SPLA Map

Snark Pit Liberation Army (SPLA) unite!

(reference to leps comment in the other thread)

I've started this thread to see who besides WC, Gorb, and myself are interested in a team mapping project.

If your interested post any ideas for themes, organization ect...

I have an idea: I think you should call yourselves the Snark Pit Liberation Army Territorials :heee:

I'm afraid I don't understand. what has being called Territorials got to do with?

Er, nothing. It just makes for a better acronym :biggrin:

Gollum said:
I have an idea: I think you should call yourselves the Snarkpit Liberation Unified Territorials :heee:

ahh hell mike, thats just TOOOOO much

/smacks self

I think I like Gollum's suggestion better

I'd be willing to contribute something to it certainly. What will the map be for though?

I was thinking just HLDM

Tracer Bullet said:
I was thinking just HLDM

I think a map with a big hole in the middle would be cool for you S.L.U.T.s

hldm is neutral and easy for all to identify with, you might consider that strongly.

idealism will interfere before the map is released, so try to remember this bit of advice.

K.I.S.S.

keep it simple s.....

Hey Orph easy with the SLUTs thing.

You know Im all for the map but we dont need a name. Its just the Snarkpit map 2. Or something of such.

I'd say we stick with HLDM. Anything else would be too big at the moment.

Wild Card said:
Hey Orph easy with the SLUTs thing.

You know Im all for the map but we dont need a name. Its just the Snarkpit map 2. Or something of such.

I'd say we stick with HLDM. Anything else would be too big at the moment.

oh yeah right, its ok for you to type sluts, but not me huh? :dodgy:

anyways, if you guys wanna be PitCrew as well, thats just fine by me, the name still applies :smile:

mumbles

not fair, he can type it.

Orpheus said:

Wild Card said:
Hey Orph easy with the SLUTs thing.

You know Im all for the map but we dont need a name. Its just the Snarkpit map 2. Or something of such.

I'd say we stick with HLDM. Anything else would be too big at the moment.

oh yeah right, its ok for you to type sluts, but not me huh? :dodgy:

anyways, if you guys wanna be PitCrew as well, thats just fine by me, the name still applies :smile:

mumbles

not fair, he can type it.

:razz: :razz: :razz: :razz: :razz: :razz: :razz: :razz: :razz: :razz: :razz: :razz:

^ That's a disturbing amount of lickage for one post.

Well, after 12 replies, there has been no discussion of what this thread was suposed to contain due to a lame joke on my part. comon people! so far it's just me and WC who are interested :sad:

woot, i like this idea of group mapping... id be willing to take part, however im afraid not many here think im any good... and there right :biggrin:

HLDM is fine with me, ive mapped mostly CS but i first started with HLDM.

LMAO @ 51|_|75

Ideas: i noticed that SP map 1 looks pretty complexe, and im not sure how detailed you guys want to go, but maybe we should take a more simpilar approach. i also think we stick with HLDM cause most if not all mappers usually start with that and then move on to there fav mod, also with the mods that limits our theme ideas. maybe if were really lucky we can do this very systematically by sectioning off the overall size of the map into equal sized portions, and then have everyone give some work on the connection point(s) this way we can all get to work right away :wink: . i say we do something space, not many space maps that ive seen... however i dont play HLDM much. well ima quit here before i write a book...lol

well let me know if you guys mind if i join in.

so then it shall be us only.

I'll do it.

Give me a small part though, I don't want to ruin TOO much of the map.

the more the marier

more on my ideas:

i think we should draw or map up a mach up outline for the map, then we can just section off rooms, or give dimensions to people with which to work in. i believe if we spend more time planning then the "MASTERS" did, we will most-likely not have as much trouble, if any with getting this done within a reasonable time. maybe we should think about a custom wad for our map, unless you guys just want to keep it basic.

from what i gather the original team is doing it one by one, passing the map around like the 51|_|7s we are...LOL joke. i say we surprize everyone and do it like a puzzle, have everyone work on there parts all at once, and within guidelines, and then piece them together at the end.

To Be Continued: :biggrin:

Sinner_D has the same idea I've been thinking of for quite some time. You ever played a TFC map that was so cool, but then you walk into the enemy base and it's the EXACT SAME as your base? I like playing maps where the bases are quite different. So how about we do something like this: We make a blank RMF and put a couple blocks around where "connection points" will be, and we just make sure that there's a door wherever those are shown. That way we can all go about making our rooms and then we delegate some suck... uh, person to make sure the connections don't look too terrible.

In other words, this map will be so varied and random it will be hard to look at. But there is tons of fun in store for all!

Sounds reasonable. who want to volunteer to do the basic layout?

This sounds like one of those projects that they do in Major Artsie towns.. Where a group of designers are given one room in a house and told to decorate it.

Im game and willing to do my part.

What theme are we going to try?

($)

First we have to determine how many people are involved to get an idea for area. Connections don't necessarily have to be left-right, we could have areas that are above or below another as well.

The more the marrier Wc? I sux at mapping, but can i still be part of it? Just a question so far :smile:

we all have different skills in different areas.

