Commented 18 years ago2006-01-18 02:04:18 UTC
in vault item: CarbaseusComment #18239
Simply amazing work!
The level of detail, fluidity, sounds, textuing, layout and of course, architecture, are simply superb! This map gets "superb" for every area of mapping I'm aware of, except the sky! You did all this work only to use the old desert sky--yuck
It doesn't really matter though, I suppose, becuase this is easily one of the best maps I've ever seen for the half-life engine. This map makes me want to learn more about architectue and art, so I can properly appreciate/classify it!
Gameplay might be sketchy 'cause of the 2000 level wpolys, but considering the level of detail in this map, that's not really that bad imo.
I loved the ramps that take you through every area of this exquisite work, as weel the beautiful water in the courtyard, pillars, and tons of other structures I can't even identify!
Commented 18 years ago2006-01-18 01:49:09 UTC
in vault item: MansionComment #10524
Excellent, Excellent work! I spent 5 minutes just in awe of the outside, and probably 20 minutes indoors. The only thing I was disappointed by the lack of an ending, which by reading the comments I seem to have missed.
+Nice Architecture +Excellent texturing ++Superbe ambience, lighinting and sprite use. +Excellent detail! The ghostly chair really freaked me out for some reason!
The scale was a little off, and some minor things could have been detailed better, but for the vast majority of this, I love your concepts, attention to detail, and creativity!
Commented 18 years ago2006-01-17 21:16:31 UTC
in vault item: EscapeComment #10523
Very nice job, especially for your first "completed" map!
General architecture was great/interesting, save a very few invalid solids that were a small distraction--hit alt-p in hammer to find them, and fix them up! Detail work is excellent and inventive--glowing light socket, wiring etc. Trim drains in front of walls was great.
Texturing and lighting were really well done. Good job!
Gameplay is hard but not to hard, and very fun/interesting/creative. Scripting, weapons placement, and puzzles are great. Excellent!
Bugs/distractions -If you jump through the glass rather than take the elevateor down to the scientist, weird things happen, like getting stuck there! -1st elevator setup is strange, and could be greatly improved imo. -"final" area is nicely done, but the textures of the walls around the Osprey could be improved.
Overall, excellent work, with still some room for improvement.
I'm going 5 on this one for the overall excellent work and great gameplay.
Commented 18 years ago2006-01-17 19:33:23 UTC
in vault item: VertManipProbComment #10522
I'd be willing to bet there is a method for making this work in hammer, but I must admit I dont know how.
I spent a good chunk of time putting all the vertexes on grid and removed the invalid solids, and it still looked horrible in-game.
Note: I case you didn't know, it is not advisable to rotate/scale complex objects like this as you would a box. It creates off-grid verticies and other nastys.
I know this isn't what you want to here, but this would be so easy to do with a model--milkshape...
You might pm trapt on this one, as he's pretty good at teh VM. Maybe make a tutorial out of it.
Commented 18 years ago2006-01-16 16:28:38 UTC
in vault item: fy_natureworldComment #10494
Very nice FY map in the spirit of playground imo. I like the pointy decoration thingies on the top of the walls, the camo net ladders and the rain. Maybe some jungle sounds to boot?
How did you do the jungle gym thingies!? they were great! are they func_ladders or what?
Commented 18 years ago2006-01-16 16:16:15 UTC
in vault item: op_airfeildComment #10493
K. Where to begin with this one... Well, first I would like to say I LOVE the concept, and for a beginner maps this is extremely well done. However there are some ugly flaws, some easy to fix, some not so easy.
Start with the easy I guess. Re-texturing isn't hard and this map could definitely use some of that. Don't get me wrong though, because In general I like you basic colors--I like the dark runway, and the bright grass for instance, but they could definitely be don better.
I would scale the runway textures huge to make for better r_speeds, and perhaps replace it with a slightly lighter "black". Same with the hangar becuase it's so big, scale up those textures and watch your r_speeds go down. I won't look as good, but with a big open map like this, your choices are limited.
Your other choice of course would be to change the layout. So the engine isn't rendering so much of this map at once. You can do this by how much a player can see at any one time, and as it is now, the player can see way too much
No lights? Bad. I know it takes longer to run vis and rad, but it makes your map look so much better.
