brkdm1 - preAlpha (paint) o_0

[bork[e]]

Getting sick and damn tired of working on an alpha for a few weeks only to be told to start over. Either I don't have what it takes for this stuff or I'm just lacking the knowlagde of what goes into making a flowing/fun/fraggin map............so here is an idea for yet another map that will probably never be finished. :icon30:

[lvlshot]http://www.geocities.com/hi2uten4/preAlpha.JPG[/lvlshot]

edit: I'm going to add more to the 3rd floor, just not to sure where yet, most of the areas that have blue and the brown color..the second floor will be open to the lower to make it more open. (something all my levels have lacked)...

[Bacon]

leet paint skills! :icon26:

[bork[e]]

:icon19:

btw, the 2 little areas leading to the red area from blue and brown will be Jump Pads...not just hallways

[pjw]

I'm confused...

Who told you to start over on what?

It's relatively unusual, in my experience anyway, that a map is completely unsalvagable...and when that's the case, it's usually some really odd idea that just didn't work.

I haven't been following the community as closely as I used to, so forgive my ignorance...

(link to previous alpha maybe? I'm curious...)

[bork[e]]

http://quake3world.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=327

Rip me apart.

[pjw]

Heh. Now I remember that thread.

I never actually downloaded the map because of the notex. (If you're making an alpha, just select all and texture with, like, concrete or something, and then quickly go through and add a second texture for the floors, and texture any skybrushes with sky. That's really all you need to do for an alpha; it only takes a few minutes and looks a lot better than notex.

Is this layout a variation/remake on the other one? It looks like it might be, but I can't really tell.

Why not just take the other map and work from there? Eliminate the long travel areas that Pext pointed out (biggest problem), add a room or two here and there, and play with the connectivity? I think Pext's comment of "do the map again" was a poor choice of words. You can make the recommended changes on the map you have without starting over from scratch...

I know with me, it's almost always quicker to make beneficial changes to an existing alpha than to start entirely over. Your milage may vary.

On the other hand, if you *want* to do something entirely different, go for it (and the layout above looks okay to me--although the hallways look quite narrow in relation to the rooms...dunno if everything's to scale and how big the whole is...the trick is to really get your rooms close together but still have adequate vis blocking going on--easier said than done).

[bork[e]]

Well, I actually have been trying to get something going on the map you just tested...not much changing but I think I may get back on that one.

The above paint drawing was done today before work, had some extra ideas on a map Pext tested back at raw-one, but as always the further I got into the project the worse it was getting. It also is anything but to scale, a few extra ideas is all.

btw, I didn't know about the quick change of textures everyone let me know of real fast while testing it...I'll keep it in mind next alpha.

Thanks for the comments, maybe that map isn't a lost cause after all. :icon26:

[Pext]

I think Pext's comment of "do the map again" was a poor choice of words

true ... I never thought of the demotivation this could cause. sometimes it's better and more satisfying to work things out rather than perfecting them. a thing i should possibly do...

you could take a look at your old map again and keep the areas you liked - personally i found the area in the corner of the central room to be really interresting. after chosing them delete the connections between them and rearrange them in a more compact way, maybe moving them closer or rotating them. then think of a few new cool situations and add them where you feel they might match.

[pjw]

sometimes it's better and more satisfying to work things out rather than perfecting them. a thing i should possibly do...

Heh. Don't stress. Few people strive for perfection; it's not like it's a bad thing.

[megaman]

on this new layout:

- seems very room corridor room
- large horizontal spaces?
- 2levels arent enough and your 3rd level isnt covring much space
- most rooms are just 1 level
- long lines of sight?
- long stairs from the proportions of them
- are these holes in the bottom middle room? or 2nd level above 1st level, just not shown?

[bork[e]]

1 big problem down...many to go

Before:
[lvlshot]http://www.geocities.com/hi2uten4/before.JPG[/lvlshot]

After:
[lvlshot]http://www.geocities.com/hi2uten4/after.JPG[/lvlshot]

I'm still trying to find a few more ways in and out in that section I have changed...that will come to me later I'm guessing. :icon32:

[edit]Please don't flame me b/c of my horrible brushwork.

[Grudge]

Looks very much room-corridor-room. Try to get the rooms to "blend" together without all those little corridors between them instead. And try not to make all of them rectangular.

It doesn't look very exciting, to be honest.

[voodoochopstiks]

Grudge: Rather early to comment on the gameplay before you have seen it in 3d even?
Bork: Keep working on it and release an alpha soon, then you can get some proper feedback.

[Grudge]

It was more of a general comment. There are thousands of room-corridor-room maps out there, I'm just saying that people should try to think a little more "outside the box".