Commented 18 years ago2005-11-27 03:07:57 UTC
in vault item: fk_glasspit_2Comment #9984
Quoting the mapper: i didnt use any lighting for the following reason: ...it is a glass map which tends to be laggish...
It's such irony. Because with some lighting, the compiler would run VRAD, and therefore improve performance. I don't care that it's a glass map or not, having lighting ALWAYS improves performance and boosts framerates.
You have been mapping for a year, and this is what you came up with? You need to try harder. Just look around the vault for some of other mappers works. Kasperg can whip out a map in two days, yet it looks utterly amazing.
I am sorry to say this, but if this map blew your clan's mind, they must not have seen too many custom maps.
Commented 18 years ago2005-11-27 03:00:30 UTC
in vault item: JusticeComment #9983
Please note that this map now has 32 spawn points instead of the original 8. After multiple complaints, I added more spawns to accommodate a larger server.
Commented 18 years ago2005-11-25 19:47:25 UTC
in vault item: Museum LockdownComment #9976
Yeah, isn't that so convenient.
I spent quite a bit of time coming up with interesting architecture already. I can't be an artist/sculpture also. Nevertheless, I thought those modern sculptures in the back rooms are quite pretty.
Commented 18 years ago2005-11-18 18:57:25 UTC
in vault item: JusticeComment #9914
I like to keep improving the map, so here is yet another update.
The map itself stayed the same this time, but I have place-painted the navigational mesh, so the entire map can be identified by specific locations now. This is quite an important attribute for a good map that allows teamwork.
Commented 18 years ago2005-11-13 14:40:40 UTC
in vault item: JusticeComment #9879
I spent a lot of time hand-tuning the bots navigational mesh (my first time venturing into this endeavor), and now the bots are quite deadly. It's pretty interesting watching the bots run around and hunt each other down.
Commented 18 years ago2005-11-11 08:16:30 UTC
in vault item: JusticeComment #9823
You must be sick of this map by now. It looks exactly the same as the HL2SP version. The whole point of this map is that it's now converted to CS:S.
Sometimes after I retire, I'll make a new map from scratch. Between now and my kids graduating from high school, I'll probably be busy changing diapers and grounding kids.
Commented 18 years ago2005-11-09 11:53:24 UTC
in vault item: JusticeComment #9806
Thanks Kasperg, I did consider increasing the lightmap density, but that would increase the polycounts for the various brushes. After obsessing about it for a long time, I decided that I would go with performance than the additional shadow-sharpness.
As thanks habboi. This is not a large map, and I am afraid that more players would overwhlem the space in the map, destroying the fun factor (and making it too much like a deathmatch chaos free-for-all). There are eight players playing if the map is full, and I think that's plenty.
Commented 18 years ago2005-09-14 12:21:24 UTC
in vault item: JusticeComment #8999
o40 from HL2DQ took my Justice - SP map for a spin. He did it in forty seconds.
I never imagined it would be possible. It's ironic that someone else beat the map in fifteen minutes before, and everyone thought he was a liar. No one thought it could be done.
With amazing gaming skills and persistence, the clan at HL2DQ is the Olympic team for fast gaming.
If you are interested, you can check out the recorded demo (four segments) for Justice by o40. It's about 2 MB zipped.
I am quite impressed by their ability to scale vertical walls with a crowbar and a phys object. Fascinating!
Try changing the color of the light in your next map, and also rotate the tables and other objects in your map slightly so not everything is orthogonal to each other.
Commented 18 years ago2005-09-01 01:12:23 UTC
in vault item: JusticeComment #8808
I made the changes mostly for people who have never played the map before. There were some major gameplay flaws in the last version, and I couldn't stand having them linger around forever.
Commented 18 years ago2005-08-04 14:46:14 UTC
in vault item: de_manorComment #8424
Cubemaps are used in Source mapping. They allow reflective surfaces and models to have the correct lighting effect. Otherwise, the models and the reflective surfaces just use the default skybox texture to reflect light instead of the lighting around them. This can look very ugly in some circumstances.
Commented 18 years ago2005-06-13 18:02:50 UTC
in vault item: Do what you want toComment #7733
Well, people could live without a brain. All you need for survival is a brainstem, which isn't technically the brain that most people refer to. It's more of an extension of the spinal cord.
I have many patients who don't have a brain, but they are alive (sadly). Of course, it's very limited what they can do. They'll never be able to play Half-Life 2, for one thing.
Commented 19 years ago2005-04-06 14:17:17 UTC
in vault item: dm_gasworks_aghlComment #6642
Looks very nice--the lighting, the texturing. I am sure the gameplay is superb (even though I haven't downloaded the map), since it's based on an existing, tried-and-true HL map.
Commented 19 years ago2005-03-25 01:06:07 UTC
in vault item: Two TowersComment #6347
And if you don't have HL2 yet, you can play the other HL1 map I made (http://twhl.co.za/mapvault_map.php?id=2411). It's also got interesting gameplay, and it's also very challenging. You have many ways of beating it, and using strategy is important.
I also have a comprehensive walkthrough for "Escape".
Commented 19 years ago2005-03-25 01:03:05 UTC
in vault item: Two TowersComment #6346
Thanks for the feedback, rifter. It's an old map, and I didn't spend too much time on it.
If you have HL2 already, play the map called sp_justice (http://twhl.co.za/mapvault_map.php?id=2719). I spent almost three months on building this map, and I put a lot more thought into it than this simple map you played. The gameplay for sp_justice is just as interesting, and strategy is essential for your survival.
In fact, I wrote an extensive walkthrough for Justice, and you'll like the ending better.
Commented 19 years ago2005-03-24 22:52:52 UTC
in vault item: cs_control2Comment #6342
Looks good from the screenshot. I never played the original one, but it's always heartening to see people showing interest in rejuvenating their old maps.
Commented 19 years ago2005-02-05 01:07:33 UTC
in vault item: fac2facComment #5885
He meant don't box in the map with a hollowed up cube with the sky texture. Instead, only texture one side of the ceiling for your map with the sky texture.
Good first effort, and I'm sure you'll get even better.
Commented 19 years ago2005-01-16 15:16:27 UTC
in vault item: JusticeComment #5625
Thanks. I've added shatterable glass on some of the windows, and I'm going to add some light entities to make it brighter.
It's not a faithful recreation of the actual courthouse, because the real architecture doesn't allow very interesting gameplay. So I took the liberty to modify it to improve the fun aspect of the map.
I also added quite a few details and models in this release. Have fun.
Commented 19 years ago2004-12-01 15:05:55 UTC
in vault item: Escape from Black MesaComment #5211
Walkthrough for "Escape from Black Mesa"
I know a small ugly map like this doesn't really deserve to have a "walkthrough", but there are so many ways to complete the map that most of you might not even realize it. If you attempt to confront the guards head-on with just your crowbar, you'll find the map extremely challenging (not to mention frustrating) indeed.
However, when I designed the map, I planned for the player to use some stealth. I guess I should say "relative" stealth, because it's impossible to be completely undetected to reach your objective. It's more like sneaking behind a guard and loading him up with lead, picking off each guard one by one. When more than one guards gang up on you with their firearms, your survival usually becomes grim.
Anyways, without further delay, here is the walkthrough.
OBJECTIVE I: BREAK OUT OF JAIL Wait a moment for you to regain consciousness, and you'll find yourself stuck in a jail. Turn around to face away from the jail window, and in the dark corner away from the unconscious sceintist, investigate the ceiling. You should find a piece of ceiling that is somewhat displaced. Jump up to it, and a secret trap door will open up. Jump up again to gain access to the crowbar hidden there.
Use to the crowbar to smash the jail door. It takes about ten to fifteen hits to break down--it is a metal door afterall. After the door is demolished, don't walk out directly! If you do, you'll be spotted by the guards immediately and they won't have any mercy on you.
OBJECTIVE II: FIND YOUR HEV SUIT Instead, crouch down and walk as close to the exterior of the jail as possible and sneak to your right. Walk behind the adjacent library but stop before you reach the guard waiting at the far side of that building. Save your game.
Quickly step from behind the library and show yourself to the guard waiting there. He'll open fire, but you would have had the chance to withdraw to the safety behind the wall. After a few seconds of firing at you, he'll advance to the area behind the building, and you'll hit his head with the crowbar as hard and fast as you can. It sometimes takes just two or three whacks before he's dead (he might not even have a chance to return fire). And now you have his assault rifle (Whew! Some real weapon finally).
