Forum posts
You can remove them if you want to, but I wouldn't. They were there for a reason. I don't know why people complicate themselves so much. The map is full of hints and things that are breakable etc. If three people manage to do a great map using the pipes and get the trophies, don't you start complaining
I didnt notice the map had some errors. It compiled perfectly last time I saved it. It's a good thing we play BSPs instead of RMFs!
Who knows what horrible issues the rest of my RMFs might have...
I usually don't dedicate much time to optimize brushwork or even texturing, while theme, lighting, layout and gameflow are usually my priorities.
I'll try to be more careful if I ever have to make a base map again.
Who knows what horrible issues the rest of my RMFs might have...
I usually don't dedicate much time to optimize brushwork or even texturing, while theme, lighting, layout and gameflow are usually my priorities.
I'll try to be more careful if I ever have to make a base map again.
There are better ways to track down a leakCompile very often, and use a big grid size when making brushes that are the limits of the map.
The F.A.Q states the game will come out on DVD, but I suspect it will more than just one disk. Any idea of how much drive space you need to install it?
I haven't played any FSims since Flight Simulator 98.
Even if it sounds boring for some, I think it could be a fun alternative to searching for places in Google Earth.
I haven't played any FSims since Flight Simulator 98.
Even if it sounds boring for some, I think it could be a fun alternative to searching for places in Google Earth.
It also has its share of obvious repetition in stairway textures (first post in the HL mapping tips thread) and serious engine rendering problems. Some maps seem to lack a visibility information set (vis) and the map is being rendered at once when you are in a small hallway. The game was rushed. Still, I think the particle effects, AI and ambience were worth checking out.
High r_speeds are OK with me, as long as there are no errors running the map.
Dr. Mapper has to decide the theme for the next Source competition.
Dr. Mapper has to decide the theme for the next Source competition.
By giving as already made artitecture isn't the thing I ment, it limits youLet's see who can make the best with those limits then
In the past 2 competitions I proposed, people complained that the theme was too complicated and there was too much to do. This is quite a simple and easy competition. I could think of many ways to change the map according to the rules that would make it almost impossible to recognize. Saying that the map cuts down your freedom or imagination is false, it just sounds like an excuse...
I get the feeling that few people here map for fun. If you want to create your ultra cool layout and map, go ahead. But to get this trophy, you have to be better than the rest doing the same thing. That's what competitions are usually about
If anyone has serious doubts on what you can/can't do, but wants to keep it secret, send a private message.
Give us liberty to do everything in the inside with the same layoutThat's the whole idea...
why do you give us base maps? It's not a mapping compo, it's an editing compoIsn't mapping the same as editing? You create, change, texture and move brushes around, and you place entities and change their properties.
I get the feeling that few people here map for fun. If you want to create your ultra cool layout and map, go ahead. But to get this trophy, you have to be better than the rest doing the same thing. That's what competitions are usually about
If anyone has serious doubts on what you can/can't do, but wants to keep it secret, send a private message.
the fact of the matter is that we are actually a country in declineIt's funny that people like Oscar Wilde or the American architect Fran Lloyd Wright said that "America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between" Wright also said that "Until we have a culture we won't have a true democracy"
Would you consider Wright's words anti-american? (he lived from 1867 to 1959), or was he trying to get people to meditate on that like Satchmo is doing?
Replying to Luke
People have hands, other people know about it, and fist fights have existed for hundreds of thousands of years.
If other people don't have guns, you don't need a gun to protect yourself.
Pro-weapon arguments are usually nonsense too. You can use a gun for sport? I don't doubt it, but dynamite is used for mining and that wouldnt make it a good thing to have at home...
People have hands, other people know about it, and fist fights have existed for hundreds of thousands of years.
If other people don't have guns, you don't need a gun to protect yourself.
Pro-weapon arguments are usually nonsense too. You can use a gun for sport? I don't doubt it, but dynamite is used for mining and that wouldnt make it a good thing to have at home...
I think many of the talents in the community could have done a better jobHow many people work at vALVE (not counting STEAM programmers)?
I dont know if they are already working on HL3, but their rate of releases (Lost Coast, DoD and some CS maps) in 18 months seems a bit slow. I know there's a lot of playtesting involved, but it kind of makes you wonder if their mappers really like what they are doing.
I always like to think what it would be like if they had me on their team
It makes me wonder what makes this country strong and powerfulEven though there's an extended aura of ignorance among the population, most people know where they belong. They perform their job well and they know they can get fired if they dont. As a metaphor, we could say that a pulley inside a mechanism doesn't need to know how the whole thing works because all it has to do is rotate around its axis.
In my country, for example, I think people are lazy. Everyone thinks they can get the best jobs, too many people are allowed to apply for college and others will stay unemployed for a long time (living out of other people's taxes) because they feel the jobs offered to them are unworthy.
