"Hydra" FFA [Final]

[CZghost]

I see I was pretty long time inactive. The last screenshots look really good, when do you plan to release that version?

[Pat Howard]

hopefully in 3-4 weeks. btw, the skybox you asked about can be found here. it's called hw_lagoon.

[Pat Howard]

btw, here is the color scheme i have decided on. i have orange as the primary color for panels, pipes, crates, and even storage unit labels, neutral blues for water/sky, yellow for hazard strips, and green for signs/wires. using hipshot's red bouncers and flipout's weapon markers for additional color. for teles i'll probably go with light blue, since i really like how that looked in hipshot's/phantazm11's recent maps. i would have thought this was way too much color for one map, but i really like how it has turned out. i think the success has a lot to do with basing things on real color theory rather than choosing colors on a whim. again, i have to thank you guys for all your help with this.

[lvlshot]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3305662/baseq3/screenshots/hydra/shot0245.jpg[/lvlshot]

note that due to the theme switch i had to change the title. the map doesn't look like a bee anymore . i've called the map "Hydra", which is the name i am giving to the fictional corporation that runs the place. i'm taking inspiration from water treatment plants for additional detail because i think that theme fits the open ceilings, industrial textures, and water pits better than anything else.

p.s. i updated the layout to the current version up at the top of the thread if anyone is interested in checking it out.

[cityy]

More screenshots!

[AEon]

Funny to see the textures I recoloured suddenly in use, e.g. the orange on the pipes.

About the yellow hazard stripes: I don't presently recall, but did Sock not create narrow and also some wider stripes? IMO the narrow ones you are using a just that bit to busy... too stripey... it might be something to select every 2nd stripe and tone it down... as an experiment. I just checked you seem to be using met_hazard16_b but might like to try met_hazard32_b.

[Fjoggs]

The walls could still use some more color for me. Or some different shades of grey (hey) or brown. Looks good though, keep it up.

[AndyW]

Please a new pre-release!
Played a few Bot-matches on the "Blocky-One" and had great Fun!
I think this one could be GREAT Fun with SG, RL & Plasma ONLY in this map.
Really like your Texturing and your "Pipe Work"!!!

[Pat Howard]

here's a shot of the low YA room. i tried for so long to make my own teles but in the end i just had to admit that i suck at creating FX. i'm using hipshot's teles because i love the color and i think the go nicely with his bouncers.

almost 6000 brushes in and i'm barely halfway done with this thing

[lvlshot]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3305662/baseq3/screenshots/hydra/shot0250.jpg[/lvlshot]

[AEon]

That area looks rather nice.

[AndyW]

Looks great!
How did you made the Cables? Cool!
Also like the "dirt-Decals" on the floor. Maybe one day i am able to do decals too.

[Pat Howard]

the cables are patch cylinders; it takes a little while to get them right. the dirt decals are by tabun, you can do a search on the forum to find them. they are truly great assets and i use them all the time.

[cityy]

Lovely Pat! It's getting there!

my 2 cents:
- add one or two brackets to those pipings below the ceilling; they wouldn't be able to cross those distances only by themselves
- that grating needs a frame (can be very subtil)
- I think I would expand on the high voltage machine or wrap it differently at least; it feels to me like something powerful that produces high voltage would not be a plugin into a concrete wall - I would imagine something like: http://opacity.us/image3502_control_room.htm

Maybe this entire gallery will give you some additional inspiration: http://opacity.us/gallery101_corrosive_industry.htm

[Pat Howard]

@cityy: thanks, i took your suggestions.

finishing off the lower area here, so i can now show off some wider screenshots. i tried to keep the LG area a bit darker and grungier than the MH spot since it is mostly in the shade.

[lvlshot]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3305662/baseq3/screenshots/hydra/shot0271.jpg[/lvlshot]

[lvlshot]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3305662/baseq3/screenshots/hydra/shot0273.jpg[/lvlshot]

will compile with a smaller lightmap scale eventually. let me know what ya think!

p.s. i am having a few issues with my barrel models (made from brushes and converted to .ase), which you can see in the second shot below the billboard. i am using forcemeta because otherwise they appear fullbright in game . unfortunately the lightmaps are all blotchy and my phong shading doesn't seem to work. anyone know what's up? i did some searching on the forums but couldn't find an answer.

[Hipshot]

I think these two last shots, looks very solid Pat. Colors and level of detail.

[cityy]

That looks legit Pat! You might want to try the water shader phantazm11 used in his map corrosion. I think it would go nicely with your mood/colors.

