A pretty solid mod that improves over Valve's original in architecture, texturing and entity work.
The most impressive part was probably the final sections with the Garg room, although there was a problem with the fallen platform. It seemed to be a func_illusionary with rendermode=solid, and the railing seemed to be a part of that entity, making a "null" trim in the platform)
As others have said, the outside areas with containers looked more or less the same. Those places where you can see the skybox's horizon are something you could tweak with more cliffs or taller concrete blocks.
Everything else seemed to be better and full of eye candy.
I didn't get to play the whole thing the legal way, because I used impulse 101 out of frustration in the container areas. Not enough ammo for me :'(
The only other thing that needs fixing IMO is the way the dome breaks when the grunts rappel inside. The brushes are nulled in the sides and the dome looks paper-thin!
Good job. It would be great to see more SP maps from you in the future.
Commented 18 years ago2006-10-19 18:39:10 UTC
in vault item: Mana HomeComment #13216
Wow, quite a big description for a small map!
I rather liked it, since I have played this game and mainly its sequel, "Seiken Densetsu 3" I think you did a pretty good job making the texture set, and the animating textures were a great retro touch
Things I would change:
-Add a fire sound next to the fireplaces!
-Make the trees a separate masked texture, and turn the sky into func_illusionary entities with a minimum light level of 5 for example. That way, it will give the illusion of being a sky instead of a box. Check my map tp_sacrifice to see what I mean.
-I would try to work on a bigger piece of scenario and participate in the competition Habboi has mentioned. Maybe one of the castles or something like that.
Commented 18 years ago2006-10-08 03:01:49 UTC
in vault item: ApoctaComment #13113
Lovely map. It has a unique look and gameplay. The little item terminals were also an interesting idea. Lighting and color is top notch. It kind of reminds me of dm_morpheus from "Unreal Tournament". Even though the screenshot looks nice, I would recommend using a view of the whole map so you get more downloads.
Commented 18 years ago2006-09-23 15:09:25 UTC
in vault item: dm_trainyardComment #13023
Not bad! Visually, this map does the job. The city17 theme is done correctly and the building work around the map seems convincing (except for the bridge-like building, which makes little sense in terms of structure) Lighting was nice, although some props (the trains mainly) stayed darker than they should. The coastal part of the skybox needs a lot more work. Displacements are pointy and the water looks a bit too dark. The moving trains and flying scanners made the map seem more alive. In terms of gameplay, it's doesn't have the best possible layout, but it doesn't have any noticeable gameflow errors either. I think it does the job. Keep it up. Your maps are constantly improving!
This entry is the most faithful to the original. It could be a positive comment if you had used displacement maps instead of the traditional blocky terrain method Congrats on fixing the train problem.
Commented 18 years ago2006-08-05 07:59:03 UTC
in vault item: Competition 21 - ShadowsComment #12743
It think the map is very polished and has a fair amount of detail. As others have mentioned, lighting is one of the strong points in this map. Maybe the texture used in the 3D skybox mountains is slightly brighter than what one would expect.
Commented 18 years ago2006-07-31 12:41:51 UTC
in vault item: Horror MapComment #12697
Good brushwork, good texturing, good ambience setup, good use of models. I liked the "kill everyone" switch. It adds a little spice to DM. It was kind of fun seeing how the fridge would bleed yellow blood when it was hit, hehe. The layout might not provide any revolutionary gameflow, but I think it does the job. 81/100
Commented 18 years ago2006-07-31 06:00:29 UTC
in vault item: dm_cigaroComment #12696
Good map. Design and detail are great. Plenty of props, decals and overwatch sounds create a good ambience. However, the small size and simple layout of the map and the high frequency of some background sounds would make this map feel boring very quickly. The skybox was neat, although the fog colour felt strange. 79/100
Commented 18 years ago2006-07-14 05:57:57 UTC
in vault item: De_etapeComment #12529
This map is better than "de_sustenance" and shows more mapping experience. The brushwork and the textures fit together well and theme works in that aspect. However, some of the halls seem either too long or too empty to justify their existence. Sometimes lateral doors aren't enough to break the wall monotony. Props do their job well again, and the plant-filled courtyard with the bombsite is the best looking part of the map. Some floor transitions from grass to wood look really strange as they are at the same height. Other than that, the map looks highly playable and the layout has interesting spots and no major flaws. (the bright desert sky didn't fit with the lighting!)
