Construction Community Map Dev Thread

(SebaSOFT) #1

Construction Site[ul]
[li]Gameplay over graphics quality
[/li][li]Strogg attacks
[/li][li]Setting is “Contruction site” + “Underground tunnels”
[/li][li]Final Objective is carry the DataBrain
[/li][li]Intended player base: 6v6 to 8v8
[/li][li]Source and Repository: http://etqwmapping.nexo.com/
[/li][li]Source Code: http://code.google.com/p/etqw-mapping/
[/li][li]Mappers are:[LIST]
[/li][li]SebaSOFT (concept and brushwork)
[/li][li]Donovan (terrain, Megatexture, brushwork)
[/li][li][TFA]Violator (brushwork, Texture, Scripting)
[/li][li]Shirosae (Brushwork)
[/li][li]LighT_Sh4v0r (brushwork)
[/li][li]whiteaden (brushwork, concept art?)
[/li][li]twitch__ (put together guy)[/ul]
[/li][li]Vehicles: First ground vehicles, flyers/heavies after generator is destroyed.[/LIST]
[/li]Objectives

Strogg side:

[ol]
[li]Hack the Generator Controls[LIST=a]
[/li][li]Capture the forward Spawn at the Tunnel entrance
[/li][li]Blow the Fence to gain better access to the Site[/ol]
[/li][li]Destroy de Subway Barricade[LIST=a]
[/li][li]Capture the forward Spawn at the City[/LIST]
[/li][li]Capture the DataBrain
[/li][li]Trasmit the DataBrain from the console inside the University[/LIST]
[/li]GDF side:

[ul]
[li]Don’t let the Strogg hack the Generator Console
[/li][li]Defend the Subway Barricade
[/li][li]Protect the DataBrain Room at the Shopping Center
[/li][li]Don’t let the Strogg transmit the DataBrain[/ul]
[/li]

Feel free to post development questions here…

(Susefreak) #2

twitch__ still active?

(SebaSOFT) #3

nope, but no man is left behind, and all those guys deserve to be in the credits :slight_smile:

(Susefreak) #4

Just asking.

Anyways to contribute to this thread besides the usual “constructive” feedback:
You guys made a great looking hotel, from both the inside as well as the outside, but nobody uses it, which on its turn is a shame.

(Donnovan) #5

What about the hotel as the strogg forward spawn, and not the tunnel building, Susefreak?

(SebaSOFT) #6

It’s great looking alright, but thinking a use for the hotel could look false and overtought

(SebaSOFT) #7

Thanks Vio for resurrecting some of the B1 suggestions…

(Donnovan) #8

Seba, already worked with new atmos. Raise the sun make a lot of difference in visual aspect. Was a little lost and found my self changing to much things. Some considerations:

1 - Like you sayd, the fog seen out of place with high sun, i can try to turn it into dust, sand, mini-tornados.
2 - Grass need to be re-done, they don’t change their appearance while all the world cahnge, so i need to re-do it to make fit.
3 - Sky box don’t need to change, but a high sun make everything more iluminated, shining and noticeable, so the actual sky do not fit right.

(SebaSOFT) #9

Don, this is a SUGGESTION only, but what about

  • Tropical Storm (Like in Outskirts but brighter)
  • Turn the Forest fog into something more like Outskirts storm (but keeping it in the Forest area)

I’M SORRY the grass needs to be redone, is it easy? Do you need texture/shader work or something?

Something like this…

article-0-0205716200000578-220_468x313_popup.jpg964x643

(Susefreak) #10

I you plan to change the forest, maybe make it more denser, Rainforest feel to it. Place some shrubberies etc. Maybe non solid ones, but still visible.

Tropical storm sounds really nice btw

(SebaSOFT) #11

We will make aesthetic changes on a “need to do” basis, your comment makes sense, but changing the sky/atmosphere is just as an alternative to the “long shadow casting” current one.

(Scrupus) #12

hehe - I like the storm idea as well, so ++1 :slight_smile:

Current atmos/color scheme is maybe a bit too close to Andes? It could also give a bit more “cover” in the open areas.