I could go on and on, but in the interest of my time, I'll throw out some more random suggestions. If you release a new version of this, I'll be happy to review it again.
-Scale is way to big for most things --fence, doors, helipad, all way to big. -Make the hangar smaller, put a simply designed airplane in it, and close the hangar doors almost all the way, to increase your performance. -Reference Pics: it's obvious to me you know what an airport looks like from the nice details, but it's also obvious you didn't use reference pics too much because of some of things that looked a little off. If I'm wrong on this, I would still recommend checking out some more ref pics. -add a lip value to your doors so you don't see the ugly brush intersection when they are open -add some ambient sounds! Airplanes wooshing by, tower chatter, supprort trucks! -ladders look pants -try to transition going from the end of the map to the sky textures. It looks weird, and i'll admit, it's a difficult problem to fix.
Excellent First map and also very clean in that there was no major brushing errors I could see. Looking forward to seeing a new version of this!
Oooh I didn't read the part about the bsp... Please PM me if you finish it!
Again, looks very boss 'bout the screenshot...a bit like Mustafar
Well the good thing anyway is that I reinstalled NS becuase of this map, and played it a little last night. Wow what an awsome game that I totally forgot about
Commented 18 years ago2006-01-15 20:00:41 UTC
in vault item: cs_aztec2Comment #10478
A very nice, refreshing CS map in the spirit of de_aztec.
+Nice subtle ambients +Excellent layout +Excellent texturing +Nice lighting, but maybe a little bright in the main areas
Architecture is really nice throughtout, except I'm noticing splitting that seems to biscect all your main walls... I'm pretty sure it's a brushwork thing and not a texturing problem, so whatever you do with this, I'd try to fix it as it's quite a distraciton imo.
I would put all the hosties in one area, but without playing the map in MP, I don't really know if this is necessary or not.
A very, very nice map.
If this was an original map and not a clone, I'd most likey go 5 stars, hence:
Commented 18 years ago2006-01-15 19:49:28 UTC
in vault item: Action FlatComment #10477
A tiny map, with some terrible brushing errors, but still inspiring just the same. I loved the toilet prefab, even though almost all the brushes were off grid--scale the grid down using the "[" key, and use VM to put the verticies on-grid.
Move the water up 1 unit off the bottom of the tub, so it doesn't create that weird brush intersection.
Despite the bad stuff, I liked you choice of textures
Commented 18 years ago2006-01-14 16:11:56 UTC
in vault item: de_pyramidComment #10464
K. This map contains tons of obvious flaws that I'm not going to mention--since I think your past them now.
I do like the concept and you did have some nice detail bits --fish, sarcophacus, neat lighting, but that was about it. The point is you need TONS more detail for this thing.
-you didn't include your custom gfx--sky--files A shame cause it looks cool from the screenie -There is no ct spawn--info player starts
Commented 18 years ago2006-01-11 18:25:25 UTC
in vault item: SpearheadComment #10437
Fun map with tons-o-grunts!
+funny that the door flops down on the grunts! -add an autosave! +liked the individual ammo crates with all the well, ammo -camera holdtime is to long as i'm getting pwned and can't do anything useful while the camera is showing! -end is abrupt an anti-climatic, no real story which would have been nice as well!
Commented 18 years ago2006-01-11 17:55:09 UTC
in vault item: de_greec3Comment #10436
A excellent beginner's map. I say beginner, because of the multiple obvious, small flaws in the map that I won't be labor, because it's they're natural to make at the start--texture alignments, brushing errors etc. I've seen some of your other stuff, so I'm sure your past them!
An excellent map full of detail and nice textures! Road lines, hole in the prison wall, custom truck, beds, and just in general a keen attention to detail, which is quite awsome!
I loved the rope to the town "bell" and thay you had to crouch to make it to the very top of the tower, but damn you should have had a ambient for the bell when you climbed it--that would have been awsome!
General Architecture and texturing is very good, but a little plain and repetative at parts. All in all, still excellent work throughout. Lighting is fine imo, but maybe a little too bright.
-100000 points for no ambience. Don't worry, this is the biggest overlooked part of maps, so you are not alone, so I really can't penalize on this
Layout seems fine, and I'm sure it would be fun trying this one out.
