Commented 17 years ago2007-05-14 13:15:20 UTC
in vault item: StorageComment #14876
Gah I wrote a longer review and hit submit and it never appeared. SO here's the short version:-
You've tried to make more detailed brushwork, I'll give you that.
But it's all wrong.
Stop carving your arches!
It's a big square room full of physics crates (which lag the map like hell for the first few seconds as they all settle to the floor) with a corridor which joins the ends of the room together. Interesting.
The corridor walls are badly made, but what you've tried to do with them is a tough skill to master (at first), so a pat on the back for giving it a try. I think most mappers here will happily admit that the first time they attempted to make a corridor with curved (or merely slanted, in this case) walls go around a corner smoothly, that they failed horribly. It's something that I have only become comfortable doing myself fairly recently.
At least you have a reason for the lights being emitted now.
Keep trying.
PM me if you want help with making curvy corridors go around corners.
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 17 years ago2007-05-06 10:27:32 UTC
in vault item: AggravationComment #14805
The download is the VMF, not the BSP, so if you want to actually play it you have to compile it yourself. I didn't, I just looked around it in Hammer. It didn't take long...
There is more than one texture in the map, just not inside the building in the screenshot.
The texturing is not good, but it is better than your last map. You've even got loads of graffiti decals on a wall. It's something, I suppose...
You should only use the carve tool if it will only result in 90 degree angles. It allows you to make bigger maps that run well.
There's a bit more of an idea to this map than the last one, but it's still a load of basic shapes stuck together (and some carved). Only a slight improvement over the last attempt.
As Hunter said ... cubemaps only have a bearing on reflective surfaces, so without any reflective textures the only difference you will have made to this map by putting cubemaps in is how the light will shine off the players weapons, and other character models. That's good, but could be better. You definately shouldn't give up on them though. They're very important to a good looking map.
Also as Hunter said, some reason for light being emitted is always nice to see.
Commented 17 years ago2007-04-28 14:06:38 UTC
in vault item: Stolen ThoughtComment #14761
Try making an accurate map of your house, or some other place you are very familar with. When I did that I made a complete arse-end of it, but I learned a lot by trying to do it.
Commented 17 years ago2007-04-28 12:49:07 UTC
in vault item: Stolen ThoughtComment #14759
This is not a good map, but it's not bad for a first attempt at learning how to make one.
It's not fullbright at least, but the lighting isn't exactly inspiring. There are no shadows, anywhere, making me suspect that you have a leak in the map.
The architecture is what you'd expect from a first map attempt - loads of shapes mashed together. When I first opened Hammer, this is pretty much the sort of thing that I made too .. so don't kick yourself too much. But you've got a lot of work to do if you want to map anything that looks nice.
In a way your sloping archways look pretty cool. In another, more realistic way, they look absolutely awful. They have a few nasty glitches in parts too, where you can see right through them.
There are numerous brushwork problems. Try not to let brushes intersect each other unless the lines cross as 90 degree angles (and try to keep that to a minimum as well).
Add detail. I can't comment on improving your existing detail, because there isn't any. So adding any detail whatsoever is going to be an step forward here. You have used a skybox, but it doesn't really add that much when the map is basically a huge square box which you have cut the lid off. Try and think of a setting for your map before you even start and stick to it if you can. Use props to add instant detail to your map.
Work harder on texturing. Use appropriate textures -- grass doesn't look good as a wall texture when it's just applied to a huge cube. Use more textures, and vary them. 99% of the brushes in your map are huge with one texture repeated over them. Cut your large brushes up strategically (learn to use the clip tool) and texture them carefully. Learn to line up and rotate textures so that they fit together.
Make doors look like doors, rather than just huge chunks of miraculously mobile wood texture.
The layout of the map, while functional, isn't that great either. I've seen worse, but this has an interest span of about 2 minutes at best. Think harder about keeping players interested in playing your map.
Some ambient sound in your map wouldn't go amiss, but then again, until you have a theme going on it would be hard to make any appropriate sounds. But, when you improve, you're definately going to want to consider some.
When your brushwork and detailing becomes better you'll probably find your maps start to take much longer to compile. It is at this point in your development that you should read through this tutorial on Optimization:
The first time you read it, your eyes will pop out. But don't worry, understanding will develop as you practise. And there are other guides out there too, if you look for them.
Commented 17 years ago2007-04-25 05:14:24 UTC
in vault item: Day 15Comment #14729
I think there was every need for cursing.......if I was in the situation that marine is in, then I'd certainly be swearing my head off a lot more than he does.
