AEdm7 - AEon's DM 7 Redux - Final!

[AEon]

Shots from AEtri r99:

• 
• Jumppads, Teleporters, Acceleration Pads all in orange.
• Added orange deco lights.
• Added massive amounts of decals.
• Added weapon and item bases.
• There is some weird issue with the global lighting alas.
• Still need to add ammo.
• Downloadable Beta 1 for Q4 should be available soon.

[d3mol!t!on]

Nice skybox The yellow/amber teleporters are cool too

[AEon]

It's also nice to finally see the skyboxes, made for Q3A without seams in Q4

[Todtsteltzer]

Current Q3A Screenshots for Beta 1+

• a) Extra box on arena floor, AP uses new triangle texture, health spread out.
  b) PG replaces LG in Arena 3, health instead of 50Hx2 it is 25Hx3.
  c) One RG replaced with LG in Arena 2.
  d) Toned down lighting on gray crete.

Weapons/Items

• RG, RLx2, SGx2, GLx2, PG, LG, RA, YAx2, MH, and Quad (plus lots of health).

Changes since Beta 1 (suggestions by Todtsteltzer)

• A1, small AP corner. 50H swapped 25H, add box in "dead end", place 25H on arena floor in corner.
• Toned down the skybox light shader from 400 to 200.
• Replace RG in A2 with LG, LG with PG.
• A3, 2x50H with 2x25H and a 25H on another box near the RA.
• Split the 50H into 2x25H in several places...
• Compile without -skyfix to avoid problems with sky for Nvidia folks.
• Reduced the number of custom textures by about 10.
• Fixed texture alignment in a few areas.
• Fixed console warning:
  'textures/aedm7/xxx.tga' TGA file header declares top-down image, ignoring
• Converted all the .tga textures to 100% quality .jpg's.
• Texture size down from 7.05 MB to only 1.65 MB.
  
  Beta 2 should be out soon.

*bump*

[AEon]

haha... had not understood the hint...

Yo, should compile beta 2 and upload it... presently working on releasing the Q4 Mapping FAQ on my site (UBB to HTML), so this will take a few more days.

Fixing the broken image links in the mean time.

[cityy]

Well, I already said how much I like the map (q3 - didn't play the q4 map).

Some things I noticed:

- RA seems a bit easy to reach, maybe add some higher boxes here if bots can do it.
- IMO, the map is a bit too balanced - maybe replace the RG near quad damage with a SG and the SG there with a +50. I also think you don't need two GLs.

[lvlshot]http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/3964/shot0000o.jpg[/lvlshot]

- maybe cut off the hallways leading straight out of the GL/TP room - all these corridors in mid felt a bit confusing to me. But maybe it's just me (:
- you also have two 50s right next to each other near this room - I'd remove one of them and put it somewhere else.


Please don't drop this, it would be sad since it seems nearly finished. Some ammo and some lights in the inner part of the map and it would be fine. The textures are a blast.

[AEon]

Hehe... when I saw that screenshot I was thinking, "cool map, who the heck did that"... it tool me almost a minute to realize that I had actually created it

Will look into those points... I presently cannot even fully remember were the weapons were.

IMO, the biggest issue with the map are the TPs, I am thinking of dropping half of them and consolidating some of the paths. Closing off the path you mention would be kinda radical, but may have some merit. Since I am not getting anywhere with my other maps, I might as well try to finish off this map, that IMO really should be almost done.

[cityy]

Hehe... when I saw that screenshot I was thinking, "cool map, who the heck did that"... it tool me almost a minute to realize that I had actually created it

IMO, the biggest issue with the map are the TPs, I am thinking of dropping half of them and consolidating some of the paths.

I agree somehow - the TPs also cause a lot of telefrags maybe create some more room for ppl using them. IMO the the TP exits should also be closer to the TPs they are "connected" with - this may reduce the amount of telefrags - not sure about that tho.

Looking forward to an update :b

[AEon]

I'll also look into adding some orange and maybe red lighting. Adding new colored lights should be easy enough after all that AEcell practice. Your comment about lights and your screenshot, reminded me that the indoor lighting is a bit drab.