An almost unheard of level of quality for a beginner map, so on those grounds alone, this gets a 5 from me!
Commented 18 years ago2006-01-10 22:44:46 UTC
in vault item: DM ArenaComment #10433
This map made me smile and laugh many times. Excellent layout and architecture, RADICAL textures--that happen to look great--, and great lighting.
The only thing this map is missing is ambience, but All the other good stuff cancels that out imo, like the huge hopper you can fall into and just the stunning "look" this map achieves.
Commented 18 years ago2006-01-10 22:14:15 UTC
in vault item: Mortar LabsComment #10432
Quite amazing job for such a short amount of time!
+excellent use of sprites +excellent ambients +excellent lighting +excellent texturing +Interesting weapons placement and vistas -some blocky architecture. -some minor brushing flaws -too small imo, but you explained that
If I had to guess, I would say yes it does. Easy to test, just temporarily retexture the sky brush to something else, and see if it effects the lighting.
Commented 18 years ago2006-01-10 15:14:57 UTC
in vault item: de_dustcoolComment #10427
Interesting yet lackluster dust clone.
+good peformance in all areas so skyboxing isn't an issue imo -confusing/boring layout liberties taken imo
Usually when somebody makes a clone of a popular map, they add lots of nice detail bits that weren't in the original, and mostly stay to the same layout which made the original so popular, but with added shortcuts.
However, I can tell you put a lot of time into this, it's technically, sound, and performance is suprisingly good.
So bad things--imo--notwithstanding, nice job!
This comment was made on an article that has been deleted.
Commented 18 years ago2006-01-09 14:33:38 UTC
in vault item: summer_houseComment #10418
Wow I just wrote a huge comment and it was lost, so here are the main things:
Get some reference pics for small ranch houses, and add details accordingly--crushed stone or concrete foundation, door frame, maybe more windows, maybe bigger eaves/overhangs, trim, front porch, exterior light, mailbox--lol, etc.
Trim the tops of your tree brushes to prevent the user from seeingthe edges--take a look to see what I mean.
After looking at the map I noticed some more excellent detail I missed the first time: beveled bathroom floor by the drain, rotated rugs--very cool!
Remove the null from the bottom of the lamp, it looks bad.
I could be wrong since I am a noobie when it comes to lighting, but the lighting in the bathroom is a bit harsh at points...you might think about tweaking that too.
Walk around the cliff face and remove any of those ugly cracks between brushes--these are huge headaches for VIS I think. Also, hit alt-p before you compile to rule out any invalid solids, and run VIS -full--in expert--to remove that nasty invisible brush near the top.
And last but not least, remove chateau.wad
Good luck and looking forward to seeing the changes.
Commented 18 years ago2006-01-08 15:21:38 UTC
in vault item: summer_houseComment #10410
Still missing Chateau.wad--please do as Kasperg said and recompile...
Well as with all your maps, I like this one a lot, but I must say it contains some wicked flaws. Most notable you take no steps whatsoever to transition the sky brushes to the cliff, which would be okey possibley if you used a custom gfx file. House constrcuction is blocky and ok, but could be much better, as the same with the super-simple design. Same with the textures, excellent in some areas and horrific in others!
Now, the good stuff:
The cliff and river below looked outstanding, and is very unique from a standpoint of Hl maps! Textures were fresh and nice as well the lighting was very well done in general. Ambients were great, and detail was generally good--which is a big plus imo--some obviously barren areas. Detail in the bathroom however was outstanding.
Very nice job.
I've seen what you can do, and though I like this map, I know you can make it much better. This map is definitely 5-star material, but not in it's current form i'm afraid.
Commented 18 years ago2006-01-08 14:29:36 UTC
in vault item: de_repoComment #10408
K. First I want to rave about the tunnels! They were beautiful, and I find it hard to understand why nobody else mentioned them! They look straight out of HL2 in my opinion and were most well done
As for the rest, well, it is apparent you have mapping skill, but you're not using it to it's full potential. The main layout is counfusing, cramped, and repetative, and would never make a good CS map imo.
This is actually a perfect layout for a DM map, If perhpas only making the ducks a tad bit bigger, so they are easier to traverse.
I desperately want to give this a 4 because of the tunnels uptop, but I'm afraid the bad of the rest of the map cancels them out to a 3, sorry!