Commented 17 years ago2007-04-22 03:58:25 UTC
in vault item: Day 15Comment #14692
Hmmm, I like the matrix-ey idea. The door opening to an vast array of other cells ..... it could look really good .... but it would have to be done with lots of skill!
Thanks for playing Bratty! Sorry about the static behind the voices. My PC microphone isn't all that great....:(
I do need to think much more about soldier encounters. It seems to be no.1 complaint about my stuff, so it's time to do something about that...I'm not going to have any big fights in my maps anymore, and instead try to think about things and make interesting encounters with just a few guys at a time.
Commented 17 years ago2007-04-21 11:33:53 UTC
in vault item: Day 15Comment #14682
Woooot Kasperg played it!
You have a good point, I'm not sure what else there is to actually do with this series. How many ways could you get out of the cell ... hmm.
I'm having a lot of fun working with your unfinished SP stuff today Kasperg Lots of new ideas .... and it really is a good lesson in Hammer to have to maintain your standards as I expand it!!
Commented 17 years ago2007-04-20 19:10:19 UTC
in vault item: Day 15Comment #14677
Thanks for your review Highlander
I can't help wonder if Habboi's had a go yet.
If you play it again, you might find some slight variations on how you can finish the map, as well as several secret places which can change the experience considerably if you get what's in them
Commented 17 years ago2007-04-20 14:50:37 UTC
in vault item: sp_verticoComment #14674
A pleasant distraction!
+ Was fun. Quite tense I thought. + Some nice effects, I liked the hot air effect especially + Plain but decent architecture, reminds me of TFC a bit, actually. + Some entertaining moments with the soldiers! + Liked the super-healthcharger. How'd you do that?
+ / - The skybox is okay, and works with the map, but it's a bit empty, I thought.
- Texturing isn't all that, bad in a few places, average at best - The cubemaps and nodegraph weren't built! And when I did build them, numerous errors appeared in the console and it still didn't look right reflection-wise.
Taking it for what it is - 10 minutes of fun gameplay - it would get 4 stars from me.
However you lose a star for making me build your cubemaps
Commented 17 years ago2007-04-19 17:51:28 UTC
in vault item: de_incan_sanctuaryComment #14666
Not too bad. I walked around it for a good 20 minutes looking at how it might work online.
+ It's a fun layout, I would like to actually play an online game with it. I can imagine that a group of good players would have some decent fun on this map.
+ It runs fast. Lots of FPS for me!
+ / - The architecture is basic, however you have used this basic architecture in a reasonably good way. From some angles, your map looks pretty good. But from others, it looks shoddy.
- No skybox. You can fall off the edge of the map into the void. While this might in some way add to online gameplay, for me personally it's a minus point.
- Very average lighting, even by my own poor lighting standards
OVERALL : A fun map which could be much, much better if a bit more time was spent on it. 1 star for the map, plus 2 stars for the gameplay. 3 stars total.
Commented 18 years ago2006-04-26 13:19:55 UTC
in vault item: Snps ChallengeComment #11591
Nice. I like puzzles.
+ puzzles + especially liked the 'break the wall' puzzle + several things happened I didn't expect + liked the bottomless room with the jumping bit. How'd you get that effect? + liked the small-font text, that looks cool!
+/- simple mapping, but clean +/- texturing is ok in some places but a bit poor in others imo. +/- the lighting's ok, there are light sources and it all looks ok, I just didn't find it particularly inspiring
- bit short!
Good job.
3.5 stars, rounded to 4 cos I like puzzles and it was well thought out, but slightly hampered by its ok-but-not-brilliant environment.
Commented 18 years ago2006-02-28 09:48:58 UTC
in vault item: Day 14Comment #11047
Maylia's a bit biased, having been one of my beta testers.....but thanks dude I'm really glad you enjoyed it. And nice work with the double post Seeya soon.
Commented 18 years ago2006-02-27 18:35:13 UTC
in vault item: Day 14Comment #11025
Oh, and Hunter ... yes there is an order to the tiles. It's got something to do with the phrase printed on some plaques around the place, and the "guide" woman keeps saying it at points too......
Commented 18 years ago2006-02-27 18:33:11 UTC
in vault item: Day 14Comment #11024
and again
Thanks for the reviews .... Kasperg I'm sure the file problem was just something to do with this just being posted, and a lot of people downloading it from the same place at once. It's on other forums with the same link...so....maybe if you try it a bit later you'll get the file OK.
