Decoder Beta 2 - First public release

(leifhv) #1

This is the first public release of my map Decoder but some of you might have tried earlier test versions on the Night Watch server.

DL: http://www.pcgamemods.com/mod/17187.html

It’s currently on ‘heavy rotation’ on the exellent Night Watch server:

NW public classics+customs ( 83.142.49.106:27980 )

This is my first ever map so don’t expect too much! I’ve learned a lot when making this and there is much I would have done differently if I had to start over again. Please leave feedback here or in the Night Watch mapping forum: http://www.clan-nightwatch.org/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewforum&f=6

Gameplay:
One thing that is a bit different about this map is that the axis can change the location of the objective at the start of the round. There are 3 possible locations for the decoding unit the allies are supposed to destroy. The allies do not know which of the three decoders is real and will have to find the secret document that reveals the location of the real decoder or just try to destroy all three decoders. (The voice-overs about the location of the real decoder can not be heard by the other team!).

Hints:[ul]-Allies should probably build the ramp so they can attack the main gate or flag from two directions
-A covert might be usefull for allies. (Blow up the the fence, provide smoke cover inside main gate,
sneak in and look at the documents)
-Axis must decide if they want to defend only the real decoder or set up a ‘fake defence’ by the other decoders
-It’s possible to enter the base through the sewer pipe by the bridge if you have an axis uniform![/ul]

Credits and thanks:[ul] -Thanks to Splash Damage/ID Software/Activision for a great game
-Thanks to NW.MadMatt and NW.Superdeformed for the great voice-overs!
-Thanks to NW.MadMatt for voice-over post processing!
-Thanks to NW.Ferrolux for promo work!
-Thanks to clan Night Watch for patiently trying out each new version I threw at them
-Thanks to clan VPL for helping us test the map in a match
-Thanks to -Wags- for finding lots of small bugs in the last version
-Thanks to Loffy for letting me have a look at the ‘Duplex Tower’ map file
-Thanks to Ifurita for sign-template texures and all the work he has done for the ET community (both mappers and players)
-lh-alliedposter taken from NASJONALBIBLIOTEKETS online public archives ( http://www.nb.no/baser/krigstrykk/ )
-lh_darkconcrete3, lh-grass2 and skybox by me (Leif Hugo VÃ¥rum). Free for use by anyone[/ul]

Screenshots:




Todo:[ul]-Objectives not ticked as completed
-Fix some small light bleeds
-Amplify volume of voice overs slightly
-Improve surrounding mountains a bit
[/ul]

Changelog ->Beta 2:
[ul]-Added custom voice-overs for decoder location
-Added second doorway at the side off the long hallway
-Fixed a missing texture
-Fixed floating MGs
-Buttons now disappear when ‘move period’ times out
-Added some lights in the long shed
-Adjusted a door frame in the long shed[/ul]

