Competition 33 Created 11 years ago2012-12-09 07:24:42 UTC by TheGrimReafer

Whoa, awesome stuff! Hope to have some worthy screens to add soon

@Zeeba

The lines are created with sprite trails parented to a func_rotating which is parented to a func_movelinear.

I used a movelinear because you dynamically control how far it moves. The starting position is underground (0) and then it moves up to position 1. At position 1, it STARTS moving back to 0, but return to 1 after a second or so.. rinse and repeat. Source is nice because the movelinear triggers itself once its fully open - once set into motion, it's automatic and forever.

As for the other stuff, its just a sprite, some sounds, 2 fades, an actual teleport, and a spark effect when you land.

I'll outline everything in the example map with the prefab. I just don't want to release it yet because im using teleports in my compo map.

If you want a goldsource analog, its totally possible...

The circles can be replaced with ring beams riding path tracks. The advatage of beams is their ability to toggle on and off. The spritetrails i used in source are always on - which is why the mover-parent spawns underground.

The teleport doesn't work unless its active, and masters can be used for that.
Sprites are simple in goldsource. start off, toggle on when tele is active.
Everything else is just sounds and timing.
Ambient generics and multisources will work fine.
Goldsource has env_fades too so everything should work with some effort.

The only disadvantage is that mysetup uses around 15 entities so renaming and relinking them will be very tedious if you want more than one.

So i used the "&i" extension on all my entities when i made the prefab.
If you paste a prefab in the map, teleport01 will link to destination01. paste another, everything gets renamed to 02, and all the links remain within themselves... So nice

That's nice that you have the option to turn the teleport on and off. And from your description making such a prefab seems simple enough.

My method of creating multiple prefabs with many entities in goldsource is by tacking for example b at the end of every entity involved in the copied one.

How hard is it to make terrain brushwork in source? I just may have to load up the sdk

So far there's no deactivation sequence, only an activation sequence.
They will remain on once activated, but now that you mention it, I'll have to make a deactivate sequence before releasing the prefab. THANKS FOR THE COOL IDEA, YO!

As far as terrain goes, there's a magical thing called displacements in Source.
Its a sculpting tool. You turn a brush face into a subdivided plain and then you raise, lower, smooth, shift the vertices. There's no need to select individual points, because once a face is selected, all the points are active and can be manipulated. The tool has falloff options so you can move groups of vertices OR just a single point. You can also blend 2 textures together with an alpha channel.

Terrain is effortless in source as compared to goldsource.

Penguinboy has a 3-Part tutorial on displacements you could always read up on. Part 1 is here.
http://twhl.info/tutorial.php?id=111

I recommend taking the leap into source. Today's computers chew through it, the compile tools support multiple cores. Scripting is amazingly powerful, the lighting is better, the AI is more easily controlled/coerced...

And you know where to go to get tips

Yes, after I complete this competition's entry I will move to source just as a side hobby. I will soon spend time learning all ends of construction along with working full time and maybe some school so it's good bye to binge mapping.

Also, my work entails nothing but computer work so mapping along with it really bogs me down.

I'd post more wips but all I've done the past two days is one giant interior and texturing. This kind of scheme's visuals are so pronounced that screenies give away everything leaving nothing to surprise.

I will say this though, when combining gameplay with visual quality it's quite a task especially using so much vm'd terrain in goldsource. The light quality on my rock faces is really poor and boring. I'll have to break up the walls with something. So far I am pretty impressed with it but geez there's lot's of work to do!

You can always break up the texture with a shadow or another light.
Maybe a decal or a tree stump. Some random other texture rock.

Thanks, some good ideas there. I also broke up the terrain into more triangles and shifted the vertices around to make the shadows less dull. I'll also add some more ledges as well.

Awesome! Can't wait to see it

Ugh, MAX_MAP_CLIPNODES and I have another entire island to make along with a bunch of floaters. Time to start clipping.

yeahhhhhh have fun with that
that's awful to hear

Isnt there a way you can increase the clipnode size?

Edit: Does someone know how to enter -cliptype smallest in hammer's expert mode? I just select the csg_exe in the compile/run commands and enter it in the parameter's field like this $path$file -cliptype smallest ?

Progress/spoiler:

-cliptype simple

At least i always though it gave me the greatest clipnode economy. Wild-looking screens btw Zeebs! =)

Oh, thanks! Yes just got the outside main mapping complete. Now for the interiors.

I also experimented with some trigger_relays to add a cool feature to the map.

... a wild inspiration appears.

Wouldn't compile.

Well MAKE IT compile. It's not like you don't know.

I tried to make a chandelier and turn it into my entry for this compo. Hammer was all like "nope" and shit.

What about that cool entry you had posted a wip of?

Edit: Nice, just found out to use trigger_changetargets to make my elevator doors work properly!

i think i almost creamed myself when i found out how useful changetargets were

^^

Ya me too Tetsu0, only at the very end of my GoldSrc career.. =P

So I heard ya'll like particles?

Wow that is awesome looking water! Jumps for joy for source. I would use a texture with less grass though on such a steep slope.

Finally done with the bulk of my map. Now for the fun, details!

Still WIP but i appreciate the tip:)
My goal for tonight was to master the particle editor.
I think its a success.