Commented 18 years ago2006-07-07 18:13:38 UTC
in vault item: goneComment #12495
I've seen it now. It's not really obvious so for many players it would be a dead end. I saw the secret areas but I don't know what their real purpose was. The waterfalls, teleports and flying platforms are a great way to move players around. As for a final comment on the architecture, maybe some walls coud use a trim or brush at the top, instead of just ending like they do.
Commented 18 years ago2006-07-07 16:52:10 UTC
in vault item: goneComment #12492
Pretty good. It seems to have an interesting gameflow, except for a dead end where the 357 weapon is located. I like the simple yet elegant architecture. The map reminded me of "hexagerate" in a certain way. The little tracktrains were a nice original touch. However, some areas felt too far away from the map itself, a kind of exploration you would find in singleplayer maps. By the way, fix the wave height in the water pools where the 357 is! It's the only big flaw i saw in this map. Other people would complain about the blandless of the main texture, but I'm not allowed since I've done similar things.
Commented 18 years ago2006-07-03 22:43:43 UTC
in vault item: ka_snowshank_czComment #12448
I think it looks OK, considering it's a simple map. In the small arena type of maps, there isn't that much room for improvement or imagination. Maybe the snow is too flat, and the surrounding walls could have more decoration. Some buildings beyond the map (not counting the ones in the skybox) could also help the map feel more real. Since you seem to handle the basics of mapping well, my suggestion would be to make a complicated layout on your own and see what happens.
Commented 18 years ago2006-05-30 14:02:57 UTC
in vault item: Xen Aquapark 2Comment #12085
The vertex manipulation in the cliffs is good, but the texture you chose has a unique pattern and doesn't work well spread across big surfaces. The pools seemed much more unnatural in comparison. I think the edges need to be rounder, more organic. Some terrain variation in the bottom of the pools wouldn't do any harm. I like the energy beams, and the placement of xen trees, plantlights etc seems good. Perhaps the map is missing a Xen wind ambience sound. The underwater passage is nice, but it should lead to something more than just a medikit. Keep in mind that even if you skybox the map, you should use the null texture in the multiple faces unseen by the player. They can save you some compile time in these cases.
Commented 18 years ago2006-05-29 20:22:41 UTC
in vault item: RobotComment #12065
It looks great so far. The sprites also look grainy in my computer. I would personally lower the blue pipe to a more realistic position, unless it's just a ventilation shaft. It still feels weird to have a pipe stuck in all the arch-like support beams. Some of the textures are HL2, right? That would explain the resolution and great shadow detail you get with it (and the 1600 wpolys too ) Is the panel with the sprite interactive?
Commented 18 years ago2006-05-18 11:08:29 UTC
in vault item: Life's EndComment #11922
True and classic Half-life style. I haven't played through the whole mod, but I'll rate what I've seen. Gameplay is fun, even if there's some keycard/ backtracking involved. There's plenty of action and funny details scattered across the maps, which I won't spoil. My only complain would be the architecture, which includes too many "empty hallways" and is usually blocky or plain. However, it isn't enough to deprive it of a 5 star rating for the effort put into this mod. Some areas are quite good, and the pace of the game feels right. I'll finish it later today and I might add another comment.
Commented 18 years ago2006-05-15 15:16:59 UTC
in vault item: Vital SignsComment #11876
I liked the map. It has that scary and nostalgic HL1 feeling. Maybe too dark, and you didn't compile it with full VIS, but good anyway. Don't let this map be your last!