I cant do basic layout at the moment cause Im really too buisy and sick. (got 2 doc appointments today)

I want rocks in the map though :razz:

I'd like to get into this map too, if you'll have me.

Before we start mapping, then, we need to do all of the following:

1. Post a news item on the main page pointing to this thread.

2. Set a deadline for "entries" to the map. Nobody can sign up after that date.

3. Pick a theme that everyone likes (well, okay, pick the one that seems to be least disliked, anyway). Also, pick a mod for the map. (Currently we seem set on HLDM, but I think there's a strong case for a TFC or HL-Teamplay map)

4. Divvy up map space. (Someone will have to get creative here so it's not all right-angle rooms.) Make sure everyone is in contact with whoever has rooms next to them so they at least match up.

5. Delegate someone to be our Wad Master (preferrably someone with texturing experience and with webspace/a pit) to keep an updated version of the SPLA.wad file which any project member can submit textures to and (s)he will include into the next version. Everyone on the SPLA team will use this wad for all custom textures.

5. Set a deadline for when all the rooms are due. Pick the most experienced person here (with time on their hands) and make them do all the finishing touches on the map at the end, when every piece is collected again.

6. Start mapping!

DocRock, I cant speak for everyone here, but I'd like to have you aboard/.

Thanks WC

I've got a suggestion for a theme.

It would allow for everyone's own uniqueness in mapping, yet keep the map held together as one entity built by many.

It would be a single blue (or whatever color) line that would be in everyone's map. The line could be just a simple line, or it could be the author of the map's focal point. I'm referring to one of window's default screen savers (3D pipes)...imagine several maps...all different, but with the one uniting tie...

The one thing that would keep the map connected would be the blue line...attached to each other's maps through doorways, holes, or wherever the previous author left the line off at.

Again, just a suggestion, but turn on the 3D pipes, and watch a world unfold :smile:

Well I'd obviously prefer to make a TS map, since it's just so much cooler thatn standard HLDM. meh, regardless I'd like to be a part of this. One major concern is that of r_speeds, since we'll be linking areas with each other then perhaps we should it out first, leaving plenty of space for the connections, then let everyone who wants to have a crack at connecting certain segments.

Hornpipes plan for getting this sorted sounds good. We certainly need a WAD master of some sort and preferably to set some sort of rought theme so it doesn't jar too much. I like Docs idea of tying it together, but I'm not so sure about the pipe idea msyelf, perhaps we could have a certqain texture or feature that has to appear in every room or something?

Sounds like Horn has a good roadmap for us to work from.

I'm not a texture artist, but I do have a pit that we could use. also, maybe the local texture artist (Grim, Doc Basso, Cass, Korn... ect) would be willing to make custom textures for us?

I propose a deadline of Nov 15th for people to sign on. if everyone is agreable to that, I wil create a new thread where everyone interested should post once to get their name on the list, and post a news item.

I like doc's Idea (yes, I'm happy to have you aboard as well), but I think we should make it somthing other than a pipe.

Why not require that everyone have a whey stream (doesn't have to be water, or even liquid) flowing out of their area. that way, at the end, the person responcible for putting the final touches on the map would be responcible for creating a central area that combines all the different themes and streams into somthing interesting.

on the r_speeds issue. keep tham decent in your area, and the person putting everything together will be responceible for makeing sure that the connections are vis blocking.

I have some webspace we can use, lots of it. As well, while Im not a texture artist, I can do some stuff in Wally, thats about it.

I agree with Doc's idea of a line or whatnot. Its a great way to make the map look like 1 map and not several sections pasted together. I recommend we stay with a certain texture set however, I would like something like dark concrete textures of a sort. Nothing too flashy.

As for deadlines to join, I would say end of November.

I must ensist we keep this a HLDM map because its much easier and some of us might not have the other MODs.

Also, since I've done this many times before, when we make our map sections, send me the custom .WAD files that you where using. Tell me which textures you've used and I'll create a new wad file with only the textures used.

5. Delegate someone to be our Wad Master (preferrably someone with texturing experience and with webspace/a pit) to keep an updated version of the SPLA.wad file which any project member can submit textures to and (s)he will include into the next version. Everyone on the SPLA team will use this wad for all custom textures.

5. Set a deadline for when all the rooms are due. Pick the most experienced person here (with time on their hands) and make them do all the finishing touches on the map at the end, when every piece is collected again.

I would request this role, not because I want to be better or more recognized but because I am always here and have done (sortof) previous maps with other mappers.

Anyways, just my ideas.

How many peeps are going to be allowed to join this team? If we wait til end of November, there may be alot of volunteers. I vote we get 10 or less guys in this team and then go forward.

Hell, even 5 or 6...cuz 10 would be alot..and that would make for a huge map lol

About wads...there's tons of em on wadfather or in the public domain. If none of us on the team are real good at making wads, then maybe we can combine several from off the wadfather, etc.

I say the smaller the team, the better, because it would be alot less of a headache keeping track on where the map is and whats going on with it. :smile:

I offer my services for this project also. Sounds like fun.