Commented 19 years ago2005-09-29 05:39:02 UTC
in vault item: Day 13Comment #9244
Yeah but Rimrook, you're a mapping legend your HL1 maps look as good as most HL2 ones (I think) and so I will accept your comments on my first ever finished project as praise!
I've kinda stopped working on it any more right now (other things in life right now are making it hard for me to find the time to map) but I will get back to it.
Which is a shame as I wanted to see this...
I'll have a look when I get in from work.
You've tried to make more detailed brushwork, I'll give you that.
But it's all wrong.
Stop carving your arches!
It's a big square room full of physics crates (which lag the map like hell for the first few seconds as they all settle to the floor) with a corridor which joins the ends of the room together. Interesting.
The corridor walls are badly made, but what you've tried to do with them is a tough skill to master (at first), so a pat on the back for giving it a try. I think most mappers here will happily admit that the first time they attempted to make a corridor with curved (or merely slanted, in this case) walls go around a corner smoothly, that they failed horribly. It's something that I have only become comfortable doing myself fairly recently.
At least you have a reason for the lights being emitted now.
Keep trying.
PM me if you want help with making curvy corridors go around corners.
Very, very good for a first ever map.
But I am having some trouble believing that you didn't make any maps at all before this.
There is more than one texture in the map, just not inside the building in the screenshot.
The texturing is not good, but it is better than your last map. You've even got loads of graffiti decals on a wall. It's something, I suppose...
You should only use the carve tool if it will only result in 90 degree angles. It allows you to make bigger maps that run well.
There's a bit more of an idea to this map than the last one, but it's still a load of basic shapes stuck together (and some carved). Only a slight improvement over the last attempt.
As Hunter said ... cubemaps only have a bearing on reflective surfaces, so without any reflective textures the only difference you will have made to this map by putting cubemaps in is how the light will shine off the players weapons, and other character models. That's good, but could be better. You definately shouldn't give up on them though. They're very important to a good looking map.
Also as Hunter said, some reason for light being emitted is always nice to see.
At least you're enthusiastic.
http://twhl.co.za/mapvault_map.php?id=3072
Sorry the download link in that thread doesn't work anymore, though.
It's not fullbright at least, but the lighting isn't exactly inspiring. There are no shadows, anywhere, making me suspect that you have a leak in the map.
The architecture is what you'd expect from a first map attempt - loads of shapes mashed together. When I first opened Hammer, this is pretty much the sort of thing that I made too .. so don't kick yourself too much. But you've got a lot of work to do if you want to map anything that looks nice.
In a way your sloping archways look pretty cool. In another, more realistic way, they look absolutely awful. They have a few nasty glitches in parts too, where you can see right through them.
There are numerous brushwork problems. Try not to let brushes intersect each other unless the lines cross as 90 degree angles (and try to keep that to a minimum as well).
Add detail. I can't comment on improving your existing detail, because there isn't any. So adding any detail whatsoever is going to be an step forward here. You have used a skybox, but it doesn't really add that much when the map is basically a huge square box which you have cut the lid off. Try and think of a setting for your map before you even start and stick to it if you can. Use props to add instant detail to your map.
Work harder on texturing. Use appropriate textures -- grass doesn't look good as a wall texture when it's just applied to a huge cube. Use more textures, and vary them. 99% of the brushes in your map are huge with one texture repeated over them. Cut your large brushes up strategically (learn to use the clip tool) and texture them carefully. Learn to line up and rotate textures so that they fit together.
Make doors look like doors, rather than just huge chunks of miraculously mobile wood texture.
The layout of the map, while functional, isn't that great either. I've seen worse, but this has an interest span of about 2 minutes at best. Think harder about keeping players interested in playing your map.
Some ambient sound in your map wouldn't go amiss, but then again, until you have a theme going on it would be hard to make any appropriate sounds. But, when you improve, you're definately going to want to consider some.
When your brushwork and detailing becomes better you'll probably find your maps start to take much longer to compile. It is at this point in your development that you should read through this tutorial on Optimization:
https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/BSP_Map_Optimization
The first time you read it, your eyes will pop out. But don't worry, understanding will develop as you practise. And there are other guides out there too, if you look for them.
Keep practising, and good luck.
Thanks for the review.
Thanks for playing Bratty!
I do need to think much more about soldier encounters. It seems to be no.1 complaint about my stuff, so it's time to do something about that...I'm not going to have any big fights in my maps anymore, and instead try to think about things and make interesting encounters with just a few guys at a time.