Commented 18 years ago2006-05-13 04:51:32 UTC
in vault item: xdm_crossfireComment #11818
I would comment on the map, but since its a modification and I don't know the original, I ignore which things you have changed. There are some visibility problems in the area with the two towers. When you're on top of them, you can see the inside of the bunker from there.
Commented 18 years ago2006-05-09 16:17:23 UTC
in vault item: No_PatienceComment #11745
An improvement over the map I just saw, "Apex". Lighting in this map is better, and the textures give it a nice rusty theme. The firetraps are quite good and offer a fun element that we don't see in most maps out there. This map made me think about somes maps by Scary One I saw years ago in PHL. It also feels like some of the maps by rend0us, another member of twhl Others have already commented on the strange stretched texturing, which was very noticeable in some places.
Commented 18 years ago2006-05-09 16:10:16 UTC
in vault item: ApexComment #11744
Very nice, old-school deathmatch. It has a complicated but well-flowing layout. Vertical combat is assured, brushwork is tidy and textures are well aligned. The only big faults are some of the choices in the textures used: some ugly browns, floor texures in ceilings etc. Not bad for a 5th release, even if you didn't begin the map yourself.
Commented 18 years ago2006-05-06 13:38:23 UTC
in vault item: TWV_scoutzknivezComment #11688
This map is not THAT bad. I've never seen the original scoutknivez, so I won't comment on how good a remake it is. Things that are wrong with the map (some have been mentioned already): -Lighting doesn't match with the skybox. Change the light_enviroment or change the sky. -The ground is absolutely flat. Some terrain variaton would be good, just like you did with the small rock wall. -Light fixtures are too big. Even the glow sprites show how big they are in comparison. -Point lights are not good looking. Lighting looks too uniform. -Stairs are too steep. With the scale you used, each step is about 40 cm (16 inches) high! -There isn't much texture variation. If you are going to use a theme with very few textures (like dust and aztec) don't use those ugly brick walls -The texture you used for the window and door frames is a bad choice IMO. -You didn't visually block the places where the player meets the sky brushes. We talked about that in the thread...
Mapping should be fun for the mapper, and that's what counts. But if you expect the TWHL community to praise your work, I think making CS remakes is not a good direction. Like Captain P usually says, "looks sell your map, and gameplay keeps it being played".
Commented 18 years ago2006-04-28 21:14:23 UTC
in vault item: Hollow TorusesComment #11601
Neat. I tried to make a torus yesterday when the question came up in the forums but failed. Although I wonder if it would have any practical use in a map... I wouldn't really know what to do with it (the inside, I mean).
Commented 18 years ago2006-04-24 05:31:44 UTC
in vault item: aim_ag_texture_towersComment #11571
It doesn't look that bad, and I bet the layout is fun. I reminds me of Mario Kart for Gamecube. You could invest more time and make a playground map. And about the textures... when you feel like doing a properly textured map, more people will feel it's worth the download.
Commented 18 years ago2006-04-16 11:14:16 UTC
in vault item: OctageddonComment #11516
Not running VIS is not a problem in this map since the whole map is visible at once. You need to change the max viewable distance though because faraway brushes tend to disappear. Some platforms are badly connected to the octagons. Some vertex manipulation could help you fix those spots. I think the ramps and octagons should have more than just one texture. It's not even a pretty one
I think the random objects are out of place. If there were more, it "could" look like a surreal map.
Commented 18 years ago2006-03-30 16:24:40 UTC
in vault item: cs_miamiComment #11394
Well done. The map looks nice and the brushwork looks clean. There's a glitch in the outside area with a nodraw texture but it's hard to notice. Lighting outside is better than inside. I think the interiors are too gloomy, and the multiple fluorescents (with point lights??) dont help much. Its only a personal opinion, but I dont really like the textures used inside. The wall textures get a bit repetitive, and the wood floor textures (are they official?) are way too shiny...