Commented 18 years ago2006-01-08 14:13:39 UTC
in vault item: dm_fugitive3Comment #10407
Very nice. Finally, a map that doesn't contain any noticable major flaws!
A nice little HLDM with good weapons placement, pretty bits here and there, and a nice layout.
+Sandbags are nice, but you can make them look nicer I know! Maybe add a nice little func_tank, barbed wire, mines and/or obstacles perhaps, to create a nice killzone +nice climbable camo netting and hidden goodies +The derelict block wall is a modern art masterpiece but it breaks up the layout nicely +Interiors are nice to look and otherwise well done imo. +nice sandy dunes and terrain in general. +nice texturing and decal work--the top most looked great!
I disagree with everyone that the architecture is blocky. For this map and setting, I think it fits nicely!
My only - would be to add more detail to some of the interior rooms. You are definitely not alone on this, people creating tons generic rooms with absolutely no hint to what purpose they could possibly have.
But I have this with complaint with just about every map I come accross, so imo this gets 5. A nice little DM that is perfect for what it is imo.
I liked the detailed chair pushables and the tables, and the whole place reminded me of my freind's hunting cabin! I also liked how random this map is, sort of like letting your subconsious flow into hammer, at least that's what it made me think of. Interesting red lighting too, and the flickering reminded me of lightning!
Commented 18 years ago2006-01-07 21:33:15 UTC
in vault item: The TransporterComment #10401
The first cave was very nicely done, and some other nice concepts in this map. Ironic though that your in Xen where I wouldn't expect any "square edges", but unfortunately the cannons and other things were perfectly square. Make everything in this map as nice as the first room and it will pwn!
Overall bad performance was a distraction thoughout-- I was running <30fps which is unheard of on even the worst--in terms of performance--maps.
As everyone keeps saying running "full vis" and rad should dramatically increase the playablity of this map. I personally don't like running vis and rad, because of the extra time it takes, but it's so worth it!
Commented 18 years ago2006-01-07 21:15:18 UTC
in vault item: ctf_fallenComment #10400
I think this is supposed to be labeled "tfc_fallen" not "ctf" lol.
Well, I did not find the leak, but this .rmf contains some very complex, interesting architecture. I think this sort of architecture can cause "leaks" when there really aren't any. J.C mentioned having a similar problem with de_raid, which I think he eventually fixed by enclosing the supposed "leaks" with clip brushes.
Anyway looks excellent, especially the mine shafts and the waterfall/stream.
Get this to work so we might bask in all it's mapping glory
Commented 18 years ago2006-01-05 20:01:45 UTC
in vault item: The Lobby v2Comment #10369
Nice work pepper! I could go through and list the little flaws, but since this map is almost 2 years old, I'll assume your "above them" now:
So, things I really liked:
+reflective floor was oustanding! +red lighing in the train area and that area in general were fabulous +"bridge" was really nice +loved the little red room with the env beams +I liked that you could avoid the train by crouching, and still get zapped by the "rail" lol +nice, different custom water texture.
Commented 18 years ago2006-01-02 07:33:28 UTC
in vault item: cs_tobenamedComment #10328
Nicely built, big map. It's actually sort of refreshing to "run" through a map that is so barren, because it's different to what you're used to seeing...
Inspiring, actually. Also walking throught this empty, yet well built map it makes you feel quite lonely, like everyone has moved someplace and leftt you behind!
Also very maze-like, and it's very easy to get lost... I'm sure that will not be the case when it's finished, and is more decorated.
The only suggestion I have for this "map to be" is to remove all the point lights and replace with some texture light fixtures.
Commented 18 years ago2005-12-31 08:49:37 UTC
in vault item: Glass Contest EntryComment #10304
Neat entry.
Many examples of glass in one way or another, all nicely done.
The prizm with the env beams was simply stunning.
++broken tv screen looked superb! +Maze was cool and the glass stairway was very pretty. +Greenhouse nice, but nothing really inside... -doors intersecting with walls was a small distraction. +mini0-mod format
5 stars for the excellent prizm thingy and the other nice things.
+nice "recessed" card reader +lovely bolt for the second, as well the detailed door frame which most people don't bother with. -give your sliding doors some lip, so you don't see the ugly brush intersection.
