights would look allot better. Also this outdoors area is not consistent with the previous one and Reno's section in terms of colour and brightness.
The lift shaft with a rotating red light at the top of it and water at the bottom is far too bright, so much so that the rotating light looks silly. I suggest having some small lights on the walls of this shaft and scrap whatever is making it so horrible and bright :smile:
If it was me, I would want a lower ambient light level throughout the map, with allot more highlight type lights. It did seem to me that a few areas were quite bright with no obvious source for the light.
The only other thing that I thought of is that the newer areas (sorry, don't know who made what), that use mostly concrete textures, could benifit allot from a couple of coloured lights here and there. Don't get me wrong, I do like these areas, but a few touches of colour would add allot I think (I'm not including the area with the red highlights around things in this comment). I would agree that some areas are a little short on weapons, and I also think a bit or ammo here and there wouldn't go a miss, but I was certainly able to find plenty of weapons in my quick tour around the place. I also agree with Gollum that the flashing red and green in Grimlocks area doesn't fit in that well... to be honest I never liked that area much but in a map with 7 or so different styles, I don't expect to like all of them.
Oh yeah last thing, I think you need to increase the contrast on those signs with people's names on them. They look kinda bland IMO... perhaps you could put a nice little ReNo-style light shining down on each one to give them a little highlight? Somehow make them stand out a bit more... a dark frame as well perhaps.
Re: PitCrew the original
Posted by Leperous on
Sun Nov 30th 2003 at 6:02pm
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Use a different one to that purple stock rock :rolleyes:
Re: PitCrew the original
Posted by Orpheus on
Wed Dec 3rd 2003 at 2:51am
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lemme tell you how close this map is to full up..
those 6 simple wire fences that i placed under dietz's waterway, put us over the top, i had to clip off a few things just to get it back into "i think i will compile fine now" mode ..
items, such as the one reno mentioned, a single RPG round.. its hard to describe how the map looks in hammer, but that particular area was way to heavy in items, it had an egon and an RPG in very close proximity, i do realize the item placement is way off, but in all honesty, i threw a s**tload of items in just to forestall the comments of this huge map being so thinly populated with things. i knew a major rearrangement was in order BUT i also knew that any playtest without any items would have sucked far worse.
i would have to increase the item counts by at least 5 times to even approach a GA style map, so fear not, that is very unlikely to occur.
lastly, i dimmed the light environmental from 100 to 75 and the map still looks way to bright for a night time map IMO.. the damned compile times are so forking long that any adjustments take a long time to see results :sad:
thanx for the input thus far, i do agree that some more indoor lights are in order, but we must remember, the plane limit is at maximum..
Re: PitCrew the original
Posted by DocRock on
Wed Dec 3rd 2003 at 1:55pm
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Somethin else I noticed is that the signs need to be clipped off or made into func_illusionary. In a heated fire fight, it really sucks to get stuck on a sign when you're running and gunning.
Also why do you want to make weapons hard to get to (like the rocket launcher and gauss)? or why do some mappers make the long-jump hard to get to? It's a deathmatch map...lol...
IMO, I think it's silly. Put the weapon out there for anyone to grab or fight over. Don't hide it.
Re: PitCrew the original
Posted by DocRock on
Wed Dec 3rd 2003 at 3:25pm
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All I can do is shake my head at that last comment about the map being a masterpiece.
............no, it's not.
And that's just fine if you want to leave your weapons just as they are.
That way, you can just add this map to the huge stockpile of unplayed maps out there in the community.
and I'll be the first one to say "I told you so" here in a few months.
Re: PitCrew the original
Posted by Gollum on
Wed Dec 3rd 2003 at 3:32pm
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Listen up, members of the Pitcrew map team! Heed Doc's dire warning!
Best chuck a s**tload of weapons on the floor unless you want the map to go unplayed. Don't say you weren't warned!
Thar be monstars. Ar.
