Comments

Concerning the visuals/mood:

Decent visuals although it could've been done better. Nice setting but worked out somewhat blocky. Trees were too straight, models could be a very good solution here. Rocks also were too flat. Some flaws, edges of bushes not lining up with the ground, rocks with seemingly missing faces, all in all rough on the edge. Sill, nice setting, with an especial eye for ambience. The sounds are very well incorporated.

Concerning the technical side:

Trees weren't made entities and so splitted the floor into many faces. Grass was made with masked textures providing an interesting look, although it would've been better when this grass was non-solid (e.g. the player wades trough the high grass). It's something I have done once in a testmap but haven't seen incorporated in another map yet.
Performance is a problem here, r_speeds are ok at first, then jump to about 1000 (fine, but concerning the amount of detail I'd say it's too much). Second map had an average of 2000 wpoly's, wich is pretty bad in a combat-area. Mind vis-blocking techniques and face-reducing methods!
About the climbable leafs, make the func_ladder touch the ground. It's more irritating than puzzling to find that the ladder has to be jumped upon. Besides, jumping onto ladders from close boosts you away from them.

Concerning the gameplay:

Not that hard, just a glock-paradise. No real fun either, just precise aiming from far away, and later a bit of well-timed shotgun blasts. Nothing stunning, rather dumb usage of enemies in fact. No sign of tactics on the enemy's side, and getting killed almost instantaneously by a shotgun can get pretty frustrating after a while.
The first part missed action so would be a good part for some puzzling or more advanced jumping.

Personal opinion:

Nice setting, could definitely be well implemented into a storyline, but still rough on the edges, and some parts probably have to be redone for sake of performance. Combat needs attention too, as well as overall gameplay. Ambience however is well done. Technically also some things to improve on. After all, quite a nice attempt but still lacks certain things.

Ever heard of the Flag 'Passable'? Also, please don't use non-standard .wad files when compiling. I currently don't have OpFor installed.

As for the effect, nicely recreated.

The transparant parts aren't transparant because they're blue, but because they're covered with the last color of the texture's palette. Go to the texture in the .wad file and repaint those area's with the last color of the palette (wich is blue when you named your texture with a '{' ).

Oh, and put this map in the problems map section, or the unfinished section. It's not a completed map, it's just a .rmf.

The cars and the tank are still no entities, so you're still gonna have a lot of face-splitting. Also, you still have a skybox, you should only cover the ceiling with a skybrush so that the map is sealed off, that's enough. Using a skybox causes the outside of your level to get compiled too, and that's a waste of compiling time.

zeeba-G, I just took a look at some HL maps and haven't seen them using skyboxes. Skyboxes aren't the sky you see (since that's a box) but boxes covered with the sky texture, in the editor. This causes a lot of outside faces of the map to get compiled, wich is the case in this map.

-]GPAS[-, you can take away the lowest brush of this skybox without any problem. This makes the compilers to not creating the faces underneath (the useless faces) anymore, thus a faster compile.

Download doesn't work...

The screenshot looked impressive, the map did less.

First some notes: don't put the files in a map called de_road_night. I extracted the zip into the cstrike folder and started the map only to find out I had to replace the files to the correct paths manually.
Also, you used the skybox method. Don't do that. The faces of the underside of the terrain were all compiled, unnecessary waste of compile-time. Oh, and also set the max viewable distance a bit higher as parts of the terrain started to disappear when they were far away.

The map looks decent but not so special after all. I feel it's unfinished... the road just stops in nowhere and there's actually no real layout, no routes to take and such... Texturing has some little flaws but is decent overall. Lighting suits the theme well but could've been done a bit more dramatic. The terrain is quite well done but could've been a bit more 'flowing', e.g. less harsh angles now and then. As for the building, the hills just continued inside... that's not very realistic isn't it?

All in all, looks promising but I wouldn't consider this as a finished map.

Alt+P brings up the 'Check for problems' dialog box. You have an incalid solid structure. Go to it and fix it, as this brush has several faces that aren't flat, wich causes a problem.

I've also noted you're gonna have severe face-splitting. Those cilinders touch the floor and will split up the surface, when you run the map type 'gl_wireframe 1' in the console and see for yourself. Make these cilinders entities to avoid this splitting.

Also, a lot of small brushes and detailed things are just world brushes. Besides that they split up other faces, they also give VIS a harder time than necessary. You'd better make entities from such detail brushes.

Alt+P brings up the 'Check for problems' dialog. You have several invalid brushes, they're the missile brushes. Probably their faces aren't exactly flat.

Some notes though: very nice cars and such but you really should make them entities as such complex geometry causes nightmares for VIS and also does a lot of face-splitting. Oh, and get rid of the skybox. Only cover the top of the map with a skybrush, that's enough. Skyboxes cause the compilers to compile more of the map than is necessary. Some more drawbacks too...

Done very nicely, it shows you've thought it out very good. Plays well, balanced. Enemy placement was good, although I felt there were a bit too much different enemy's in such a short map. But since you haven't intended it as a story-driven map, it's not a real problem here.

You show potential, it's a great leap forward since your previous maps. You should really put some story in, your mapping deserves it.

Just a little thing, a bit more diversion in the lighting could make it more interesting. It's lit very well but some area's could have benefited from less lighting, to create a more tense mood. But still, very well done!

Yes, the door. That's an entitie and therefore doesn't count for sealing of the level. VIS only looks to world brushes.

The steep corridor behind the door should be closed of with a brush at the end, and you should look at the floor of that corridor and align it up with the walls correctly.

You sealed the steep corridor with an entitie brush. Keep in mind that entities don't count when it comes to sealing the level. Also, the floor of this steep corridor didn't connect with the walls, there was a very long and thin leak there.

Also, I would advise you to use thicker walls for the outside. It's easier to work with. Oh, maybe you don't know that you can snap brushes to the grid (Shft + W), but it's a handy setting to avoid thin leaks because you just left 1 unit between two walls.

Well, it's a good thing to experiment. You show a good attitude, I'm looking forward to your coming maps.

Water is best avoided as it gives a lot of faces that are visible very often, giving you high r_speeds. I use func_conveyors to create a nice water effect, gives much lower r_speeds and can be made very nice looking with the right textures.
The noise is no problem exept that it's too loud, wich makes it somewhat annoying. Subtle sounds often create a much better effect than loud things.
The waterfalls color differs from the water. Mhh, I know, there are no blue waterfall textures... Well, anyways, it doesn't fit so you'd better find a way around (custom textures?)
You'll get better with the architecture over time, it's just a thing you'll have to mind now and then. Gameplay is indeed more important, as that's what a map is intended for (well, in most cases... ;)), but great visuals are a nice extra.

Keep up the good work!

Nicely done. Works well.

Although I think thinner, more subtle lasers look better. But that's up to you.

The env_beams can be placed anywhere as long as they're inside the map. Only the position of their start and end points decides where the beam shows up.

Creating a texture that looks like a laser wall...

If you stick to beams, you have to create 24 env_beams. Believe me, 24 entities is few. In some occasions, I use well over a 100, sometimes nearly 200. And I know of people that like to use even more (for even more complex situations).

I didn't mention some flaws like the difference in color between the waterfall and the real water, and the sometimes too loud sounds that stop quite abrupt. Little things you have to mind when creating a map, things that rely more on common sense than technical knowledge.

I just thought that might be worth an extra comment...

Mmh. Not that really good-looking. Too simple architecture, overall too much large surfaces without detail. The buildings seem to tall, some buildings have no side, only a front wich makes them look very fake. The stairs don't look that good (they're no stairs in fact) and they're too steep, I fell down on them instead of walking down. Lighting ain't special too. The red lights didn't fit in the environment. Oh, and those endless long crawlspaces... they're very slow to move trough, wich makes me really hate them...

The rumbling on the background was nice but since I saw no lighting it made it look a bit faked. The real aztec did better... However, I liked the torches, they fit within the theme very nicely.

Overall, the map looks too basic, it lacks finesse. But, it's your first map after all. Not a too bad attempt concidering that.

The rocks look fake indeed. There's no rock that extends beyond a certain distance, they look like a cardboard decor.
The bunkers looked a it capped of, the shape didn't really remind me of a bunker. Play around MOHAA and lool at their bunkers.

Oh, little thing: a player can get behind these ammo crates but he can't get back up. Maybe a clip-brush comes in handy there?