changelog ->Beta 1:[ul]-Axis can now decide the location of the decoder during the first few seconds of the match
-Added text message to axis about decoder location in the first spawn
-Renamed Labs…included their color in command map name
-Added voiceover when spawn flag is captured
-Added grate in courtyeard since water is audible there
-Made the exit from axis second spawn more visible
-Add some cover in the hall inside main entrance to base
-Added another route into lab 3
-Added cover (tree) for MG fire between battlements and fence
-Adjusted light several places.
-Darkened unlit locations (lower minlight)
-Added some more props to Lab 2 and Lab 3
-Decreased size of pk3 file (~7 to ~5 mb)
-Fixed: Axis spawn light bleed
-Fixed: doc room light bleeding
-Fixed: light bleed in the tunnel that leads to the decoder book
-Fixed: light bleed in the shooting gallery:
-Fixed: in the covert ops water tunnel, there are several spots where the water “splashes”
-Fixed: The top of the team flags on the constructables don’t attach to anything:
-Fixed: Clip tap model in lab 1
-Fixed: It’s possible to get inside pipe in yellow hall:
-Fixed: It’s possible to get inside the pillars on the bridge
-Fixed: It’s possible to get inside of 2 of the 3 telegraph poles
-Fixed: The rear-right wheel of the truck is floating:
-Fixed: The bars covering the pipe in Yellow lab don’t reach to the top
-Fixed: Light in yellow lab floats
-Fixed: There’s some showing caulk in the roof above the corridor bend in lab 2.
-Fixed: Guard post brush has door properties and moves
-Fixed: 2 floating trees by allied first spawn
-Fixed: Remove possibility to go outside map (2 places?)
-Fixed: Can ‘float’ on top of ramp stone
-Fixed: In the covert ops water tunnel, there is a light spot on the ceiling / water
-Fixed: Can get stuck behind the wall by the fence
-Fixed: There is a wee tiny gap where the ground meets the main gate/entrance
-Fixed: You can get stuck behind the building that the command post is in
-Fixed: Possible to enter base by ‘running up the side’
-Fixed: Floating sign for Lab 3
-Fixed: At the main entrance, a bit of wood that is flush on the left side, but sticks out on the right
-Fixed: The Right MG nest in the Axis base isn’t flush with the wall
-Fixed: The left side of the loading dock is floating off the ground
-Fixed: When you exit the pipe into the main water area, the water doesn’t fully reach the edge of the wall (nor does the floor or ceiling)
-Fixed: Swim under the exit platform, right to the end), the water doesn’t touch one of the walls
-Fixed: The legs of the fence steps don’t touch the floor neither does one of the fench posts
-Fixed: The legs of the Allied ramp only barely touch the floor - there are huge gaps under them
-Fixed: The 3rd telegraph pole doesn’t have a “lid”
-Fixed: Tree next to the small pond where the trunk is half out of the ground
[/ul]
Tools used:[ul] -GtkRadiant ( http://www.qeradiant.com/ )
-Q3Map2 ( http://www.shaderlab.com/ )
-The Gimp ( http://www.gimp.org/ )
-Visual C++ compiler (For text file processing)
-Visual Sourcesafe (Microsoft)
-Zip utility from Info-zip (http://www.info-zip.org/pub/infozip/)
-TerraGen (for skybox) free at www.planetside.co.uk/terragen
[/ul]

(MadMattUK) #2

Well done Mate!.

About time there was a public release!. :beer:

(kamikazee) #3

This looks good, especially for a first map! (Unless that means first map for this game, so the difficulty to create a nice map like this won’t be that big)
Anyhow, the lighting seems nice and the objectives seem quite unique…

(Ferrolux) #4

Beautifully lit, countless tactical variations, memorable plunge into lake: excellent work Leifhv.

(eRRoLfLyNN) #5

Lookin forward to playin the new version soon :]

(Salteh) #6

“The decoder is in the yellow lab” :smiley: :smiley:

(Pytox) #7

Going to try it out!
It looks nice I must say :slight_smile:

(Bobb) #8

nice map

(Northerner) #9

map looks good, cant wait to play it on my clan server

i got your map mirrored on rtcwfiles.com

(leifhv) #10

No, I’ve never made any map for any game before…unless you count the maps I made for my own 2d Amiga games 15 year ago! =)

(leifhv) #11

Thanks, much appreciated! :slight_smile:

(leifhv) #12

Oh, I see now that I have 80 lightmap files (lm_0000.tga to lm_0079.tga)! While they compress well they still add 1.3 mb to my pk3 file. :disgust: Most maps I see only have a couple of lightmap files?

I’ve searched everywhere but I’ve been unable to find any info about how the lightmap files are generated.

Anyone know why Decoder have ended up with so many lightmap files?