Re: PitCrew the original
Posted by Orpheus on
Wed Dec 3rd 2003 at 3:35pm
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doc, i am trying to be civil, so i will say this slowly and with feeling, stay away from my project.
there are several legendary maps that are no longer played, and if mine is heaped upon this pile, i will gladly accept that option, OVER being added to the crap map pile, that is getting game time.
once more for posterity, if you have no positive feedback (being constructive, in either negative or positive) just keep your opinions to yourself.
thats just about as clear as i can make it, i can only HOPE you are intelligent enough to accept this final bit of advice.
[edit] message editted for the visually impaired [/edit]
Re: PitCrew the original
Posted by Adam Hawkins on
Wed Dec 3rd 2003 at 3:46pm
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:rolleyes: Here we go again...
Doc did say it was 'in his opinion'. He covered his arse so don't jump down his neck this time. I could understand this attitude if Doc had said that you must plonk weapons anywhere but he didn't...
IMO you two need to accept that you have differing opinions about things, and live with it - not argue about who's opinion is right and whose is wrong.
Mmkay? :smile:
Or go throw some potatoes at each other :biggrin:
Re: PitCrew the original
Posted by Gollum on
Wed Dec 3rd 2003 at 3:55pm
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As I've said in other circumstances - Doc is entitled to his opinion, even if it is wrong.
Can't help but detect a little itsy-bitsy smidgeon of spite lurking there, though. And I had my spite-radar serviced only last week (overloaded them in a pub; had to get the envy detectors replaced).
Re: PitCrew the original
Posted by Adam Hawkins on
Wed Dec 3rd 2003 at 4:03pm
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Maybe I need a spite-radar also - where can I pick one up cheap? :wink:
Re: PitCrew the original
Posted by DocRock on
Wed Dec 3rd 2003 at 4:27pm
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You are oh so very welcome :biggrin:
btw...good luck with your "masterpiece"
heh
Re: PitCrew the original
Posted by Adam Hawkins on
Wed Dec 3rd 2003 at 4:28pm
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At the end of the day, it all depends on what kind of mood you are in. Sometimes I enjoy running around armed to the back teeth with weaponry, and other times I like to be made to work for my weapons.
Tactics or a quick mindless blast - i'm sure we all enjoy both at times :smile:
Re: PitCrew the original
Posted by scary_jeff on
Wed Dec 3rd 2003 at 6:53pm
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That's some good logic there Doc... "more people do it, therefore it must be right". I still haven't got an answer from you to my question: "If these maps you advocate are so great, why does no comercial game come with DM maps of this type?".
Re: PitCrew the original
Posted by Yak_Fighter on
Wed Dec 3rd 2003 at 8:24pm
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I'm certain no one wants my opinion on weapon balancing, but tough s**t:
When Valve designed HLDM way back when they purposefully tried to make sure no weapon could dominate the game. Everything would have its uses; people with a pistol could kill those with RPGs and gauss rifles. This wasn't going to be some quakefest where the rocket launcher is king and you are helpless unless you get bigger weapons.
Of course, we all know that they almost succeeded (egon aside :razz: ). No weapon is useless, and with proper map construction no weapon has an overwhelming advantage.
Personally, my favorite way of having weapon placement is to put the heavy weapons in open areas where people can fight it out. Its a difficult risk to go after the gauss in the middle of the arena when everyone can gun them down midstep. But the secret to this set-up is to place restricted amounts of ammo spread out throughout the map. It would probably be wiser to use the mp5 or the .357 sitting nearby that has a reliable amount of ammo. You may get one or two kills with the RPG, but good luck getting across the map to get the ammo for it when you're finished. That makes the other weapons important if you want to keep using your big guns. It also forces people to move throughout the map. Plus there's no camping if you have no ammo to fuel it.
But the day that I support maps that haphazardly put a ton of weapons and ammo in poorly designed areas is the day that I retire from gaming and throw my computer out the window. There is an obvious difference between Crossfire and Killbox, and I hope we all can see it.