You have a good point, I'm not sure what else there is to actually do with this series. How many ways could you get out of the cell ... hmm.
I'm having a lot of fun working with your unfinished SP stuff today Kasperg
I can't help wonder if Habboi's had a go yet.
If you play it again, you might find some slight variations on how you can finish the map, as well as several secret places which can change the experience considerably if you get what's in them
+ Was fun. Quite tense I thought.
+ Some nice effects, I liked the hot air effect especially
+ Plain but decent architecture, reminds me of TFC a bit, actually.
+ Some entertaining moments with the soldiers!
+ Liked the super-healthcharger. How'd you do that?
+ / - The skybox is okay, and works with the map, but it's a bit empty, I thought.
- Texturing isn't all that, bad in a few places, average at best
- The cubemaps and nodegraph weren't built! And when I did build them, numerous errors appeared in the console and it still didn't look right reflection-wise.
Taking it for what it is - 10 minutes of fun gameplay - it would get 4 stars from me.
However you lose a star for making me build your cubemaps
Nice job.
+ It's a fun layout, I would like to actually play an online game with it. I can imagine that a group of good players would have some decent fun on this map.
+ It runs fast. Lots of FPS for me!
+ / - The architecture is basic, however you have used this basic architecture in a reasonably good way. From some angles, your map looks pretty good. But from others, it looks shoddy.
- No skybox. You can fall off the edge of the map into the void. While this might in some way add to online gameplay, for me personally it's a minus point.
- Very average lighting, even by my own poor lighting standards
OVERALL : A fun map which could be much, much better if a bit more time was spent on it. 1 star for the map, plus 2 stars for the gameplay. 3 stars total.
I thought I'd get it out earlier this evening, but ended up tweaking just this, and just that ... you know how it goes
I'm off to bed soon myself. Mmmmm. Sleep.
+ puzzles
+ especially liked the 'break the wall' puzzle
+ several things happened I didn't expect
+ liked the bottomless room with the jumping bit. How'd you get that effect?
+ liked the small-font text, that looks cool!
+/- simple mapping, but clean
+/- texturing is ok in some places but a bit poor in others imo.
+/- the lighting's ok, there are light sources and it all looks ok, I
just didn't find it particularly inspiring
- bit short!
Good job.
3.5 stars, rounded to 4 cos I like puzzles and it was well thought out, but slightly hampered by its ok-but-not-brilliant environment.
HL2 filefront still has Day13 hosted if you want to go get it.
And I can't wait to see the 'lite' version Kasperg!
And the reason Kasperg didn't optimize, is because he didn't WANT to.
As a mapper Kasperg absolutely owns almost everyone.
The likes of me and you cannot tell him how to map!
I'm very impressed
+ Pretty and convincing
+ Expertly Optimized, please write a tutorial!
+ Great layout, especially for big fights
+ Good lighting
+ Great Skybox
- There was one place I really wanted to get into but was blocked by clip brushes
Very professional work.
But that's not the point. It's a fun map.
And it is a better version than the original, and it runs really, really, REALLY fast on my pc (250fps) so at the least, it's efficient.
3 stars, because it's not original or particularly good --- but it serves its purpose well enough.
Sssshhhhh!!!!!
EVENTUALLY.
Hehe.
Thats as much as I'm giving away though.
and again
Thanks for the reviews .... Kasperg I'm sure the file problem was just something to do with this just being posted, and a lot of people downloading it from the same place at once. It's on other forums with the same link...so....maybe if you try it a bit later you'll get the file OK.
And if you ask me, this one is muuuuuch better. Although some people may find the main puzzle frustrating.
(muhahaha)
However, in my own personal taste, this is not your best ever work, Rimrook.
But still completely deserving of 5 stars.
Can't think of anything bad to say about it. Must have been a lot of work!
So, how was it made? Like, all of it?
Step by step guide please.
That's awesome! I wouldn't know where to start with that.
How many trees? hehe
My only tiny complaint would be that the waterfalls below the house look a bit square compared to everything else.
But completely deserving of 5 stars!
I got around 40fps on most of the map. It dipped a few times to 20 (18 was the lowest I saw) but mostly wavered around 30-40fps.
That was in 1600x1200......so I wouldn't say the performance was toooooo bad. The new official cs_militia hurts my FPS about the same amount!
Mind you, I bet Hammer was lagging like a bitch during the late stages of putting this together, Kasperg?
I've kinda stopped working on it any more right now (other things in life right now are making it hard for me to find the time to map) but I will get back to it.