(Shaderman) #13

Nice screenshots. You could increase the size of the lightmaps with -lightmapsize. AFAIK the default is 256x256 for ET (or was it 128x128?), so you could give 512x512 or maybe 1024x1024 a try. I noticed that a higher lightmapsize lowers the total file size a bit, but this may depend on the map - don’t expect too much.

(]UBC[ McNite) #14

Maybe you can get rid of some lightmaps-files by lowering the height of your skybox? You don’t need a high skybox to get the effect of a “high” sky because you create the effect of a “curved” or a “flat” looking sky in the skyshader.
I like the bunker (2nd pic), although it reminds me more of a “green base” of UT :bump:

(Uchronic) #15

First, nice map.
I like it.

About the things to improve, I would say :

  • The lights :
    Way too dark.
    And I like your lightmapscale near the Allie spawn but, the lights seems to come from nowhere.

  • The decoders.
    Once the real decoder has been found, the other 2 ones are still described as objectives in the command map (with dynamites). And with the fact that the annoucement is only temporary (no writing in the console for example), when you don’t hear it, or when you arrive after it has been discovered, there is no way to know where the real decodeur is, except by asking your allies teammates.
    I let you judge if it must be in the “to do list”.

  • Axis 2nd spawn.
    I haven’t played it yet with other players, but as you MUST go through the axis spawn to read it the location of the real decoder, it will certainly be hard to get there, and there will be complains about SK.

Nevertheless : Good Job !
I can’t wait to test it with other players.

PS : I’ve noticed some forgotten caulks.
I don’t have screenshots yet, but I can tell you 2 locations : 1 on the ground near the fortress, 1 other one at the 2nd Axis SpawnPOint : at the end of the tubes.

(leifhv) #16

Thanks for the usefull feedback!

Yeah, there is a ‘misplaced’ light entity outside that cave…I’ve started at this map for so long so I’ve stopped noticing such things. . I’ll try to do something about that!

I’ve also considered brightening the map but I’ve waited to hear what people think first. It looks ok on my setup but my screen is unpleasantly bright so…

Good point! Updating the command map will alert the axis to the fact that the allies now know where the real decoder is though, but maybe that is Ok? Another solution is to have a message trigger in the allied spawn about the decoder location so that everone is notified about the location when they spawn. This message is only displayed after allies have looked at the document of course.

Well, it was meant to be difficult…but so far during test matches I’ve seldom had problems sneaking through the axis spawn (But getting that far have been more problematic.) Of course this might change as players gets more experienced on the map?

Thanks! Nice find! :clap:

(Ifurita) #17

Life.

You can add another command map icon/trigger pair up in the air above each decoder to show custom cm markers. I did the same in nearly all of my maps. What this would let you do is, When the real decoder is found or some other trigger, you remove the other dyno triggers/cm icons or just setstate them invisible and activate the new set, one of which would show the real decoder, the other two of which would show another symbol to show the fake decoder. YOu can even make this so that only the allies see the new symbols.

(Uchronic) #18

This would be definitely the best solution. Warning the axis that the real decoder has been found would ruin the gameplay of your map.
You really should follow Ifurita’s advices.

I’ve played it with 3 others players yesterday, but as we were discovering the map, I don’t have any comment yet. But it was hard for allies.
During your tests, did anyone tried a MG in the corridor, because we did, and the MG was the highest fragger of the round ! :smiley:

One thing I’ve noticed : It is pretty hard to jump out of the fortress/bunker as an axis. When you a near the MGs you must a jump/crouch combination which is not very easy under enemy fire. Have I missed something ? A better way to jump out of the bunker ? (except the door on the ground level)

But the size of the map, the pace of the action, the objectives, were good.
We had a round where the axis were protecting well the book, but we managed to destroy the 3 objectives without knowing which one was the good one :smiley:

I continue to say I like this map.

(eRRoLfLyNN) #19

Life, 8v8 was nice tonight, will give you some feedback today :]

(kamikazee) #20

This seems the best attack approach: try to grab the document, if it fails: pick a target at random.