dod_nordafrika

Just thought I'd show you what I was up to. Haven't seen many North Africa based Day of Defeat maps. Thought I'd start one, view the pictures here -> http://www.snarkpit.com/maps.php?map=423

Pretty but empty.

I have a big allowance for stuff to be put in it, I'm aiming for a "busy" but not cluttered map. With a good atmosphere.

Building style looks more like Italy than N.Africa ? will prolly look completely different when you stick some sand in.

Some nice looking palm trees in there tho'

Nice lighting, although I think the streetlights should have more of an effect as at the moment it does little to the base evening light.

doesn't look like africa

Looks like someones been examining the MOHAA North Africa levels.... :dorky:

ReNo, I've been having a joyous time with the lighting :razz: For some reason my enviroment light brightness is at 5...yet my lights don't give quite the "radious" that I'd like...but I understand what you mean, I'm working on it still, it'll happen some time. As for the not looking like africa, I'm going to use some pictures as reference for the next areas, I just really like the textures I got. MoHAA gave me a few ideas, but the last time I played those levels was when the game came out, and I want this to be independent and not cloned.

Ferret said:
doesn't look like africa

Sorry, what does "africa" look like again... ?

 

quite honestly, i havent ever really seen any textures that truly capture the flavor of africa....any ideas Korny???...HMMM???? 

by the way, and i know the map is far from done, but how did that jeep get blown on its side?....in a hallway no less....should leave a hella lotta burn marks or something eh maybe?...justa thought...lookin good tho man....GJ

Dr Brasso... :dodgy:

I don't put any decals on until the end...but I wanted alternate cover from the tradition "box". It's a tunnel, not a hallway :razz: I just want to get the main layout done first so I don't run into any troubles with r_speeds...DoD has enough lag issues as is right now, I want a map that anyone can comfortably play.

Not only should you have some burn decals near the truck, but I suggest you have some destroyed architecture there. I don't want to suggest your not capable of doing it on your own as I know fine well you are, but in my as of yet not transferred detailing tutorial I cover how to make some easy cracked flooring that could work in this situation.

To get a nice light radius around your lamps, use a light_spot pointing downwards. CJ has a tutorial on using them, not sure if its up yet though.

Dr Brasso said:
quite honestly, i havent ever really seen any textures that truly capture the flavor of africa....any ideas Korny???...HMMM???? 

heh, My knowledge of africa is really poor like most of the people here tbh. I honestly wouldnt know where to start on an africa map.

Just watch the Black Hawk Down film, add a tonne more rubbish and crap on the streets, bit more foliage and you have it... TBH I don't think games are quite at the level to create such environments effectively, also due to Africa being such a dangerous place it is hard to obtain quality photo textures.

"Africa" doesn't have a defined look! It's a bloody big place... and Somalia is no doubt very different from Egypt! Philestines! :dorky:

Besides the empty-ness , which everyone already said, I would suggest less 90?-ness in the level. Almost everything I see seems to turn at 90?, and this seems to detract from the map somehow. Maybe if you covered up the turnings in some way, say foliage/plants/dirt/grime/dumpsters, you would have the VIS advantage retained.

And it needs some more work on the environments, as such. I can't really be specific, but definitely some dirt and grime though. It looks too much like a (recently cleaned) european city.

It'll get there, but it's intentionally clean...it's more of a raid on an occupied town. I'm going to have it wreck as you go along, with different sites for TNT, air raids, mortars, etc. As for the 90 degree-ness, I'm full aware, same with the floor cracks you mentioned ReNo, but my style of work is to keep it really basic at first so I don't have to spend hours remaking something if it turns out I don't like the area etc. Africa IS big...there are many different types of places in it, but this area mostly comes from my interpretation of movies, pictures and other media I've seen of Africa during the 40s.

