Although it's nice to see custom props and materials instead of the usual HL2 stuff, it is also nice to investigate the possibilities of the default game material.
Take for example my map "Serene". It's huge in size, but has absolutely no custom content and the zip file is just over 5 MB. I'd rather download good maps with normal file sizes than a 80 MB file just because it has trees with green leaves and a new car model, for example.
Forum posts
Embellish the brushwork/prop work/lighting in order to make the map superior to its original counterpart.For example, if I wanted to make the ceiling of the tram stop with a different shape, would it be acceptable?
I understand that the contest consists in making a Source scene that has a rail, a tram stop, and some buildings on the surrounding hills. Does anything else need to be mantained?
Another alternative is making a regular water brush, and then placing a semi transparent func_conveyor with a scroll-texture material.
I did this in my upcoming version of cs_fallingwater and it looks good.
I did this in my upcoming version of cs_fallingwater and it looks good.
Chinese dragon:
Lemmings:
Ask the mods to rename the thread.
It's just an example...
My own example:
http://img326.imageshack.us/my.php?image=tapes2py.jpg
http://img326.imageshack.us/my.php?image=tapes2py.jpg
I don't know exactly how you have planned the intro, but I have this interesting idea. You could use a big tapestry full of iconic drawings explaining part of the story of the suzeron, the wars between Heat and Cold and other important mythological aspects of the story.
A camera on a tracktrain would slowly pan along, while a series of game texts or a very good narrator voice tells the background story.
THESE are two screenshots of the "Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind" film intro which uses this technique very effectively.
Since you like texture work and drawing, I'm sure you would enjoy doing something similar. If you need any help let me know.
A camera on a tracktrain would slowly pan along, while a series of game texts or a very good narrator voice tells the background story.
THESE are two screenshots of the "Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind" film intro which uses this technique very effectively.
Since you like texture work and drawing, I'm sure you would enjoy doing something similar. If you need any help let me know.
You coud use other colors and still give it a modern or minimalistic look:
http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/8277/srry6ma.jpg
Or you could try using a big, distant and invisble texlight brush to replace the light enviroment. Textlights give smoother lighting.
Edit: glad you solved it!
I'll use the tip for my maps too.
http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/8277/srry6ma.jpg
Or you could try using a big, distant and invisble texlight brush to replace the light enviroment. Textlights give smoother lighting.
Edit: glad you solved it!
I'll use the tip for my maps too.I'm surprised nobody mentioned this, but your textures are the cause of this lighting effect. Just look at what happened in some of my maps.
Structure
Tokyo Museum
Try using a darker and less monotonous texture and post the resulting screenshot.
Structure
Tokyo Museum
Try using a darker and less monotonous texture and post the resulting screenshot.
Natural lighting is never the way to illuminate a room. It looks like you are relying on sunlight to bring your room to life. Sunlight is an accentual thing at best. At worse, its a nuisance.Any architect would fade out when reading that sentence!
The floating_point zip file appears to work fine for me 
Anyway, I have to make some slight changes to the map so don't upload it yet.
Anyway, I have to make some slight changes to the map so don't upload it yet.
Precisely! Although it will be more intuitive. To be honest, I never made it further than the water temple in Ocarina of Time. I spent days exploring the temple until a friend told me there was a breakable floor somewhere. It was the kind of detail that would be unimportant in a more detailed game. It was somewhere around here.
In this map, I have followed the methods Valve and other companies use in their games. You will be faced with some simple puzzles in the beginnng to get to know them. Their difficulty will increase with time and some will be combined with others.
In this map, I have followed the methods Valve and other companies use in their games. You will be faced with some simple puzzles in the beginnng to get to know them. Their difficulty will increase with time and some will be combined with others.
This screenshot is sort of a spoiler, so don't click it if you want the whole map to be a surprise. It's made of 12 little screenies showing what I've done in the past 6 days (including doing the WAD file)
http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/1853/sandscroll5zj.jpg
http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/1853/sandscroll5zj.jpg
I forgot about the Serious Sam cannon. Now THAT was a serious weapon.