Commented 18 years ago2006-03-26 12:29:45 UTC
in vault item: de_sustenanceComment #11354
Nice detail and good brushwork. Good texturing too, and props (although annoying sometimes) were well chosen. The map has a bit of a maze-like feeling to it, so I kind of miss a reference point telling me where I am in the map (maybe a tall building, something in the skybox etc) I dont know if it's only me, but some places seem to have absolutely no cubemaps in them! (wooden floors in a dark part of the map)
Commented 18 years ago2006-03-06 16:34:00 UTC
in vault item: Necropolis: MausoleumComment #11126
Nice brushwork and very good use of those textures. There's plenty of detail making the map more interesting. Brushwork looks very clean for a map this size, and the choice of the sky and time of the day makes it look even better. The main outside arena looks like a fun place for deathmatch (it should run decently on most computers), but the underground passages and elevator part are a bit too dark or cramped for multiplayer imo. Everything is well executed, but some parts would fit better in a singleplayer map.
Commented 18 years ago2006-03-02 16:13:35 UTC
in vault item: Kaufmann HouseComment #11084
I think a lot of credit goes to Frank Lloyd Wright for the building itself and Mr Kaufmann for choosing the spot where his house would be made. Although I the terraces would be more useful in a place warmer than Pennsylvania.
Commented 18 years ago2006-03-01 19:07:56 UTC
in vault item: Kaufmann HouseComment #11071
I am thinking about the possibility of making a lite version of the map for hostage rescue like Satchmo suggested. Although it wont be anytime soon I'm afraid. I was balancing the possibilities of making the new version in winter (snow) or spring (trees with leaves and more foliage). Area portals wouldnt solve all the problems because the house was too many windows and entrances... The map doesnt perform that great either because I didnt run a full VIS, for reasons stated in the readme. But thanks for the suggestion. I myself feel like it could be a good map to play with some tweaking.
Commented 18 years ago2006-01-31 20:15:19 UTC
in vault item: dm_poisongardenComment #10765
Very nice. Great texturing an use of sprites, as others have mentioned. To me this map proved to be Rimrook style but different your other maps, for the good and for the bad (less bad than good of course): this time custom textures are even better than before, and brushwork is much more tidy than in your first maps (I'm remembering the doors in castle rimrook). The poison theme makes the map unique, yet sometimes frustrating. That was the intention of the map so it's not a negative comment. However, it didnt feel as epic and awe inspiring as the reflecting room in "Castle Rimrook", "Rimrook Resort" or "Pristine Beach" (my favourite of the lot). I understand these maps were larger and had high r_speeds, but maybe that was part of their charm. Great map anyway. In HLDM terminology, this would be "datacore" while the other maps are more "crossfire".
Commented 18 years ago2006-01-29 00:12:56 UTC
in vault item: Kaufmann HouseComment #10723
It isnt meant to run any type of combat. The 3D skybox is actually what causes a big performace hit. If you noclip outside the map, you'll notice a great improvement of fps when the skybox isnt rendered.
Commented 18 years ago2006-01-24 12:51:24 UTC
in vault item: de_simcComment #10666
Good detail, nice custom textures. Some of the stairs were amazing, and I bet they affected compile time greatly However, other sets of stairs suffer from the repetition problem (see the first tip in the Mapping Tips HL thread) The airplane sounds were also a great touch.
Commented 18 years ago2006-01-23 10:03:57 UTC
in vault item: Kaufmann HouseComment #10643
I had a vis group with all the trees so I could deactivate them in Hammer. Sorry about the waterfall, but it really isnt easy to do that when props are irregular and placed in non standard angle. I'm glad it runs better than I thought it would!
Commented 18 years ago2006-01-21 08:49:24 UTC
in vault item: de_spiritsComment #10586
Nice map. It's huge, so we do actually get the feeling of being inside a cathedral. The outside was also nice and the ambience great (it might need more than an invisible clipbrush to block a certain part of the map). I can feel this map would be great for sniper combat due to its size. I liked the paintings of Piranesi's drawings (are these custom textures?) an almost everything else around the map. Some surfaces are too shiny for my taste, but as a whole, the map is great. How long did it take to compile?
