DoD_Dessau_Beta1

I'm pretty close to done with this one, but it still needs some polishing. I'm thinking of adding more destruction, but that has to be pretty limited in the major areas because I'm already at my r_speeds limit.

Suggest away. :smile:

Good to see some new stuff around :smile: Anyway, here goes

First off, everything looks a bit too bright. You should reduce the number of bounces and/or gamma, because everything looks washed out. More contrast maybe. And the sky is somewhat boring.

Screen 1:
-Architecture looks good, but somewhat under-emphasized because of the lighting.
-Rooftops look too similar to each other.
-Ground texture's a bit overstretched?

Screen 2:
-What's causing the high wpolys?
-Again, nice architecture hidden by the lighting.

Screen 3:
-Again, the wpolys a bit high?
-Nice touch with the stained glass window

Screen 4:
-Seeing as you have the wpoly's to spare here, a little more of the rubble and destruction would look good here
-Maybe some terrain variations.
-That mossy-stone wall texture's been a bit overused here IMO

Screen 5:
-Best shot of the bunch, good work. Bright light and shadow works really nicely here. This place looks very good.

Looking forward to a download :smile:

I like it; I think the problem is that it looks ancient rather than old, nothing a good retexture couldn't solve.

Thanks for the comments.

I think the lighting looks washed out because I have my gamma maxed out in Steam so I can see into those dark corners. :wink: maybe I will turn it down and retake the screens.

Thre are good reasons for the w_poly in most of those screens. Trim around windows and doors. Lots of detail, particularly inside the church, and some of it gets drawn form the outside.

I don't plan on changing many of the textures as they are all DoD default, and I want to keep the file-size small. It's a good point about the roofes though. I ought to have at least two different textures.

I'll get the link up as soon as my next compile is done.

Download

Nice looking brushwork, I like how the buildings are clustered together. The rocks seem a bit too jagged in screen 5 but otherwise pretty nice. Lighting seems appropriate but the sky looks a little dull. I think something with mountains might look nice. The texture overall looks decent but not great. The ground just seems wrong to me and in screen 4 the sidewalk texture looks over-simplified.

I've got to agree with Fraggard and Cassius on this one. The map is looking really good but the thing letting it down is the outdoor texturing, inside the church looks great.

There are plenty of good town textures around that look old but not, as Cassius put it, ancient. When creating realistic scenes for DOD in the HL engine, you have to rely heavily on the textures for detail and realism, as well as the brushwork and layout. My suggestion would be don't skimp on the textures.

Apart from that top job :smile: .

update











Changes that I can think of:

-1 new area to connect between the two main areas.

-Spawn protection

-1 man caps on 3 out of th four flags

-less glass

-some new roof textures for variation

-Tried to lessen the dependance on the overused mossy wall texture

-Screens taken at less than full gamma.

Download

nice man, but I really dont like the roofs. They need a "trim" between them and the walls, will make things look less blocky. I like the atmosphere, but you need to add some more detail. I mean, the map is on the right track and well built, but needs that "OMFG!!!!1" factor :smile:

I'm not entirely sure what your getting at in terms of the rooves...

I definitely have some more cool effects planned. env_shooter here I come!

All good projects must come to an end whether they are perfect or not. I have come to the conclusion that I am as finished with this as I am ever going to get. I've done my best to respond to the critiques thrown my way and I hope many of you will have fun playing my creation. Thanks for the help.

The screens and DL link have been updated.

dammit jim, i cannot remember this one :sad:

looks good though, shame i don't play dod

this one musta came along during my hiatis..

good luck TB

Well, personally Tracer I would have fixed a few things before releasing it, like that God awful water in the first shot, the sad looking bushes on the hill in the second, and the somewhat dodgy architecture in the third. The fourth shot looks great though and the fifth looks like the map has an interesting layout. Texturing could have used a bit more work, but its your call. Nice job over all, just me being picky. :biggrin:

Thanks Orph.

Like I said. It isn't perfect. I just don't have time anymore to work on it and being that HL2 is coming out with DoD: Source close behind, I don't really see the point in waiting to see if I might someday get back to it.

drools ... DoD Source ...

Oh yeah, DOD: Source. I've slowed most of my DOD mapping down at the moment, just developing cool ideas and layouts so that when its released I can map away. Of course I'm going to try and release a couple more DOD maps before Source comes out, as its going to be a while before its released.

My brecourt manor map is on hold, same with rural (which has been on hold for months) as the engine just can't handle them. I'm going to aim to finish u-boat and a new map based around Monte Cassino in the next 2 months.

I wonder how many NPCs HL2 will be able to handle now ... it'd be great if DoD had some NPCs in source as well.

Imagine having battles where a majority of players were bots mixed with people ... creating huge battles.

Imagine if Charlie didn't blow ass because you were the only target on the goddamed beach.

Crono said:
Imagine having battles where a majority of players were bots mixed with people ... creating huge battles.

it would only be cool if you could direct them, as in squads or platoons.. cannon fodder would not be my idea of fun..

what would be nice, an engine that could handle D-Day, and all of us storming the beach heads.. that would require..

1) that once you died, you stayed dead.. this would encourage you to not do stupid s**t.
2) massive communications.. via voice links.
3) about a week to play, you'd have to chose a place for your player to rest and whatnot.
4) real time.. as in day is day and night is night. (local to the maps origin)
5) if you were killed during your sleep cycle.. opps, you had a bad day.

now thats team play i'd join, not this cs crap

Don't expect that on any engine that exists.

You basically described a MMOFPS of WWII.

I don't understand why you wish to control all the troops. I mean sure that'd be cool if it was a possibility, but that would become a pain in the ass. It'd make much more sense if you didn't command them, but rather (especially in the situation of Normandy Beach) you made a plan before hand. It would definatly make sense for "cannon fodder" to be running around, since a lot of people on Normandy beach were exactly that. Not to be a dick about it or anything.

Not everyone wants voice communications. I hate when people talk in dod, I f**kING HATE IT.

However, I've developed ideas that would probably interest you, but I wont disclose them for risk of alienation...

Crono said:
However, I've developed ideas that would probably interest you, but I wont disclose them for risk of alienation...

as if people like us ever worry about the concept

maybe i was a bit hasty, i didn't mean control, as in you go that way, and i go this way sorta control.. i meant bots would ruin a campaign such as i discribed..

think on this, in a real battle such as this, people die, they take fewer risks.. but in a game, you respawn with such ease, you fight with abandon.. all i am saying is, it would be nice to have a days long/weeks long battle where you had to worry about dying..

getting ammo, sleep, food, hell taking a dump.. those things make realistic, real.. not blood, headshots, or kill totals.

and no, i don't expect to see such an engine, or game in the immediate future :smile:

You didn't listen.

I understand what you're saying more then you know. It should just NEVER be implimented with DoD.

Crono said:
You didn't listen.

I understand what you're saying more then you know. It should just NEVER be implimented with DoD.

were you talking about DoD? i was just wishing, as long as we are wishing, why not wish for a decent game or mod to run it with :biggrin:

I'm working on it ... :wink:

It sounds like a very cool idea to me Orph. That really is the problem with DoD and such. there is just no real penalty associated with dying, so everyone just runs for it.

Uh ... what about competition?

There is something satisfying to have a tremendous amount of kills and flags with minimal amount of deaths. Or having more then 12 kills in between deaths. (Being an MG in a good spot does not count).