HL Single Player Map Error...

I've come across this problem in a HL single player map of mine... Theres a room that you fall out of a vent shaft into, breaking the top of a box, where two monster_zombies are. This works ok, but the monsters are stuck in the floor and no matter how high i raise them they still get stuck. Also, the player cannot stand when he falls through the vent, he's stuck being crouched. I've checked and there are no invisible or damaged brushes going through this room. I've tried to copy each brush into a new map and compile that but the same error comes up. Any help would be much apreciated!

Sound's a bit odd..Maybe you could seclude the room and upload it for us to take a peek? Or have you tried re:building the entire room all togather?

I tried to re-build the room in a different area (moved the vent shaft about a bit), but doesn't seem to help. Also, I get the note "Node graph out of date, rebuilding" when i try to run the map. I don't have a pit the now, but i could get my friend to host the file for a bit.

Node graphs, Im not too clear on them, but its basically the enemies and allies AI paths. When you re:build parts of the map and stuff, It has to re:buil paths of the AI.

check the .map file and see if something is buggy. Because what you make in the .rmf isnt the same as what is loaded in the .map and in turn isnt the same as what is compiled into the .bsp

I like the avatar. System Shock is one of the best games ever made!

Node graphs are only built when you start putting in nodes and air nodes. But yes, they will have to be rebuilt just about every time you change your map.
As for the problem, are you sure there aren't any little holes in the ground that your player can fall into and get stuck? Or have you got some weird func_wall_toggle/func_button/func_door around you floor? Try putting a clip brush above your floor and put your zombies on it, then see if they or the player get stuck.

Tracer Bullet said:
I like the avatar. System Shock is one of the best games ever made!

Yea, just finished playing it last night. I have to say though, the Shodan level and the final boss are laking though.

double post

In a section below the room in question, there was a func_door that moved upwards on the top view when triggered. This seems (somehow) to be the cause of the problem, as i removed it and the following section too; and the problem sorted out. However, any time i replace that door (I tried a func_door_rotating too), the error returns. I've tried looking at the .map file and it seems to be ok. Im using ZHLT Custom Build 1.7 if it helps. :sad:

I'll have that map file uploaded shortly...click here to download it (should be up in the next couple of hours - im still at school the now :smile: ).

Did you try placing the clip brush in the floor? That sounds like it should work. It's just a brush totally covered with the clip texture in case you didn't know.

Are the monsters always there, or are they teleported in from a different spot? If they're teleported in, make sure the info_teleport_destination isn't too low for the monster's height.

Also, the box. Before it breaks...if you were to have your player in it...would the player need to duck to fit in it? If so...change the box's height so the player would be able to stand in it before it breaks.

The monsters are always there to begin with.. I guess i could have them spawn in when the box breaks... Again i'm at school the now so I'll try the clip brush when i get home.

Sorry bout that incorrect link earlier... try this instead :smile:

Try using a smaller grid size, and raising them a unit or two above the floor - at the moment theyre almost dead level with the floor, which could cause problems.

Monsters don't react kindly to being in close proximity with walls either (ie your cardboard box) - a big cloud of yellow "flies" appear around the monster (not sure what they are) and it tends to screw up the AI code. Move them slightly above the floor and further away from the box.

Finally, why not make the room slightly taller, so there is a bigger drop on to the box - it might fix the problem. Plus, it just doesnt make sense to have a box right below a ventilation shaft entrance.. how would the air circulate? :razz:

Sorry Gwil... I tried to remove the monsters and the box entirely, and yet when you fall out of the vent shaft you still cannot stand. I'm going to try to make the vent come out of a wall, with the player not crouched to see if that works.

Make your vent slightly bigger, in width and height?

Hmm.. I modified the vent so that you were standing when you fall out of it, but you still get forced to crouch when you land on the floor below I might try to move the room around a lot, see if I can remove that door down below...

make sure that you dont have the floor tied to a entity, or if theres one of those entitys there that stop you from getting hurt when you fall, i might have something happen like that on me, what you can try is make a big solid box, hallow it to -2 or something, then put the vent in and carve the vent into the top, and see if that works

The room below the vent shaft is just an ordinary set of world brushes, and there's no trigger of any type there, except 3 info_nodes for the monster_zombies, but I have tried to take them all out and I still have the error. I'm at school again so I'll try carving when I get back.

