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"Hydra" FFA [Final] https://www.quake3world.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=50433 |
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Author: | Pat Howard [ 08-10-2014 08:28 PM ] |
Post subject: | "Hydra" FFA [Final] |
Hydra by Pat Howard Filename: hydra.pk3 Status: Final Gametypes: Free For All, Duel Recommended Players: 2-6 Bot Support: Yes FINAL ![]() ![]() Release candidate notes: I'm just posting this in case anyone wants the latest version of the map. If you find any bugs, please let me know because I'll be posting this to LvL within the next few days. Notable changes: -added two 5 health bubbles by RG -made circle jump from behind RA to stairs leading to RG easier -added intermission camera -improved bot play. they should stay out of the water and use both rooms more evenly now. --- Alright! I am hoping you guys haven't forgotten about this map by now ![]() A few notes for feedback: When judging this map, please keep in mind that the majority of it was made before my maps Goldleaf and Trespass and I've learned a lot since then. There has already been a lot of great feedback on the art direction for this map and I'm looking forward to more of it, but I may not be able to take too many more suggestions because at this point I am really just trying to finish this thing. For gameplay feedback, if you could identify which gametype (FFA or duel) you are suggesting changes for that would be great. Thanks! pat --- Hey, guys. I've got a new layout in the works that could use some testing. It's a two-atrium ffa/tourney map. Bot support is included. Can anyone help? ALPHA ![]() --- Change log version 3 (March 2015): - improved movement flow - added more cover near RA - changed around weapons so LG is now low and took cityy's suggestions on other items Change log version 2 (August 2014): - reworked YA drop down room - separated RG hallway into two areas - added lighting for your eyes - put more thought into item placement - added regen - slightly resized many areas - added shoot-through holes to MH bridge - many other little structural tweaks - fixed bug where bots got stuck in the lava --- I'm looking for feedback on: - Overall structure and balance - Item placement (big or small items) - Teleporter destinations - Any interesting jumps that could be added - Is it fun to play? Notes: - The spiral ramp will eventually be stairs Thanks! pat |
Author: | AEon [ 08-11-2014 01:38 AM ] |
Post subject: | Re: new layout "a1" [ALPHA] ffa tourney |
First off... took me while to understand the layout (this is usually actually a good thing, meaning the layout is not trivial), it is quite interesting though. Feels like the essence of good-old-times gameplay. Playing against bots is fun, they seem to make really good use of all of the map, which surprised me. They even take paths I had not yet taken, e.g. up the stairs at the MH.
The items and weapons felt OK the way they were placed in the map. Would require much more playtime and tweaking in the geometry to be able to properly say if they work were they are or not. I like the RA bridge area and the MH arena, though some more tweaking in the geometry could help smoothen out things more. E.g. when at the MH and wanting to jump down to the lowest level you smack your face into the stairs that lead up. Maybe hollowing out the stairs would help. |
Author: | Hipshot [ 08-11-2014 03:34 AM ] |
Post subject: | Re: new layout "a1" [ALPHA] ffa tourney |
I liked it too, I played a couple of matches with bots now. Somehow, when I was at the top by the RA, it reminded me about that QuakeLive map, furious heights... One thing I noted, but it's only bot related, is that some times, maybe all, the bots can't get up from the lava. I know this will be fixed and that's not the critique you want. But it was a bit annoying, even for an alpha =) |
Author: | Pat Howard [ 08-11-2014 02:26 PM ] |
Post subject: | Re: new layout "a1" [ALPHA] ffa tourney |
@CZghost: yup, i will add the holes in the mega bridge. i was planning on it but i forgot. @AEon: thanks ![]() i know the dropdown YA room needs a little work, especially the position of the teleporter. i will try to find a way to make it more natural. @Hipshot: thanks! i knew people would see the diagonal bridge between the two raised platforms in the middle and think, "furious heights!" someone else one the quake live forums even mentioned it too. but the map wasn't inspired by furious heights at all. that bridge was added in at the last moment. oh well, you can never be 100% original ![]() so far the feedback has been great. i think i am going to keep the alpha phase short and sweet. i am only going to make minor changes and not release another alpha version. thanks, pat |
