Thanto

Thanks for all the comments so far. I'll make the lighting more dramatic and get some higher quality textures a little later down the line.

At the moment I'd like suggestions as to how I should connect the top level to the lower ones.

If I could find a suitable twist I probably could submit it for the competition too.

Superb lighting and architecture. The textures work with them well. Very nice. :smile:

I really like the map, some great architecture and the lighting is perfectly dramatic if you ask me - works to the architecture's advantage nicely. That said, there are certainly improvements to be made, I'll point out a few flaws here...



You use this texture a bit too much - its a good all purpose texture but I think you have gone to extremes here. I think you should slide a few different concrete textures in for variations sake.



Nice skylight, but you hide it behind repetitive texturing. Highlight your features such as those light fixtures with different textures.



I think the walkways are maybe a little too thin, perhaps widen them a little?



These metal bits look pretty crappy and pointless, perhaps make something that looks more structural sound? Take a look at these pillars in Forsaken - the have variation in them to provide interest, yet still look sturdy.



Perhaps aim for something similar - the thin points in your pillar look weak and should have something more than those little metal bars to hold them up.



There is an awful lot of texture layering on a flat wall here, perhaps provide some architectural depth to it? You could have an indented alcove/ledge at a similar height to the lower ledges or something?



The doorway trim has depth to it at the top yet is flush at the sides - you should maybe pick one and make it consistant. I'd be inclined to suggest keeping it flush to stop players getting snagged.



Players can barely see anything below because of this wall. I reckon it would be better to remove this and keep the upper floor exposed, the same as on the opposite side with the windows.



You may want to consider linking your pillars with the inside wall somehow to break up the ceiling a little. It could provide potential for interesting light fixtures too, since the little green squares are a little lacking.



Watch your texture alignment, its off in a few places. If you are using a texture extensively, that is non direction dependant like this one, you can sort your alignment really easily for the most part by using hammer's texture replacement tool. Just open the texture tool, set the mode to "select", press "replace" and select the texture you want to select in the left box. Before you press continue or whatever ensure you have checked the "do not replace textures" box. Now you will have all the faces with that texture selected, so you can easily align them all "to world", set them to the same scale, and centre them or whatever.



Are you doing something with this wall? Looks awfully boring and temporary.









All of these could be linked up with another room behind your boring wall, and you could perhaps not so much make it another room, but an extension of the existing main area.

That's brilliant, thanks a million bud. :smile:

Yeah, I really went overboard with that texture, but it's just temporary in a lot of places.

I'll make the walkways bigger.

I agree about the metal bits, they didn't come out as planned. Really strange you should refer me to forsaken though, I just downloaded it last night for some inspiration! :biggrin:

The lip at the top was supposed to be a door but it's not too obvious as the texture is the same at the bottom and the sides.

All those areas are going to be interconnected, I was hoping for a few suggestions as to what to do. :smile:

Got to run now. Thanks again!

Bah ! some gimps beaten me to the critique, very nice feedback :smile:

Yeah, widen the walkways before doing any more layout changes.

Those floor grates are just crying out for slime to be put under them with green uplighting.

The only way i can think of connecting the top level to the lower is by opening the level up a bit more and adding a couple more paths. Or do a kludge of using teleporters :smile: Will give it a bit more thought...

Looks good. Reminds me of an early Gustavo type map. Anybody who's been with the HL crowd for awhile will remember his stuff. Good work.

heh, I loved the AHL Gustavo maps:
http://ahlmd.telefragged.com/maps.php?map=55

This map is looking really interesting, keep up the good work. And how about some gratuitous env_glows on the lights? :biggrin:

I loved the Gustavo maps that used my prefabs. The rest, eh. :biggrin:

Did a bit of work to the inside area. It's all connecting up pretty well now, the layout is nearly complete. I just have to spinkify one stairway and create a decent transition from the ground floor to the first.

Reno pretty much covered most of the points, but I would just add that I'd like to see a few more rooms in this level, as currently I think it's a little too small. The outdoors section screams having the tau cannon, but because of the total size of the level that would be a disaster. You've got a good arcitectural and lighting style going, and it would be nice to see it applied to additional sections.

Then again, I personally don't like making maps that are 1v1 or 4 players max, so take this with a grain of salt.