Commented 18 years ago2005-12-29 23:31:51 UTC
in vault item: dorian27_fortComment #10296
LOLOL - Retard button!!! (I really did laugh out loud! lolo)
Nice layout with excellent killzones and weapons/grenade placement. Catwalk above and teleport to the shooting range is pure pwn as well.
The architecture probablly has the largest potential for improvement. I mean, the structres themselves are find, just very blocky. The lighting and texturing were fine for an aim map, but could still be improved. I liked your choice of textures in general, but you repeated them to a fault.
+w00t grenade the lower bunker +exploading barrels--maybe more? -more locations with nades and make them respawn a few times. +nice trenches
Bottom line is this is an excellent aim map, but still with a modicum of additional work, could be so much better.
I have to go 4 on this for the retard button and shooting range alone!
Good job, and maybe make the retard button an example. I tried doing that before but nothing happened
Commented 18 years ago2005-12-29 23:08:15 UTC
in vault item: aim_black_and_whiteComment #10295
P90 ONLY!!!! Do I need to say more?
That's what I thought too, but it's not correct. wherever you are on the map, if you drop your current weapon, you automatically pick up another, different weapon!
Radical weapons equipping, I must say. you cycle through the submachine guns, and the finally the colt and AK, and then no more.
Though the blinding white and hideous black are a bit trying on the eyes, but I guess that was the point :0
+nice little symmetrical layout +Radical weapon equippage! -little trenches served no purpose I could see -make the towers climbable perhaps?
I'm going 4 on this map, just because of the innovative way you get your weapons
The level of detail, fluidity, sounds, textuing, layout and of course, architecture, are simply superb! This map gets "superb" for every area of mapping I'm aware of, except the sky! You did all this work only to use the old desert sky--yuck
It doesn't really matter though, I suppose, becuase this is easily one of the best maps I've ever seen for the half-life engine. This map makes me want to learn more about architectue and art, so I can properly appreciate/classify it!
Gameplay might be sketchy 'cause of the 2000 level wpolys, but considering the level of detail in this map, that's not really that bad imo.
I loved the ramps that take you through every area of this exquisite work, as weel the beautiful water in the courtyard, pillars, and tons of other structures I can't even identify!
Superb work.
5 Stars
+Nice Architecture
+Excellent texturing
++Superbe ambience, lighinting and sprite use.
+Excellent detail! The ghostly chair really freaked me out for some reason!
The scale was a little off, and some minor things could have been detailed better, but for the vast majority of this, I love your concepts, attention to detail, and creativity!
Excellent work!
5 Stars
General architecture was great/interesting, save a very few invalid solids that were a small distraction--hit alt-p in hammer to find them, and fix them up! Detail work is excellent and inventive--glowing light socket, wiring etc. Trim drains in front of walls was great.
Texturing and lighting were really well done. Good job!
Gameplay is hard but not to hard, and very fun/interesting/creative. Scripting, weapons placement, and puzzles are great. Excellent!
Bugs/distractions
-If you jump through the glass rather than take the elevateor down to the scientist, weird things happen, like getting stuck there!
-1st elevator setup is strange, and could be greatly improved imo.
-"final" area is nicely done, but the textures of the walls around the Osprey could be improved.
Overall, excellent work, with still some room for improvement.
I'm going 5 on this one for the overall excellent work and great gameplay.
Looking forward to more of your stuff!
5 Stars
I spent a good chunk of time putting all the vertexes on grid and removed the invalid solids, and it still looked horrible in-game.
Note: I case you didn't know, it is not advisable to rotate/scale complex objects like this as you would a box. It creates off-grid verticies and other nastys.
I know this isn't what you want to here, but this would be so easy to do with a model--milkshape...
You might pm trapt on this one, as he's pretty good at teh VM. Maybe make a tutorial out of it.
Actually really good brushwork for a first one two. I didn't discover spikes, or other than square shapes for a long time as well
How did you do the jungle gym thingies!? they were great! are they func_ladders or what?
Nice Job!
Start with the easy I guess. Re-texturing isn't hard and this map could definitely use some of that. Don't get me wrong though, because In general I like you basic colors--I like the dark runway, and the bright grass for instance, but they could definitely be don better.