Author: | Pat Howard [ 08-22-2014 10:15 PM ] |
Post subject: | Re: new layout "a2" [ALPHA] ffa tourney |
I didn't think I was gonna release another version of this layout, but since AEon is around I thought at least he might test it ![]() I wouldn't say there are any huge changes, but it definitely plays a bit differently after reworking some areas and putting a lot more thought into item placement. The link and the change log are updated at the top. Thanks in advance! pat |
Author: | AEon [ 08-23-2014 12:22 AM ] |
Post subject: | Re: new layout "a2" [ALPHA] ffa tourney |
Some thoughts:
So on the whole the map seems to be fit for detailing... though I am sure once that happens and after playing it a lot more more pertinent suggestions can be mad. |
Author: | Pat Howard [ 08-23-2014 08:37 AM ] |
Post subject: | Re: new layout "a2" [ALPHA] ffa tourney |
@AEon: thanks for the quick reply ![]() i played again and took note of all the places i got snagged. i actually feel like it's a pretty localized issue. for me, the movement is the worst in the RG & 5A x 5 hall. i have some ideas of how to open that up just a bit and i'll see if i can improve the movement there. |
Author: | cityy [ 09-02-2014 08:51 AM ] |
Post subject: | Re: new layout "a2" [ALPHA] ffa tourney |
My first impression when running through the map was that it looks like a great base for a tourney map. Trying to look a bit under the hood I'll stick to some ABC aspects for now. 1) Item setup: Move MH to where SG is Right now there are 3 short connections from RA to MH and vice versa: - low connection: is not going to be used a lot, SG is not very valuable to obtain and taking the YA/TP connection to get to MH is just slightly faster while being considerable safer, also you want to avoid being in a low position like that with 2 ways out one of which being a jumppad - medium level connection: is a serious choke point, which is good to have between MH/RA because it makes the player vulnerable - high level: levers out the medium level connection because it is not nessecarily slower to use but offers vertical ground and is wider (i.e. less dangerous to use), it allows the in control player to easily hold high ground and obtain MH and RA - Moving MH to low ground turns things around: - the low connection now is the fastest connection between RA and MH, it also forces the in control player to leave high ground and creates opportunities for ambushes when the in control player drops from RA to MH or uses the TP to get from MH to RA - however, the tele exit would have to be set back a little or get an extra niche to not make it abuseable, I could imagine it being situated in a water pit like the tele exits on QL's sinister - the medium connection is the next best alternative to get from RA to MH but it is also dangerous to use as it is still a choke point, to dissolve it a little more, I would either extend its length so it ends right in front of the bridge at MH or move the bridge slightly to the left so you can't directly look/drop down coming from RA -- the hallway width now is 128 units, I would size down the door in the MH room as well to increase the choke point effect (128units - max 160units) - the high connection is not as attractive anymore but it still holds LG so there is an incentive to move there[/spoiler] - alternatively you could try increasing the time it takes to pass through the high route or make it really vulnerable (for example like the LG area in QL's furious heights which uses the height decrease with stairs and the low corridor width to make the player more vulnerable for rocket damage) 2) Item setup: There is too little armor on the map - one YA is not enough, 1 player can easily time and collect 3 items which leaves little to no armor for the other player making games one sided - I would change the 5 shards near MH to be a YA because they are going to play a larger role on the map for the out of control player, they are in an area that is probably not going to be heavily frequented by a player in control compared to others - thus the weaker player will have a realistic chance of getting it without taking tons of damage - the low YA position is neat, the dropdown makes it work - you might want to add 3-4 more shards either on the corridor that holds the low YA dropdown or on the gallery near MH (this might be optional) 3) Item setup: the RL near MH, SG - I would move the RL near MH to a less vulnerable position, i.e. to the corridor behind it that holds the YA dropdown and place SG on the bridge (SG in that position would be nice as it is very effective in tight corridors like the RA/MH choke point or against players using a jumppad). I think that would be it for now, I'd be happy to discuss any of the points mentioned above. Things are looking good already.^ Edit: - I initially thought about moving RG to the low YA next to the tp - right now LG and RG are both on the top level making them fairly easy to deny, however it is not thaaaaaaat bad, taking RG you don't make yourself very visible after all |
