Downtown [WIP]

(.Chris.) #1

So having moved house and without internet for over a month I started getting bored and decided to revisit this map:

Downtown [WIP]

Introduction

Set on the East coast of USA, Downtown sees the GDF attempting to sabotage Strogg operations in the area. With the city’s bridges down, the GDF have staged an assault by boat under the cover of darkness. Their first task is to disable the many guard bots protecting the outer perimeter of the main stroyent facility by hacking the security relay station. Once done the shield generator must be destroyed in order to gain access to the facility where energy cells must be delivered to the main reactor to cause a complete meltdown destroying the facility.

Screenshots

Note: Screenshots appear darker than in game and it is set at night after all.

Additional Information

The map currently uses brushwork for the ‘terrain’ like in Canal and Meltdown. this will eventually be replaced with a megatexture terrain which will allow much more detail and will improve performance.

I’m still tweaking the atmosphere, for some reason I can’t quite get the fog right, trying to get low lying mist around the waterfront areas but when you face the direction of the moon it ends up being too bright and white.

The name “Downtown” appears to have been used by SD at some point for another map, this caused me massive problems when trying to set up certain files and they already existed and didn’t realise for ages! Any suggestions for alternative name for the map would be welcome.

(Chronicler) #2

Just say so if you want TAW EU to test it :), We can run it private or custom public :slight_smile:

(light_sh4v0r) #3

Looks amazing Chris! That guard bot is epic :).
Did you give it a base turret that is disabled after the first objective is completed?

(.Chris.) #4

When it’s ready yes, I’ll be in touch. As mentioned on IRC a while back, how the stages are set up I need to physically make the stage ahead to just test the stage beforehand, so it’s taking me a while to do.

[QUOTE=light_sh4v0r;520249]Looks amazing Chris! That guard bot is epic :).
Did you give it a base turret that is disabled after the first objective is completed?[/QUOTE]

Thanks, it’s recycled from past maps, just added the human torso and light. Yes that’s the plan though not done it just yet in regards to it being disabled, I’ve got about 6 of them dotted around, each with 2 turrets each, that’s 12 things need to set up in mapscript, urgh… Would be cool if could make the whole thing rotate towards the target rather than just the turrets :slight_smile:

Also may notice that the screenshots look a bit off, I’ve set up an atmospheric effect that makes it look like it’s blowing lots of dust around which doesn’t look great in still shots, outskirts use something similar and inside the biodome in ark.

(edxot) #5

just dont finish the job before testing gameplay. i mean, before making sure all classes can have a decent role.

and if some of the objectives prove to be too easy or dificult, consider the possibility of chaging spawns from open to closed (with walls and defense turrets) or vice versa.

(Chronicler) #6

[QUOTE=.Chris.;520271]When it’s ready yes, I’ll be in touch. As mentioned on IRC a while back, how the stages are set up I need to physically make the stage ahead to just test the stage beforehand, so it’s taking me a while to do.

Thanks, it’s recycled from past maps, just added the human torso and light. Yes that’s the plan though not done it just yet in regards to it being disabled, I’ve got about 6 of them dotted around, each with 2 turrets each, that’s 12 things need to set up in mapscript, urgh… Would be cool if could make the whole thing rotate towards the target rather than just the turrets :slight_smile:

Also may notice that the screenshots look a bit off, I’ve set up an atmospheric effect that makes it look like it’s blowing lots of dust around which doesn’t look great in still shots, outskirts use something similar and inside the biodome in ark.[/QUOTE]

Ahh sorry, I understood this thread and your comments as if this was a playable version but that you would work on it more :slight_smile:

Great work though Chris (as I’ve said before), love your maps.

(Boktor) #7

Very nice, Chris. I’m glad to see another impressive project coming from you. Hope to join in on playing it sometime :smiley:

The name “Downtown” appears to have been used by SD at some point for another map, this caused me massive problems when trying to set up certain files and they already existed and didn’t realise for ages! Any suggestions for alternative name for the map would be welcome.