I would scale the runway textures huge to make for better r_speeds, and perhaps replace it with a slightly lighter "black". Same with the hangar becuase it's so big, scale up those textures and watch your r_speeds go down. I won't look as good, but with a big open map like this, your choices are limited.
Your other choice of course would be to change the layout. So the engine isn't rendering so much of this map at once. You can do this by how much a player can see at any one time, and as it is now, the player can see way too much
No lights? Bad. I know it takes longer to run vis and rad, but it makes your map look so much better.
I could go on and on, but in the interest of my time, I'll throw out some more random suggestions. If you release a new version of this, I'll be happy to review it again.
-Scale is way to big for most things --fence, doors, helipad, all way to big.
-Make the hangar smaller, put a simply designed airplane in it, and close the hangar doors almost all the way, to increase your performance.
-Reference Pics: it's obvious to me you know what an airport looks like from the nice details, but it's also obvious you didn't use reference pics too much because of some of things that looked a little off. If I'm wrong on this, I would still recommend checking out some more ref pics.
-add a lip value to your doors so you don't see the ugly brush intersection when they are open
-add some ambient sounds! Airplanes wooshing by, tower chatter, supprort trucks!
-ladders look pants
-try to transition going from the end of the map to the sky textures. It looks weird, and i'll admit, it's a difficult problem to fix.
Excellent First map and also very clean in that there was no major brushing errors I could see. Looking forward to seeing a new version of this!
Nice job!
3 Stars
Again, looks very boss 'bout the screenshot...a bit like Mustafar
Well the good thing anyway is that I reinstalled NS becuase of this map, and played it a little last night. Wow what an awsome game that I totally forgot about
+Nice subtle ambients
+Excellent layout
+Excellent texturing
+Nice lighting, but maybe a little bright in the main areas
Architecture is really nice throughtout, except I'm noticing splitting that seems to biscect all your main walls... I'm pretty sure it's a brushwork thing and not a texturing problem, so whatever you do with this, I'd try to fix it as it's quite a distraciton imo.
I would put all the hosties in one area, but without playing the map in MP, I don't really know if this is necessary or not.
A very, very nice map.
If this was an original map and not a clone, I'd most likey go 5 stars, hence:
4 stars
Move the water up 1 unit off the bottom of the tub, so it doesn't create that weird brush intersection.
Despite the bad stuff, I liked you choice of textures
2 Stars
Lighting is point lights, and I would recommend textlights.
R_speeds are over 500 for a map that doesn't really have any detail to speak of. You might ask Rimrook or Capt. P about ways to optimize it.
So in a nutshell, break up the repetative design and layout somehow, optimize--hints maybe?, and replace the point lighting..
3 Stars
While technically sound and nicely lighted, this map just doesn't do it for me.
Nice job anyway.
3 Stars
+nice detail work
+decent architecture--a tad blocky in some areas
+nice scripting
+love the broken bits of the ladder
+great lighting!
-doors are scaled way too small
-no ambients, -80,000,000 pts
Nice, but rather incomplete to be in the "completed" section imo.
All things considered, very decent work!
3 Stars
Fairly complex entity setup for such a seemingly simple effect too. What does the game counter do?
I do like the concept and you did have some nice detail bits --fish, sarcophacus, neat lighting, but that was about it. The point is you need TONS more detail for this thing.
-you didn't include your custom gfx--sky--files
-There is no ct spawn--info player starts
A very neat concept that is very under-developed
2 Stars
Other than that, I liked the detail work. You might add some sprties to simulate sparkes for the disco ball/beam machine though.
I liked the traps with the acid as well, and that you could "recruit" Barneys to help you with the monsters and grunts.
Maybe something different for the ending though, sorta lame starting at the start again...
Thanks for including the .RMF too--a nice courtesy that most forgoe.
Nice Job!
4 stars
+funny that the door flops down on the grunts!
-add an autosave!
+liked the individual ammo crates with all the well, ammo
-camera holdtime is to long as i'm getting pwned and can't do anything useful while the camera is showing!
-end is abrupt an anti-climatic, no real story which would have been nice as well!
An excellent map full of detail and nice textures! Road lines, hole in the prison wall, custom truck, beds, and just in general a keen attention to detail, which is quite awsome!