I also remember the taser in Syphon filter. Once the metal pins were in your enemy's body, you had to quickly tap a button to electrocute him. If you did so quickly enough, he would start burning
I also remember the taser in Syphon filter. Once the metal pins were in your enemy's body, you had to quickly tap a button to electrocute him. If you did so quickly enough, he would start burning
Haha, we've been somewhere around 40 posts offtopic.
I want Floating Point and Tinnos in the server rotation.
knowing this site, it will rapidly be the most usedYou can't deny you like all this attention. You wouldn't have made those journal entries otherwise
I want Floating Point and Tinnos in the server rotation.
I just have one personal question that other people might also have.
Why did you join TWHL?
I would like to think it was to share your knowledge and allowing twhl users to have a broader view of the HL community, by getting more twhlers to visit the Snarkpit and taking a look at what's going on there.
However, the nature of some of your posts, your journal entries claiming a study of the site, as well as mentioning things like "lists of morons" could make anyone with a brain think that you had some other intentions like provoking and making fun of people who are in the process of learning.
And like Rimrook said, you need to be more calm. Specially if you are talking about insecurities and stuff like that.
You can write a 5 paragraph reply if you like. You don't need to prove anything. You have good mapping skills and that's what should make you useful in this community. Don't try to be a priest.
And remember everyone, The grid void is our paper and brushes are our words (ok, entities and props too)
Why did you join TWHL?
I would like to think it was to share your knowledge and allowing twhl users to have a broader view of the HL community, by getting more twhlers to visit the Snarkpit and taking a look at what's going on there.
However, the nature of some of your posts, your journal entries claiming a study of the site, as well as mentioning things like "lists of morons" could make anyone with a brain think that you had some other intentions like provoking and making fun of people who are in the process of learning.
And like Rimrook said, you need to be more calm. Specially if you are talking about insecurities and stuff like that.
You can write a 5 paragraph reply if you like. You don't need to prove anything. You have good mapping skills and that's what should make you useful in this community. Don't try to be a priest.
And remember everyone, The grid void is our paper and brushes are our words (ok, entities and props too)
Just read the first paragraph in your post. It's meant to be an insult. Once again, a hostile and dismissive approach which can blind people and prevent them from understanding the useful things you might say. I told you about this when you first joined, and I expect you will slowly improve in that aspect. If not for you, do it for the rest of twhl
Your maps are nice. If you think they are crap and they still made "level of the week", it just shows that the "level of the week" award is nothing to take in consideration. I have been downloading those LotW maps for many years, they were mostly nice but few were really impressive.
I wish you made a "champion map" for the server showcasing your "experience". It would surely shut some mouths once and for all, as well as freeing you from the usual "I made those maps years ago" sentence to dismiss criticisms.
Your maps are nice. If you think they are crap and they still made "level of the week", it just shows that the "level of the week" award is nothing to take in consideration. I have been downloading those LotW maps for many years, they were mostly nice but few were really impressive.
I wish you made a "champion map" for the server showcasing your "experience". It would surely shut some mouths once and for all, as well as freeing you from the usual "I made those maps years ago" sentence to dismiss criticisms.
I'd like the server to have Tinnos or Floating Point. They offer a nice balance of gameplay and visuals. Warpcore seems too cramped and the map flow has several interrumptions.
As for all this discussion, it's a bit pointless. If people didn't like the maps because of the texturing, there's nothing else to say. They had nice gameflow and vertical combat.
If those levels were made years ago or were "Level of the week" is totally irrelevant to the server users.
I think it's a bit immature to say that "This is a generation of crap maps lovers anyway" if your maps are removed though...
Some of the maps that are still in the server are quite good even though they were never sent to planethalf-life. The HL community is bigger than we think
As for all this discussion, it's a bit pointless. If people didn't like the maps because of the texturing, there's nothing else to say. They had nice gameflow and vertical combat.
If those levels were made years ago or were "Level of the week" is totally irrelevant to the server users.
I think it's a bit immature to say that "This is a generation of crap maps lovers anyway" if your maps are removed though...
Some of the maps that are still in the server are quite good even though they were never sent to planethalf-life. The HL community is bigger than we think
For putting his maps on the server, I guess
Cheaters deserve all the bad things Valve does to them and much more. There's nothing wrong with ruining your experience in singleplayer, but messing with other people's fun is quite different. :
The painkiller could easily be in that top 10. As a matter of fact, the freeze shotgun and stakegun from the same game are also quite fun.