Sounds like there's a clipnode lower than your ceiling pushing the monsters into the floor and stopping you from standing? Try making the ceiling a bit higher, or put an air duct in or wall support or something to 'break it up', and try again... And show us your map if it's still not working :razz: (oh and checked your map for errors?)

AHHH wow, i just ran into the same problem, i used monster_sitting_scientist in a map and hes sitting in the floor in the corners.. i've tried changing everything, but hes just sitting there, i replaced him with a standing scientist, and its good, but how do i fix the sitting dude? i think it has something to do with this...

you have the entity box (teal colour) of the scientist thats sitting (2D view) if you highlight it, the X thats suspose to be in the middle of the box is like 2 feet lower, north star, check if your entities are having the same problem, im thinking my ciling is too low, but for my map, i cant change it without making it look bad.

does anyone else know posabilities?

Leperous said:
And show us your map if it's still not working :razz: (oh and checked your map for errors?)

I did post the .map file, and there weren't any errors found with Hammer's error check. The .map is available here.

The thing is, Wilddoggie, I took ALL the entities out of that room, even the breakable vent cover and the info_nodes. This error is becoming quite annoying now... :sad:

move the vent to the other side of the room and just have the breakables on the box triggered, replace the zombies with snarks or other enemies to see if it is infact your entitity placement causing the prob

Are you stuck, or are you just going through the floor?

It sounds like a simple entity problem. Do what everyone else said. However, if that still works and you use custom models, (And the guys are just sticking through the floor), it could be your origins aren't placed right. However, if they are actually stuck then I don't know.

Try moving the entire map to a diffrent spot. Are they at the origin of the grid?

try testing the vent and the room in a different mod or something like counter-strike when you compile it, its just a guess

If you think you've found a bug in the compile tools you might try XP-Cagey's P series. Apparently it fixes some glitches with "sticky corners" and weird clipping errors.

http://www.xp-cagey.com

i downloaded the .map file. some of the textures i didn't have loaded at the time, so i just replaced them with one i had at hand.(i doubt very much that this would have any effect on the problem)

at the risk of getting me some more bad karma, i put a big box around the level, and compiled it as a sven-coop level. the problem you described failed to show.



the zombies were as they should be (walking and slashing etc.), and when i dropped to the floor, i landed standing.

so i would guess that if it's not mod specific (which my feeble understanding of the engine stops me seeing why it could be) , then Hornpipe's suggestion on the tools would be right, as the tools i am set up with atm are XP-Cagey's P series.

Hmm right, I don't usually get mad at crap maps (seeing as I practically wrote the book on them) but least of the problem you described doesn't even appear the version I compiled, you have more pressing problems than that.

1) Theres only six lights. If you want to see your level, you must put lights in.

2) Your map isn't a hull. Ie it is exposed to the outside area, which isn't good.

3) Which means I had to put a box around the entire level and create a massive skybox and hollow it. This really ennoyed me.

4) Thus It can be deduced that you are not using Zoners. If you don't know what I mean by this, then someone should put a big sine on this website saying "only sign up once you have installed Zoners"

So, based on these three problems, here is my suggestiom to you: delete the map and move on. Sorry if this sounds a little harse, but thats just how it is.

matt said:
(a bunch of weird logic, and then)

So, based on these three problems, here is my suggestiom to you: delete the map and move on. Sorry if this sounds a little harse, but thats just how it is.

Or, consider that he might not have finished the map at all, and he's just creating a few sections he later intends to wall in. Alternately, he's just showing us the one room at the moment that pertains to his problems. Let's not speculate on each other's building methods and instead, we'll help someone out who asks us a question. Fair enough?

EDIT: Two more reasons to keep quiet.

Vash said:
Sound's a bit odd..Maybe you could seclude the room and upload it for us to take a peek? Or have you tried re:building the entire room all togather?

North_Star said:
I've tried looking at the .map file and it seems to be ok. Im using ZHLT Custom Build 1.7 if it helps. :sad:

But then how the hell did he compile the map if he is using zoners and theres loades of leaks in the map???

matt said:
But then how the hell did he compile the map if he is using zoners and theres loades of leaks in the map???

f9

fishy said:

matt said:
But then how the hell did he compile the map if he is using zoners and theres loades of leaks in the map???

f9

would exaplain why theres only six light entities...