I loved the rope to the town "bell" and thay you had to crouch to make it to the very top of the tower, but damn you should have had a ambient for the bell when you climbed it--that would have been awsome!
General Architecture and texturing is very good, but a little plain and repetative at parts. All in all, still excellent work throughout. Lighting is fine imo, but maybe a little too bright.
-100000 points for no ambience. Don't worry, this is the biggest overlooked part of maps, so you are not alone, so I really can't penalize on this
Layout seems fine, and I'm sure it would be fun trying this one out.
An almost unheard of level of quality for a beginner map, so on those grounds alone, this gets a 5 from me!
Excellent work!
5 Stars
The only thing this map is missing is ambience, but All the other good stuff cancels that out imo, like the huge hopper you can fall into and just the stunning "look" this map achieves.
Excellent work!
5 stars
+excellent use of sprites
+excellent ambients
+excellent lighting
+excellent texturing
+Interesting weapons placement and vistas
-some blocky architecture.
-some minor brushing flaws
-too small imo, but you explained that
Excellent job!
5 stars
If I had to guess, I would say yes it does. Easy to test, just temporarily retexture the sky brush to something else, and see if it effects the lighting.
+good peformance in all areas so skyboxing isn't an issue imo
-confusing/boring layout liberties taken imo
Usually when somebody makes a clone of a popular map, they add lots of nice detail bits that weren't in the original, and mostly stay to the same layout which made the original so popular, but with added shortcuts.
However, I can tell you put a lot of time into this, it's technically, sound, and performance is suprisingly good.
So bad things--imo--notwithstanding, nice job!
Random thing: maybe put a secret elevator in the house somewhere--under toilet!--to lead down to the nice river?
Get some reference pics for small ranch houses, and add details accordingly--crushed stone or concrete foundation, door frame, maybe more windows, maybe bigger eaves/overhangs, trim, front porch, exterior light, mailbox--lol, etc.
Trim the tops of your tree brushes to prevent the user from seeingthe edges--take a look to see what I mean.
After looking at the map I noticed some more excellent detail I missed the first time: beveled bathroom floor by the drain, rotated rugs--very cool!
Remove the null from the bottom of the lamp, it looks bad.
I could be wrong since I am a noobie when it comes to lighting, but the lighting in the bathroom is a bit harsh at points...you might think about tweaking that too.
Walk around the cliff face and remove any of those ugly cracks between brushes--these are huge headaches for VIS I think. Also, hit alt-p before you compile to rule out any invalid solids, and run VIS -full--in expert--to remove that nasty invisible brush near the top.
And last but not least, remove chateau.wad
Good luck and looking forward to seeing the changes.
Well as with all your maps, I like this one a lot, but I must say it contains some wicked flaws. Most notable you take no steps whatsoever to transition the sky brushes to the cliff, which would be okey possibley if you used a custom gfx file. House constrcuction is blocky and ok, but could be much better, as the same with the super-simple design. Same with the textures, excellent in some areas and horrific in others!
Now, the good stuff:
The cliff and river below looked outstanding, and is very unique from a standpoint of Hl maps! Textures were fresh and nice as well the lighting was very well done in general. Ambients were great, and detail was generally good--which is a big plus imo--some obviously barren areas. Detail in the bathroom however was outstanding.
Very nice job.
I've seen what you can do, and though I like this map, I know you can make it much better. This map is definitely 5-star material, but not in it's current form i'm afraid.
3 stars
As for the rest, well, it is apparent you have mapping skill, but you're not using it to it's full potential. The main layout is counfusing, cramped, and repetative, and would never make a good CS map imo.
This is actually a perfect layout for a DM map, If perhpas only making the ducks a tad bit bigger, so they are easier to traverse.
I desperately want to give this a 4 because of the tunnels uptop, but I'm afraid the bad of the rest of the map cancels them out to a 3, sorry!
1 very nice element + many bad elememts = 3 stars
A nice little HLDM with good weapons placement, pretty bits here and there, and a nice layout.
+Sandbags are nice, but you can make them look nicer I know! Maybe add a nice little func_tank, barbed wire, mines and/or obstacles perhaps, to create a nice killzone
+nice climbable camo netting and hidden goodies
+The derelict block wall is a modern art masterpiece but it breaks up the layout nicely
+Interiors are nice to look and otherwise well done imo.
