dm_researchvessel BETA

Looks wonderful from the screens CStriker, downloading!

The only nitpick i can see from the screens is the stock sky, even if it does fit your theme. There are way nicer skies out there that will better match your beautiful map

Also, why dropbox when you can upload it to fpsbanana, and link this to the download?

Because it's not the final version, I'm counting on the TWHL mapping community to help me discover the map bugs, optimization flaws and other "nitpicks" :D. Then I will upload the final version on fpsbanana.

[EDIT] Ok, here's an effect which is mostly hidden from the one that causes it. There's a valve in one of the engine rooms in the ship that when used will cause a short quake and some sounds coming from outside. Tip: sv_cheats 1, noclip and then use the valve, get outside quickly, look towards the ship antenna and then watch what happens.

Fucking hell. Only beta and already worth five of my shiniest stars.
I love this.

Couple of possible issues from my quick run around:

Replace the Egon with the Gauss gun and consider adding another Gauss elsewhere as well. The Egon is horrible for gameplay in HLDM and the Gauss provides a much more fun way to travel a map this large, particularly in combination with a longjump module, which I also never found.

A few more basic weapon drops on the lower levels would be good as well. Couple more assault rifles and shotties - maybe a couple of 357s and satchel charges, too.

The interactive elements are awesome. Your maps always feel so damn unique and fun to explore. Perhaps make a few custom sign textures to make interactive cause and effects more obvious. Also a lot of elevator buttons are quite vague and are often weirdly high-up.

Oh, also maybe clip the back of the fence near the egon gun. Once you're round the back there the clipping with the cliff is really bad and sticky.

Great work.

I love how your maps are resemble an unfiltered stream of subconscious, like a dream sequence =P

That jetboat func_train is awesome. i probably drove around for 5 minutes taking in the pretty sights. It really reminds me of a classic ride at Disneyworld tbh(which is awesome), and it's really nice how fluid/realistic you made the movement. That, coupled with that beautiful prefab boat makes for quite a surreal experience, particularly in the GS engine

Some astonishingly pretty brushwork in here. These arches are a great example the smooth-looking, natrual shapes you can achieve in GoldSrc, coupling the right brushes with proper texturing. Ciao bella! =P

The elevator is another example of an interactive doodad you built very well and also made it function in kind.

Speaking of interactivity, maybe add some "cs_assault" trigger_cameras in one of the control rooms, and place some func_tanks weapons about to increase the fuckery even more(tho you possibly don't have the resources available to add much more..) =P

I like how you have very pretty vistas outside, but also very pretty(and extensively detailed and distinct)interiors; you really fit a lot of neat stuff in this map

Looking forward to updates! if you want some more nitpicks, pm me and i can send you a list of minor things i noticed(which i'm sure you are probably already aware of).

Had a 2vs2 playtest yesterday with Striker. It's a really cool map, but it needs some more work still.

The map played more like a singleplayer map than a deathmatch or multiplayer map due to the way it was laid out. Usually, in deathmatch maps, or any kind of multiplayer map, doors are always or partially open. You don't have to interact with it to open it, to keep the flow and speed of the level. Although it's always fun to place a tripmine behind a door and surprise the crap out of everyone.

Another point is weapon placement. I agree with Archie that the Egon is horrible, get rid of it. Also, more shotguns and 357's! I've only found one of both in our playtest.

Other than that, a great map, and worth playing again. Wonderful visuals and details everywhere, and yes, that's gonna cost you, resource wise. So maybe you'll have to cut down on detail here and there. R_speeds r_no problem, it played very smoothly on my end, but I did notice that sometimes entities such as weapons and health kits disappear and reappear a second later due to the max entities in the visible packet list. It'll be tricky to fix that.

Looking forward to updates as well, hit me up on Steam if you need me for another playtest.

Transportation System FTW (just finally found it, LOL. Awesome work!) =P

The screenshots look pretty sexy, that's a lot of detail in a gold-source level. The only thing bringing it down is probably the crappy default sky, doesn't go with the newer textures.

Make an OpFor version please!

I have Opposing Force... but how do I compile for Opposing Force? Do I need to simply add an opFor FGD in hammer?

The map is epic in overall! But some things can be improved. 1. Buttons for elevators are placed too high on a central platform and at low level of big tower. 2. Add a ladder (or make any side a bit lower) to make the boat accessible from water (cause if it stops at random remote place, you can't reach it). 3. w_hgun on an "island" beside a boad can be not visible from random position of view. 4. Long red ladder to the mountain platform have its lower end under water, but you can't climb up from here. 5. Some decals are missing: C3A2Sign22, C3A2Sign33, fanbig. 6. Why not to wadinclude?

That's odd, I've only used zhlt.wad, halflife.wad, submerged.wad, ns.wad and a custom wad. They're all in there, and I could bet those decals are from halflife.wad.
Thanks for the review, I will once again take into consideration the advice.

Acceptable map, interesting intentions, but the dead ends are a bit weird and the train-boat feels tacky. Also I have a half decent computer and the best I get is 1 FPS on this map. Rating killer, shouldn't happen with a current computer on a FIFTEEN YEAR OLD ENGINE.

I think decals are missing, because they should be used as common textures on the map, instead as decals. Because all decals are only in decals.wad.

Well DiscoStu, your decent computer might not be that decent. It runs fine on my specification at 1920x1080:

Intel Pentium Dual Core E6500
AMD Radeon HD4850 512mb
4Gb of RAM

This is a PC I've built between 2007-2010, with the motherboard being the oldest. It was a decent computer for the time, but now modern gaming is simply not possible with it, only at ridiculously low details.
When I designed the map I was aware that people with slower computers are going to go crazy, so I accept your criticism.
(I understand the others gave me 5 stars for encouragement, or maybe sincerely, but for my own pride this map is not a 2 star-map, it's a not detailed box
I will be motivated though to optimize the shit out of it)

Map played fine for me on my 7-year-old dual core laptop on 1920x1080 at a flat 60 fps, smooth as can be.

I'm guessing you are on a laptop with a not-so-great gfx card, or a REALLY old desktop?