Edit: Can't find a picture showing it ffs.

[AEon]

The upper screenshot shows the dirty floor decals very clearly, IMO, there is too much of that though, unless you motivate the smears somewhat. I think you might need to add a few plants that explain the mess-ups on the floors.

In the lower screenshots your barrels look strange, mainly because you are using the tubing texture seen on the walls for the barrels too. IMO, you might need to create another texture or use some other one... one without the characteristic tube arrows. Also on the lower shot, in AEblocks I avoid having too many arrows on tubing visible... per tube only one arrow. You are showing 3 of the same kind in close proximity. I'd at the very least lose one arrow on the longer tube by rotating the patch by 180°...

The splotch of green on the sign looks nice... might be something to explore more in a few other areas... the green metal that is.

Interesting theme you are developing with Socks textures set here. Fun to see textures I recoloured actually being used

[Pat Howard]

@hipshot: thanks! glad you like the colors now. miramar always does the trick.

@aeon: i've been trying to keep the stains near where the pipes meet the floor or near water to offer some explanation for why they are there. you're right, some of the isolated stains in the LG room look a bit strange. plants, though? i don't think that would fit my theme. i'm not really going for an abandoned look. i'd rather just use less grunge. also, will fix the arrow overload. the barrels don't look that strange to me, but it would be nice if i could incorporate some color into them without straying from sock's texture pack too much. there will definitely be more signage to come.

@cityy: you seem to really want green water instead of blue! (maybe it was someone else that suggested green before, now i'm not sure.) i will give it a try, but i might have to change my theme from water treatment to sewage treatment .

[cityy]

Hmm, there is just slightly too much going on for my taste in terms of color. In that 2nd shot you have green, orange, yellow, red and 2 subtil shades of blue.
Looking at it again now I also feel like the item markers don't work very well with sock's textures. It's either the resolution/pixel density or the noise level that makes it look alien, I'm not sure. Might be just me though.

Btw, talking about water treatment. I'm hoping to find one of these somewhere in your map! Maybe under a grating that appears like it could be opened or somewhere in the outside areas only visible through a gate/window so it's not actually reachable.

[AEon]

Har... when cityy suggested that "extra", I also immediately thought of having it under grates or in some view, not actually part of the playable map.

For me the number of colours is fine. And I doubt green "water" would look good.

About the tubes... in AEblocks I use two colours for side by side tubing... using Sock's default yellow arrow tubing in a few areas should be fine next to the orange ones. Incidentally... if all this is actually water treatment, IMO, blue arrow tubes would be more appropriate, since the orange it probably something toxic in reality.

I agree that the spawn pads look alien... some form of water fountain blue'ish effect... something related to water, e.g. a sieve for water drainage might actually work well as spawn point. And the JP also looks strange in the map... again alien... some water sprinkling vents that blow upwards for the JPs might be more in theme.

[Pat Howard]

here's phant's shader. it's definitely a nice shader but i think i prefer the more friendly blue for this map. plus it seems to clash with the teles a bit.

[lvlshot]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3305662/baseq3/screenshots/hydra/shot0274.jpg[/lvlshot]

[lvlshot]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3305662/baseq3/screenshots/hydra/shot0276.jpg[/lvlshot]

maybe when the level is in beta i can edit down the color scheme a bit if it turns out to be too much.

i've really been trying to figure out where i can put one of those things, but there isn't much space for it. i guess i can chalk it up to not planning my theme early enough. there is one spot on the outside of the map that i am thinking about incorporating similar geo though.

[AEon]

Good that you tested the green liquid... it's ugly, so lets hurry back to blue water .

I am alas not that creative, but in AEblocks I used a form of water curtain for the TPs... that would probably look pretty good for yours as well. Provided you create a nice water drops falling or spray texture/shader for that. The force field modern look of the TPs, IMO, also looks slightly out of place.

Cityy mentioned the use of rivets a while back... mentioning that you only rivet metal areas when it is actually structurally required. You may like to double check your brushwork... if its a column bearing a load, keep the rivets, else fall back to the same texture without them. The rivets on the orange metal textures behind the LG IMO are borderline, behind the MH they do not make sense to me at all.

Just noted, nice crate with broken wooden planks on top... nifty detail.

[Porto]

Is the download in the OP the most recent version? I'll give it a try when I get home

[Porto]

Is the download in the OP the most recent version? I'll give it a try when I get home

[Pat Howard]

yeah but it's just the alpha version. i'm still up for item placement feedback and general thoughts though.

[cityy]

I Must admit, the water doesn't work as well as I imagined it to.