Funny idea indeed!

So it was fun to play? That's good. An important thing.

Technically however... well, you know it I guess.

VIS ran on it, RAD did not. NEVER release a bright-lit map.

Besides that, relatively simple map. Not really impressive (most aim maps aren't because of their simple layout and often simple architecture too). It shows little experience. I would advise you to get some more experience, keep on mapping but don't be too soon with a release.

Often, I show alpha or beta-stage screenshots to some of my friends and let them play beta-versions of a map before I release it. To ensure it's quality...

I've played it, and indeed, I still don't recommend it's release.

Crate-textured prefabs and a very strange layout. OK, first map... however, I've seen better first maps.

Improving performance? It's fine isn't it? Well, if it's that laggy, remove the animated light for a static one, animated lights have some effect on performance. Further, r_speeds are OK, and so is the performance...

Works fine for me now. Maybe that was because I was busy with my portfolio website...

So, of course it makes for a bad deathmatch map. If you want deathmatch, take a look at my map 'Detention'...

Deathmatch??? This map isn't a deathmatch map, it's singelplayer! My competition entry! Heh, I though at least that was clearly stated...

That few units might have made the difference then.

map "map-name" works...

Well, spice up the spaceships achitecture. Maybe larger spaceships as they can be really large. Try to make the inside realistic, watching Star Wars and such films can be very helpfull here.

Make the path the player has to follow (e.g. the things he has to do, how he can proceed) a bit more obvious to take away the confusion about 'what am I supposed to do?'.

Oh, and beware face splitting. Those little lamps on the walls split up the walls into a lot of faces. Make these little lamps entities.

Strange...

Nice idea's but bad worked out. Very narrow in most corridors like in most of your maps. That's no good in deathmatch. Movement is hard again, due to the small holes in the floor now and then, and the narrow stairs. Texture usage is just BAD, only one texture for nearly everything. Boring... Architecture is relatively nice but gets broken by the texture usage and layout. I found a dead-end that later became passable after I switched that switch. However... how am I going to get up there then?

Study popular DM levels and identify their weak and strong points. Especially study their layout. You can benefit from it greatly, as it's your weakest point so far I can see.

"Would not recommend it for a deathmatch."

Then I would not recommend it's release.

I'm getting more impressed by your details but definitely not by your layout. Nice details you're addind, nice things all together, they give a strong sense of place, but I feel it's hard to navigate trough, the doors block quick movement a lot, only one staircase wich can become quite a bottleneck. I also feel the map doesn't benefit from Valve's textures. Some strange shadows now and then, but most ligthing looks decent but not perfect.

However... where's the front door? Why are there no windows? Those things really add to the feeling of a house.

After all, I don't think it would make a very good deathmatch map. Too small corridors, too cramped, too slow. Since you're interested in details and secrets, may I suggest you focus on a singleplayer map first?

Some improvements since 'Scarred Earth', but it still lacks a lot. Ligthing is fine, but the ancient parts are way too dark, especially that (way too long) corridor.

Connectivity is not very special, the vents are long and slow to move around. The doors have to be opened again and again, it takes a lot of speed out of the map. After all, I didn't found it fun to open doors again and again. Heh, that little door that contained the Long Jump Module even closed after me so I was locked! Man, get rid of those doors and vents. Some can be nice but here it makes the map annoyingly slow.

Crack the code? Nope. And I'm not going to invest time in it. Again, give us a clue where or how we can reach a secret. Cracking a code without any way to find it on a paper somewhere is madness. It's too hard and very annoying.

I've seen some details now and then and I liked them. I wish the rest of the map was some more detailed, it looks like just a lot of rough brushes. It lacks finesse. The research part also lacked sense of place. It could've been any sort of well, bunker-alike structure.

Nice lighting although a little more contrast could've made it more interesting. Really small, I didn't like the size and layout as there's only one place where people meet. Maybe some more connections?

As for the secrets... no single hint at them. I had to find them with noclipping. To be honest, it's no fun trying every wall tile if it opens. Give a little hint at least.

I liked the possibility to get up there, but since it's a crawlspace, you're an easy target. Oh, and also... don't give that fence a steep edge, I couldn't get on it while crawling wich was very annoying, I had to jump. Mind those little things by testing yourself and questioning yourself if it's good or not.