The next few days are just terrain and simple puzzles.
All my technical risks are gone IMOParticle editor is nice. You can see your changes in-game without needing to compile

I thought my lighting was too dark but I was working on my tv monitor. When I switched to my laptop's monitor I noticed the lighting is actually pretty good.

It's time for the obligatory once a month question:

So is this contest dead?

Today I'm gonna have a session on my map, try and bring it up to par for the compo.

Same here, I still have a shit-ton of work to do on mine, but gawd can't wait to see the entries for this

And i will be submiting finished or no. If i can't finish it as a defuse map, I may just submit it as a prefab pack, and a example map for spawning/respawing Players in a MP game onto a moving train(not that it's hard to do or anything)

Imma try to wrap things up. I have to cut one of my puzzles but i really want to enter this in time.

I'm finished with just about everything. Just have to align textures, add a few special effects and try to compose a song or find one's suitable. Also may try to make a few new textures.

I've spent literally the entire last week and weekend working on the map, many hours, at least 70-120. I can't wait to see everyone's did Trempler still enter?

I probably have about 25-30 hours in it.
It's going to need another 10 to be done ugh.
I'm going to jam on it tonight but if it's not coming along, i need to cut a LOT MORE! D:

Haha. I came across an RMF in my Core directory. Apparently I was going to enter this at some point. It would not have been good. I can safely say my heart wasn't in it. I deleted it in case it got committed to the SVN and other saw it... euw.

Holy hell, there's a particle editor!?

Yes, Dim there's a particle editor =]
There's a steep learning curve, but it doesn't take too much time to climb.
The hardest part for me was modifying the particles_manifest.txt file. You need 2 copies of the darn thing and keeping them synced can be a pain at times.
Then I need to remember to supply the files with the map i submit ahhh

Source really doesn't make it easy to add and distribute custom content :-/

Maybe I'll write up a tutorial...

Yes please do, I'd use it! Haha @ Urby, well at least you tried. I had started an entry a while back that I too scrapped.

Edit: I wish scroll textures could be tied with solid rather than additive to render masked, one of my effects looks weird but I may keep it anyway because it's pretty interesting.

speaking of interesting effects...ALMOST DONE!
I just need to script the ending sequence, do a few test runs, tweak the lighting....
So close i can almost taste it

That's trippy! I'm almost done too!!!, just adding ambience. I love walking around a freshly made map.

Question, does anyone know how many info_player_deathmatch entities I should add to my hldm map?

It really depends on the size or desired chaos level.
If its a small map, 4-6.
Medium map 6-10
Large map 12+

Of course that's SINGLE spawns... you don't want to spawn in the same location all the time right?

---

Whew. That was a nice mapping marathon!
All i need to do is make my skybox and script the actual ending.
All puzzles, sounds, effects are working.
So if all else fails i can at least submit something.

Ok thanks!

Woo twenty hours left, working away.Edit: Hehe, my brother and I just came up with a secret that will have me pushing into the deadline.

15 hours left, be sure to get your entries submitted! Remember: no late entries will be accepted!

I will be working from now right up until the deadline, and will submit my map as a WIP =)

Good luck everybody! =P

http://twhl.info/vault.php?map=5930 || VERSION 2

Wow looks really good Tetsuo, i'll have to install episode2.

Mine is in the vault

Looks real nice!

I know it's late, but just couldn't resist
http://www.moddb.com/mods/xdm/images/dom-skytown10000 (links to screenshots)
More screens:
http://x.netheaven.ru/index.php?module=My_eGallery&do=showpic&pid=100&orderby=dateD
http://x.netheaven.ru/index.php?module=My_eGallery&do=showpic&pid=101&orderby=dateD
http://x.netheaven.ru/index.php?module=My_eGallery&do=showpic&pid=102&orderby=dateD
http://x.netheaven.ru/index.php?module=My_eGallery&do=showpic&pid=101&orderby=dateD
http://x.netheaven.ru/index.php?module=My_eGallery&do=showpic&pid=259&orderby=dateD

Made this floating island map years ago.
Please do NOT download this mod now, next release is coming soon.

Nice work, guys! I hope to see some awesome HL1 maps too in the end

I'm no moderator, but thats not really the point of this thread showing your stuff here lol

Wow that looks pretty neat xawari! Reminds me of the movie Up, and Tremplar's Zathura WIP =)

Malle: sorry, I thought the opposite (^_^)
Captain Terror: gotta dig that movie, never seen it. I just had some rough house prefabs made by my friend, I decided to pick and repaint them, and the sky island concept just came out of nowhere. )

This topic is awesome! Can't wait to see results! I just love floating islands. =)

Here's a picture of the updated version of my map. There are 6 solid changes and a few unnoticeable ones that I thought were necessary. I'll (re)upload to the vault when the competition gets judged. Still no actual gameplay though, I went for a purely visual approach.I think it could still be improved but the effort involved isn't worth the outcome.

HORY SHEET!! That's awesome Moaby! That looks amazing! *A*

Moaby that's so awesome.
Love the sybox-water transition. Its seamless from the picture

Thanks you two.

@Tetsu0:
The lower in height you are the more seamless it becomes and vice versa; without HDR it's clearly visible but it just looks like a horizon.