I don't think I'd be able to manage a couple more rooms, I'm struggling at the moment. Maybe I'll aim higher for my next project. :smile:

LOL! Reno hehe...

[Reno thoughts] While I'm critiquing this map, I think I'll advertise myself a bit [/Reno thoughts]

I'm downloading this map now, a very rare occurance for me to download a map, but 700kb is nothing really, even for 56k, and people say it's good so I shall see...

Another version for download. I've changed a good bit, taking all the suggestions into account. The only things that need much work now structurally are the stairs connecting the second and thrid levels and the outer part of the third level.

edit: dowload removed

Sorry myrk, this one is a little bigger! :smile:

Ok just played the first one and downloading the new one.

Seemed very small and tbh very linier... hopefully the new version will have more to it. Also I think you need to clip the little dips in the walls with the lights in them.

And I know you want this to be a contest map :razz: It has snarkpit logo hidden on the top level. :biggrin:

The name of this map is pretty similar to my next maps name too...

The new version is alot better, I like it :biggrin:

Good improvements where Reno said :razz: and the I Love Reno sign is a definite win over lol...

Still I think you need something in that room with the skylight. I think maybe an overhanging metal grate which you can walk off at the top of the stairs, something to make it have more point when a weapon is placed there. A couple of sprites over the lights too to spink it up a bit and it should be a kickass map :biggrin:

Thanks the commments. :smile:

I agree about the room with the skylight. I wanted to connect the top of the stairs with the third outside level but it isn't really possible.

Reno did say that wall was too boring. :biggrin:

I've no twist in it and I can't think of one so I can't put it in the competition... unless my twist is there is no twist! I put that snarkpit sign in all my maps though. :smile:

I'll mess about with some sprites now, I've never really used them before. :smile:

What's your maps name? Tanto maybe?

Thanatos - Death as a personification or as a philosophical notion or Death instinct.

:razz:

Aah, I just shortened thantophobia. :biggrin:

Thanatos can also be written as Thantos... not sure which one I'm going to use yet. A.t.m. I'm just drawing up a layout...

hey good map alien.

i dig the middle portion. good for fighting.

as far as textures and such its good....i mainly look for fun.

the snark pit logo sign is awsome.

but if this is going to be a themed map whats it main jest?

whats its main theme?

I don't have any twist or theme and I can't think of a decent one. If I could think of one I'd enter the competition. Open to any suggestions! :smile:

Few more suggestions...



Hath thy map been cleaved asunder by the axe of doom?! I think you could use some stuff above the upper limit of the map.



You have done some here I see, but its barely noticeable from down below, I had to noclip up to see what it was. Also, I felt some of the techy textures looked out of place amongst your aged concrete ones. I think you should pick one "theme" and stay with it, they don't mix too well.



Definate spinkification needed. I know you know this, but I wanted a chance to use the word :biggrin:



This wall is an abrupt and unlikely end to the area - perhaps try something that looks less "s**t I don't know what to put here!". I'm inclined to suggest rockwork, but then I'm ALWAYS inclined to suggest rockwork. It could however allow you to mingle it in with some detail above the current top line of the level.



I was thinking that the upper level feels too seperate from the rest of the map, and when up there the only way down is through one of two distant exits or a big drop. To make it feel less isolated, you could link up the inner wall with your skylight, where the crosshair is (and obviously the same on the other wall).



If you did that you could change your grates to little water pools, to stop fall damage. It may be worth considering this anyway to be honest, as dropping is one of the best ways down from the top level.

Nicer changes anyway, but where is this "I Love Reno" sign Myrk mentioned, I searched for ages :razz:

Thanks again for the feedback with pretty pictures! :smile:

I was going to go around the whole top rim with rockwork but the r's are close to 1000 up top already and I got 1150 in a hot spot on the bottom floor. :sad:

I couldn't find any un techy textures that I liked for that area. :sad: Just have to look harder I guess.

I'll try and connect the skylight to the top level, see how it works out. Very good idea, I was trying to think of ways to connect to the top of the stairs :smile:

Ps:

:biggrin:

You people love your pimage banter don't you :biggrin:

Yes...

This message was brought to you by Snarkpit anal indigestion pills- a sure way to start your day!

well if i think of any ill let ya know.

a idea might pop in my head.