Turn around and run to the back side of the jail house (quickly, as the guards are already aware that you've broken out). Crouch along the periphery of the jail house towards the room with the soda machine. You'll want to crouch or else the guard in the room will notice you and shoot you on sight.
If you're successful and haven't made too much noise, you'll find the guard in the soda room facing in another direction other than yours. In the crouched position, give him some head shots (and I don't mean with a camera). Stay alert after you've killed him, because usually there will be another guard running towards your direction. Be ready to shoot him dead as well.
After you've killed both of these guards, crouch-jump through the window to the soda room. You'll find your HEV suit in the back of the room. After you've donned your HEV suit, crouch-jump out of the window again. Turn around and shoot at the soda machine while trying to conserve your bullets as much as possible. When the machine explodes, you'll find a battery left on the floor. I'm sure you know what to do with it. (You wouldn't want to hit the machine with the crowbar, because once it explodes, you'll suffer some injury from the explosion if you're near it.)
OBJECTIVE III: RENDEZVOUS WITH BARNEY AT THE LEDGE Get behind the jail house again after you've climbed out of the window from the soda room. Run quickly to the library. Climb through the window and you can find a battery on the desk. Use your crowbar to smash the bookshelf, and you can replenish your health with the healthkit if you need the boost.
Crouch-jump out of the library window facing away from the jail house towards the ammunition depot. Quickly run behind the room. If you're slow, you'll be detected by a guard in the satellite control room. Crouch down and walk slowly to the far side of the ammunition depot while pressing yourself against the wall. If you stand up or sticks out too much from the wall, the sentry gun will detect you.
Through the window of the ammunition depot, check the guard inside the room. If you've used stealth appropriately, he should be either facing away from you or in some other direction, unware of your location. Shoot him down with the remaining of your ammunition. Jump through the window into the ammunition depot and destroy those crates with your crowbar. You'll find a shotgun and a tripmine, plus some RPG ammunition for your assault rifle (Yeah, baby! Now we're talking).
Before you leave the room, turn on your flash light. You'll find a big-ass arrow pointing towards the ceiling in the ammunition room. Take the hint and jump up at the ceiling to activate the trap door, and you'll earn yourself some grenades.
Leave the room through the door but approach the main building carefully. There might be a guard in the satellite control room. Shoot him down at a distance outside the building, as he can't do too much damage to you because he only has a shotgun.
Now, you have the option of eliminating the guard on the tower with your grenade launcher or you can wait until later. It's up to you which ever way is more fun.
Before you enter the main building, sneak to the far side of the building where the generator is fenced off (by an electrified fence). Through the window there, you can shoot down the guard in the sleeping quarter (No more Xena for him!).
Get inside the sleeping quarter and load yourself up with some health boost next to the wooden couch (and collect some much-needed ammo). Before venturing into the adjacent satellite control room, be careful of another guard in the room. Mow him down first to clear the room before you reward yourself with a battery boost there.
Exit the main building again through the sleeping quarter and sneak along the wall of the main building. Install the tripmine against the wall of the building, with the laser beam pointing to the soda room. Hopefully, you've done all these without being detected by the guards.
Now, open fire to the two guards (one in the alleyway between the main building and the bathroom, the other one on the far side of the bathroom). One of them should come after you, and he'll be the victim of the tripmine trap you've set up earlier. There is a healthkit inside the bathroom if you need it.
Proceed to the front of the main building along the wall to avoid the sentry gun. Get to the front corner of the building where the generator is located (you can see the sign "High Voltage" on the fence). The sentry gun is right above you. Throw a well-aimed grenade or two towards the roof of the building to destroy the gun and the guard up there.
When that's accomplished, gain access to the roof via the ladder in the alleyway facing the bathroom. Quickly dock under the observation tower to avoid the RPG fire from the guard on top (and treat yourself with more grenades in there). When you peek out, lob a grenade onto the tower platform and hear him splatter. Grab his grenade launcher ammo on the tower afterwards.
Move back down to the mesa level and approach the ladder leading down the plateau carefully. There is still a guard down there waiting for you. You can choose your favorite weapon to eliminate him (I prefer the RPG--it's just so damn satisfying to launch!).
