dm_chambers_alpha

Tell me whats thought and what needs improving

can you guys actual tell me whats its like and how i need to add or something i mean i see 5 downloads but really....please

terribly sorry to be such a nag and stuff

oh and what exactly is a snarkmark sorry but i used this site yearrs ago and now im a bit new

Most people wont give your maps two looks if there aren't screenshots. Certainly not going to download it with no visual or technical information on the map.

Take some screenshots and load them up here, you can host at most 3 on your user account.

Get some feed back on those and give some more information ... setting? Ideas you tried to use? Anything besides "here is this map, look at it and tell me what's wrong" :razz:

---

Blame it on Microsoft, God does.

Ok well i took your advice put a picture in and all and added history and stuff thanks man

Well, I'd have to play it to see if it's fun to play, but the looks don't impress me. Shiny surfaces don't necessarily make better looks, you know.

I mean, it looks like you didn't put any lighting in this map, and that besides a field with glass cubes hanging in it there doesn't seem to be anything to this map - no theme (default Combine textures and that's all?), no background (you should use a 3D skybox).
Sure, it may play fun, but some people like to see a nice, immersive environment as well. Try to think up on a nice theme, whether it's the overused warehouse/industry theme or a Combine structure, or something set outside.

---

Create-ivity - a game development blog

Yes well thats kinda why its called alpha meaning its not finished but
thanks for the feedback but really do try it with a few friends i think
its like 1 meg or something

<div class="abouttext">Message submitted 0 minutes after original post:</b></div>
Yes well thats kinda why its called alpha meaning its not finished but
thanks for the feedback but really do try it with a few friends i think
its like 1 meg or something and also a picture cant tell you everything
like whats inside the chambers

There are literally thousands of maps with box/ramp combinations out there. We can't see them anymore. I'm sure it's fun to play, especially if you or your friends build it. Even a big box with a few weapons in it can be fun (dm_killbox) for a few minutes but there are too many of this kinds of maps to check out every single one of them and give extensive feedback.

If the gameplay is really perfect then you could put the same layout in a theme, some architecture that looks and feels more interesting than a few shiny walls. It would be wasted in such basic geometry. Gameplay is not everything. Maybe it's 60 or 70% of a map but without any atmosphere (looks, sounds, theme - not necessarily polygoncount or texture effects) it's just empty.

Make the screenies smaller next time, 640x480.

---

Elon Yariv

Nothing wrong with 800x600 - it tends to be regarded as the "best" resolution to be honest.

---

[img]http://card.mygamercard.net/sig/Default/reno84.png[/img]
Designer @ Haiku Interactive | ReNo-vation.net

Is the map fullbright? Or does it just seem that way judging from the screenshot?

Well if this doesnt go right its Cursed_Scorpion
here.....well lets see thanks for the advice but my map is more orginal
than killbox....its still the alpha version.....the picture says
nothing cept the look of it from one side...download it and try it with
at least 2 other people........please dont judge my map by the
picture....rather play it first thankss hey

<div class="abouttext">Message submitted 0 minutes after original post:</b></div>
Well if this doesnt go right its Cursed_Scorpion
here.....well lets see thanks for the advice but my map is more orginal
than killbox....its still the alpha version.....the picture says
nothing cept the look of it from one side...download it and try it with
at least 2 other people........please dont judge my map by the
picture....rather play it first thankss hey...not too sure what you
mean by fullbright..

<div class="abouttext">Message submitted 3 minutes after original post:</b></div>
another thing properl look at the way i constructed the chambers and they are held up cause thasts not simple building

Basically are there shadows and lighting? If not... then your map is fullbright for some reason.

Fullbright means you either have a leak or didnt run RAD.

t think it has shadows cant really remember...

why does it say in my emal i have replys when i dont

Not read any replies as I favor forming my own opinion and then seeing if anyone else concurred prior to my posting. I don't want to be swayed.

What I saw when I looked at the image:

A box... A box with stuff inside.

Not a good beginning to be honest. If I were you, I'd scrap it but since you are not me lets move on to constructive feedback.

The glass looking containers. If you want to keep the ideal... Make them real containers but with gaping holes to fire through. The fencing... Reduce its need to be present. Put buildings/walls/obstructions in places and remove the "feel" of a box hemmed in with fencing. The shiny flooring. Are you after a space station or something similar? If so, you need a skybox thats in orbit or space.

If I were you, I would study architecture and practice some. This map looks like... You have a few minutes invested. Try posting when you have a few weeks worth of practice so we can help you more.

