I was considering writing up an unofficial mini contest where people design a map from a written brief / walkthrough. Maybe I'll pitch that officially tomorrow.
Not bad for what I assume is an early attempt at mapping. It's a refreshing change to see a map with a nodegraph so at least the grunts actually engage the player. One thing I will say is that the rotating doors around the map are a little excessive, especially in the tighter interior spaces. These can get stuck on corpses and can make it tricky for the AI to navigate, even with great node placement.
Overall, design wise, it's very basic and the building interiors don't really resemble anything, besides perhaps the bar. However, that just throws into perspective how silent the map is outside of combat. It would be good to hear some ambience in the outdoor areas.
The map was a fairly easy, even on the Hardest difficulty. Giving the player almost full suit charge from the start makes the opening fights trivial and by the end I was decimating entire squads with explosives before they could get a shot off.
Also, something I see far too often is this issue with fences and ladders. Is suspect this is because it LOOKS correct in JACK, when actually it's wrong. You should use the Solid rendermode, not Additive.
Also, try making the fences func_illusionary so you and the grunts can actually shoot through it, and then use clip brushes to prevent the player and grunts walking through it.
Stick with it. I hope to see more maps from you in future, and seeing how your levels develop.
I don't really like Source models being ported over the GoldSRC. They rarely come out well. In terms of the animations, this one is just straight up broken / unusable for anything besides standing around, looking glitched.
This comment was made on an article that has been deleted.
Man, I've not touched Overgrowth in ages. I think I enjoyed the development videos more than the final product, but it felt only fair to throw some money their way.
This comment was made on an article that has been deleted.
Commented 2 years ago2022-06-30 14:09:14 UTC
in vault item: shantyComment #104596
I'd say you've got a very solid couple of maps here. My only critiques would be nit-picking really. The one or two large sealed doors that I guess would be the means of getting stuff in and out of the area are just flat surfaces, flush with the wall. I would personally build them as though they were going to open, even if they're not going to. Just inset them a little or build a supporting frame around them.
At first I was concerned that there were node graph files included with the map, and upon loading into the map I couldn't see any node paths. However, I see that these are indeed included and just limited to the combat areas. While this prevents grunts from pursuing you if you leave the area, this is actually a really clever way of preventing the player from leading the grunts into a single file death trap. Nice work there.
Otherwise, I'd have to agree with what PsyWarVet has said already: It's very heavy on the crates. It'd be great to see some alternate forms of cover in there. Maybe a couple of military trucks to explain their presence as well as a forklift or two. The original maps in WHG featured some overhead cranes and pulleys as well.
Like I said previously though, two VERY solid maps and they absolutely hit the nail on the head in terms of that classic Half-Life design. Hope to see more from you in the future.
Not a bad little detail map, though there's not really a lot to do in it. The light beams coming in through the windows and door look terrible, but the ones coming out of the vent (for some reason) look much better, even if they make no logical sense. Also, some of the props like the coffee mugs and coffee machine are hilariously wrong. I'm not saying I wouldn't appreciate a coffee mug bigger than my head, but still...
So overall, some pretty nice props and a lot of cool details, though some are a little overkill and wouldn't be ideal for a traditional singleplayer map.
Missed a func_detail here I think... Yikes, the carving...
Yeah, try and avoid carving as a general rule. It almost always results in terrible splitting of brushes and a ton of off-grid vertexes which will ultimately cause compile issues which can be difficult to resolve. You can get a much neater effect using the arch tool and a little vertex manipulation like so:
Commented 2 years ago2022-05-29 11:27:19 UTC
in vault item: dm_isleComment #104471
First of all, this map looks incredible. The way in which you handled the look of the ocean is ingenious, though up close the illusion is somewhat broken with the lack of a sea bed beneath the water. Hey ho, the limitations of GoldSource.
I can see this being a very fun jaunt with two or three other players, but any more than that would be a struggle to acquire the more powerful weapons. It does seem as though the person who holds the long jump would be at a much greater advantage when it comes to reaching some of the more powerful weapons which are out of reach with the standard jump height. My major concern when looking at the screenshots here in the vault were the sightlines, but I'm happy to say that in game they're nowhere near as far as I was expecting.
I like the little intractable elements dotted about as well, which really sells the entire theme of the map. I'm more of a single player man myself, and though I'm certain this would be a ton of fun, it has left me pining for a single player Half-Life campaign with a Caribbean setting with this same level of polish. Well done.
This is delightful. I checked out the original a couple of nights ago and the difference is astounding. Not just in terms of the amount people have changed, in many cases beyond just an avatar, but in the mapping itself. It's far easier to move around this redesign and take note of the portraits of those who stuck around, and yes... those which haven't changed since 2010. Certainly a bittersweet feeling.
Apparently there is a new version of this map on the horizon. I've come back to take another look at this one and while there's not a whole lot to do in the map, it's a very nice little time capsule.