Let's hope developers make good use of the controller. From what has been seen so far, the motion sensor translates your movements into simple game orders. For example: If you swing the controller upwards, the game interprets the "up" order and your character model performs the "up" animation. If you moved the controller in a slight different angle, the difference won't show onscreen unless there's an animation for it.
I'm sure Nintendo will polish it for their games, but I'm not sure third party companies will do the same effort.
Our hopes were a bit high when we thought about accurate swordfights...
I'm sure Nintendo will polish it for their games, but I'm not sure third party companies will do the same effort.
Our hopes were a bit high when we thought about accurate swordfights...
Sometimes, there is something you see (like a movie, a place you visit, another map you see in a videogame...) that makes you want to make a map. It's the spark that triggers your imagination and gets things moving.
While mapping, you might think that your map doesn't really look like what you had imagined, and it's usually frustrating. The interest in the theme of your map can also fade away as other things come to your attention.
My advice, if you are capable of doing a map, and you WANT to make that map, I suggest trying to revive the moment where that "spark" originated.
For example, I would just need to see a Star Trek movie to get me mapping on my minimod again. The last game I was playing was the original Tomb Raider, and consequently the map I'm working on takes place in ancient Egypt.
While mapping, you might think that your map doesn't really look like what you had imagined, and it's usually frustrating. The interest in the theme of your map can also fade away as other things come to your attention.
My advice, if you are capable of doing a map, and you WANT to make that map, I suggest trying to revive the moment where that "spark" originated.
For example, I would just need to see a Star Trek movie to get me mapping on my minimod again. The last game I was playing was the original Tomb Raider, and consequently the map I'm working on takes place in ancient Egypt.
Actually, it has a 99% influence of the first Tomb Raider. I'm aiming more towards puzzle solving than fighting hordes of headless explosive freaks etc. 
Thanks for the coin texture! How did you guess I was going to use one? The thought ocurred to me this morning, and I knew Paint Shop Pro had some way of painting coins. It seems I don't have PSP installed, so your texture comes at the right time, thanks.
As for lighting, It will mostly come from the torches seen in the screenshots, with their corresponding detailed shadows.
As for the moveable light sources, do you mean they actually move? that sounds like dynamic lights, which HL1 doesn't do...
Some of the lights in Vilcabamba had a humming sound.
http://img274.imageshack.us/img274/8572/vilcalight6os.jpg
But I'm going for crackling fire in this one.
edit: liquid gold pools will also be a source of light.
As for lighting, It will mostly come from the torches seen in the screenshots, with their corresponding detailed shadows.
As for the moveable light sources, do you mean they actually move? that sounds like dynamic lights, which HL1 doesn't do...
Some of the lights in Vilcabamba had a humming sound.
http://img274.imageshack.us/img274/8572/vilcalight6os.jpg
But I'm going for crackling fire in this one.
edit: liquid gold pools will also be a source of light.
*bump
Forget my request. This little fella will do just fine. It needed to be pushable, and that's not easy with models.
Forget my request. This little fella will do just fine. It needed to be pushable, and that's not easy with models.
I have a modelling request. Is anyone capable of doing something like THIS?
Making it with brushwork would be suicide.
Making it with brushwork would be suicide.
Erm... It's a Half-life1 WAD!
I have done normal mapping for Source before though>> http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/6289/bmap29kw.jpg
Yes, the sand can save you or get you killed.
I have done normal mapping for Source before though>> http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/6289/bmap29kw.jpg
Yes, the sand can save you or get you killed.
A screenshot of the sand puzzle in action:
I used one of the Photoshop texturize filters (I don't know the exact name in the English version) to give the textures a bumpmap effect. Since light comes from below, it actually looks realistic.
At least nobody mentioned a "weapon_9mmARrrrrr !" 
wait... I just did.
wait... I just did.
That's not a twisted pillar. It's two separate twisted structures forming an helix. The one we are trying to make is compact.
Show as an example then. It's not that easy.
I'm working on it.
Mmm. It does lag.
At least more than my own "Kaufmann House" and much more than "Serene" for HL2.
At least more than my own "Kaufmann House" and much more than "Serene" for HL2.