I'd rather this map never get played at all then be associated with crap like that.
PS: Killbox is one of the most successful HLDM maps ever...we should have had each author make one wall each, dumped a ton of weapons on the ground, and plastered the Snarkpit name all over and called it a day. I would have got my section finished in about 1 hour...
Re: PitCrew the original
Posted by scary_jeff on
Wed Dec 3rd 2003 at 9:07pm
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An hour to place one brush? Jeez :razz:
Re: PitCrew the original
Posted by Yak_Fighter on
Wed Dec 3rd 2003 at 9:47pm
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It's gotta be just right.
Re: PitCrew the original
Posted by DocRock on
Thu Dec 4th 2003 at 1:49pm
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? posted by scary_jeff
That's some good logic there Doc... "more people do it, therefore it must be right". I still haven't got an answer from you to my question: "If these maps you advocate are so great, why does no comercial game come with DM maps of this type?".
I really can't answer that question, Jeff. Why do you only ask it of me, tho? Are you not a mapper as well? Why aren't your maps good enough for a commercial game? Why aren't Gollum's or Yak Fighter's? Why aren't anyone else's here on this snark pit site?
Why not ask it of Orpheus and his "masterpiece." If this map is such a msterpiece, why doesn't a commercial game come with maps of it's magnitude?
I know why...it's because we are not professional. None of us are. If we were, we wouldn't be here, would we? It's because we all do it as a hobby, and when one person gets a little fame or publicity over it, then everyone else is jealous as f*ck.
Maybe I went a little over the top by showing the stats, but I thought it might be a good way to illustrate what I was saying. Evidently not.
? posted by <a href=""http://www.snarkpit.com/users.php?name=Orpheus"">Orpheus</a>
lastly anyone who thinks the players are important enuff to have a viewpoint are bound to create crap, or at least a substandard map, cause there are just to many opinions on what is the best choices.
Ya know, I think that can really go both ways. If you don't listen to what people think of your "work," you will create crap, or at least a substandard map, and continue to do so without even caring what players think of your stuff.
That's a bit closed-minded. As well as calling players simple people. In other words, if you call a player simple minded, well, you'd be calling yourself simple minded because, um, you're a player. All of us here are players of Half-Life. So in a nutshell, you just called anyone who plays Half-Life simple.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width="95%" align=center>
<TBODY>
<TR>
<TD style="FONT-SIZE: 11px; COLOR: gold" bgColor=black>? posted by <a href=""http://www.snarkpit.com/users.php?name=Orpheus"">Orpheus</a></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>if it ever reached a point, where i had to ask, or rely on a simple minded player for advice, i would just quit mapping all together. they simply are to divided on whats important in maps.
As are many mappers. As are many feedbacks given here on this site. People are divided on how dark a map is and what kind of lights to use. They're divided on weapon placement, rspeeds, texture choices...etc. Every mapper has his/her own opinion on what makes a map work or what doesn't. Orph, you are constantly preaching about how important it is to get feedback on a map before it's released...and now you won't even accept the feedback of a "simple" player? That seems a bit like a double-negative to me.
Perhaps you should listen to people, even the "simple player" who plays your map. Nine out of ten of the "simple" players wouldn't know Jack about a rspeed or a texture misalignment, but as long as they got a weapon in their hand and they can kill, they'd be happy and probably want to play the map again.
Re: PitCrew the original
Posted by Adam Hawkins on
Thu Dec 4th 2003 at 5:14pm
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Doc....be aware that some of us around here do have commercial experience...KungFuSquirrel, and myself to name two.
I'd stop now Doc as you're digging youself deeper and deeper. Shrug it off and let it go.
I'm not saying Orpheus is right or that you are wrong. You're both entitled to your opinions (and I respect both sides), but these opinions tend to be laced with little digs at each other, that are not good for how people hold you in their esteem.