Yes this map IS a work in progress, so this is only a small section of it. I AM using XP-Cagey's compile tools, and I'm compiling it through VHE while I work on this error. Once I've fixed it, I normally use ZHLT Compile GUI v8. Also, when I seal the map by deleting the section after the func_door_rotationg, there are no leaks, and the error is still there.

Well when I compiled it there was no such error, so the fault must lie in the machine your compiling on.

This may be a little late (you may have solved the problem already) but try placing a small clip brush within the zombies, I dont know if it will work, but its what you do to sitting scientists to make them sit on the chair. Try that or I would suggest trying a different monster like a human grunt or slave, or alien grunt. Cause I have had this problem with placing shotgun ammo, a clip brush in the center solves the problem. Hope it works.

omegaslayer, sorry but I've already tried to completely remove every entity from that room and no success.

Recently however, I noticed that when the monsters ARE there, when they are killed they slip away through the floor ....

Don't want this to sink too low so here's a little bump. I've heard some talking in other threads that Cagey's tools are still prone to their bugs. Perhaps you could try compiling the map with Merl's more stable tools?

Cash Car Star said:
Don't want this to sink too low so here's a little bump. I've heard some talking in other threads that Cagey's tools are still prone to their bugs. Perhaps you could try compiling the map with Merl's more stable tools?

a bit of advice from someone who has had to compile the biggest/most complex map ever seen at SP

X-cageys tools are buggy, so do not use them all, just the vis one (<--- i think, or maybe the rad one)

use merls tools for the rest.

but remember above all, if the normal 253 tools will do you the job, do not upgrade to the 253-17's or x-cagey's at all.. its just not worth the headache trying to figure out which version caused the compile crash.

lastly, if you use 253-17, you cannot mix them with the 253, it will crash too.

so its:

1) the 253 tools

2) the 253-17 tools

3) the 253-17 for 3 of the steps, and a X-cagey's for the forth.

use them in this order, and you should be fine..

/2cents

You use the Compilers with Worldcraft? I hear that causes some bugs and crap and that you should use Batch compiler or something other than WC's compilers. I dunno tho.

Bump. Was this ever fixed?

You use the Compilers with Worldcraft? I hear that causes some bugs and crap and that you should use Batch compiler or something other than WC's compilers. I dunno tho.

Your compiler front-end makes no difference. This sounds like a compile tools error.

I personally have never had problems with 2.5.3-17. That's not to say they don't occur, just that I'd recommend trying a compile with those rather than XP-Cagey's set.

If you're really stumped try compiling with the Q tools... :biggrin:

ok i think i solved it

first of all the rebuilding nodes message doesent mean crap anymore

second to maybe prevent the always crouching problem try making some fake space in the vent directly above the breakable vent piece and make the space 1 unit wider then the breakable, and hide it with an illusionary. this way the player will atempt to stand up 1 unit before falling thru the vent that way it will be hard for the player to stop right on the vent lip.

hope you understood that the way i tried to explain

and as for the zombies

i belive the problem is that they are too close to the box

i am sure that you have to give 32 units of space between the monster and a wall or the breakable

if you really want to keep the monsters that close than you would have to make the breakables fake as well and use env renders and illusionarys to simulate the box

Have ye solved it yet then?

Right... I've decided to simply re-arrange the entire area, I'm finding that this error is becoming too involving for what it is stopping me from doing. I've tried virtually everything that has been suggested here, with several different compile tools, and I'm yet to find luck with this. Thanks to everybody who has given their time to try to solve this.

Have You solved the problem Yet North Star? cause its not a compiler issue, its just the brush (I think) try using a thicker brush, or build a test map for zombies.

Omegaslayer, I've decided to just leave the whole section - It's being completely re-designed. I have deduced that the error is not with the complilers, and I have also tried to compile it on a different machine with the same result. This problem seems to have just been a one-off.

Well did u try a test map for zombies? becuse I have a similar problem, shotgun ammo falls through solid brushes as well, and ive tried fixing it but nothing works.