Commented 18 years ago2006-01-20 21:33:50 UTC
in vault item: DM_Stranded V2Comment #10577
I like the idea of the map. Entity work is rather nice, as well as very good ambient sound placement throughout the whole ship. Architecturally speaking, some places are very interesting (especially the pathways with window-walls on both sides) but others are not. A few hallways seemed to long and needed detail. I noclipped to see what was wrong, and think you should have made those corner-halls much shorter, and the map more compact. The other thing I didnt like was lighting. Dont get me wrong: the colors and brightness levels are very good and suiting, but you should stop using pointlights for lights that are not going to change. Point lights make an unrealistic circle of light in the surrounding walls, ceiling and floor which is more obvious with your custom textures. I really think you should fix that, and other people will probably agree. Anyway, your maps are now much better than the first ones I saw when I came to this site!
Commented 18 years ago2006-01-14 20:38:24 UTC
in vault item: bl_twhlComment #10469
The map has a unique look, and the twhl palette or oranges is well used. Some places have weird brushwork though, and there are far too many lights than needed (in some places it almost felt like my gfx card was capable of HDR ligthing!!! ) Not bad at all for your first released map.
Commented 18 years ago2006-01-03 14:14:21 UTC
in vault item: summer_houseComment #10349
Even though you included the textures in the wad file, you'd need to compile the map again because it still asks for chateau.wad I copied another wad and renamed it so I could run the map. The water effect was neat, as well as lighting. I was a bit puzzled by the house itself, since it has no bedrooms and the bathroom is too big in size for such a house. But it does resemble the one from Doom3, good job on that!
This comment was made on an article that has been deleted.
Commented 18 years ago2005-12-31 21:47:23 UTC
in vault item: summer_houseComment #10312
I'll download it when the csomag.wad is updated with all custom textures. Unless someone knows where I can find the regular CS wads (without having to download the whole mod, of course)
Commented 18 years ago2005-12-28 05:20:51 UTC
in vault item: summer_houseComment #10283
Can't open chateau.wad Isnt this for HL? why do I need that old counterstrike WAD file?? Please use -wadinclude for those custom textures, some people dont have cs 1.6 installed... By the way, it looks good!!
Commented 18 years ago2005-12-26 08:00:18 UTC
in vault item: Example Moving Ladder V.4Comment #10268
It looks nice, but going down such steep stairs might be difficult. What's next? A func_pushable that you can move around and then climb on it? It might be possible...
Commented 18 years ago2005-12-22 21:13:11 UTC
in vault item: dm_storage_facilityComment #10213
Very nice map. The HL textures makes it feel like HLDM again, something that other source maps and conversions from HL1 have not accomplished. Layout is interesting and fun. There is good weapon placement and enough props for physgun battles. Different coloured lights contribute to the atmosphere, as well as flares. The most noticeable flaws are also related to light. It seems like this map could have made great use of lightmaps, since shadow resolution seemed very poor in some areas. If you are converting a map to Source, you should take advantage of those things. Some props were lit strangely (too bright compared to the world brushes around them) but that's hard to control sometimes. I would also change the sprites under the fluorescent lights. Some other people have tried to use them but they always look wrong.
The most impressive part was probably the final sections with the Garg room, although there was a problem with the fallen platform. It seemed to be a func_illusionary with rendermode=solid, and the railing seemed to be a part of that entity, making a "null" trim in the platform)
As others have said, the outside areas with containers looked more or less the same. Those places where you can see the skybox's horizon are something you could tweak with more cliffs or taller concrete blocks.
Everything else seemed to be better and full of eye candy.
I didn't get to play the whole thing the legal way, because I used impulse 101 out of frustration in the container areas. Not enough ammo for me :'(
The only other thing that needs fixing IMO is the way the dome breaks when the grunts rappel inside. The brushes are nulled in the sides and the dome looks paper-thin!
Good job. It would be great to see more SP maps from you in the future.
