Journal #5926 by Habboi

Strider

Commented 14 years ago2009-07-03 11:36:51 UTC Comment #44393

"team-mapping" is something that's been discussed before, I know some of the aussies on #twhl3 had a ramble about it. I think it could work for certain things, like editing parameters externally, and updating everything at the end, or when everyone is ready for a test.

One of those things were a lot of pre-compile previews are really needed, though. Makes me wish Valve would get with the times.

Habboi

Commented 14 years ago2009-07-03 11:46:20 UTC Comment #44397

Makes you wonder where Valve will go next. Will they stick with brush based design and ray traced lighting or will they dump it in favour of model based levels like UT...

If so then they may lose a lot of modders.

Tetsu0

Commented 14 years ago2009-07-03 11:48:22 UTC Comment #44402

Or maybe they'll have the same compatibility...

Keep the BSP designer, yet have a converter so you can have the added detail of the UT engine.

Strider

Commented 14 years ago2009-07-03 11:56:41 UTC Comment #44394

I kinda hope they keep and even middle-ground between those "next-gen" level designers, and what they have now. I'm all for intuitive and quicker methods of building geometry, testing lighting etc., but I hope they keep familiarity with things like the I/O system and the material system.

A dynamic version of the lighting they use now would be amazing, the Source engine, to me, has a very natural lighting method (it's just a shame it's so static) as opposed to a lot of new engines that look far too sharp, even and artificial.

Livewire

Commented 14 years ago2009-07-03 11:57:02 UTC Comment #44406

Just having a jump-into-game-test like Crysis will be enough, you can fix problems in a few minutes for what otherwise would take you much much longer.

Daubster

Commented 14 years ago2009-07-03 12:26:14 UTC Comment #44405

Plenty of remote desktop control software that allows you to do that (TeamView is one of them, I think - look it up). Taught a newbie some basic mapping techniques by controlling his Hammer using that app.

Notewell

Commented 14 years ago2009-07-03 12:35:14 UTC Comment #44407

I doubt that multiple users in hammer would make something better. You'd have multiple ideas clashing everywhere.
I'd like to see more effects like dynamic water and lighting in hammer, so you don't have to compile as often.

Penguinboy

Commented 14 years ago2009-07-03 13:03:04 UTC Comment #44404

Hey, you never know O:
Sounds fun, but useless

Habboi

Commented 14 years ago2009-07-03 15:41:53 UTC Comment #44398

So it seems people are more favoured towards dynamic lighting which is interesting.

I'm not sure I can see the artificial lighting that you describe Strider. Would an example be Far Cry 2? I gotta admit that if Source lighting is used correctly then it almost looks like a high res render at times.

Thanks Daub, I remember Live wanted to try that and I refused because I was afraid he wanted to steal my info heh.

ChickenFist

Commented 14 years ago2009-07-03 17:36:07 UTC Comment #44392

I started to write a hacky tool back in the day that kind of did this for Hammer 3.5. It sent the map data to a server each time the map was saved, and then reloaded it for everyone connected. After a compile it'd spawn a server and add everyone. It worked, but it was... dodgy. Can't remember how far I got with it, either.

Habboi

Commented 14 years ago2009-07-03 18:01:02 UTC Comment #44399

That sounds interesting. Surprised you stopped although I can imagine the glitches that would appear since it's only updating per save therefore an example is something someone was working on could have been edited by another at the same time before saving.

Strider

Commented 14 years ago2009-07-03 22:50:07 UTC Comment #44395

Yeah, Far Cry 2 is a good example. So is Call of Duty 4. They use a dynamic world lighting that I admit looks nice in motion, seeing trees sway in FC2, or seeing large groups of people running around in COD4, but they've always felt fake to me. There's no real scatter or gaussian blur and it kind of kills the immersion for me a bit.

CoD 4
FC 2

That's where the Source lighting has always won out for me, even if it's not dynamic. The lighting can look so smooth and natural. Couple it with phong and HDR and you can get some really nice results.

Ep 2
Ep 1

Still, anything that isn't still using stencil shadows is good in my books.

FEAR 2 D:

pepper

Commented 14 years ago2009-07-04 04:16:01 UTC Comment #44391

UT3 also has a largely brush based design combined with models. heck, the UT3 editor isnt that far of concerning design techniques from the source engine. It is just able to handle open spaces a lot better.

Also, if you look at the tools naming in the UT3 editor you see CSG/BSP substract etc.

EDIT: Anyone remember this DM game that had a ingame multiplayer editor a few years back? Cant remember the name but i was it again recently.

Habboi

Commented 14 years ago2009-07-04 07:39:21 UTC Comment #44400

Well I know that Halo 3 had a sort of editor that allows players to build ramps and doors etc in game with friends but that's obviously a silly, fun tool.

I can see what you mean Strider. EP2 = Yummy. EP3 = ?

Strider

Commented 14 years ago2009-07-04 10:03:32 UTC Comment #44396

Who knows what Valve are planning with Episode Three. They keep pissing me off by not telling us a damn thing. >:(

Habboi

Commented 14 years ago2009-07-04 10:21:22 UTC Comment #44401

But you can imagine what the reaction will be like when a trailer is released

Tetsu0

Commented 14 years ago2009-07-04 10:45:58 UTC Comment #44403

Better be a new engine
I'm gonna jump on that train straight away instead of waiting so long for source. One of my bigger mapping regrets.
Although i did refine my brushwork skills in goldsource, i give it that.

Journal #5926

17 Comments