Author: | Pat Howard [ 09-02-2014 03:25 PM ] |
Post subject: | Re: new layout "a2" [ALPHA] ffa tourney |
@cityy: thanks for this great feedback. i like your suggestions and i will definitely implement most if not all of them. much appreciated ![]() |
Author: | Hipshot [ 03-07-2015 12:57 PM ] |
Post subject: | Re: "Yellowjacket" [WIP] |
Yea, doesn't really look good. First time I see the level as a whole, I think you need to revise the colors of the sky and the lava when I look at it like this. |
Author: | Porto [ 03-07-2015 01:58 PM ] |
Post subject: | Re: "Yellowjacket" [WIP] |
Though the little yellow lights look cool, they contribute to the fact that the map looks too colorful and maybe a bit chaotic (especially the ones on the stairs). The windows (I presume they are) are nice but really bright, maybe you could place metal bars in them or objects behind them so it'll be less bright. Have you tried blue for the slime/lava? Also the larger not striped yellow parts of the wall can distract and make it look really colorfull, although it's good to see repetition in color, the yellow may just he a bit too much. But I love the skybox and overall theme and textures of your map, also the spot where the megahealth is looks interesting. |
Author: | AEon [ 03-07-2015 03:43 PM ] |
Post subject: | Re: "Yellowjacket" [WIP] |
Hmm... well looking at the purple pool shot I was really surprised... and wondered what it reminded me of... I'd say something out of Arabian Nights... the exotic purple IMO actually works... a tad wild maybe. The orange lava looks pretty "boring" by comparison. Really interesting to see an industrial texture set being able to evoke some Arabian palace in the desert feel to it. And it seems to come from the purple pool and the skybox... Maybe instead of the purple hue use a blue one, for water... would tone down the far out look and help consolidate the colours. Then again I like the purple and would like to see more of it as liquid décor in the map ![]() |
Author: | Porto [ 03-07-2015 11:29 PM ] |
Post subject: | Re: "Yellowjacket" [WIP] |
It's like a completely different map! I love the shadows, they make it look very realistic. Anyway, I think it's an improvement. Also, will there be underwaterstuff to explore since it's going to be water, not lava? |
Author: | AEon [ 03-08-2015 12:29 AM ] |
Post subject: | Re: "Yellowjacket" [WIP] |
I have just recently used the Miramar skybox in AEblocks. You might like to check the skybox shader I used, not for the settings per se, but for the orientation of the sun... I put in some effort in to exactly place the sun location in the map. Heck, here it is: Code: textures/aeblocks/skybox { qer_editorimage textures/aeblocks/skybox1.jpg // Using skybox image for editor sky! q3map_globaltexture // q3map_sunExt [r] [g] [b] [light] [heading] [elevation] [deviance] [samples] q3map_sunExt 255 235 191 140 323 70.5 0.5 32 // Cream sky, 90->100 brighter, real sun's deviance q3map_lightmapFilterRadius 0 6 // <Self> <Other> (Placement: After sunExt before skylight!), was 8, 6 sharper q3map_skylight 100 3 // Amount iterations (Replaces subdivide & surfacelight), less stadium 3 -> 6 (was 6) surfaceparm sky surfaceparm noimpact surfaceparm nolightmap surfaceparm nodlight nopicmip // New: HipShot Skies (ignore r_picmip, always hires!) nomipmaps // New: Manual skyparms env/aeblocks/miramar - - } Code: [heading] [elevation] = 323 70.5 I rather like the very friendly new look too... looks very nice with the blue water. Feel free to add as many screenshots as you like... love them ![]() |
Author: | Porto [ 03-08-2015 12:58 AM ] |
Post subject: | Re: "Yellowjacket" [WIP] |
I've never done mapping before, but is there a lot of code like that involved? Or is it just like building with legos? |
Author: | AEon [ 03-08-2015 02:02 AM ] |
Post subject: | Re: "Yellowjacket" [WIP] |
Porto, OT: There is actually almost no coding involved in mapping. Only if you want your textures to perform in special ways... e.g. create a moving texture like a conveyor belt, or want liquids to work as liquids with animated surfaces or for textures to actually cast light do you need shaders. But even then you can usually fall back to existing shaders and adapt them slightly... so you normally do not have to invent the wheel again. The brushes are your Lego stones, they let you create almost anything that is convex... but per se Q3A is not a modular building engine, like UT4 or Far Cry and the like. I recently did some modular mapping in Q3A, that might be of interest: AEblocks - Modular Mapping |
