dm_zakks_house

I doubt your house is as big as you depict it!

Haha, it's actually quite a small map.. but yes, all the rooms are a bit larger (some more than others)... otherwise it'd be a strictly 2player map.

Why is everyting so wide open?

It probably looks bigger than it is, in those screenshots, maybe because the weapon isn't visible... the map is FAR from wide open. You'll have trouble fitting more than about four players, I'd say. I may expand it a little more... still considering the best way to add a bit of space to the map. (IE adding another floor)

You have a very big house, with no doors...

Not only that, WHY DID YOU SUBMIT THIS MAP AS A "TINY" MAP!?

Tiny? Ok, wait a few days until I post the beta. It's TINY. Like.. TINY.

As for doors.. yeah, I left them out.. though I'm thinking about adding them. I just want to make sure that if I add them they don't get in the way.

Almost finished with it now. Let the feedback begin. :smile:

Also, considering adding another staircase in a different area, to provide different ways to get around... input?

you have some very large almost empty rooms - feels cold, brr :wink:

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These words are my diaries screaming out loud

I agree. Also, because your rooms are so large the ceilings look low. Only the last picture looks decently scaled.

BlisTer: Good thing I added some heathaze coming out of the vents. :wink: I
do agree.. the whole map seems a bit cold.. I guess it depends on the
conditions in which you play it. :smile:

Addicted to Morphine: That's a good point.. perhaps I'll raise the
ceilings a bit - upstairs. Downstairs I can just lower the floor. :wink:

Either that, or make the rooms smaller in general. It just seems really really far from one side of the room to another.

At "normal speed" (that is, not sprinting, and not crouched) you could
walk the width of the room in picture #5 in about two, two and a half
seconds. Seems small enough for me. :wink: The larger den or living room
area could be walked across in perhaps 5 seconds.

Final version will probably be released tomorrow or friday... updates:

*Slight performance improvements (brush updates)

*Additional stairway, making the map less "linear"

*Higher ceilings

*All-new weapon placement

*Most ungrabbables have been removed for performance improvements

Any other suggestions?

-edit-

It's now confirmed. :smile: Ceilings will be higher. Map looks a lot nicer
in a bit better proportion, thanks for the suggestion, guys. :smile: With
higher ceilings and the extra staircase I hope to fit more players in
at once...

Sorry for the delay guys... my internet went out last week for two
days, though, and I was able to get some good work done. Added a few
more 'features', improved some random things.... just sort of adding to
it.. Don't hold me to it, but Monday sounds like a fine day to release
it. :smile:

Nice place, lots of room :wink: .

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Ham and Jam Contributor
http://www.hamandjam.org

'Get your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!'

Doors need doorframes? Unless you dig the whole open plan living thing... - SHot #2

Aside from that it seems to be very horizontal, there's no vertical gameplay at all in what I can glean from the screenshots (can't test, no HL2 in net cafes). Try maybe just adding a fictional main hall that has stairs and multi floor fighting, just for variation.

Other than that it seems solid enough, maybe relying a little too much on props as opposed to creative brushwork.

Thanks for the tips.

About doorframes.. I kind of had some before, but removed them. I'd
like to come up with some that won't intrude on gameplay and
movement.... I'll keep it in mind.

As for vertical gameplay, you won't find much here. :smile: I'm not sure
what you mean about a main hall... there are two floors with two sets
of stairs, that's all. (An attic area might be cool, hmm...)

Brushwork - don't look for much here, either. My next map should have
some nice brushwork, but this one's got little more than anything
really basic... walls, floor, ceiling.. that's about it. :smile: Props are
very important here, yeah.

Agent Smith said:
Nice place, lots of room :wink: .

You... are much to kind.

I firmly believe that we all need confidence boosters. It can go a long ways toward improving ones works. I also feel honesty is always the best course of action as well.

This map, (based on the screens alone) is not releasable material. It is obvious you put a lot of work into its creation but it should be consigned to the hidden places of your hard drive designated for "teaching tools"

Do not release this, you may regret it later.

But then again, look at my earlier works. I am not a good example, or am I? I did release 9 pieces of s**t after all.

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The best things in life, aren't things.

The first real thing I ever tried to map was my own house by
memory. It's on my profile, but I never even considered releasing
it. I treated it as a way to gain experience. I would have
to agree with Orph. I mean -- this map is carried by props.
And while it's probably really cool to run around your friend's house
in HL2, I doubt anyone who didn't know zakk would enjoy playing
it. Time to think about the things you've learned during this
map, and then apply your new knowledge to a more ambitious
project. Perhaps a true DM map, with an original location, and a
layout specifically designed for DM.

I mean, you can go ahead and release it, but don't expect it to be played by many or in any servers.

I'm still interested in seeing updated screenshots reflecting the changes you've made to the house.

Good luck with your next project.

Why are there deli display fridges in the living room???

You mean those "shelves" in the "computer room"? :wink:

I will release it... agreed, some may not enjoy it... but I wouldn't
like to waste so much time working on it... if one person plays and
enjoys it, that's good enough for me. :smile:
I also agree with this sort of being a test map; I started on it VERY
early on, and thus had to redo many sections where I screwed up. But in
making this I learned a ton about Hammer, and I'll be glad to put that
new knowledge to use on my next map. Again, thanks for the input.

and we want to see doorframes next time :biggrin:

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i eat paint

You mean those "shelves" in the "computer room"? :wink:

If I meant "shelves" I would've wrote the word "shelves". They are deli
display fridges. I'm pretty sure I know what I'm talking about. They
also look pretty stupid being in a computer room. As does your whole
map.

Spartan said:
As does your whole map.

Honesty is one thing bud, bashing is another.

So far, this guy has been stand up decent.

I don't mind bashing when the author is being a prick but... I think you overstepped yourself this once.

course.. who am I, but the worse example of "good judgment calls" :rolleyes:

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The best things in life, aren't things.

But in
making this I learned a ton about Hammer, and I'll be glad to put that
new knowledge to use on my next map. Again, thanks for the input.

That's the right attitude. Keep it up.

If I meant "shelves" I would've wrote the word "shelves". They are deli
display fridges. I'm pretty sure I know what I'm talking about. They
also look pretty stupid being in a computer room. As does your whole
map.

Whoa... calm down. Ever hear of a "wink" before? It looks sorta like
this: :wink: It means something like "I'm kidding". Here's the kicker... I
used one in my previous post. Also.. double check that definition. Last
I checked, plastic display shelves were not fridges.

@ Orpheus:

Thanks, appreciated. :smile:

@ AtM:

I shall, thank you.

I actually can't think of anything else I've got to add. I'll compile
it fully and see how it looks... do a careful search for any bugs that
need resolving, or things that should be moved.... and that should be
it. Might come out tomorrow.

All done! Any comments?
Screens updated.