That's 10

Tracer Bullet
Wild Card
Schmung
Sinner_D
Hornpipe2
MoneyShot
Gorbachev
Finger
Kapten_Ljusdal
DocRock

I'm fine with that as the final list, and your right. it could become diffacult if we have too many people. what do the rest of you think?

I'd like to help out any way I can - be it feedback, testing, or a bit of old-fashioned Orph stylee critiquing :smile: I don't have the time to do any mapping as such (i've too many of my own to keep track of!), but if you need anything, please feel free to abuse me :wink:

Good luck!

Sounds good Adam. I'm sure we'll be in need of critiques before too long.

Yup, sounds great to me. When do we start? :smile:

if the project ever gets off the ground & gets to a decent stage, il look around the map, make a few replacement textures & send them.

Nice! thanks Korn!

So, here is the way I invision this working:

1. Each person is alotted a maximum volume of grid space, say <512 WC units cubed (~134 million cubic units) to keep map size under control. you don't have to make it a cube, just stick to this volume.

2. A comman thread is chosen, ie pipes, whey streams... any other ideas?

3. Everyone independantly builds their own area, creating a specific minimum number of planned exits (3?)

4. some poor su... uh... I mean WC, will then do a splendid job of interconnecting our hodge podge of mapping goodness into a cohesive whole, creating a central area that harmoniously blends the disparate themes and styles (along with the chosen comonality) into somthing that makes sense, or at least, is interesting

What do you all think?

hmm.....if yer still needing, im glad to lend a hand where i can.....korn and doc are gonna be in, ya better set yer standards high fellas...woot!

seems to me if yer gonna have to be on any kind of short time table, with custom textures, youll need to collect and scan concept art asap to the texture dudes....soon.....just a thought...

....and i like docs idea of the connecting color immmensly....make ya work for it fellas...but could be cooool as hell....

Doc Brasso... :dodgy:

I like the idea of a stream or something, having it run through every room in the map is some cunning way. Exits wise I say 3 for the inner areas and two for the areas ringing the map.

I guess what I'll do when I link the parts together, if you guys agree would be to modify them (oh so very slightly) to add some sort of comonality in all of them.

I'd thought about that, but if the exits/enterances, and our common gimick aren't integral to the areas it will create a real tacked together feel. most especialy if we use pipes or a stream or somthing with a physical presence. I'll be very disapointed if people don't build their archatecture to make that thing a very important part of the area.

I think it's better if the exits and the common factor are made by the author of the area. I know that makes things really tough for you WC, but I think what you will need do is cunningly engineer small transitional areas that gracefully mate things together, rather than trying to significantly change the areas themselves.

We need a stream going through so I can have a waterwheel in my map portion. Hydroelectric power... in Hammer!

lol, well i really feel for ya WC...looks like you got the worst job of all of us :wink:

ok, im not quite sure what exactly docs idea about the 3d pipes theme... are the players inside pipes or what?

i like the stream idea to link us all together. maybe we can play on this stream idea and make a complete theme around a stream...like hills (rocks) something to fit with this stream. hell maybe it could be a stream of lava threw hell...dont think thats been done yet :wink:

glad to see ya here doc :smile:

so when should we start? are we all set on the 512*2 workspace? think maybe we should work on the theme a bit more. and someone please explain docs pipe idea...i was so confused...lol

The pipe thing was just his suggested common element. he wasn't suggesting we make a map all out of pipes!

as far as the stream goes, it was my idea so obveously I think it's a good one, but I was envisioning more freedom than haveing everyones stream be the same.

say one person, has a pipe that guides plasma, another has a flow of sewage, another has simple water, another, has steam, another lava... ect all of these things flowing out of (or into) your area would be integrated together in the central area that the mighty WC will build for us.

I think it's not worth trying for a cohesive theme since even if we all used the same textures our mapping styles will be so totaly different. what I am trying for here is somthing that ties everything together, even if each area is completly different form the others. they can all come together in the middle.

say, water flows into lava in a billow of steam. sewage is consumed by plasma in a giant incinerator.... ect.

another thing. texture lights might be a problem. we don't want multiple people specifiying different RGB and intensity values for the same texture. everyone should make a new wad containing any texture lights used with unique names so that there is no overlap. these can then be put in the common wad and our SPLA.rad can just be the cut and pasted pices of our individual .rad files.

Oh, and is that the officaial name? SPLA was just a joke, but I kinda like it.

We have to decide what it is we're having similar in each, even if it is a "path" throughout. Water is a good one, elemental themes are good, a mix of indoor and outdoor is good, and reasonable r_speeds are good. We want this sucker playable!

I like to create Waterfalls, fountians and what not.. Id like to try and do a lava fall, it would be new to me, but could be rather cool if I can pull it off. Id like you to get warm and sweat by seeing my room. Can this be incorperated in our hod-podge?

This is sounding like an Elements map.. WIND, WATER, EARTH, FIRE, and what ever you toss in the mix all meeting up in a center area. ( maybe we can have some sorta tie into Space or portal in that area ) A real cool special FX.

($)

P.S. LOL I had not read all the Lava stuff before I posted this.. now I think were all on the same page with it, we should do it. LAVA! ( The SNARK PIT of HELL )