Author: | cityy [ 03-08-2015 09:08 AM ] |
Post subject: | Re: "Yellowjacket" [WIP] |
Pat Howard wrote: thanks for the feedback. i was also planning to give the color blue a try. i changed the lava to water and used hipshot's miramar sky. i turned off the lights since it's day now. it's funny what an impact the environmental stuff has on the rest of the map. these shots have more of a realistic battleship/oil rig setting, which gives me more ideas for functional geo. i'll find a theme in this map if it kills me! I like that lighting and the sky! I generally think that those friendly high contrast lighting setup give a lot more than dark/evil stuff. I feel you can make more of that water pit to support your yellow main color. In the previous version you had lava giving that lower area a strong light which I think was a good thing since it did emphasize the importance of the area and extended the color scheme. I can recommend tools like Color Scheme Designer for spicing things up/adding accents. Toy around a bit and try to find color families/complementaries. I quickly picked up the RGB of your yellow in photoshop. Complementary Triadic configuration You can also toy around with the angles of the configuration to achieve something entirely different. ![]() Those colors get close to the alternatives sock created for the texture set. The red tone could be your lava. Additionally, you could add green accents (cables, screens, instruments, crate labels, signs). I always feel like using color is hard - very hard. My stuff often ends up looking like a rainbow.. :-) A lot of configurations [1] [2] can work. What you want to do is up to you! Edit: Getting back to that water pit... If I'm not mistaken sock used a purple'ish tone for this fog pit in the bridge crane level. Maybe you can merry that with Fipout's toxic waste. Another way would be to just use lamps/lightspots or to go back to lava. You will come up with something! |
Author: | Pat Howard [ 03-08-2015 11:40 AM ] |
Post subject: | Re: "Yellowjacket" [WIP] |
@aeon: thanks for the sky. i spent a bunch of time aligning my shader for the last skybox and was pissed that it went to waste! this helps ![]() @cityy: thanks for the color tips. somehow i like that color tool better than adobe's Kuler. you're right about the green and orange being similar to sock's alternate colors for the set! i think i am going to change the bright yellow panels to either green or orange and narrow the use of yellow down to just hazard trims, pipes, bouncers, and other industrial accents. i have to say i like the water more than lava/slime, especially because the pools are large and they occasionally got annoying during play tests. i'm gonna stick with water for now. going back into my hole now. should have some new screens within the next week or two. |
Author: | AEon [ 03-08-2015 12:07 PM ] |
Post subject: | Re: "Yellowjacket" [WIP] |
The upload of my cropped version of Sock's Industrial texture set contains, or should, my recoloured piping and crates... so those might give you more variability. Pipes in blue, red, green and orange... etc. Looked up the links for convenience, should you not already be using them:
According to Mediafire, files will remain online for 30 days, after the last download. |
Author: | obsidian [ 03-08-2015 12:43 PM ] |
Post subject: | Re: "Yellowjacket" [WIP] |
cityy wrote: The Youngling becomes a Padawan. Jedi Master approves. ![]() However..... |
Author: | Pat Howard [ 03-08-2015 12:57 PM ] |
Post subject: | Re: "Yellowjacket" [WIP] |
ty, aeon. |
Author: | CZghost [ 03-15-2015 01:23 AM ] |
Post subject: | Re: "Yellowjacket" [WIP] |
I see I was pretty long time inactive. The last screenshots look really good, when do you plan to release that version? ![]() |
Author: | Pat Howard [ 03-15-2015 10:39 AM ] |
Post subject: | Re: "Yellowjacket" [WIP] |
hopefully in 3-4 weeks. btw, the skybox you asked about can be found here. it's called hw_lagoon. |
Author: | cityy [ 03-16-2015 12:14 AM ] |
Post subject: | Re: "Hydra" [WIP] |
More screenshots! ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Author: | AEon [ 03-16-2015 02:09 AM ] |
Post subject: | Re: "Hydra" [WIP] |
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. |
Author: | Fjoggs [ 03-16-2015 07:59 AM ] |
Post subject: | Re: "Hydra" [WIP] |
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. ![]() |
Author: | AndyW [ 03-16-2015 01:35 PM ] |
Post subject: | Re: "Hydra" [WIP] |
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"!!! |
Author: | AEon [ 03-25-2015 03:46 PM ] |
Post subject: | Re: "Hydra" [WIP] |
That area looks rather nice. |
Author: | AndyW [ 03-26-2015 01:39 AM ] |
Post subject: | Re: "Hydra" [WIP] |
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. ![]() |
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