Climb down the ladder carefully to the ledge, but Barney isn't there. You have to jump to the impossibly thin ledge along the rock wall across from you. Make sure, however, you don't actually jump! If you do, you'll hit your head on the rock formation protruding out and you'll fall to your death. Instead, just run fast and let yourself fall to the thin ledge.
Turn around, and this time, jump to the ladder on the rock wall facing you. Hopefully you'll grab on to the ladder instead of falling all the way down. Climb down the ladder and rendezvous with Barney!
THE END The map will immediately return you to the OEM menu at this point. It's not a bug, it's just an abrupt end to your adventure. Sorry, no victory music for this map.
I hope you've enjoyed this map, and my walkthrough has enhanced your appreciation for the gameplay. It took me a while to fine-tune the gameplay and the position of the grunts and info_nodes. It is, however, my first map, and I am aware of the meager architecture and texture.
Commented 19 years ago2004-11-30 17:35:10 UTC
in vault item: zero_kakoComment #5210
Hey, don't apologize. For a first map, it's pretty good.
But be sure to let your next map do the talking. Now you have all the resources at TWHL, you'll show us what you can really make with your next upload.
Commented 19 years ago2004-11-26 19:37:37 UTC
in vault item: zero_kakoComment #5172
Well, you both have valid points.
Some people focus solely on architecture and design the gameplay almost as an after thought. To me, that's defeating the purpose of playing Half-Life. If eye-candy is all-important, why even other using Hammer and make a map? Why not just use Maya or Bryce and design a cold world where nothing happens? It'll be truly beautiful, but boring as heck.
And the other thing is that gameplay without any consideration for architecture or texture is flawed also. To some degree, we're all impressed by the surrounding, even when we're busy shooting monsters. The environment really adds to the ambience and enhances the whole gaming experience.
I've learned that from making mistakes on my maps. I was focusing greatly on gameplay without paying too much attention to texturing or architecture, and I was educated by the more experienced mappers of my neglects.
If anyone has played my "Escape from Black Mesa" from last month, you'll know what I'm talking about. It's a good example of good gameplay without the visual impact.
And this was his very first Source map.
...it is a glass map which tends to be laggish...
It's such irony. Because with some lighting, the compiler would run VRAD, and therefore improve performance. I don't care that it's a glass map or not, having lighting ALWAYS improves performance and boosts framerates.
You have been mapping for a year, and this is what you came up with? You need to try harder. Just look around the vault for some of other mappers works. Kasperg can whip out a map in two days, yet it looks utterly amazing.
I am sorry to say this, but if this map blew your clan's mind, they must not have seen too many custom maps.
I spent quite a bit of time coming up with interesting architecture already. I can't be an artist/sculpture also. Nevertheless, I thought those modern sculptures in the back rooms are quite pretty.
The map itself stayed the same this time, but I have place-painted the navigational mesh, so the entire map can be identified by specific locations now. This is quite an important attribute for a good map that allows teamwork.
Sometimes after I retire, I'll make a new map from scratch. Between now and my kids graduating from high school, I'll probably be busy changing diapers and grounding kids.
As thanks habboi. This is not a large map, and I am afraid that more players would overwhlem the space in the map, destroying the fun factor (and making it too much like a deathmatch chaos free-for-all). There are eight players playing if the map is full, and I think that's plenty.
And before you accuse me of recycling my map over and over, I plead guilty.
I never imagined it would be possible. It's ironic that someone else beat the map in fifteen minutes before, and everyone thought he was a liar. No one thought it could be done.
With amazing gaming skills and persistence, the clan at HL2DQ is the Olympic team for fast gaming.
If you are interested, you can check out the recorded demo (four segments) for Justice by o40. It's about 2 MB zipped.
I am quite impressed by their ability to scale vertical walls with a crowbar and a phys object. Fascinating!
Try changing the color of the light in your next map, and also rotate the tables and other objects in your map slightly so not everything is orthogonal to each other.
I have played this map more than fifty times, and it has never caused an error.
I suspect no more than a day?
I spend a month just playtesting my single-player maps.
I have many patients who don't have a brain, but they are alive (sadly). Of course, it's very limited what they can do. They'll never be able to play Half-Life 2, for one thing.
Great job.
I also have a comprehensive walkthrough for "Escape".
If you have HL2 already, play the map called sp_justice (http://twhl.co.za/mapvault_map.php?id=2719). I spent almost three months on building this map, and I put a lot more thought into it than this simple map you played. The gameplay for sp_justice is just as interesting, and strategy is essential for your survival.
In fact, I wrote an extensive walkthrough for Justice, and you'll like the ending better.
The texturing, however, can be improved already. The color is too monotone (everything is gray). I suggest the lighting to be somewhat dimmer too.
Good first effort, and I'm sure you'll get even better.
It's not a faithful recreation of the actual courthouse, because the real architecture doesn't allow very interesting gameplay. So I took the liberty to modify it to improve the fun aspect of the map.
I also added quite a few details and models in this release. Have fun.
I know a small ugly map like this doesn't really deserve to have a "walkthrough", but there are so many ways to complete the map that most of you might not even realize it. If you attempt to confront the guards head-on with just your crowbar, you'll find the map extremely challenging (not to mention frustrating) indeed.
However, when I designed the map, I planned for the player to use some stealth. I guess I should say "relative" stealth, because it's impossible to be completely undetected to reach your objective. It's more like sneaking behind a guard and loading him up with lead, picking off each guard one by one. When more than one guards gang up on you with their firearms, your survival usually becomes grim.
Anyways, without further delay, here is the walkthrough.
OBJECTIVE I: BREAK OUT OF JAIL
Wait a moment for you to regain consciousness, and you'll find yourself stuck in a jail. Turn around to face away from the jail window, and in the dark corner away from the unconscious sceintist, investigate the ceiling. You should find a piece of ceiling that is somewhat displaced. Jump up to it, and a secret trap door will open up. Jump up again to gain access to the crowbar hidden there.
Use to the crowbar to smash the jail door. It takes about ten to fifteen hits to break down--it is a metal door afterall. After the door is demolished, don't walk out directly! If you do, you'll be spotted by the guards immediately and they won't have any mercy on you.
OBJECTIVE II: FIND YOUR HEV SUIT
Instead, crouch down and walk as close to the exterior of the jail as possible and sneak to your right. Walk behind the adjacent library but stop before you reach the guard waiting at the far side of that building. Save your game.
Quickly step from behind the library and show yourself to the guard waiting there. He'll open fire, but you would have had the chance to withdraw to the safety behind the wall. After a few seconds of firing at you, he'll advance to the area behind the building, and you'll hit his head with the crowbar as hard and fast as you can. It sometimes takes just two or three whacks before he's dead (he might not even have a chance to return fire). And now you have his assault rifle (Whew! Some real weapon finally).
Turn around and run to the back side of the jail house (quickly, as the guards are already aware that you've broken out). Crouch along the periphery of the jail house towards the room with the soda machine. You'll want to crouch or else the guard in the room will notice you and shoot you on sight.
If you're successful and haven't made too much noise, you'll find the guard in the soda room facing in another direction other than yours. In the crouched position, give him some head shots (and I don't mean with a camera). Stay alert after you've killed him, because usually there will be another guard running towards your direction. Be ready to shoot him dead as well.
After you've killed both of these guards, crouch-jump through the window to the soda room. You'll find your HEV suit in the back of the room. After you've donned your HEV suit, crouch-jump out of the window again. Turn around and shoot at the soda machine while trying to conserve your bullets as much as possible. When the machine explodes, you'll find a battery left on the floor. I'm sure you know what to do with it. (You wouldn't want to hit the machine with the crowbar, because once it explodes, you'll suffer some injury from the explosion if you're near it.)
OBJECTIVE III: RENDEZVOUS WITH BARNEY AT THE LEDGE
Get behind the jail house again after you've climbed out of the window from the soda room. Run quickly to the library. Climb through the window and you can find a battery on the desk. Use your crowbar to smash the bookshelf, and you can replenish your health with the healthkit if you need the boost.
Crouch-jump out of the library window facing away from the jail house towards the ammunition depot. Quickly run behind the room. If you're slow, you'll be detected by a guard in the satellite control room. Crouch down and walk slowly to the far side of the ammunition depot while pressing yourself against the wall. If you stand up or sticks out too much from the wall, the sentry gun will detect you.
Through the window of the ammunition depot, check the guard inside the room. If you've used stealth appropriately, he should be either facing away from you or in some other direction, unware of your location. Shoot him down with the remaining of your ammunition. Jump through the window into the ammunition depot and destroy those crates with your crowbar. You'll find a shotgun and a tripmine, plus some RPG ammunition for your assault rifle (Yeah, baby! Now we're talking).
Before you leave the room, turn on your flash light. You'll find a big-ass arrow pointing towards the ceiling in the ammunition room. Take the hint and jump up at the ceiling to activate the trap door, and you'll earn yourself some grenades.
Leave the room through the door but approach the main building carefully. There might be a guard in the satellite control room. Shoot him down at a distance outside the building, as he can't do too much damage to you because he only has a shotgun.
Now, you have the option of eliminating the guard on the tower with your grenade launcher or you can wait until later. It's up to you which ever way is more fun.
Before you enter the main building, sneak to the far side of the building where the generator is fenced off (by an electrified fence). Through the window there, you can shoot down the guard in the sleeping quarter (No more Xena for him!).
Get inside the sleeping quarter and load yourself up with some health boost next to the wooden couch (and collect some much-needed ammo). Before venturing into the adjacent satellite control room, be careful of another guard in the room. Mow him down first to clear the room before you reward yourself with a battery boost there.
Exit the main building again through the sleeping quarter and sneak along the wall of the main building. Install the tripmine against the wall of the building, with the laser beam pointing to the soda room. Hopefully, you've done all these without being detected by the guards.
Now, open fire to the two guards (one in the alleyway between the main building and the bathroom, the other one on the far side of the bathroom). One of them should come after you, and he'll be the victim of the tripmine trap you've set up earlier. There is a healthkit inside the bathroom if you need it.
Proceed to the front of the main building along the wall to avoid the sentry gun. Get to the front corner of the building where the generator is located (you can see the sign "High Voltage" on the fence). The sentry gun is right above you. Throw a well-aimed grenade or two towards the roof of the building to destroy the gun and the guard up there.
When that's accomplished, gain access to the roof via the ladder in the alleyway facing the bathroom. Quickly dock under the observation tower to avoid the RPG fire from the guard on top (and treat yourself with more grenades in there). When you peek out, lob a grenade onto the tower platform and hear him splatter. Grab his grenade launcher ammo on the tower afterwards.
Move back down to the mesa level and approach the ladder leading down the plateau carefully. There is still a guard down there waiting for you. You can choose your favorite weapon to eliminate him (I prefer the RPG--it's just so damn satisfying to launch!).
Climb down the ladder carefully to the ledge, but Barney isn't there. You have to jump to the impossibly thin ledge along the rock wall across from you. Make sure, however, you don't actually jump! If you do, you'll hit your head on the rock formation protruding out and you'll fall to your death. Instead, just run fast and let yourself fall to the thin ledge.
Turn around, and this time, jump to the ladder on the rock wall facing you. Hopefully you'll grab on to the ladder instead of falling all the way down. Climb down the ladder and rendezvous with Barney!
THE END
The map will immediately return you to the OEM menu at this point. It's not a bug, it's just an abrupt end to your adventure. Sorry, no victory music for this map.
I hope you've enjoyed this map, and my walkthrough has enhanced your appreciation for the gameplay. It took me a while to fine-tune the gameplay and the position of the grunts and info_nodes. It is, however, my first map, and I am aware of the meager architecture and texture.
Feel free to comment.
But be sure to let your next map do the talking. Now you have all the resources at TWHL, you'll show us what you can really make with your next upload.
Some people focus solely on architecture and design the gameplay almost as an after thought. To me, that's defeating the purpose of playing Half-Life. If eye-candy is all-important, why even other using Hammer and make a map? Why not just use Maya or Bryce and design a cold world where nothing happens? It'll be truly beautiful, but boring as heck.
And the other thing is that gameplay without any consideration for architecture or texture is flawed also. To some degree, we're all impressed by the surrounding, even when we're busy shooting monsters. The environment really adds to the ambience and enhances the whole gaming experience.
I've learned that from making mistakes on my maps. I was focusing greatly on gameplay without paying too much attention to texturing or architecture, and I was educated by the more experienced mappers of my neglects.
If anyone has played my "Escape from Black Mesa" from last month, you'll know what I'm talking about. It's a good example of good gameplay without the visual impact.
And your dog ate your screenshot?
What did you map previously? Because this can't be the work of a new mapper.