Have you finished transforming Fallingwater to a cs_ map?I'm working on it. As matter of fact, my Easter holidays started yesterday and I'm working on 4 different maps at once (for HL, HL2, HL2DM and CS:S).
The problem with Fallingwater is the time it takes to scan the map for possible bot paths and spots. I guess it happens to every big map out there. It must have been a pain for the author of de_corse too.
I'll try to keep the filesize even lower than the hl2 version.
Fallingwater has a filesize 10 times smaller 
The map is very nice, although I couldnt get some of the models to show up. Are there any significant changes in this version?
The map is very nice, although I couldnt get some of the models to show up. Are there any significant changes in this version?
I don't see doing the map room by room a bad thing, because I almost always use this method. The important thing is to have a layout somewhere. It doesn't always have to be in the map. You can have it in your head or in a piece of paper.
There are problems of course, because sometimes you need to connect two areas and it's not clear how. But I always like that bit of challenge!
I also tend to detail rooms right away, because I need to see how it will look in the completed version. Some little ideas can be lost (if you dont write them down of course) if you abandon one area and work on other parts of a map.
There are problems of course, because sometimes you need to connect two areas and it's not clear how. But I always like that bit of challenge!
I also tend to detail rooms right away, because I need to see how it will look in the completed version. Some little ideas can be lost (if you dont write them down of course) if you abandon one area and work on other parts of a map.
Does vtex give you an error message?
Are the dimensions of the image multiples of 2?
Are the dimensions of the image multiples of 2?
I have a map that takes all my RAM when compiling and never finishes. Would Nem's tools free up enough memory to accomplish a succesful compile?
Hammer loads incredible amounts of textures and models, and I think that's the problem...
Hammer loads incredible amounts of textures and models, and I think that's the problem...
If anything your own work, or that of Kasperg or Rabidmonkey or any of the other legends that I aspire to around here, should have recieved this attention and not me.I've found my "Kaufmann House" map featured in other webpages, but no one has contacted me yet
I'll try to reinstall Day 14 this weekend and see if there isnt any problem with the custom materials like last time.
It would be nice if you eventually post the German article in this thread so we could see it.
I think PS3 will be too expensive. If I had my own money I might think about it, but it's out of the question. The Formula1 game looks nice, and there will be the usual Gran Turismo and Tekken there. I also agree that an HDTV is needed. Awesome graphics will never be so awesome at 640x480...
I guess you're right, but we can't comment on the screenshots we haven't seen yet
The theme is promising. I like everything related to ancient temples (12 of my maps are temples).
At this point, nothing (besides the ceiling structure) looks extremely original. I'm sure this will change and your ideas will make the map grow.
It's also hard to comment if the textures you show us aren't the ones you intend to put there...
The theme is promising. I like everything related to ancient temples (12 of my maps are temples).
At this point, nothing (besides the ceiling structure) looks extremely original. I'm sure this will change and your ideas will make the map grow.
It's also hard to comment if the textures you show us aren't the ones you intend to put there...
The map is somewhat dark and I assume that's by choiceTosse is a fan of Painkiller and zombie movies, it's understandable.
I also think the map might end up too cramped. There are a lot of ways to map. One is making a big layout and detailing it. Another one is building room by room and detailing them before moving to the next (it looks like this is the case here, right?). If this is going to be a DM map, you need to include bigger areas where the long-range weapons are useful. Narrow hallways for the shotgun, etc. I get the best DM experience from maps like "Crossfire" or my own "Punishment2" (which happen to be daytime maps
)I think you have the skill to make this a very good map, you just have to make the right choices.
Can area_portals help speed up the compile process? I thought they only optimized in-game rendering.
Very nice so far! It obviously reminds me of PoisonGarden, but that's not a negative comment.
The gate in the first pic looks too fragile. If you are using a texture composed of massive stone blocks, you could use them to modulate the geometry. Sometimes thinking about how something would be built gives you tips.
The gate in the first pic looks too fragile. If you are using a texture composed of massive stone blocks, you could use them to modulate the geometry. Sometimes thinking about how something would be built gives you tips.
the concrete side of the glass wallsThere shouldnt be ANY concrete side in a glass brush, even if its not a breakable glass.
Framerates depend on the user's hardware, but it's a good thing you've optimized. I doubt I'll get more than 60 fps. It doesnt really matter since my screen can only display 40 fps. I'm downloading it now.
He might have the map in one computer and needs a USB flashdrive to move them to a computer with an Internet connection.
I havent played the map yet, but I can see in the outside screenshot that there's one of those almost-invisible barriers, with 4 of these props >> /-
Obviously, a normal person could walk between them. I've seen this in other CS maps (de_spirits for example) and I cant say I like it. There are a bunch of fence props for this game that people can use, or putting a series of wrecked vehicles on fire like in "Max Payne".