---

The best things in life, aren't things.

ok seriously look i really appreciate you guys telling me....but here is a few issues

1. Stop looking at the picturew and judgoining it

2. Download it and play it with a few people

3.it is stlll the beta version

4.when i make it bigger it doesnt compile properly then doesnt run

5.I need to know how to make a skybox(i already have a tutorial on 3d skyboxess but am too lazy to apply it yet

6. Look properly at my architecture

for instance look at the way ive made the things holding the chambers up.

7.this map is only for about up to 6 players so when i actually get in the mopod ill make a better one

7. Ive been thinking about a CS source map....Its closre to a crash site. In a jungle with snow and the hostages start in aa crater or ship type thing while the terrorist start amongst trees lots of them...should i input this idea in my head and do it for cs: s

8. The floors shiny cause i like making metal surfaces

9. Guys its really very small so [lease download it and actually try it witrh a few friends cause i was at a network and these two other guys said it was the funnest map they played and they were laighing and all.....dunno why soooo.....

cursed_scorpion said:
4.when i make it bigger it doesnt compile properly then doesnt run

What errors are you getting?

cursed_scorpion said:
ok seriously look i really appreciate you guys telling me....but here is a few issues

1. Stop looking at the picturew and judgoining it

..

Hmm, well..

You just narrowed your input by several octaves. I for one can judge nearly anything I see from the pictures alone. However... Its your map. If you want to cut your own resources, namely "Snarkpit" , to nearly zero, thats your call.

Good luck with your box.

---

The best things in life, aren't things.

OK, I am going to be honest with you now. Your map is at best, terrible. There are people here who have been mapping collectively for decades. I've been to the download site and I can't even bring myself to download it. The most likely reason it crashes when you make it bigger is a leak, because it definitely looks fullbright to me. It's a simple layout with not much in the way of innovation, poorly constructed, and will never be a popular DM map.

Look at the members maps and try to use what you see in constructing your next map. Playability, forethought in layout and design, custom resources used to implement ideas. These are all things that will help you make a better map.

Believe me I know. I spents Months making a mediocre map. It takes alot more than you think to impress these guys. No amount of pleading is going to convince anyone here to give you praise for this particular map. You will get constructive criticism and encouragement for mapping efforts, but this map is not the one you want to sell. Go back to the drawing board and keep mapping.

Best of luck.

First fix your site - it doesn't work at all under FireFox. Download links here should direct straight to the download, too. :wink:

Anyway, I just ran through it myself. I surely believe you can have fun in such a map, but I don't think that's because of the map. The game itself is fun, with it's system of firing at other people, picking up goodies and so on. This map doesn't add anything to that really, there's no strategical or tactical layer on top of these basics. I believe a good map should add more to the game - what's the reason to download yet another map if there's nothing special to it?
I can make a box, put in some obstacles and teleporters and call it a map too. Instead, I'm studying the designs of other maps, reading up on gameplay technics, the importance of layouts and so on. I want to give my current map something of it's own - an unique look, some different gameplay mechanics... you can still run and gun in this map but there's more for those that like to play more smart than just that. It's like appealing to a wider public.

Your architecture is boxy. Those pillars are nice but quite rough, the rest is just box. It needs a theme or setting so you can live up to that theme.

This all may sound intimidating, but remember the regulars here have created levels for several years and we're not so impressed by a map that takes us 10 minutes. Don't let it discourage you. As if we started that good... :wink:

---

Create-ivity - a game development blog

no prob i was gonna put like one at the top which takes you to another place but i dunnno.....................then theres the leak...dont got none.......i know cause if i did it wuldnt run the vvis and it does...still dunno what you blokes are over brighting about...ill take more time to make a map next time.....and but what do you think about my counter strike idea..........i dunno though............and im from south africa so can you blame me...just jokes....really appreciate the feedback...im feeling a bit like you blokes hate me so if ya do really sorry for whatr ever i did or it could be cause of the way im taking what yoyu guys are sayin.......ok so what can i add tyo my map then...suggestions would be hot and if i do what can i do too it like make houses or other like science labs............
youll see above the last chamber a black and yellow lined thing sought of what you see on the road....shoot it when someone is in that chamber...it closes the door and triggers an explosion...what should i put on top of the chambers then like weapons and stuff....but who here has actually downloaded it and played it with other people.....!!!!???????????



<div class="abouttext">Message submitted 1 minutes after original post:</b></div>
how do i fix my site to work under firefox............ok to tell you the truth i did my siote from my high school(im in grade 11) and the pcs there are s**t soo the resolution is all screwed when you veiw it on other pcs...