Commented 2 years ago2022-02-06 23:18:30 UTC
in vault item: Security CardsComment #104085
Man, I remember that thread. That's quite a blast from the past. Modular level design can be a real time saver in more modern engines. That's basically what I'm currently doing in Unreal and Unity. In Goldsource though? Eh, not so much. BSP maps thrive when a designer isn't restricted to a tileset.
The difference in Unreal is that the assets are converted from .map files to meshes, so if you ever need to make any changes to one of the modular pieces, you simply update that mesh and then every instance in the level is replaced in a couple of clicks. In Goldsource, you'd need to painstakingly go back through the whole map and make sure every instance is fixed.
In this map for example, I would say it looks a little too basic. I would fully lean on the modular assets a little more and make them far more detailed, but then add clip brushes to stop the player snagging on them. I would also say that this map suffers in terms of small details as a result and it's hard to distinguish between certain rooms. It all just kinda blurs together and if anything it makes it feel very obviously grid based, where the engine allows for more interesting looking areas using curves, arches, angles and so on.
Also, did you place any info_nodes at all? The enemies seems especially braindead for a map with such simple layouts.
Commented 2 years ago2022-01-09 12:54:28 UTC
in vault item: Concrete JungleComment #103995
Pretty basic, which can be easily forgiven since it's one of your very first maps. One thing I would say is that you should make sure you place info_nodes entities for AI pathing. Without info_nodes, enemies will tend to stop in place when they can no longer see the player. This means that the zombies in the first room will never follow you into the second. Likewise the assassins in the second room are severely handicapped since the player can hide behind cover and then peak and shoot to kill them far too easily. Another thing to note is that it doesn't really have any sense of place, it's literally two giant concrete rooms. Again, forgivable given the lack of experience. The next step is to make a map with interactive elements such as buttons, doors and triggers and so on. Once you've got the basics down, work on detailing to make believable environments.
This comment was made on an article that has been deleted.
This comment was made on an article that has been deleted.
This comment was made on an article that has been deleted.
Commented 3 years ago2021-09-08 10:14:02 UTC
in journal: UpdateComment #103711
Always good to see an update from you, Satch, especially one so positive.
I made a recent video update regarding the Core and the main point was "People change." I don't think I'm going to be done with gaming for quite some time yet, but I have started to appreciate more classic titles recently. Modern RPGs are potentially getting very exciting, but FPS games I will much sooner fire up Doom or Duke 3D before any recent releases. Makes sense that when I actually started working with an actual development company it was one focusing on the retro games market.
Commented 3 years ago2021-08-27 16:07:21 UTC
in vault item: Janitor SimulatorComment #103680
Fun little idea, but I definitely agree with what Windawz said. It's basically a series of triggers and zero input from the player. You could do a lot with this idea using different tricks to show the bins being emptied or the pools of water being mopped up. Sound effects, actually requiring the player to "use" the things they're supposed to be working on and some rendering tricks.
The actual design of the small play area is a little bland looking as well.
Commented 3 years ago2021-04-26 17:12:36 UTC
in vault item: E1M1 RemakeComment #103543
Not a bad take on the classic Doom maps and there are some interesting looking areas, such as the exterior with background detail.
As a deathmatch map, this could do with some fine tuning. There are a lot of small detail such as signs that the player will get stuck on. These need to be set to func_illusionary or be clipped to prevent snagging. There are also far too many masked textures such as fences and barriers that block bullets when they shouldn't. I from a visuals side of things also noticed some nulled surfaces (top of the shelves in the slime hallway) and a lot of stretching and squashing of textures elsewhere (signs and crates)
Commented 3 years ago2021-01-30 22:43:52 UTC
in journal: :(Comment #103214
I love TWHL. It's fair to say that I've spent a considerable portion of my life here. A lot of the activity is over on the Discord now, but there are definitely fewer old timers around nowadays.
Commented 3 years ago2021-01-05 17:25:48 UTC
in poll: Tis the SeasonComment #103182
Winter means little to no work needed in the garden. I also prefer summer outfits, boots and thick coats all the way. Arriving home is always more pleasant in the Winter, when it's dark, cold and wet outside.
TWHL Tower 2 takes everything that the first mod laid out and dials it up to eleven. More floors, more action, more puzzles, more insane Spirit entity wizardry. The whole experience is absolutely worthy of a playthrough, but I will attempt to break down each floor individually for those who care.
Overall, this was an absolute blast to play through and a joy to have been an active part of. Stunning work by everyone involved and a huge and hearty thank you to Strider for taking on the project, as well as Penguinboy and Unq for picking things up when Strider had to step away for a while to go and dodge security cameras and disable some lasers somewhere.
Commented 4 years ago2020-10-21 21:30:10 UTC
in vault item: 2020 PracticeComment #102987
This is a far cry from any of my old practice maps. I'd say you're starting on the right path and I'm happy to hear that you're planning to expand this as you develop your skills.
Pretty fun to run around as well, but then I absolutely love checking out people's first maps, when it's fresh and exciting. Regardless of skill, the passion is always wonderful to behold. You just happen to be pretty skilled as well. Haha. Well done.