I rather liked it, since I have played this game and mainly its sequel, "Seiken Densetsu 3"
I think you did a pretty good job making the texture set, and the animating textures were a great retro touch
Things I would change:
-Add a fire sound next to the fireplaces!
-Make the trees a separate masked texture, and turn the sky into func_illusionary entities with a minimum light level of 5 for example. That way, it will give the illusion of being a sky instead of a box. Check my map tp_sacrifice to see what I mean.
-I would try to work on a bigger piece of scenario and participate in the competition Habboi has mentioned. Maybe one of the castles or something like that.
Even though the screenshot looks nice, I would recommend using a view of the whole map so you get more downloads.
Visually, this map does the job. The city17 theme is done correctly and the building work around the map seems convincing (except for the bridge-like building, which makes little sense in terms of structure)
Lighting was nice, although some props (the trains mainly) stayed darker than they should.
The coastal part of the skybox needs a lot more work. Displacements are pointy and the water looks a bit too dark.
The moving trains and flying scanners made the map seem more alive.
In terms of gameplay, it's doesn't have the best possible layout, but it doesn't have any noticeable gameflow errors either. I think it does the job.
Keep it up. Your maps are constantly improving!
Congrats on fixing the train problem.
Maybe the texture used in the 3D skybox mountains is slightly brighter than what one would expect.
It was kind of fun seeing how the fridge would bleed yellow blood when it was hit, hehe.
The layout might not provide any revolutionary gameflow, but I think it does the job.
81/100
However, the small size and simple layout of the map and the high frequency of some background sounds would make this map feel boring very quickly.
The skybox was neat, although the fog colour felt strange. 79/100
However, some of the halls seem either too long or too empty to justify their existence. Sometimes lateral doors aren't enough to break the wall monotony.
Props do their job well again, and the plant-filled courtyard with the bombsite is the best looking part of the map. Some floor transitions from grass to wood look really strange as they are at the same height.
Other than that, the map looks highly playable and the layout has interesting spots and no major flaws.
(the bright desert sky didn't fit with the lighting!)
As for a final comment on the architecture, maybe some walls coud use a trim or brush at the top, instead of just ending like they do.
The little tracktrains were a nice original touch. However, some areas felt too far away from the map itself, a kind of exploration you would find in singleplayer maps.
By the way, fix the wave height in the water pools where the 357 is! It's the only big flaw i saw in this map. Other people would complain about the blandless of the main texture, but I'm not allowed since I've done similar things.
Since you seem to handle the basics of mapping well, my suggestion would be to make a complicated layout on your own and see what happens.
The pools seemed much more unnatural in comparison. I think the edges need to be rounder, more organic. Some terrain variation in the bottom of the pools wouldn't do any harm.
I like the energy beams, and the placement of xen trees, plantlights etc seems good. Perhaps the map is missing a Xen wind ambience sound.
The underwater passage is nice, but it should lead to something more than just a medikit.
Keep in mind that even if you skybox the map, you should use the null texture in the multiple faces unseen by the player. They can save you some compile time in these cases.
I would personally lower the blue pipe to a more realistic position, unless it's just a ventilation shaft. It still feels weird to have a pipe stuck in all the arch-like support beams.
Some of the textures are HL2, right? That would explain the resolution and great shadow detail you get with it
Is the panel with the sprite interactive?
My only complain would be the architecture, which includes too many "empty hallways" and is usually blocky or plain. However, it isn't enough to deprive it of a 5 star rating for the effort put into this mod. Some areas are quite good, and the pace of the game feels right.
I'll finish it later today and I might add another comment.
Don't let this map be your last!
There are some visibility problems in the area with the two towers. When you're on top of them, you can see the inside of the bunker from there.
Lighting in this map is better, and the textures give it a nice rusty theme. The firetraps are quite good and offer a fun element that we don't see in most maps out there.
This map made me think about somes maps by Scary One I saw years ago in PHL. It also feels like some of the maps by rend0us, another member of twhl Others have already commented on the strange stretched texturing, which was very noticeable in some places.
Not bad for a 5th release, even if you didn't begin the map yourself.