Since Zombie is on a computer which my brother literally stole from me, I'd be glad to offer my texturing services to this one. Some crazy architecture, and with such smooth lighting - I love it.

Myrk- said:
Thantos...

hmm, Dave, where have i seen this name??

oh yeah, it was in our PM's...

I wanted to say it was too dark, but in Reno's screenshots the lighting is pretty good (is there a tweak i'm not aware of?). Other than that, it's a very interesting architecture, but it could use some mechanical entities like elevators or doors. The map is too quiet :smile:

Good job A_S

Yer it is a bit static...

I had my gamma and brightness pretty high - 3 and 4 respectively - so my screenshots aren't very indicative of the actual lighting.

I bribed- ahem

Cassius and I have decided to work in tandem creating this map for the competition like a pair of freakish but sexy co-joined twins. Check out the screenshots displaying his sweet delicious textures! :smile:

Good job guys, I like :smile: Replace that rust texture asap though, looks out of place against the old but not rusty other stuff. I look forward to seeing it in game!

Maybe you'd be so kind as to test it for us. Ho har he!

That ones so topical even I didn't get it at first, the others don't have a chance :biggrin:

Holy s***! Good work. Only suggestion is to tweak that brick-wall; looks strange having brick end so abruptly at the top. Maybe put a trim there or change the texture around a little. Geeze... Cassius should make textures for other people more often. :smile:

AS' secksorly lighting + my ubr? textures = pwanz... Check the first page for my awesome promo picture.

Not if I can help it he won't! :biggrin: The top section is the last bit that needs real work, not really sure what we're going to do with it yet, but rest assured it won't look so flat for long. :smile:

Little niggle - the "base" brick wall, the one at the bottom of most of the walls, begins seemingly halfway up a brick. I'm guessing the texture is larger than the face, and you are using a 1x1 scale and aligning to top - it makes sense and all but I think it would look better if it was scaled to match the wall size. If it already is, then I'm a fool, but it really does look like the bottom bricks are cut short.

i need the bsp dave, the screens are just to dark on my pc :sad:

PM me the link to the last compile.

So your theme is mapper and texturer or tag team or something :razz:

team mapping is not easy to pull off, i think it a distinction worthy of the competition.. being that there are so few multi-member maps.
course, its all semantics.. if the ruling body thinks it not within the parameters, he can always release it normally.

The only limitation is it should be a playable Half-Life Deathmatch map (i.e. have weapons and player starts, and not have stupidly high r_speeds)

Doesn't seem like there'll be a problem. :smile:

/me wiggles his way onto the marking/judging commitee...

Mapping/texturing tag team? Not exactly... we kind of lend into eachother's fields in that respect.

Since we're working with an idea and layout that is already solid, there's no reason that this should exhibit the usual team map flaws.

Myrk- said:
/me wiggles his way onto the marking/judging commitee...

that, might be a problem.. since your brother is holding the comp.

i am not accusing, you know that, but you did cross the admin line once and some may still view that infringement as beyond your being allowed on the judging commity.

give it some thought myrk.

/ 2 cents

Ok then your theme is complementing talents. The texturing before was crappy, but now its good. And for Cassius the architecture was non existant, but then he joined and it formed :razz:

Orph that was one crappy situation which many people blew way out of proportion :rolleyes: My actions do not change my abilities to view and rate maps...

I don't think the contest is serious enough for people to start contesting who has the right to judge, at the end of the day it's just a bit of fun and site pimpage. :smile:

Myrk- said:
Orph that was one crappy situation which many people blew way out of proportion :rolleyes: My actions do not change my abilities to view and rate maps...

one situation, true, but not as simple as you are making it out to be..

you are on probation as i see it, you have a bit yet to condone the action.. till you realize the magnitude of what you did, you won't be forgiven i feel.

the quote above, belies your claim to be unbiased.. again i am not accusing, just pointing out your position.. admin must walk a thin line, brothers of the owner, must float above the line in saintly fashion.. that one event, cropped your wings so to speak..

i hope that made sense..

Jeeze, sorry I ever said anything! I'll just die back down into my hole and not say anything, cus I obviously seem to cause these huge upsturs whenever I say antyhing!

I can see you as the type of person who takes petty things to the grave, like accidently leaving the fridge open whilst pouring a glass of OJ... :rolleyes: