Ocean Temple Created 17 years ago2007-04-02 07:55:31 UTC by Elon Yariv

I believe that many already checked the map but if you didn't:
http://twhl.co.za/mapvault_map.php?id=4480

I already fixed all the problems and added a few more details. But now I feel that such a map shouldnt be left like that. It should be extended to a mod, this map will be the ending of the mod, I'll place an artifact on that small plate next to the statue. Getting it is the goal of the whole mod.

The mod will have puzzles, traps and fights. It will be mostly connected to the water element. Though I can't garanty there wont be enemies connected to other elements, it is very hard to pick monsters from the Hl1 that fit the theme.

The layout of the mod is simple. There is the main area where you start in the middle. From it you can either go to two diffrent areas.
Those areas will be built around a monster, like the blast pit or the pit of the worm's nest. The idea is quite similar to the one in both of those chapters, you run around the monster avoiding it's attacks and there are many side puzzles in the rooms connected to the monster's room.
You need to collect some keys and that will open doors to diffrent rooms connected to the monster till you get two ruins.
The two ruins open the path to the temple of water!

Thats the main idea. My problem is where can I find two monsters that'll fit in those rooms and still fit with the theme. Monsters that doesn't have to be aliens, that can be deamonic creatures. The tenticle is fine but there aren't any other creatures that are as big. The big baby boss(the Hl1 boss) doesn't fit the theme at all and he is too big. The gronach can be killed even without explosives, and the grag... I'll use it in another part of the level.

The only solution to my problem is to make this a opfor mod. This way I'll have the worm to place in the second room, and lots of cool weapons. I will also have a few new enemies that'll fit the theme. Like the pit drone... and maybe the voltigore, but I'm not sure.
What game should I use Hl1 or Opfor? After all opfor is just an improvment of Hl1, it got everything Hl1 has.

What if you use 2 tentacles? Maybe re-skin one of em?

Would be really boring and repeatitive. A fight against one tentacle is the same as against another, you throw a few grenades emepty a few buckshots at the tentacles. You can't make so many diffrences,I don't want to repeat it twice. Having once a tentacle and once a worm will be nicer.

Opposing Force would be the one to go for. I, for one, would like to see more mods of Opposing Force (a mod of a mod...who would've thought? :P)

Seriously though, the extra bits of code in Opposing Force can be put to good use.

op4 has some cooler weapons as well. you can probably make good use of the barnacle.

Nay no alien weapons! I want it to look like paranormal and deamonic creatures. Think of this like Hl1 never happend. These creatures aren't aliens. So I'll drop all creatures that can only look like aliens. By that I mean alien slave, alien grunt, alien controller, shocktrooper, shockroach, baby shocktrooper, nilihitha...ect I only want creatures that look deamonic. Like the ones in the comic book- hellboy. There are some that'll give that same feeling as in hellboy.

I'm a bit skeptic about the crabs though... I might include them since they are crab like creatures, though no zombies or genomes. Don't fit the theme.

Remodel the Osprey to look like a flying evil demonic thing.

Update:

I just made my first model. Making the model it self didn't take more then an hour but then I needed lots of help with exporting and compiling it, gmax has such a small export range.

I know it's not much, but after all it's exectly what I wanted, a golden plate.

I'll soon post a pic of my second model, a candle on a small golden plate, most of the mesh is done I only need to create a tiny little handle, I think I'll use splines for it, might take sometime tough I don't have much experience with them.

As for the mod. As soon as I'll finish that candle I'll compile the water temple and upload it to this site. Afterward I'll start working on the rest of the mod.

Nice. Are those golden things behind it also new?

Nope, they were already included in my original compo entery.

Edit:

First try with splines didn't go rather well, been a long time since I've used them I know what was my mistake so I think I'll make it next time.

Well I added a few more models and improved the archtitecture a bit.
This is one of the models:

What do you think?
I'm going to remake some textures since they don't look at all like marble, then compile it.
Does anybody think I should repost the new version with the improved textures, lighting, archtitecture and texturing in a few places? It still is quite the same map.
Or should I just keep it till I'll release the whole mod?

I think people are looking forward to something playable.

Wow, that's quite nice.

I say wait until the mod is finished.

You did a great job on that candle!

You have a gift for modeling.

It's just a candle, BL... nothing so special really, so I don't have a gift for modeling. I never even modeled a character, only when I will I could call my self a modeler.

I think I'm going to make most of my light sources out of models, much better for the performence and looks better. Though it's easier to alter things in hammer, rather then compiling and recompiling tons of models, so I will use both models and hammer.

Looks like people don't really like maps with no gameplay, I am going to compile it anyway, the question if I should release the map or keep it a secret till the whole mod will be released.

People don't mind maps no gameplay, as deathmatch maps are still being downloaded and looked at even if they are not being played.
What people don't really like is re-downloading a map with only 'cosmetic' changes. If you release samples of your artistic improvements, when you release the whole mod, none of it will be that interesting anymore.

All right then that settles it, I will only release the new version of the map when I'll release the whole mod, or at list the beta.(If I will release a beta)

I only have one question. If I wont include the wad in the bsp when I will compile, then afterward change the textures in the wad, will it affect the map? After all the textures aren't saved if I wont wadinclude, only the names...

When you load a map, the engine searches for the textures and loads them in this order:

1)In memory (if for example you just came from a map that had a texture with the same name, the one in your current map will be replaced by the texture that was present in the previous map!)

2)In the BSP, if you wandincluded it.

3)In the WAD file, if it's available.

If you change the names of the textures, you have to re-apply them in the map, which is a horrible job if you have a lot of them.

So I can replace the textures if I don't change their names?
This will make the work much easier for me, I wont need to compile twice or more to see how textures look in game.

That'll work fine, as long as you don't change the size of the textures, you will have to re-allign them in your map, which is an horrible and time consuming job as well.