What a headache that must have been… How about “District”? :cool:

(Chronicler) #8

Maybe “Nightlife” =P

(taw_m0nsta) #9

Awesome work Chris! Can’t wait to explore myself. About the darkness/night, etc a while ago I did a night atmososphere myself as well - I like dark areas in game (if am correct BattleStrogg was the first one that contained a night cube), my findings: QW engine wasn’t build for night mode. Even in real life you still have a moon acting like a soft sun. Even if you have set the perfect darkness level for yourself, then people will complain and simply change their game or monitor brightness, which in overall just end up in a sucky experience because when map 2 of the campaign starts the have to change it back again because map 2 looks way too bright. There is a mode in the SDK/cheatsunlockedmode to completly shut down the sun, which results in absolute darkness (atmosphere/menu or somethign), which ‘can’ be pretty cool, specially inside buildings of vanilla maps like last objective in Africa, but to make it work for yourself, specially on outside areas, is provide tons of lights/lamps/etc. BTW, the Brace or Dusk mod contains vehile lights for the Armadilo and Trojan. (even red brake lights!). Good luck, feel free to share alpha pk4’s for local testing.

(.Chris.) #10

Cheers. I remember I had to setup a config for the sky map because it was too bright which made other maps too dark! I’m hoping it will be fine in end though, the fog is the most frustrating part though.

I’m already using those vehicle lights, you can see them in action in the screenshot from inside the vehicle :slight_smile: (http://imgur.com/KjUDse1) I’ve made some alterations though as the lights were too bright and still can be when cast on certain textures! I’m hoping this doesn’t cause any conflicts with the alterations, I might create ‘new’ vehicles to make sure. Also it’s weird how the vanilla hog already has a red light setup for night atmospheres and the desecrator also has a red light facing the floor when you use the accelerate key.

(taw_m0nsta) #11

Awesome! Yeh the light force was pretty bad, no light from 20 meter, very bright from 15 m. Also stepping in and out has some issues but in overall a nice gimmick. The hog light works like a charm in dark maps, and in vanilla maps its the only element you can see from a far far distance xD. Any change for a GMPG on the Husky? :stuck_out_tongue:

(matsy) #12

Are all the vehicles present on this map?

Not sure why, but I just have a random thought that it would be pretty cool having a ship floating over the city (like in District 9), specifically over the end objective for the GDF. Works as a good marker of sorts I guess…

And then as the GDF get closer, the ship could release some sort of ‘smog’ so it feels like in the streets we are fighting inside with a ‘ceiling’. I always hated fighting outside in cities.

(taw_m0nsta) #13

It would be really really cool if you could do this with the moon(sun)light:

Minutes VS Night darkness
00 till 05 / 80%
05 till 10 / 90%
10 till 15 / 100%
15 till 20 / 90%

Ideal with a very smooth transition…

(vonbeck1) #14

looking good

(.Chris.) #15

Flying vehicles won’t be used in this map though it is fun flying around the tall buildings and ducking under bridges and such, anyway I have lots of the city blocked by barricades and building rubble which would be for nothing if can simply fly over the obstacles, this includes icaruses. Heavy vehicles will be used but there are plenty of areas they can’t go and infantry can.

Sadly can’t change the atmosphere during the map afaik.

(matsy) #16

Is it based off a particular city? Kind of reminds me of Cologne.

(.Chris.) #17

Liberty City, I originally got the idea for the map whilst playing through GTA4 :slight_smile: Quite a lot of buildings are based on those found in GTA4 but obviously the layout isn’t.

(Assassin4004) #18

Hi Chris, I actually know Chronicler through TAW. I am probably one of the newest members of TAW (Quake Wars division) at least in the North American branch. I was curious what other custom maps you have finished/were a part of. I may be the newest member of our division but have learned a lot with the SDK and how to make a custom map. I am currently working on a map too. :slight_smile:

(Chronicler) #19

Strogg has taken over Cologne? :frowning:

(.Chris.) #20

Hey, the maps I worked on are as follows:

Meltdown
Maridia
Maridia CTF
Radar
Hoggin
Baserace
Canal
Retake of the Forums
Tourian
Wake Island
Brinstar

I also helped out on the Tribal Wars mod with their maps.

Good luck with your project.