Well, I've finally begun to finish dod_nordafrika after a few delays and other projects. I have a few small pictures, but most areas are only about 60% as populated with foliage and environmental effects as are planned. (The current r_speeds are all about 400 or less.) I've devised a tunnel system that links to a temple. There is also an entrance to the temple located at the bottom of an oasis. Lots of little effects have been added, but soon I'll be pimping out the MMs and adding all the in-game destruction I want. Since I've yet to see many maps that immerse you in a battle with the environment literally crumbling as you fight by.

http://www.snarkpit.com/pits/gorbachev/dod_nordafrika0012.jpg

http://www.snarkpit.com/pits/gorbachev/dod_nordafrika0012.jpg
http://www.snarkpit.com/pits/gorbachev/dod_nordafrika0013.jpg
http://www.snarkpit.com/pits/gorbachev/dod_nordafrika0014.jpg
http://www.snarkpit.com/pits/gorbachev/dod_nordafrika0015.jpg
http://www.snarkpit.com/pits/gorbachev/dod_nordafrika0016.jpg
http://www.snarkpit.com/pits/gorbachev/dod_nordafrika0017.jpg

looks good m8, I like the lanterns

Thanks, them lanterns took me about 10 revisions and resizes to finally complete :razz: .

No specific comments, but it's looking good.

How big is it going to be? from the screens it feels enormous.

Well even those screens don't show much of it, but it's about 1/2 to 3/4 of the planned size. My criteria for this map is to have all non-box cover, low r_speeds, and high ambience/feel.

There seems to be little to no sign that anyone has lived there for a while, let alone that there's a war going on.

Blazeer's textures are way too clean, as they are, for a DoD map.

The parts of North Africa in which major battles took place are much more Mediterranian in climate than what I'm seeing. I'm about 99% sure that there are no oases that close to the shore. Also, an oasis couldn't possibly exist when there are tunnels under it.

Tunnel system that links to a temple? I'm guessing your map is based on Algiers - of what religion is this temple?

Cassius said:
The parts of North Africa in which major battles took place are much more Mediterranian in climate than what I'm seeing. I'm about 99% sure that there are no oases that close to the shore. Also, an oasis couldn't possibly exist when there are tunnels under it.

Tunnel system that links to a temple? I'm guessing your map is based on Algiers - of what religion is this temple?

You're asking for quite a bit of historical accuracy in a Half-life map (quite a bit meaning "some"). Then again, I've never played DoD nor do I know how much "realism" is expected in this mod.

Don't worry Cass, I understand the water concept...it's kind of an S curve of the water so that it wouldn't flow out. (Hard to explain, but I know what you were possibly thinking) I intended for it to be clean, this isn't exactly Europe. I was thinking more along the lines of Night time drop of an area that was taken by Germans with little to no resistance originally. Basically all of the "living" stuff will be German occupation in the tunnel network (The tunnels and temple are seperate. The tunnels will lead to a dig site and the Temple is being uncovered a la Indiana Jones somewhat) This is supposed to be a bit inland but not much. So basically it's an "artificial oasis". I'm going for a bit of historical accuracy...but not much, most people won't care anyway, I just want it to play smoothly and be fun/immersive.

Your choice. However, I'm seeing now that it kind of reeks of Anzio, save that it's at night. There's got to be a more fitting set of textures somewhere.

[EDIT] Hornpipe, DoD's most valued concept is it's realism.

if i may make a suggestion....for starters, lets take those textures and dirty em up a bit....or alot as the case may be.... :razz:

Doc Brass... :dodgy:

I don't know if I have the rights or time to do that though...

Overlay a bunch of grunge textures on the Blaz .wad? It'd probably be fifteen to twenty minutes. I could do it myself, even.

Rights are a different matter. Most texture artists won't care if you make minor edits to their textures, so long as they are still thanked. If worse comes to worst, just e-mail Blazeer and ask him.

^ stop.... the... flasing... my eyes... can't.. take it.

Gorbachev said:
I'm going for a bit of historical accuracy...but not much, most people won't care anyway

Yup, most peeps don't seem too bothered about historical accuracy, looks as tho' its coming along quite nicely.

Those buildigs in pic 14.jpg could do with a bit more work - very even roof and wall lines.

ttfn