No one hates you, see? :smile:

I believe what everyone is getting at is that, to just make a "fun" map, isn't enough. You have to realize that the majority of people think Kill Boxes are fun. But not people who regularly visit and contribute to this mapping community. While, I know there are people who simply want to run and frag, that isn't really condoned here. This site, mostly, is to allow people to get feedback on serious projects they're working on, only to better their map and their own skills.

So, generally, criticism seems rather harsh, nothing to worry about though.

There are some things you should be aware of when regarding a map thread:

1) You don't make a map thread to get "kudos" ... a Map thread is only viable until the map is completed, it is here for the specific purpose of "perfecting" the map, addressing things you should change before a final release, so on and so forth.

2) We should be able to see merit's in the map by screenshots. If you can't convince someone to download it through a screenshot, then they're not going to download it at all. The reason why is, if someone says "it's fun, download it", they might love killboxes, or something as such, and we already addressed that situation :smile: You need to sell your map to people to convince them to download it. Screenshots and specifications for the map are the only way to do that. Just saying "try it" isn't going to compel many people.

Some other things that should be apparent, if you're actually serious about mapping and not just making "killboxes" or "frag yards", then figure out the things that make up a map. (Gameplay, Visuals, Performance, and all the subsets that are encompassed by those)

Right now, you have just made a box. And there's no reason to have this thread here unless you want people to suggest how to make it better.

Also, vvis will run if there's a leak ... how do you think a leak is found? Try loading the point file, if created, it will draw a line to the leak, if there is one.

There are some immersing effects you can do and lighting is involved in almost all of them.

As for you CSS idea, just work on it and come back with it, but this time be open for suggestions. You'll get a lot of feed back here from people who have immense amounts of talent (myself NOT included).

Anyway, have fun working on this stuff, but try something else out that'd entice people to play it.

---

Blame it on Microsoft, God does.

Crono, I think you should save your post and resubmit it every time we get a new person. You handled it very well.

/me bows deeply.

---

The best things in life, aren't things.

ok yep thanks...how do i load a pointfile sorry im still a bit new at this i dont mean it dosent run..sorry i just mean like it like zzoms through it when theres a leak...not too sure bout those effetcts what like different lighting colours and lamps and stuff....by the wy how would i get the light to move properly with a hanging light you know whebn the light hangs from the ceiling and you shoot it it moves around and the light moves with it cause mine dont work properly

Search for "Leaks"

---

The best things in life, aren't things.

You're getting into editing question. I suggest, before you ask any more of these, you take a look at the editing forum, all the questions you just asked have been addressed there. Also, there are several tutorials on this site, which cover many topics.

http://www.snarkpit.net/editing.php?page=tutorials&game=HL2

Also, there should be some tutorials in Hammer on how to use the program's basic functionalities. Like loading a point file. Also, be aware, you need to recompile after fixing the leak to see a new point file.

Anyway, don't post editing questions in mapping forum :smile:

I'd really suggest that you make some practice maps to specifically "mess" with some aspect you haven't learned yet, like dynamic lighting (which, you should be warned, should be used sparingly, ESPECIALLY if the map will by MultiPlayer).

Etc. etc.

So, are you going to spiff this map up at all? Or ditch it, start on something fresh?

---

Blame it on Microsoft, God does.

guys, the map has no leak. water wouldn't render if there was.

scorpion, i didn't play the map with anyone, but to have an idea of the gameplay, i didn't really need to. if you're happy making something simple that you can run around in and frag, fair enough, you're doing fine.

i know it can be a bit disheartening, coming here and getting told what you did wrong, or what would have been better etc, when you really thought it would have been better received. but remember, all of the work that is posted here is measured against the same stick. people don't mean to be mean, but honestly, in a scale of 1-10, with a map like overwatch only scoring 8, how would you rate your map?

looking for a more suitable ground texture would probably be a better option than saying you like shiny surfaces, you know, else people might think you don't really want to listen to them. but like i said, if that's what you want, then you're doing fine. otherwise, do a search for a tut on displacement surfaces and blend textures, and mess around with them for a few days.

---

i eat paint

Ill probably leave it for a wh ile and t urn my attention to cs s thanks for the help but sorry for being dumb... ...dynamic lighting?

im taking the critism. at the mo im doing a css map....how o you know
if the prop_static tree entities are real eg, when yuo shoot it
actually hits them, cause i know the oak tree is but the others you can
walk right through(need the trees for cover)

Maybe you should use the editing forum for this kind of questions. You'll get a quicker answer there and people with the same problem have it easier to find your post if they have a similar question!

About this very specific question: I'm not sure but I even think there's a tab to view the collision (physics) mesh in the model browser. If it has one you'll see it displayed as a wireframe. If it hasn't it's not solid. But like I said, I'm not sure about this.