Things that are wrong with the map (some have been mentioned already):
-Lighting doesn't match with the skybox. Change the light_enviroment or change the sky.
-The ground is absolutely flat. Some terrain variaton would be good, just like you did with the small rock wall.
-Light fixtures are too big. Even the glow sprites show how big they are in comparison.
-Point lights are not good looking. Lighting looks too uniform.
-Stairs are too steep. With the scale you used, each step is about 40 cm (16 inches) high!
-There isn't much texture variation. If you are going to use a theme with very few textures (like dust and aztec) don't use those ugly brick walls
-The texture you used for the window and door frames is a bad choice IMO.
-You didn't visually block the places where the player meets the sky brushes. We talked about that in the thread...
Mapping should be fun for the mapper, and that's what counts. But if you expect the TWHL community to praise your work, I think making CS remakes is not a good direction. Like Captain P usually says, "looks sell your map, and gameplay keeps it being played".
And about the textures... when you feel like doing a properly textured map, more people will feel it's worth the download.
Some platforms are badly connected to the octagons. Some vertex manipulation could help you fix those spots.
I think the ramps and octagons should have more than just one texture. It's not even a pretty one
I think the random objects are out of place. If there were more, it "could" look like a surreal map.
Its only a personal opinion, but I dont really like the textures used inside. The wall textures get a bit repetitive, and the wood floor textures (are they official?) are way too shiny...
The map has a bit of a maze-like feeling to it, so I kind of miss a reference point telling me where I am in the map (maybe a tall building, something in the skybox etc)
I dont know if it's only me, but some places seem to have absolutely no cubemaps in them! (wooden floors in a dark part of the map)
The main outside arena looks like a fun place for deathmatch (it should run decently on most computers), but the underground passages and elevator part are a bit too dark or cramped for multiplayer imo. Everything is well executed, but some parts would fit better in a singleplayer map.
However, it didnt feel as epic and awe inspiring as the reflecting room in "Castle Rimrook", "Rimrook Resort" or "Pristine Beach" (my favourite of the lot). I understand these maps were larger and had high r_speeds, but maybe that was part of their charm.
Great map anyway. In HLDM terminology, this would be "datacore" while the other maps are more "crossfire".
However, other sets of stairs suffer from the repetition problem (see the first tip in the Mapping Tips HL thread)
The airplane sounds were also a great touch.
How long did it take to compile?
Architecturally speaking, some places are very interesting (especially the pathways with window-walls on both sides) but others are not. A few hallways seemed to long and needed detail. I noclipped to see what was wrong, and think you should have made those corner-halls much shorter, and the map more compact.
The other thing I didnt like was lighting. Dont get me wrong: the colors and brightness levels are very good and suiting, but you should stop using pointlights for lights that are not going to change. Point lights make an unrealistic circle of light in the surrounding walls, ceiling and floor which is more obvious with your custom textures. I really think you should fix that, and other people will probably agree.
Anyway, your maps are now much better than the first ones I saw when I came to this site!
Some places have weird brushwork though, and there are far too many lights than needed (in some places it almost felt like my gfx card was capable of HDR ligthing!!!
Not bad at all for your first released map.
The water effect was neat, as well as lighting. I was a bit puzzled by the house itself, since it has no bedrooms and the bathroom is too big in size for such a house. But it does resemble the one from Doom3, good job on that!
Unless someone knows where I can find the regular CS wads (without having to download the whole mod, of course)
Please use -wadinclude for those custom textures, some people dont have cs 1.6 installed...
By the way, it looks good!!
What's next? A func_pushable that you can move around and then climb on it? It might be possible...
The most noticeable flaws are also related to light. It seems like this map could have made great use of lightmaps, since shadow resolution seemed very poor in some areas. If you are converting a map to Source, you should take advantage of those things. Some props were lit strangely (too bright compared to the world brushes around them) but that's hard to control sometimes.
I would also change the sprites under the fluorescent lights. Some other people have tried to use them but they always look wrong.