Heh, I was surprized it was rated down to 4 but had no extra comments. Maybe I'm too suspicious after what happened with Detention...

Whether I use scripted_sentences or ambient_generics, they still represent the sci's talking. Although you can not see them doesn't mean that it's not them who talk. Meh, I had to do the voice-acting better, it may be somewhat unclear I see now...

Ah! Looks like my first textures!

Well, a nice first try but obvious a lot to improve on. Just like me.

1. None of the textures is totally seamless, you can see the tiling effect by the non-seaming edges.
2. The textures don't really look like the material they have to represent. Look at the real world, photographs and try to imitate that. It helps for me...
3. The wall has very ugly blurring colors. Really wastes it.

After all, these are your first ones and not fitted for real use. But you're doing it and I'm sure you'll improve and get the hang of it. I can see shape, contour and depth in your textures already and that's good. Continue, Esmajor, and you'll get good after a while.

The sci's talking is integrated with the rest of the map. Maybe it's not so clear because of the, in my opinion, bad voice-acting. But the voices you hear are the scientists babbling about the map.

It was Muzzle that told me not to send it. Too bad I had already send it in...

Heh, it's my developers keybindings, I can check r_speeds with a few keys, wireframes, godmode, noclip, suit, impulse 101, and so on. Heh, little fault... sorry!

If you played trough the end you'll see where the talking's coming from...

As for lots of enemies, I wanted to experiment with few enemies instead of masses. I think proper use of few can make a map much more fun to play, it adds tension whereas a map that features grunts around every corner loses the surprise effect pretty soon.

Oh, did you found the secret bytheway?

It's short, indeed. 2 weeks is little time for such a map, so I had to let some things go and just finish it. Indeed, I would've made some textures for this if I had more time, I feel I've overused the concrete. Some little things like the step sound and auto-save spots, as well as an end_game trigger and some texture alignment could've done better but there was little time left for such tweaking. Next map better!

BTW: Nice you liked it!

Hhm, so it's supposed to be a DM-map? Pretty bad connectivity, very small feeling to it. Probably hard to navigate in it, too small overall. Have a look at popular DM levels and figure out what made them good, then play around with those factors.

How's progress BTW?

Give the level a bit more sense of space too. I mean, let it represent an area with a purpose, not just a generic level. And it might be nice for the player to be able to achieve something, e.g. give him some challenge. Killing houdeye's might be fun but it's not challenging with the weaponry I had at my disposal. Gradually expose the player to more though enemy's and give him a reward when he's done a hard job, like letting the player find a new weapon or let him see a particular beautiful part of the level, just something that satisfies a player. Like he has earned it.

I found it less great than you thought it was. If it's for the flamethrower idea, I like it. The rest of the map wasn't that interesting.

Pros:
1. Flamethrower.
2. Rapid rocketlauncher (let the mayhem start!).

Cons:
1. Little mayhem to start. Fast paced? No. Only once in a while a houndeye popped up to die by the guns.
2. The map is kindof purposeless. I checked out the flamethrower and that's pretty much all reason I played this thing.
3. Too simple architecture, although some nice details now and then, overall it's way too simple.
4. Bad lighting. Looks ugly, in some places it's light but I can't see lamps or light sources (water area).
5. Bad water. Make it's max. wave height way lower, this looks very ugly.

A tip: don't enclose your map with a box. Only makes compile times longer because all the extra space and faces that have to be compiled.

Another tip: I'd suggest you should read some articles about design, what makes a map good. I wish you a lot of succes with further maps!

Pros:
1. Nice setting, a desert highway.
2. Nice rocks indeed. Now and then not so good aligned with each other resulting in some extra edges but besides that they look very nice.

Cons:
1. Too small indeed.
2. Bad lighting. Dark rocks but very bright sand? Very strange indeed...
3. Texture stretching made some things look pretty ugly, especially the bridge railing. Just stick to 1.0:1.0 as stretching isn't really necessary in this map.
4. CT's have a way too big advantage. They can drop on the T's from all sides but the T's have only one way up. Too unbalanced.

Ah, well, anyway...

Have you been able to fix it yet?