Screenshots

[AEon]

obsidian,
might you post a 1/2 or 1/4 scale overview shot of the textures you did? That way we could preview what we can look forward too.

[sock]

@AEon, I did not use a portal sky much for this map, just standard sky projection stuff with 2 cloud layers. The fog effect at the bottom of the screen is just good blending thats all. I did add a tiny tcmod effect to the lower cloud/fog layer so it gently swirls around the bottom of the mountains but not much else.

Ok this was a stupid idea (from a technical point of view), but it was something I thought would be cool (in my headTM) so I decided to try it out. I wanted to have the Guardian portal show where you are going, so I created a special model of the outside of the castle and then pointed the portal at it. After a lot of work trying to make it look good and match it all up to the insides of the building I finally got it working.

OMG it is freakin awesome, the screenshots do the whole effect no justice. As you walk up to the portal it fades into view, a closeup of the outside of the castle and then the camera pans outwards as you get closer to the portal. You can slightly turn the camera left and right by moving left and right and get the whole depth thing of the model. Plus the electric shader effect on the transformer in the first room you can see working correctly through the front window. Need to add some more moving fog/mist layers around the bottom and across the front and it should be complete.

Walking up towards the portal as it fades into view
[lvlshot]http://www.simonoc.com/images/design/maps_q3/moteof1el1.jpg[/lvlshot]

The final view when you are next to the portal
[lvlshot]http://www.simonoc.com/images/design/maps_q3/moteof1el2.jpg[/lvlshot]

[Hipshot]

This looks awesome Sock...
Love the rock formation you got there and the overall design of it...
Damn!

Edit: I still think you should do something about those mountains in the skybox, I don't think they fit the style of the level...

[dONKEY]

I'm not really in the habit of swearing, but Sock...holy fuck!

[Anthem]

I'm not really in the habit of swearing, but Sock...holy fuck!

I agree... damn.

[sock]

@Hipshot, yep totally agree, but it would require me to sit down and make a mountain range from scratch and blend it into a proper sky cloud layer, that is at least a week or two of work. It certainly would look a lot better but I trying to finish this map soonly and move onto another project. (Probably be another engine as well)

@donkey, anthem, Glad you like it but trust me it is a lot better in motion. I keep forgetting it is a portal and walk up to it to check the detail and then get teleported away! doh

Update: Added dirt and glass bubble effect to outer edge of portal window.
[lvlshot]http://www.simonoc.com/images/design/maps_q3/moteof1el3.jpg[/lvlshot]

[Pat Howard]

mother of god...

[AEon]

Sock,
sorry about the nitpick, but after looking at the image a while, I just can't help "not" noticing it...

• 

The texture 1) shows two distinct elements that *really* stand out when looking at the image. Less so for 2). Maybe you could cut up the brick wall somewhat offsetting the texture you are using in such a way to avoid showing the distinct repetition at such close proximity.

Obviously I'd never have noticed this, if the rest of the shot had not been jaw-dropping

[^Ghost]

damn really impressive!!! indeed it is jaw-dropping

[seremtan]

holy shit that's awesome sock. reminds me vaguely of pirates of the caribbean somehow (probably because i watched 'at world's end' last night - 2 1/2 hours of my life i'll never get back )

[jal_]

That view at the portal is total ace indeed.

[Delirium]

Very nice indeed

@Sock: Is your terrain brushwork or a model?

[sock]

@PatH, so you like it then?
@AEon, I knew that stone texture would bother someone because it has very unique dark coloured details. I have been procrastinating over doing anything with the texture for some time so it is probably a good idea to fix it now. I have removed the dark sections so you should not see it in the new screenshots.
@^Ghost, thanks, glad you like it.
@seremtan, yeah the portal should feel fantasy/old style, plus the castle perched on a rock surrounded by mountains and mist is pretty much how I imagined the place to be.
@jal_, thanks
@Delirium, the view through the portal is a model, about 3K polys. It is a really an excessive thing to create considering it is only seen once in the whole level and took me a couple of days to setup right.

[Anthem]

Random question:

Ghost, do you know what happened to the velocity micro forums?

/end randomness

Sock: I thoroughly enjoy your maps. It's quite amazing that there are people in this community who are capable of creating such an astonishing (and playable) work of art. I have always enjoyed the concepts behind your designs and the brilliant brushwork and models of your maps. I will definitely look forward to playing this map when it's released.

[^Ghost]

no clue, their site is up and running, but the forums side is down.

[Anthem]

no clue, their site is up and running, but the forums side is down.

Yeah, eh. I really wanted to post some tricks in the fs threads T.T.

[Spray]

First post here
Anyway here's a WIP, it's a map for Defrag.

[lvlshot]http://i771.photobucket.com/albums/xx353/Pray-N-Spray/shot0066.jpg?t=1262095424[/lvlshot]

Not sure about the lighting, maybe should be less dark?

@sock: that must be the most epic map ever made for q3

[AEon]

[lvlshot]http://i771.photobucket.com/albums/xx353/Pray-N-Spray/shot0066.jpg?t=1262095424[/lvlshot]

I like the architecture and the mix of edges and rounded off patch ledges, the mini "water falls?" also look neat. Along with the vines.

[Hipshot]

First post here :D
Anyway here's a WIP, it's a map for Defrag.

[lvlshot]http://i771.photobucket.com/albums/xx353/Pray-N-Spray/shot0066.jpg?t=1262095424[/lvlshot]

Not sure about the lighting, maybe should be less dark?

@sock: that must be the most epic map ever made for q3 :up:

I say use blend instead of add for the waterfalls.

[jal_]

Are the waterfalls those vertical bright stripes? That looks strange, imo.

[sock]

I will definitely look forward to playing this map when it's released.

Thanks for the support, much appreciated I hope you like puzzles (button mashing) and exploring because my latest map has buckets of it!

@Spray, at first I thought it was a pyramid structure because of the angle, can you post a screenshot from the POV? The lower part of the screenshot has uniform lighting, are you using minlight or ambient lighting?

[obsidian]

*awaits another beta*

[d3mol!t!on]

@Kaz: I can't say for practicality of course, but the lower layer in your map would look great with some water in it, especially if you lowered the stain height on that texture to match a foot height water level (though I suppose the water level wouldn't always have to be that high if it were a sewer, so could even leave the texture as it is).

[^Ghost]

might have to make it brighter spray, knowing most defraggers, they will find something to complain about, and the noticeable one will the be lighting.

[sock]

I like how the hard egde blending worked out, just need to sprinkle some small rocks on the floor for detail.
[lvlshot]http://www.simonoc.com/images/design/maps_q3/moteof1em2.jpg[/lvlshot]