I'll add something else when I check the whole map, it looks good.
Obviously, a normal person could walk between them. I've seen this in other CS maps (de_spirits for example) and I cant say I like it. There are a bunch of fence props for this game that people can use, or putting a series of wrecked vehicles on fire like in "Max Payne".
I'll add something else when I check the whole map, it looks good.
I have succesfully inserted some of the CS models into the map. Vegetation looks better, and I'm experimenting with stone and grass textures that look more like the real thing.
http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/8312/csfalling2tt.jpg
To make it playable, I might have to make the river dry or at least with cheap water. I also have no clue on where to place the map limits. The guest house will not be a part of the map.
http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/8312/csfalling2tt.jpg
To make it playable, I might have to make the river dry or at least with cheap water. I also have no clue on where to place the map limits. The guest house will not be a part of the map.
Make the map smaller or use bigger texture scale values for X and Y in those faces.
That seemed to be the problem (hits own head with The Hammer)...
In case anyone cares, I've started to work a bit with the CS version of "Fallingwater", that's why I needed to use new props. CS has a much wider range of plants, trees etc. than HL2
In case anyone cares, I've started to work a bit with the CS version of "Fallingwater", that's why I needed to use new props. CS has a much wider range of plants, trees etc. than HL2
It looks ok, but the foliage seems to be randomly placed, I dont know...
I've always had a question regarding Chinese. If words are logographic instead of alphabetic, is there such a thing as a Chinese dictionary? What would be the criteria to organize these symbols and what would you have to do to look one up?
If I open a map in Hammer, every single prop from that map is loaded and seen. However, I am unable to add anymore models to the maps. The model browser just says no .mdl files in almost every single directory. The only props I can use are some rocks from props/wasteland and one or two other models from certain folders.
I have refreshed the SDK content several times, but this did not fix the issue.
Has anyone encountered this problem or knows a possible cause/solution?
I can map without props, but brush-based trees are hard to get right...
I have refreshed the SDK content several times, but this did not fix the issue.
Has anyone encountered this problem or knows a possible cause/solution?
I can map without props, but brush-based trees are hard to get right...
I dont know if you are aware of the scale of the map. Have you seen other players or non playable characters inside it? By looking at the textures I'd say it's too big. The texture patterns look repetitive, which was normal in HL but shouldnt really happen with the Source engine...
About optimizing, it's not something you do after the map is done. It is part of the planning and the process of a map...
About optimizing, it's not something you do after the map is done. It is part of the planning and the process of a map...
Some of my younger teachers accidentally use shortcuts while writing on the blackboard. The funny thing is that noone notices at first
People who are bored are the ones that don't do anything at all. I bet these guys had a hell of a good time making the video (video editing is one of my hobbies).
I always get the "you must be bored to make all those maps" from some pf my friends. If I was really bored, then I'd watch TV like they do...
I always get the "you must be bored to make all those maps" from some pf my friends. If I was really bored, then I'd watch TV like they do...
It would be difficult to map for HL1, but easy with Source's dismaps and shiny organic textures.
He's told you its a glass brush, not a breakable glass. A glass brush can have every face with a glass texture, just like every window does in my Source maps.
Have you considered cubemaps in all of this?
I wouldnt put glass and concrete on the same brush. It's illogical anyway.
Try turning the glass brushes into func_walls and changing the render values. It's not the best solution (func_walls are rather obsolete) but you might get better results.
I wouldnt put glass and concrete on the same brush. It's illogical anyway.
Try turning the glass brushes into func_walls and changing the render values. It's not the best solution (func_walls are rather obsolete) but you might get better results.
i still dont understand wtf 2001: A space odysee is aboutIt's about a series of loosely connected events that are supposed to trigger a series of questions on the viewer. It triggered many questions for me, but none had to do with the plot. Rather with the lack of plot.
Technically, the film is an achievement, but I'd much rather watch "Planet of the Apes", a more interesting film made in the same year.
As for other films, I tought Saw and Saw2 were interesting, but you have probably seen them already.
I dont know if it still works for CS:Source, but you could create a file with a message to show up when joining your server, regardless of the map being played. I think the file was motd.txt (message of the day)
Rimrook doesnt map for HL2 because of his current system specs, as far as I know. It's obvious he knows that the material system (vs. the WAD system) will eventually enable him to further develop his texturing skills and add another dimension to the maps.
Personally, a theme like Nazarine almost begs to be made in source, with shiny marble floors and reflective water...
Personally, a theme like Nazarine almost begs to be made in source, with shiny marble floors and reflective water...
I get my inspiration from films (star trek for example), or other maps from other games (Tomb Raider etc)
Some of my maps are just adaptations of an existing place, and others are absolutely made up. To be honest, I dont know where the inspiration came for Floating Point, Floating Line or Floating Surface.
