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Topic Starter	Topic: [Beta Map] Egyptian Rivers - octf1_beta1
PhoenixFilms Recruit Joined: 25 Dec 2010 Posts: 4	Posted: 12-25-2010 08:09 PM                  Merry Christmas guys. Have a map! =-p I've been mapping on/off for years but haven't really been active in many forums. I can see you guys know what you're talking about though so I hope you'll go easy on me Download link + details are below. Hope you like (It's not xmas themed, just a coincidence that I got it finished for today). Download ===================================================================== Title: Egyptian Rivers Date: 25th December 2010 File: octf1_beta1.pk3 Author(s): Phoenix Email address: phoenix.q3maps@gmail.com URL: http://www.own-age.com Description: Own-age.com CTF 1 - Game Play BETA ===================================================================== ===================================================================== *********************** BETA INFO ******************************* ===================================================================== First let me just say THANK YOU to anyone who participates and I am happy to receive any/all feedback/criticism either here or at my email above. There's a few things you should know which will be helpful to me. This is a GAME PLAY BETA. The map is currently undetailed (for the most part) and will look very 'block-like' and is only roughly textured (slapped on at random mostly). What I would like people to focus on is how FUN (or not fun) is the map to play? Are there any areas of the map you don't use? Is there anything in partciular that you like or dislike? Any frame rate issues? Item placements. Stuff like that. Don't get caught up in how things 'look', unless it is affecting game play. Also see the known bugs/issues section below. I will be trying to setup some online beta testing times which I will post here so hopefully you can show up! RECOMMENDED SETTINGS: The map does not have light compiled yet and therefore is fullbright. It may be blinding if you have you lighting settings higher than the defaults of: r_gamma 1.0 r_overBrightBits 1 r_mapOverBrightBits 2 Also r_fastsky 0 is recommended so you can see through teleporters. *I'm testing from my ancient laptop and I've also discovered it needs r_smp 1 to be able to display the portals. This should not be true for anyone else, this laptop really is garbage. ===================================================================== ********************** General Info ***************************** ===================================================================== How to play: 1) Place the octf1_beta1.pk3 file into your Quake 3/baseq3 Folder. 2) Open Quake. 3) Go to Single Player/Skirmish and you will find it in the CTF menu. Alternatively you can open the console with ~ and type /map octf1_beta [enter] Gametype: CTF Mod: baseq3 / any Bots: Yes! (See Bugs / Known Issues for details) Size: Large (5v5+ is recommended although it may play with less) Quad/Haste: 1 2 minute respawn, teamed at a ratio of 2 haste to 1 quad so you will see more haste spawns Regen: 2 2.5 to 3.5 minute respawn, random Flight 2 Lasts only 5 seconds and respawns in 10 Mega: 3 RA: 4 YA: 6 Weapons: All but BFG Map Info: A large CTF map with an Egpytian theme. This is my first attempt at a serious dm/ctf map. It has an ambitious layout but it worked out perfectly (I think) so I hope you like it. Probably one of the larger maps I'll ever do but it's still not as large as some threewave maps I think. Why: I love mapping and it's something I do anyways. I've primarily been doing experimental stuff which is why I have very few released maps. I've had several ideas for dm/ctf maps over the years and I'm finally just getting around to making some of them now. I currently have five CTF maps which I plan to to back-to-back. There hasn't really been any popular CTF maps since Threewave which was released 10 years ago so I thought it would be nice to try some fresh maps. Like some of the other good non-threewave maps out there, I don't expect to see any of my maps being played on servers but at least I tried! Also not that while it is large is is actually perfectly sized for the average player base of CROM CTF and cpma pickup CTF servers that are the most active CTF servers left ===================================================================== ******************* Bugs / Known Issues ************************* ===================================================================== BOTS: They are able to cap but they're still a little stupid (well they're always stupid anyways aren't they?). They play best with more people. 1v1 the bots will end up grabbing the flag then just waiting in their bases forever. They seem to move about the map well but often like to loop back to their own base rather than pushing forward to the enemy base. I have told them NOT to go in the water area but they are able to get out of it fine if they are knocked in. Also they were getting stuck in the jump pads up to regen so I've blocked that off for now for them but plan to fix it for the final release. They behave well when they spawn up top and will grab regen and drop out the window. 3 JUMP PADS (to regen): They're working fairly well now but still a little bit buggy. The waterfall shader looks a little buggy in that area as well. WHIRLPOOL AREA (above flight): This area is going to be made to look like a whirlpool. It's just flat water now with a test on the waterfall part but it looks rather buggy. BRIDGE TELEPORTER PORTAL: When viewed from far away/weird angles can sometimes flicker to black. MAP VISIBLE THROUGH SKY: Can see parts of the map through the sky if you look up top. I believe I know how to solve this just haven't bothered to do it yet. MISALIGNED TEXTURES/TEXTURE SEAMS VISIBLE (WATER): No point fixing this right now as everything is going to be changed in the end most likely. UNDERWATER JUMP PADS: Yes there are jump pads underwater. Yes they don't send you as high as they should and may seem a little weird. No this is not a bug This area was designed as if it were a regular non-water area that has been flooded and therefore everything is now underwater. ===================================================================== ************************ Thanks! ******************************** ===================================================================== spookmineer & [PT] Tania for the testing and feedback they have already given. Add your name to the list! ===================================================================== ************************ Credits ******************************** ===================================================================== Original level design by Phoenix Glass Texture/Shader by Phoenix User: PhoenixFilms at http://www.own-age.com Contact: phoenix.q3maps@gmail.com --------------------------------- Egyptian Texture set by Simon "Sock" O'Callaghan Contact: mememe[at]simonoc[dot]com Website: http://www.simonoc.com --------------------------------- Waterfall Texture/Shader by Kit Carson & Nemo Taken from the map kineterra1 aka "The Age of Tenebra" Kit Carson Credits: http://www.planetquake.com/kcmaps Nemo Credits: http://digilander.iol.it/ilbanca/ bancaf@libero.it --------------------------------- Red & Blue "cretebase" textures by costanza (These won't be in the final version but I still believe credit is due for now) --------------------------------- Anything else I've missed likely belongs to iD Software Website: http://www.idsoftware.com/ --------------------------------- NOTE: I have listed the contact information in the credits that the authors wished to have for using their work. Some of the websites/emails may no longer be valid. ===================================================================== ********* Distribution / Copyright / Permissions **************** ===================================================================== Copyright (c) 2010 Phoenix, phoenix.q3maps@gmail.com All rights reserved. Quake III Arena is a registered trademark of id Software, Inc. This level may be electronically distributed only at NO CHARGE to the recipient in its current state, MUST include this .txt file, and may NOT be modified IN ANY WAY. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES IS THIS LEVEL TO BE DISTRIBUTED ON CD-ROM (OR WHATEVER METHODS THE FUTURE HOLDS) WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION. =====================================================================
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DaEngineer Mercenary Joined: 28 May 2010 Posts: 210	Posted: 12-26-2010 01:16 AM                  I'm playing your map while writing this and will try to note down what comes to my mind. There's a lot, and I don't want to forget anything Itemplacement I just played for some minutes now, so it's still to early to judge how the valuable items (MH, Haste, Quad, Armor) are placed. But irrespective of this, the smaller items, especially Shards and 5HP bubbles are - in my eyes - really misplaced in nearly every spot you can fnd them. Also, putting stuff into corners far away from main gameplay is a no-go. I don't want to run 67 miles away from the main battle to get a weapon. Try to put items in the players way, not aside the action. Exaples for this and other ideas: Flagbase. Weapons and ammo in corners; Shards/5HP in the rectangular pools. Quad/Haste pyramid. You weren't serious when you placed these shards and bubbles all around this pyramid in the water, were you? what about these 25HP bubbles on top of the pillars aside the bridge with the YA? I can't imagine anybody trying to get them by rocketjumping, since there is no reason to rocketjump to a 25HP bubble. If they're only placed as decorations - delete them and put details into this places another way Teleporter at the end of that bridge. Ammo behind that teleporter? And so much health aside it? Put these things in front of it in a way you can get them easier. And reduce the health Much too much health in the flagbase Small tunnel with MH you can only pass crouching. THAT's a really nice flow killer you've invented there Area behind this tunnel, with YA, LG and RL ammo. Again, these items are placed as if you wanted the player to not get them Health. There is.. err.. tons of it. I didn't manage to die, to be honest. There is enough health in this map for a whole battalion to get on its feet again. Really, reduce that. This is just a total health-overkill Navigation Area above the Flight pickup. There's a stair that leads out of the water. Have you ever tried using it? It would be easier to get out of the water if there was no stair, instead, a simple low wall would do better there Wide, open spaces. Of course there are no details in this map, as you've said, but gameplay will become quite poor with these huge halls and spaces. The distances are so huge, I found myself running around with RG/RL only, to get these guys from the distance and finish them when they are near my. I've used the SG or LG not even one time. The PG seems to be completely useless; until the plasma has arrived at your enemy, he'll be at the other end of the map already. The areas aside the shortest main route feel to long and complicated to be worth taking them. And generally, I feel like a tiny plastic soldier in a huge environment. If you want to reduce this feeling, you will have a lot of work to do. You'll need to place far more walls and geometry to fill these empty hallways. This will help reducing this feeling and, and that's even more important, to find shelter. Nobody likes being railed inevitable, because he's running down a straight corridor thats half a mile long I know, that's not a very positive feedback. But praise instead of honesty won't help you. Rework your item layout, especially with accessibility and reducing the amount of health in mind. And try to create more complexity in these empty hallways. _________________ Portfolio - My Quake 3 mapping tutorials - My Quake 3 maps
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PhoenixFilms Recruit Joined: 25 Dec 2010 Posts: 4	Posted: 12-26-2010 09:49 AM                  Thanks for the feedback Don't worry I appreciate your honesty. I'll get back to you on some of it later. I agree with most of your points but at the same time there's some of it that I won't change still hehe I'll explain later when I have more time about some of my decisions.
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deqer Insane Quaker Joined: 28 Dec 2009 Posts: 298	Posted: 01-30-2011 11:47 AM                  those screenshots blinded me. first thing i can say is work on the lighting. this might be a cool map if r_speeds remain low. what's going on with this map anyways? any update? you have an ETA on your next release of this? where's the info? why you not keeping us informed?
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PhoenixFilms Recruit Joined: 25 Dec 2010 Posts: 4	Posted: 06-02-2011 01:39 AM                  Sorry I'm really bad at keeping track of forums Got too many to pay attention to. Also sorry to dig up an old thread but I have received lots of good feedback and will be updating this map but it's prob going to be a while. I really do like the layout itself but it does need a major overhaul. I can't give any sorta of ETA on the next release but it will have some major improvements I think and will be a little less ugly hopefully I'll be playing around with some other smaller maps in the meantime... I've actually started playing around with octf2 which is a much smaller and more practical map I think compared to this one and may actually get the final version released first heh.
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