[map] fy_pistols

This is a a discussion topic for the map "fy_pistols" by Captain[T]rippy which can be found here

Map description:

Basically, I made this as a remake of the classic pistols map with a few minor changes. Unfortunately though I couldn't get all the pistols to work so instead, u start with the standard pistols (glock and usp) with the deagle on the ground (note: deagle only has 7 bullets so use wisely). And of course the grenades in the middle.

Map screenshots:

I have a confession to make - I just love reviewing killboxes. Oh, i'm sorry, that was derogatory - what I meant was fun yard. Yeah. I love reviewing fun yards. Why? Because all the pot in the world couldn't do a better job at releaving me of stress like a good ol' fashion RANT. Uh I mean impartial review.
Now, i'm no elitist, not by a long shot; i've done my fair-share of fy maps. The thing is, I was aware that my funyards were crappy. I never released those maps because I was afraid of the bigger and better mappers who would bomb, nay, nuke my maps with otherwise well-intended criticism until there would be no stone left unturned, no corner left uninspected and... well you get the idea.
Apparently, people just don't think that way. Not any more, at least. After all, hammer is easier to learn now that ever, and posting maps is the l337 thing to do. No, really, who cares the map is a remake of a remade clone based on a reproduction of some_random_map_that_plays_like_every_other_map?
And now that I got that out of my system, let the games begin.
This map has several fundamental flaws that make it not only unattractive, but outright repulsive, and I don't mean that "go away" repulsive but that "oh my GOD get it off me, get it out, GET IT OUT!" repulsive.
I'll start with the obvious. The name is fy_pistols. Sound familiar? That's because there are at least 200 other fy_pistols out there for source alone, all "reinterpretations" and "remakes" of the same kind of 10x15x3m box. But never mind that, fy maps aren't about originality, nor are they art. The problem is, this fy_pistols isn't particularly fun, either. Apparently the map was designed with a figure of about 4 players in mind, which is a joke because I tried to convince my friends to play it with me and each and everyone of them seemed to had suddenly developed seriously contagious and life threatening coughs.
The biggest problem with this Gaudian masterpiece is definitely the lighting though.
The lighting is...well...let's just say that I scared the sh*t out of my parents when they saw the dark-brown tan I got after playing this map for 5 minutes in a row. I'm kidding, of course. There wasn't any skin left to show.
Seriously, to combine a dark-red light_environment with assorted brick walls and brick floors... you'd have to be either seriously devious or 120% color blind.
I'll give the author the benefit of doubt and assume the latter. No-one can be that evil.
The gameplay-issues pretty much revolve around the lighting problem because, frankly, it's hard to see anything at all and you constantly find yourself bumping into things that didn't seem to be there a second ago.
There does seem to be some sort of cover in there... i'm not sure though since I spent most of the time trying to fight the increasingly violent convulsions as my brain slowly began to cook inside my skull.
The middle section has what appears to be a railroad and a set of train wheels, plus various crates scattered around ominously near the spawn points.
Thanks to my great powers of deduction, I put 2 and 2 together and concluded that this must be some sort of place with a railway and boxes in it. And a weird tunnel. I'm not entirely sure why those were added because if you're going to choose a theme for your map then you should at least go all the way.
Why not take advantage of the fact that this is source? Why not give your map something a little more interesting than the obligatory boxes and 4 walls? If you don't know how to, no problem. There are countless mapping resources around that can give you a hand if you're stuck. But it doesn't matter how many test maps you make nor how proud you are of them, please please please do not persecute thy fellow man by making the killbox archive richer than it already is.
If you do something long enough, you will eventually become good at it.
Though if players require sunscreen to play your map, then that's a clear sign that you're on the wrong track.
Peace.

Verdict

Help me, I am losing my mind.