[cityy]

Played again some tdm on your map today (:

As you said the teleporters get really annoying after some time - tho I think you shouldn't remove the one in the RA room and the one with which the RA tele is connected because if you would do so the RA room would be quite dead. Even though you should definitely wide up the TP exit area and set the TP targets closer the the TPs. Had again a bunch of telefrags today. I think the other TPs can be removed - maybe replace them with 50s or slugs.

I don't know if your health placement was just for the beta but I really don't like it. The 50s in the open YA areas are fine but you also have a lot of 50s right next to each other in the corridors. I think you should place them not so close to each other because health and ammo (which is barely needed :/) is what keeps the player moving but I think you know that

Some things I like:

- Your ramps are really nice (: You can even skip some JPs in cpma.
- I like the placement of the shards. I go for them really often - the sad thing is that bots don't.
- The box on which the YA is placed in the RL room is really usefull - you can skip the JP leading to the RL strafing over it.
- MH placement is really exiting, it causes some interesting fights. Though I think you should round of the corners in the MH corridor or even use 3 sided prisms for the "edges".

You should contact ID to add this map to quakelive after it's finished, srsly - TDM maps are requested from the community and I already enjoy this one even without ammo!

[AEon]

Had a really productive day...

• I closed off two areas with a gate. One you suggested the near the GL TP, and another one above the 2 way JP leading either to the LG or the PG room. This forces folks to actually use the "longer path" corridor from LG to PG.
• Because of these changes I had a few "cool" dead ends that I used to place weapons. The LG moved to the TP GL dead end and the other side of the door now has the RG. PG, the RLs stayed in place.
• I really *hate* the AP design... I replaces one AP (in the Quad arena) with two angled metal planks, this slows things down a bit, but should be OK. The other AP will get an id AP texture (I'll probably need to change the back texture though).
• Added more "square cylinder" air ducts in the RL arena and the PG room.
• Only two TPs left, the one were the GL was (your image), this leads to the PG room, exists in the TP niche there (TP in PG room was removed). The other TP left is the one in the Quad arena, existing in the previous TP niche, near the SG room looking into the RL arena.
• Moved the MH into a niche on the other side of the corridor. Wanted to have the MH a bit further away from the Quad arena.
• The RA is on the PG arena's floor, to make it a tiny bit harder to get out of the pit.
• Noted that the map did not actually *have* ammo ... had not missed it a bit up to now, only noticed it when looking for "item deco". Added some.
• Will look into the health issue.
• Bots play the map a lot better now that the TPs are no longer two-way. Also go for the Quad more.
• Still thinking about reducing the line of slight in a few areas, e.g. from the LG side to the other SG side. This would make the corridors less linear, and the layout a bit more compact.
• Bars in ceiling no longer have floor texture, even though I liked it, using rusted metal instead.
• Added colored light orange and red. Placed it in the indented wall deco, not quite sure about this, looks a bit "too funky".
• Also noted the map is not hinted... vis works well thanks to the two closed off areas though. Map won't need much hinting.
• Boxes slightly rotated, makes them look so much less sterile now.
• Thinking of using my "nifty" black respawn pad textures (weapons, items) from AEcell, instead of the white ones... not quite sure if this will work.
• Will try to add fan-based JPs, somewhat like in SolarAE.
• Trying to come up with some more nifty details.

cityy, your "liking" the map really motivated me to get off my butt and work on the map, thanks.

[AEon]

Added Tabun's decals to the map, rusted planks replace a AP, the new JPs are now fan-bases, using the swirl effect of SolarAE, respawn pads using AEcell textures now:

• [lvlshot]http://aemap.hugelaser.com/aedm7_r102.jpg[/lvlshot]

Next: Add plants, rethink the skybox, rethink pathing.

[phantazm11]

Looking great there AEon. I really like the swirl on the JPs.

[edit] Those angled brushes in the middle of the picture (the light structures) need a trim or something. Or you could caulk those faces and place a patch mesh over the brush (manipulating the verts to match the brush) so the texture will skew correctly.