+nice sandy dunes and terrain in general.
+nice texturing and decal work--the top most looked great!
I disagree with everyone that the architecture is blocky. For this map and setting, I think it fits nicely!
My only - would be to add more detail to some of the interior rooms. You are definitely not alone on this, people creating tons generic rooms with absolutely no hint to what purpose they could possibly have.
But I have this with complaint with just about every map I come accross, so imo this gets 5. A nice little DM that is perfect for what it is imo.
NIce Work!
5 stars
I liked the detailed chair pushables and the tables, and the whole place reminded me of my freind's hunting cabin! I also liked how random this map is, sort of like letting your subconsious flow into hammer, at least that's what it made me think of. Interesting red lighting too, and the flickering reminded me of lightning!
Nice job!
Overall bad performance was a distraction thoughout-- I was running <30fps which is unheard of on even the worst--in terms of performance--maps.
As everyone keeps saying running "full vis" and rad should dramatically increase the playablity of this map. I personally don't like running vis and rad, because of the extra time it takes, but it's so worth it!
Nice job anyway!
Well, I did not find the leak, but this .rmf contains some very complex, interesting architecture. I think this sort of architecture can cause "leaks" when there really aren't any. J.C mentioned having a similar problem with de_raid, which I think he eventually fixed by enclosing the supposed "leaks" with clip brushes.
Anyway looks excellent, especially the mine shafts and the waterfall/stream.
Get this to work so we might bask in all it's mapping glory
Anyways neat example!
So, things I really liked:
+reflective floor was oustanding!
+red lighing in the train area and that area in general were fabulous
+"bridge" was really nice
+loved the little red room with the env beams
+I liked that you could avoid the train by crouching, and still get zapped by the "rail" lol
+nice, different custom water texture.
Nice work!
Inspiring, actually. Also walking throught this empty, yet well built map it makes you feel quite lonely, like everyone has moved someplace and leftt you behind!
Also very maze-like, and it's very easy to get lost... I'm sure that will not be the case when it's finished, and is more decorated.
The only suggestion I have for this "map to be" is to remove all the point lights and replace with some texture light fixtures.
Nice job!
<rowleybob prays to the gods for map comment edit>
You might fix the lighting and remove fix the problem where you can see the "aaa trigger" brush.
Was this done in HL1, or was that a rotating sign/muliptle rotating signs?
Everything else aside, it's a sound, simple, excellent concept.
Nice job!
Many examples of glass in one way or another, all nicely done.
The prizm with the env beams was simply stunning.
++broken tv screen looked superb!
+Maze was cool and the glass stairway was very pretty.
+Greenhouse nice, but nothing really inside...
-doors intersecting with walls was a small distraction.
+mini0-mod format
5 stars for the excellent prizm thingy and the other nice things.
Nice job!
It's just an example map, so I suppose it doesn't matter...
Nice job!
+nice "recessed" card reader
+lovely bolt for the second, as well the detailed door frame which most people don't bother with.
-give your sliding doors some lip, so you don't see the ugly brush intersection.
Nice job!
Nice layout with excellent killzones and weapons/grenade placement. Catwalk above and teleport to the shooting range is pure pwn as well.
The architecture probablly has the largest potential for improvement. I mean, the structres themselves are find, just very blocky. The lighting and texturing were fine for an aim map, but could still be improved. I liked your choice of textures in general, but you repeated them to a fault.
+w00t grenade the lower bunker
+exploading barrels--maybe more?
-more locations with nades and make them respawn a few times.
+nice trenches
Bottom line is this is an excellent aim map, but still with a modicum of additional work, could be so much better.
I have to go 4 on this for the retard button and shooting range alone!
Good job, and maybe make the retard button an example. I tried doing that before but nothing happened
4 stars
Radical weapons equipping, I must say. you cycle through the submachine guns, and the finally the colt and AK, and then no more.
Though the blinding white and hideous black are a bit trying on the eyes, but I guess that was the point :0
+nice little symmetrical layout
+Radical weapon equippage!
-little trenches served no purpose I could see
-make the towers climbable perhaps?
I'm going 4 on this map, just because of the innovative way you get your weapons
Nice job!