Texturing — 6
Ambience — 0
Lighting — 6
Gameplay — 6
Overall, design wise, it's very basic and the building interiors don't really resemble anything, besides perhaps the bar. However, that just throws into perspective how silent the map is outside of combat. It would be good to hear some ambience in the outdoor areas.
The map was a fairly easy, even on the Hardest difficulty. Giving the player almost full suit charge from the start makes the opening fights trivial and by the end I was decimating entire squads with explosives before they could get a shot off.
Also, something I see far too often is this issue with fences and ladders. Is suspect this is because it LOOKS correct in JACK, when actually it's wrong. You should use the Solid rendermode, not Additive.
Stick with it. I hope to see more maps from you in future, and seeing how your levels develop.
Happy 30th. It's all downhill from here.
At first I was concerned that there were node graph files included with the map, and upon loading into the map I couldn't see any node paths. However, I see that these are indeed included and just limited to the combat areas. While this prevents grunts from pursuing you if you leave the area, this is actually a really clever way of preventing the player from leading the grunts into a single file death trap. Nice work there.
Otherwise, I'd have to agree with what PsyWarVet has said already: It's very heavy on the crates. It'd be great to see some alternate forms of cover in there. Maybe a couple of military trucks to explain their presence as well as a forklift or two. The original maps in WHG featured some overhead cranes and pulleys as well.
Like I said previously though, two VERY solid maps and they absolutely hit the nail on the head in terms of that classic Half-Life design. Hope to see more from you in the future.
Not a bad little detail map, though there's not really a lot to do in it. The light beams coming in through the windows and door look terrible, but the ones coming out of the vent (for some reason) look much better, even if they make no logical sense. Also, some of the props like the coffee mugs and coffee machine are hilariously wrong. I'm not saying I wouldn't appreciate a coffee mug bigger than my head, but still...
So overall, some pretty nice props and a lot of cool details, though some are a little overkill and wouldn't be ideal for a traditional singleplayer map.
I can see this being a very fun jaunt with two or three other players, but any more than that would be a struggle to acquire the more powerful weapons. It does seem as though the person who holds the long jump would be at a much greater advantage when it comes to reaching some of the more powerful weapons which are out of reach with the standard jump height. My major concern when looking at the screenshots here in the vault were the sightlines, but I'm happy to say that in game they're nowhere near as far as I was expecting.
I like the little intractable elements dotted about as well, which really sells the entire theme of the map. I'm more of a single player man myself, and though I'm certain this would be a ton of fun, it has left me pining for a single player Half-Life campaign with a Caribbean setting with this same level of polish. Well done.
Man... I'm more than TWO cambreaKers
Happy 29th
The difference in Unreal is that the assets are converted from .map files to meshes, so if you ever need to make any changes to one of the modular pieces, you simply update that mesh and then every instance in the level is replaced in a couple of clicks. In Goldsource, you'd need to painstakingly go back through the whole map and make sure every instance is fixed.
In this map for example, I would say it looks a little too basic. I would fully lean on the modular assets a little more and make them far more detailed, but then add clip brushes to stop the player snagging on them. I would also say that this map suffers in terms of small details as a result and it's hard to distinguish between certain rooms. It all just kinda blurs together and if anything it makes it feel very obviously grid based, where the engine allows for more interesting looking areas using curves, arches, angles and so on.
Also, did you place any info_nodes at all? The enemies seems especially braindead for a map with such simple layouts.
Thanks for the well wishes everyone. Most amusing as always.
I made a recent video update regarding the Core and the main point was "People change." I don't think I'm going to be done with gaming for quite some time yet, but I have started to appreciate more classic titles recently. Modern RPGs are potentially getting very exciting, but FPS games I will much sooner fire up Doom or Duke 3D before any recent releases. Makes sense that when I actually started working with an actual development company it was one focusing on the retro games market.
The actual design of the small play area is a little bland looking as well.
Oh yeah, good map or something.
As a deathmatch map, this could do with some fine tuning. There are a lot of small detail such as signs that the player will get stuck on. These need to be set to func_illusionary or be clipped to prevent snagging. There are also far too many masked textures such as fences and barriers that block bullets when they shouldn't. I from a visuals side of things also noticed some nulled surfaces (top of the shelves in the slime hallway) and a lot of stretching and squashing of textures elsewhere (signs and crates)
(yes)
Texturing — 10
Ambience — 9
Lighting — 10
Gameplay — 9
Full floor breakdown over at Run Think Shoot Live. (I smashed through TWHL's character limit and couldn't trim any more...)
Overall, this was an absolute blast to play through and a joy to have been an active part of. Stunning work by everyone involved and a huge and hearty thank you to Strider for taking on the project, as well as Penguinboy and Unq for picking things up when Strider had to step away for a while to go and dodge security cameras and disable some lasers somewhere.
Pretty fun to run around as well, but then I absolutely love checking out people's first maps, when it's fresh and exciting. Regardless of skill, the passion is always wonderful to behold. You just happen to be pretty skilled as well. Haha. Well done.