[cityy]

Wow, looks even better than before. These 2 orange lights at the pillar in the middle of the screenshot look a bit too saturated, imo. If you choose another skybox you should definitely take a bright one which is maybe less blueish. The JPs and the details look awesome

[AEon]

phantazm11,
yo, get what you mean, never occured to me, will try "aligning" things on a simply patch mesh.

cityy,
I am using the color all over the place. You may be right about the saturation... I'll keep it until the next beta, then everyone can check in-game.

About the skybox... looked through and tested many of them (from the lvlworld skybox pack)... alas none of the are really that much better. There was one skybox with a destroyed city scape that looked quite good, i.e. it fit the theme, alas the image quality was too blurry and the sky totally gray. It really makes me wonder if composing several existing skyboxes may not be required (not that the authors would like that).

What I'd really like to have is a skybox based off a FarCry map (e.g. my own AEcanyon), placing the map in the jungle. The greenish decals would then really fit the theme, i.e. the erosion made plausible. Any suggestions for a good skybox appreciated. Going with a "greenish" theme I tested Hipshot's Interstellar, alas that did not work.

What I am looking for:

• Mostly clear blue sky with interested white cloud formations.
• "Tall terrain" in a few areas with lush jungle look.
• Sun should be up in the sky, not a sunset or dawn.

[v1l3]

On the skybox..I actually changed the sky from the iceflow, to a night skybox that has a planet and a moon on each side of it..it's very well done. I can't remember what map that I yanked it out from..but a couple of good maps use it. I changed it because I've played aedm7 more than anyone guaranteed, and the skybox lines up there were annoying the hell out of me! I actually pm'd Hipshot a long long long time ago, because he has the "this is not aeon" under his name. ..no reply of course. If you want me to put up a link for thr skybox I can....but you'll probably want a daytime skybox I suppose.

[AEon]

Yeah... a night sky is probably cool in a Gothic setting... but I would very much prefer to have a "happy" sky ... I want folks to like playing in this map.

Something completely different: I could try creating a sky portal for the very first time. This would let me define a skyline / geometry. I know Hipshot put a *huge* amount of work into the sky portal for Solar, just getting it to be low poly. So I am hesitating to "use" so many polygons on a sky portal you can see from all over the map. On the good side, the map even with the detail I have added is still at 6k r_speeds max. Hmm...

Well, I'll be adding plants next... I'll then see how things look r_speeds-wise. Will have them hanging from ceilings, creating decal "spots" on the floors and a few trees that broke through several outdoor floor plates.

P.S.: Tabun your decals are really neat! I am really starting to get that convincing gritty look into the map. Alas the cracks do not work with the glass I have... will need to look into that.

[Tabun]

Be sure to take a look at the broken glass section on cgtextures. There are quite a few images there that are ready to be used as decals, and obviously there is some very realistic stuff to be found there. ;]

[Anthem]

I'm excited to see how you will incorporate ambient sounds. I enjoyed the beta of your map. Definitely some good stuff.

[AEon]

Tabun, created some pretty cool and DOOM textures with a industrial/metal theme, I was thinking of using square DOOM gates, and also the crates.

Would some Strogg design mess with the map "theme"? Or would a few Strogg logos on boxes etc not really be a problem? (I recreated them for AEcell BTW).

[cityy]

You should put some "strogg boxes" into the map for the next beta. You can still remove them afterwards if I folks say that they don't like them.

[^Ghost]

Don't be puzzeled about the skybox lines, in the other thread you should by now have understood that at present *ANY* skybox will show such lines, not matter what hardware you have.

not true at all. when i upgraded my pc hardware those lines disappeared.

although nice map. i like the gameplay, very well playable in cpm physics.

[AEon]

Using Tabun's crate textures in the map:

• 

I like them, though they look a little cartoony, IMO. Added a conveyor belt as AP (using T_Creutzenberg texture and shader, hope that is OK).

[v1l3]

Dam! I'm SO glad you're working on this map.

[AEon]

Some experiments with colored light, the Quad should have a blue-ish light, the niches in the corridors use orange and red...

• 

In the very background you can see one of the closed off doors using Tabun's DOOM'ish door texture. The RA used to be in this area, I have the Quad and PG here now. The Quad was too much for the "old" Quad arena with RL etc. Now this slightly off the trodden path area should attract folks - those wanting the Quad that is.