hl_calibre66 v0.87b

Not a half bad map. It has its ups and downs.
++The Door Handle - The door handle was very detailed, it was some very impressive architecture.
++The Computer - I like the computer, it gave the players somewhere to hide or camp. I found it a very safe area.
++Gauss Jumping - The map was very complicated and large, the guass gun did help with manuevering around the map, but I got hurt from it a lot.
+-Pull-ups - The pull-ups you had using the func_ladders was creative, but hard at some points. I didnt know where precisely it was, and a lot of the time you only get pushed back.
--Few Weapons - There weren't enough weapons in the map. You could have made them more frequent, and put ammo next to them. Once a player picks up the rocket launcher, they only have one missile. Not fun.
--Large Shelf - Once inside the giant wooden shelf, there was an area where you break the wood. I would like to acknowledge that one of the two entry-ways to it isn't large enough. Also, below the thing you break is a stretched texture. I hit it with a crowbar and it left a large ugly decal mark.

This map could use a good bit of work. Allinall, I give it a 3.

Hey, can you categorize this under 'HLDM' instead of HL? Thanks.

Anyway this myroom rats map as a whole looks nice and simple. I also like that door handle. It's good that players can gain height via the use of func_ladders. However I suspect you haven't tried your hand at actually playing HL deathmatch.

First of all, the placement of all the weapons are hard to reach. They are all up high on a shelf and no additional ammunition are provided anywhere else. This is bad especially on one-big-room maps because all players are constantly firing away at one another. 12 shotgun shells or 10 gauss shots go out very fast. I don't think I have to mention how fast 1 rocket goes. And then everyone will have to conduct a symphony of glockshots.

Never, ever provide the gauss in the middle of the map where anyone can easily get it. In case you didn't know, in DM, gauss is THE most powerful (yes, even more than gluon gun) weapon. Skilled player (or most anybody, for that matter) will use the charge-up gauss to kill everyone else (who can barely fight back due to the hard-to-reach weapon placements) very quickly.

Do not craft pitch-black areas (like the one near the flashlight) in DM. Players DO NOT get to use flashlights in DM so pitch black areas end up as places for blind firing.

Once players have teleported up to the top of the cupboard there doesn't seems to be a way down safely. I tried jumping from that poster but the fall damage is still pretty bad. Given that there are no medkits or wall first aids, that fall can quickly kill players who are also being shot at constantly.

Here's some little things:

The carved cylinder at the left side of the machine under the window is badly clipping everything. Movement there is very choppy, try for yourself. In DM everyone is going to run around like maniacs to dodge each other and bad clipping is definitely problematic.

What's with the glass on that right side cupboard? There's nothing behind it, it's like glass taped onto a solid cupboard wall

It's unfinished, I shouldn't rate it.

Wow surprisingly good! (screenshot does NOT do this map justice.)

++exquisitely-detailed furnitures and items in your room (seriouly, some of the best i've ever seen for any rats map.
+/- r_speeds are high, but not half-bad for the amount of detail
--a little too small imo. i would definitely expand gameplay inside the air conditioner, the bedspring, and definitley the closets.
--some visual errors (though they are easily fixed:

door handle
some disappearing faces. make seperate segments or alternating func_illusionaries. PM me if you'd like further explanation or example.

glass block thingie
If you use hlfix, those segments will keep their proper angle. Hammer is snapping them to gridpoints and making them look less beautiful than they could be.

air-conditioner/radiator knob
make that whole knob a func illusionary and that weird face splitting will disappear. you can set it 1 unit away from the radiator and enclose in a clip brush, which will achieve the same effect.

optimization
-null anything unseen faces
-make any complex or off-grid brushwork a func_illusionary(saves on unnecessarily cutting visleafs and clipnode budget). if the player needs to walk on it, place a simple retangular clip block where it needs to be solid

If you'd like more tips or comments please PM me!

5-stars for the most detailed structures i've ever seen in a rats map. i don't really give a dam about the rest.

Excellent work!
= )

Thanks to all, especially to Captain Terror, I will PM you right after my holidays^^. Your optimizations sound damn good!

@ Dimbark: The Pullups are now visible and realistic, Weapons are increased and a little reorganized as well and the texture for the big shelf is now corrected, there was a problem by inserting my own texture.
@ 2muchvideogames: It was my intention to rarely get to some weapons, the big problem is that I'm hardly playing HLDM...but with all your help this map can become some nice work, too.
I think I'll upload the map as v0.87 BETA for you, didn't think to get such great answers!

All in all, thanks again and 'til tomorrow 0.87b will be there! Hope to get some more optimizations beneath these Captain Terror gave me, these will take some time for me, but will optimize this map VERY much I think^^.

Greetz, Calibre .66

I'll probably comment more late but it seems that there could be much much more movement. And more weapons. Why does the vent duct just dead end? Atleast put snarks in it. Just add more ways to get around the map. Also the top breakable part of the small shelf wouldn't work. And you didn't include a wood texture.

Besides that, nice map and great brushwork for the most part. Dont let cylinder objects touch other brushes without making them into a func_wall because they cut into the face of the brush. Good first work!

Check out my "myles_room" rats map to see what I meant about lots of movement.

Oh I didn't know this was incomplete. Well your on the right track. Don't worry about making things super realistic too much but just focus on gameplay.

Here's my rat's map. http://twhl.info/vault.php?map=5391