Sort of new map: House of Dissent CTF

[Eraser]

Once in a while I get this urge to do something creative. Sometimes, the creative outlet for that turns out to be Quake 3. The past few years that has been EntityPlus maps. After each map I do, I kind of tell myself: this is the last, it's too much of an investment (in time) for too little return. I find, however, that mapping for Quake 3 can be a very relaxing way to spend my time, so for some reason I keep getting pulled back to it. (edit: to be clear, this is a QUAKE III ARENA map, not a Quake Live map)

So I found myself working on a new EntityPlus map again. This release, however, is not that. After pouring quite a bit of time into it, and sort of hitting a creative brick wall, I felt like doing something that required less thinking. I decided to make a CTF map. I didn't want to think about layout or having to go through those difficult first planning stage steps so I also decided to take one of my existing DM maps and see if I could turn that into a CTF map. I took ermap4 (House of Dissent), which was apt because I had also converted it into an EntityPlus map last year.

I copied, mirrored and glued the map to itself, retextured where necessary (for the red/blue color schemes) and did some rebuilding for a central area. The end result is a map that's not exactly the best map in the world. It's a bit large. A bit chunky. A bit difficult. But it's still sorta fun. I know no one will play it, certainly not online, but I don't care. The building process was fun and relaxing. That's basically what this was all about.

The mandatory screenshots:










And the download link:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/6ny5pomt71re6 ... f.zip?dl=1

And now I have to somehow get the creative juices flowing again for my EntityPlus map

[foralarx2k3]

@Eraser

Fecking awesome map dude!!! This is going straight in my CTF rotation. I love the use of the traditional Q3 texture set with a few enhancements as well. It plays really well. Get this in the Lvlworld queue so I can write a proper review for it.

Edit: Nevermind, saw it was in the queue already. Review submitted.

Regards
Ian AKA FoRa!

[Whiskey 7]

I am downloading and going to give this a go Eraser. I was looking for something different so thank you.

I must also go back to Lvlworld for a lookie so thank you to foralarx2k3 for the nudge

Edit: Yes, days later downloaded both game types and thoroughly enjoyed the run about Eraser

[Fruity]

A nice map (a bit too big for my game mode on the server) but generally and so flies to the map rotation. Before entering I had a mistake (probably lack of respaw), after changing gametype everything works. I do not know if on ordinary TDM or some of your own (mod excessiceplus) will work. We'll see :-)

[Eraser]

For FFA and TDM there's the original version.

[Johnny Law]

Super classic look... takes me back. :-) Looking forward to trying it out.

[Fruity]

I didn't know the original version of the map, thanks for the info. :-)

[Eraser]

lvl review: https://lvlworld.com/review/id:2404

[seremtan]

the aesthetic is pure old school Q3, nothing out of place...

...except the clock, which has overtones of train station about it :dts:

i get you need to break up the wall of the tower but imho a demonic head md3 would look better and not break the mood

[Hipshot]

How does the bots perform here Eraser? I will not be able to test the level until tomorrow evening so.

[Fruity]

I was looking at some of the map from the "Eraser" page and on one map called "State Prison 36 / rjldm3.pk3" there is a shadow on the ground from the windmill on the ceiling. I read somewhere that the original quake 3 does not have a moving shadow and light, so how is it possible that this map has a moving shadow on the ground? Is it just a changed "shader" file from the original quake 3 windmill file? Very cool (realistic) effect that I wanted to use in my map.

[sst13]

It's not a real shadow, just an animated effect. You have to place this by hand on your desired surface.

Check out q3dm5, there is a similar effect on the ceiling above the two fans. The Q3 stock shader is: "textures/sfx/fanfx" and is meant to be placed direct behind fans.
Erasers shader looks a bit more transparent than the stock one. (better for far surfaces)

And don't forgot to place some kind of a light source behind the fan, to make it realistic.

[Eraser]

How does the bots perform here Eraser? I will not be able to test the level until tomorrow evening so.

The bots play the map well enough to have a decent game against them. They heavily favor a single route to the other flag though, so once you figure that out you know that by evading that route, capturing the flag becomes a little easier. There are quite a few spawnpoints throughout the map though, and any bots that spawn away from that preferred route do navigate the other routes pretty well though, so it's still a fairly decent game you're getting out of it.

[Eraser]

I was looking at some of the map from the "Eraser" page and on one map called "State Prison 36 / rjldm3.pk3" there is a shadow on the ground from the windmill on the ceiling. I read somewhere that the original quake 3 does not have a moving shadow and light, so how is it possible that this map has a moving shadow on the ground? Is it just a changed "shader" file from the original quake 3 windmill file? Very cool (realistic) effect that I wanted to use in my map.

I didn't make the map (my brother did), but I do know that, like sst13 said, it's a shader that has the effect on it.
There's also a room with a flickering light effect. It actually looks like some kind of dynamic light effect, but obviously it's not. All textures in the room are shaders that have a brighter stage (layer) that flickers on and off.

[Fruity]

There is actually one room from the flashing "burnt light bulb", a great effect, like in quake 4.

[mrd]

Looks good, I agree, a very classic look. Reminds me of the good old days. I get urges to do some q3 mapping every once in a while but I'll be damned if I can ever find time. Last time I loaded up Radiant, all the hotkeys came back to me within about 10 minutes. I used to spend fucking hours doing that stuff.

[Eraser]

Yeah, it's weird. Radiant's hotkeys are a mess but it's like riding a bicycle. It all comes back in a few minutes.

[seremtan]

so i guess you're keeping the clock then