(shirosae) #13

Stuffs: Just committed a few changes to my bits, turned off shadows on a bunch of detail LODs, should hopefully improve performance around the university and remove those floating 3d shadows.

For the atmosphere: move the sun up until you can use the optimised compile, then check performance. When that works, take a note of how the sun is and see what kind of theme will work with it. There’s no point putting a load of effort into a new atmosphere only to find that the changes you make for performance reasons don’t do enough.

Layout: We need to move stuff closer together. Not just because it’s incredibly uncomfortable to play without a vehicle, but because the open space makes some objectives nigh on impossible against a co-ordinated team - the GDF have the entire university as cover at the end, whilst the Strogg are charging like it’s Omaha beach. I’d consider moving the university to the left a whole block, so the urban area gets usage during that final push.

I have a few ideas on layout changes, which I’ll draw up and post soon-ish.

Forest: If we end up moving stuff about (and we probably do need to), it might make sense to leave off on the forest until we know where it needs to be.

(Apples) #14

The negative aspect of that map is that its reaaaaaaly too big and need more cover to be enjoyable, there arent enuff vehicle or they have bad spawn location so you cant enjoy an “armor fury” atmosphere, while you cant neither play it inf only cuz the long distances make you lost patience after the gazzilion time you respawn and walk 1 minute just to be killed.

you should either change some obj location as shirosae said, or adjust vehicle location and numbers in my view, the whole urban area is useless in the actual configuration as almost no one use it, remember that in nirvana we are almost never more than 10-12, so making a uber gigantic map for a few player is kinda pointless.

I do like the map tho, just need more cover and more concentraded objective to be more intense in my view…

peace

(shirosae) #15

This is kinda what I’m thinking:

Move the university left a bit so it links with the front of the urban area. Right now that wide open space is a spamtrap.

Move the subway up so it links onto a straight tunnel. If you take the existing tunnel, rotate it 90 degrees, it shouldn’t be too hard to adjust the patches to link to it. I’ll give this a go if you don’t want to.

This way the amount of running to get to the disk area is significantly less, and the exits from the subway all tie into the urban area right in front of the university, giving it a purpose. If you want, this also lets you expand the subway area a little, turning it almost into a mini CTF-like submap.

Expand the existing walkway so the GDF can get into the construction building much quicker. Add a stairway to that (just scaff steps or something) for convenience for both teams.

Move the initial GDF spawn up nearer the warehouse to take advantage of that.

Move the two Strogg spawns closer to the construction site. Expand the Strogg-side ramp so it can hold vehicles, then stagger the construction site walls so the barrier is perpendicular to how it is now.

Expand the Strogg tower thing at the upper left of the construction site so it has a ground-level exit. The Strogg badly need a flanking route that doesn’t take a hog and a minute to work.

After the barrier is blown, move the Strogg spawn up onto ground level, into or just north of the warehouse. This’ll let them use the upper level subway access routes, or use the scaff steps to get down into the (much shorter) tunnel.

All in all, the action will be much more focused around the objective areas, rather than between them (which is our problem right now).

(light_sh4v0r) #16

I have to say I like those ideas, I think I mentioned making the strogg tower a proper entrance into the site before.

The only thing I don’t understand is what you mean by putting the barrier perpendicular to how it’s now, you talking about the objective?

(shirosae) #17

No, the secondary gate objective at the top of the ramp from the Strogg side. Stagger the walls so the left side is higher (when looking on the command map), make the ramp a bit wider so vehicles can get in etc.

Anything to jumble that area up a bit, because right now it’s painful.

EDIT: Attached ms-paint quality diagram. Top is how it is now. Lower is what I’m thinking of.

(SebaSOFT) #18

Shirosae, those are compeling suggestion. I will gather them (along with the other suggestions made by several players, that I have) and make a task list.

Thanks a lot!

(light_sh4v0r) #19

Ah I see, I’m with you on that then :slight_smile:

(Donnovan) #20

Whiteaden will love it! :smiley:

New atmos…

Don’t think the glowing sky is excessive post-processing. Only the sky glows, because behind the dark clouds, there is the sun of life! :eek: (Ohhhh!).

The terrain green glow is spec on the megatexture, on grass.