I have a confession to make - I just love reviewing killboxes. Oh, i'm sorry, that was derogatory - what I meant was fun yard. Yeah. I love reviewing fun yards. Why? Because all the pot in the world couldn't do a better job at releaving me of stress like a good ol' fashion RANT. Uh I mean impartial review.
Now, i'm no elitist, not by a long shot; i've done my fair-share of fy maps. The thing is, I was aware that my funyards were crappy. I never released those maps because I was afraid of the bigger and better mappers who would bomb, nay, nuke my maps with otherwise well-intended criticism until there would be no stone left unturned, no corner left uninspected and... well you get the idea.
Apparently, people just don't think that way. Not any more, at least. After all, hammer is easier to learn now that ever, and posting maps is the l337 thing to do. No, really, who cares the map is a remake of a remade clone based on a reproduction of some_random_map_that_plays_like_every_other_map?
And now that I got that out of my system, let the games begin.
This map has several fundamental flaws that make it not only unattractive, but outright repulsive, and I don't mean that "go away" repulsive but that "oh my GOD get it off me, get it out, GET IT OUT!" repulsive.
I'll start with the obvious. The name is fy_pistols. Sound familiar? That's because there are at least 200 other fy_pistols out there for source alone, all "reinterpretations" and "remakes" of the same kind of 10x15x3m box. But never mind that, fy maps aren't about originality, nor are they art. The problem is, this fy_pistols isn't particularly fun, either. Apparently the map was designed with a figure of about 4 players in mind, which is a joke because I tried to convince my friends to play it with me and each and everyone of them seemed to had suddenly developed seriously contagious and life threatening coughs.
The biggest problem with this Gaudian masterpiece is definitely the lighting though.
The lighting is...well...let's just say that I scared the sh*t out of my parents when they saw the dark-brown tan I got after playing this map for 5 minutes in a row. I'm kidding, of course. There wasn't any skin left to show.
Seriously, to combine a dark-red light_environment with assorted brick walls and brick floors... you'd have to be either seriously devious or 120% color blind.
I'll give the author the benefit of doubt and assume the latter. No-one can be that evil.
The gameplay-issues pretty much revolve around the lighting problem because, frankly, it's hard to see anything at all and you constantly find yourself bumping into things that didn't seem to be there a second ago.
There does seem to be some sort of cover in there... i'm not sure though since I spent most of the time trying to fight the increasingly violent convulsions as my brain slowly began to cook inside my skull.
The middle section has what appears to be a railroad and a set of train wheels, plus various crates scattered around ominously near the spawn points.
Thanks to my great powers of deduction, I put 2 and 2 together and concluded that this must be some sort of place with a railway and boxes in it. And a weird tunnel. I'm not entirely sure why those were added because if you're going to choose a theme for your map then you should at least go all the way.
Why not take advantage of the fact that this is source? Why not give your map something a little more interesting than the obligatory boxes and 4 walls? If you don't know how to, no problem. There are countless mapping resources around that can give you a hand if you're stuck. But it doesn't matter how many test maps you make nor how proud you are of them, please please please do not persecute thy fellow man by making the killbox archive richer than it already is.
If you do something long enough, you will eventually become good at it.
Though if players require sunscreen to play your map, then that's a clear sign that you're on the wrong track.
Peace.

Design

Gameplay

Verdict
Help me, I am losing my mind.

Pros
The author ran VRAD.

Design
The author ran VRAD.

Hmm... from screens it looks like a bit too dark inside... I'll download it and check it out though... maybe it's just my monitor.

Somehow it IS too dark! And by looking at this sky... well, it should be a lot more lit.

It looks just like someone's first map. Don't get me wrong but... these maps are played just one time. People won't return.
In first place you should place some cubemaps and then rise the ambience level. It is waaay too dark. And change the sky, as I can see from reddish light, this sky does not fit.
The world is just like a box. Give it more geometry, give it a hilly feel! Use displacements, use 3D skybox and it will look a lot more nicer.

Take my advice and make it better, I assure you people will like it more. It is not bad if it is your first map, but it has a lot room for improvement

Looks like another box map inspired by the accursed fy_iceworld...

Had a runthrough- its dark, theres nothing there- its just a box in which you inserted some crates. This is like an fy killbox with less lighting.

(we need a minimum bsp filesize filter to keep all these
900kb atrocities out of here)

I'm gunna challenege you to that Andrei- I'll try and make an amazing map under 1mb.

Good luck then .