Sometimes a map can be born from a simple idea. Hexagons >> Hexagerate
As for my HL2DM maps, they are mostly inspired by HL2 itself... duh
Some of my maps are just adaptations of an existing place, and others are absolutely made up. To be honest, I dont know where the inspiration came for Floating Point, Floating Line or Floating Surface.
Sometimes a map can be born from a simple idea. Hexagons >> Hexagerate
As for my HL2DM maps, they are mostly inspired by HL2 itself... duh
Nazarine sounds similar to parts of my plans for Sacrifice:Source. As a matter of fact, it's sort of a mix between Novera (Hell) and Nazarine (paradise)
I just wish I had more time to map...
I just wish I had more time to map...
I dont know why you would choose an editor based on how many noobs use it to make maps. The choice should be based on things like "which editor will allow me to use my imagination?" or "In which game will my map be more succesful?"
As for killbox maps being played online instead of mine... Their loss. I had fun making them, and I know (mostly thanks to this site) that some people do appreciate them and are inspired to make better maps. That's a good enough reward for me.
I would be angry if a n00b killbox map won a competition (with money involved) instead of a good map by me. But that's not the case... so no harm done.
As for killbox maps being played online instead of mine... Their loss. I had fun making them, and I know (mostly thanks to this site) that some people do appreciate them and are inspired to make better maps. That's a good enough reward for me.
I would be angry if a n00b killbox map won a competition (with money involved) instead of a good map by me. But that's not the case... so no harm done.
I think the Source configuration is better. Now I dont have to worry about where VIS.exe and the others are. Since I know these programs, I dont mind if they are being kept in the dark, so all I have to do is concentrate in mapping.
About noob maps, I cant say anything because I neither download or play them at all. It's rather easy to stay away from them If you want to.
In the looks vs. fun issue, I personally would stay away from a map that has horrible looks even if the gameplay is fun. As a matter of fact, playing in a good looking arena is a part of that fun for me. I will never love a map that was not loved by the author.
About noob maps, I cant say anything because I neither download or play them at all. It's rather easy to stay away from them If you want to.
In the looks vs. fun issue, I personally would stay away from a map that has horrible looks even if the gameplay is fun. As a matter of fact, playing in a good looking arena is a part of that fun for me. I will never love a map that was not loved by the author.
I've never seen the film. 
I think the problem is that he doesnt want the level to change while one of the doors is open, and suddenly appear closed in the next map.
Make the hall longer or make the door close faster to be sure it wont happen. Use a normal trigger_changelevel instead of trying complicated things.
Edit: you could make the doors open and close with separate triggers, to be 100% sure the doors will be open/close when you desire.
Make the hall longer or make the door close faster to be sure it wont happen. Use a normal trigger_changelevel instead of trying complicated things.
Edit: you could make the doors open and close with separate triggers, to be 100% sure the doors will be open/close when you desire.
Looks very nice. Good resolution and the models are anti-aliased.
the odds are that there is at least ONE other planet which can support lifePart of the drake equation predicts that chance is small.
Civilizations of our galaxy supporting intelligent life = R*fp*ne*fl
where
R is the rate of star formation in our galaxy
fp is the fraction of those stars which have planets
ne is average number of planets which can potentially support life per star that has planets
fl is the fraction of the above which actually go on to develop life
edit: the equation doesnt even consider contact with other galaxies
I think the main problem with optimization is not that "there are too many visible polygons because the map is too detailed".
The problem is when those polygons are not seen by the player but the engine can see them. For example, I dont care if a map such as Carbaseus has a huge amount of wpolys, because I can actually see them most of the time and they serve a purpose.
Let me use another example. When I walk around my "Kaufmann House" map in HL2, it runs rather slowly. But I understand that I'm getting a huge and pretty enviroment in return.
Bad performance hurts when there's no apparent reason for it, as is the case in several levels of F.E.A.R. You are in a small hallway, but the engine seems to be rendering a whole map at once.
I try to stay lower than 500 polygons in my HLDM maps, even though that's a very low limit. The thing is, I dont think I really need more polygons (I dont usually spend too much time with the same HLDM map)
In source maps, I just check the budget now and then.
The problem is when those polygons are not seen by the player but the engine can see them. For example, I dont care if a map such as Carbaseus has a huge amount of wpolys, because I can actually see them most of the time and they serve a purpose.
Let me use another example. When I walk around my "Kaufmann House" map in HL2, it runs rather slowly. But I understand that I'm getting a huge and pretty enviroment in return.
Bad performance hurts when there's no apparent reason for it, as is the case in several levels of F.E.A.R. You are in a small hallway, but the engine seems to be rendering a whole map at once.
I try to stay lower than 500 polygons in my HLDM maps, even though that's a very low limit. The thing is, I dont think I really need more polygons (I dont usually spend too much time with the same HLDM map)
In source maps, I just check the budget now and then.