My trip didn't help me recover any inspiration for my HL and HL2 maps, so these days I've been making experiments with a new egyptian texture set I've created from scratch (I googled some pics, obviously).
I know some of them look very cartoonish, but I've never been know for making realistic looking textures
There is a possibility of this developing into a full map, as several traps (some involving rising sand) have come to my mind.
I had also tought of including it in the Star Trek minimod, but somehow I think it would feel way too much like StarGate... any ideas?
I know some of them look very cartoonish, but I've never been know for making realistic looking textures
There are a maximum values for brushes, faces, clipnodes etc. The engine has its limits, and they are not unknown.
If it comes to doing something complicated, I'd rather use the Source engine, since it was designed for that. HL1 maps should all work on 300 Mhz machines
If it comes to doing something complicated, I'd rather use the Source engine, since it was designed for that. HL1 maps should all work on 300 Mhz machines
Screenshots look nice! Very nice style.
But give me a wpoly budget of +8000 and I'll see what I can do with it. 470 wpolys do the job fine, so it would be nice to experiment.
That's not to say the map is bad, but
But give me a wpoly budget of +8000 and I'll see what I can do with it. 470 wpolys do the job fine, so it would be nice to experiment.
That's not to say the map is bad, but
it's harder to balance nice visuals and nice performancelike Strider said.
It's hard to picture without an image of what type of robot you are talking about...
It wouldn't be too hard to do with Spirit of Half-life or Source because of entity parenting (func_rotating for the legs, parented to the body etc). But in HL1 it looks difficult.
It wouldn't be too hard to do with Spirit of Half-life or Source because of entity parenting (func_rotating for the legs, parented to the body etc). But in HL1 it looks difficult.
It's pretty much the same joke Trap said some posts before...
Ok, it is well known that the HL1 engine isn't exactly known for its shadow detail, but there are certain tricks we can use to improve that.
One of them is introducing the shadows into the textures themselves, which is possible and useful if you have a standard lightsource and standard wall textures throughout your map.
http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/1208/light2ch.jpg
One of them is introducing the shadows into the textures themselves, which is possible and useful if you have a standard lightsource and standard wall textures throughout your map.
http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/1208/light2ch.jpg
RotatorSplint might be right. Since most HL2DM maps tend to look the same (props anyone?), innovating gameplay or architecture is always a plus. The source engine lets us render huge areas easily, and physics add a huge new dimension to gameplay if you use your imagination well. I haven't made any HL2DM maps for a while, but I have some ideas for future maps.
Well, I visited the Aachen Cathedral in Germany. Had I done so earlier, I might have made my map based on it. It's a unique building, unlike the all-too-similar gothic cathedrals around Europe.
http://www.oih.rwth-aachen.de/~hendrik/aachenerdom.html
http://www.oih.rwth-aachen.de/~hendrik/aachenerdom.html
My other entry will not make the deadline, even unfinished. The 12 days I spent in Belgium and the FIFA World Cup took my interest away from it :(. I have only submitted "Serene".
To change the framerate, you would need to repeat each texture several times.
However, making a "movie" display would mean a lot of texture memory and a lot of Wally work.
However, making a "movie" display would mean a lot of texture memory and a lot of Wally work.
There is a text file somewhere in the pak0.pk in which you can change the values related to the difficulty levels, such as the health each monster has, how much damage weapons do etc.
I like it.
I hope it will also have a cool and menacing sound to replace the apache one.
I hope it will also have a cool and menacing sound to replace the apache one.
A large room should always have some source of natural light, unless we're talking about an underground facility.
Don't use point lights as they procude very rough shadows. In one of my maps, I made a little 16x16 units cube with a light emitting texture. I turned it into a func_illusionary with a rendermode of texture and fx amount = 0.
The result is a "point light" with much better shadow results.
Don't use point lights as they procude very rough shadows. In one of my maps, I made a little 16x16 units cube with a light emitting texture. I turned it into a func_illusionary with a rendermode of texture and fx amount = 0.
The result is a "point light" with much better shadow results.
Screenshots anyone? I don't have HL in this computer to test it...
Very little progress considering there's more than one person involved... As I said in my journal, I'm in Belgium right now so my maps will not advance for quite a while.