A la FEAR [SOURCE] Created 17 years ago2006-10-14 11:38:20 UTC by Madcow

This is my biggest map project ever.
I'm making a large single player example map about how to make a "FEAR themed horror map".
Basicly I'm trying to recreate all of those things that happened in FEAR, and on top of that I will try to make an intro (which - I must say - so far looks like crap)
However I'm happy about the map itself so far.
So in this thread I will show of some of my ideas and so on.

I also had to make a little story up so...
Story
You're a security guard working at a place called "origin".
You have no idea what kind of top secret experiments the scientists are doing but you have no reason to care anyway.
One day something happens, you are on your way to work and you find dead people everywhere so you decide to enter the building and
1. See what's going on
2. Save your friends
You enter the building through the roof.

---

To begin with, here are som screenshots, now remember, the map is far from finnished, so I would gladly listen to your advice on how to improve the map.

The map itself

Intro (I've just started on the intro, so yes, the second screeny is hight undetailed.

I remember what rimrook said.
The map was too dark but no matter what I do with light options or monitor settings it all looks OK to me.
So if any more people find the screenshots too dark then just tell me and I'll bright the map up.

---

What am I doing right now?
I'm trying to finnish the intro.

Looking cool so far. A good idea for the slowdown effect is to bind "host_timescale 0.3" to a key. And then bind "host_timescale 1" to another key. I tried to do this before with a client command but it didn't work. So maybe telling the player to do that.

Thanks.

Yeah I'm planning to use it when you'll get to battle with the "prototypes" (who in this case are the npc_combine_s while npc_metropolice is your friend)
However I have one problem.
I need to slow down the player somehow, not with slowmotion though because that also slows down everything else.

I tried to do this before with a client command but it didn't work

If you didn't get the host_timescale command to work you should check out Strider's example map on it, it's a really cool effect

I'll say this nicely but your texture scale is unnecessarily huge and ugly and the lights don't add much to it either.

I'm sure the effects will be grand but right now your choice of textures really puts me off.

Something tells me you clicked fit...

But this is too early to judge...Bring on more screens when it looks good.

If you didn't get the host_timescale command to work you should check out Strider's example map on it, it's a really cool effect

It is not that I didn't get the host_timescale to work, it is I didn't get the bind to work. I figured out point client commands cand do bind.

That was my idea Exos you dawg you!

Ya, me and Exos tried the bind timescale to a key. As he said, binds dont work. If you cant get a slowdown to work dynamicly, then its going to take away from the FEAR feeling

Mapping looks pretty nice so far. I must say though, dont use too much vibrant colors. FEAR is mainly about normal plain textures bump mapped like mad

I really like that fire/combine scene. Very cool

Im just getting into character animations and importing them in game. If you started this maybe a month later (giving me time to learn) I could of extracted a FEAR soldier model, copied the bones from a combine into it, and then exported it in-game to replace the combine in the map That would be so awsome! Its really not that difficult to do. Only thing I need to know is how to extract models from FEAR, and just some animation exporting.

Remember, I listen to all of your advices.

Habboi:

Something tells me you clicked fit...

You got that right.
I always click fit so that the height is correct to the wall, then I scale the width down to normal again.
I am really bad at texturing, any advice on how I should do it would be great, I'll keep experimenting with it.

But to help me, could you name the screenshot/s (1 to 4) where there is texturing which you do not like.
I highly dislike the texturing on number 4 and believe me I will change it if I find a better solution.

Xyos212

Ya, me and Exos tried the bind timescale to a key. As he said, binds dont work. If you cant get a slowdown to work dynamicly, then its going to take away from the FEAR feeling

Well, I'll take it as far as it is possible.
I was thinking that you run in to this large storage or, whatever - and then the slowmotion turns on, then it dissapares after a while.
I will also try to find that command which messes with the colours to give it that FEAR look if possible.

Mapping looks pretty nice so far. I must say though, dont use too much vibrant colors. FEAR is mainly about normal plain textures bump mapped like mad

Thank you!
Matter of fact, I'm using the boring method which so many people doesn't like.
I make a room and then I fill it with models, because that's pretty much how FEAR looked and I love it.

Vibrant textures, okay so most complaints are about the textures, I'll need to think this through more carefully, but also, feel free to suggest a texture theme or something.

I really like that fire/combine scene. Very cool

I'm trying to remake that scene which pops up in FEAR from time to time where you walk around and there is fire everywhere and you face these fast enemies flying towards you, not very hard to recreate I mean it's just fire in a black room, but it's quite cool.

Im just getting into character animations and importing them in game. If you started this maybe a month later (giving me time to learn) I could of extracted a FEAR soldier model, copied the bones from a combine into it, and then exported it in-game to replace the combine in the map That would be so awsome! Its really not that difficult to do. Only thing I need to know is how to extract models from FEAR, and just some animation exporting.

We could try that!
That would be awsome!
And perhaps the security guard models, or something.

Edit:

I've got a problem with the intro
There is one thing that I've forgotten about the AI which right now is making it imposseble to make the intro.
Two enemies won't fire at each other if the player isn't around.
This can be fixed, I know, I mean there was plenty of sequences in HL2 where you watched for example antlions and combines fighting on TV monitors.
I don't know how to make the NPC_combine_s shoot the npc_metropolice when the player isn't around, does anyone know how to do this?
Edit2:
Fixed it.
I forgot about the flag "Think outside PVS"

Updated, now with cubemaps!

Some faces still go black for some reason - I'll try to fix it.

Now I've run in to an other problem with the intro.
No mather what I type in to the "hold time" field (point_viewcontrol) it just stays in for a few seconds.
I'm not sure why this is happening, and I can't find any output shutting the point_viewcontrols down.
I've tried to activate the flag "infinite hold time" but that seems to make the hold time even shorter!
Does anyone know what's wrong?

I'm afraid that's rather ugly, and I don't see the purpose of sharing such early screenshots. They'll just get mocked and I doubt anything constructive will come out of it.

At the moment, they're dark rooms full of props and light sources that aren't even lit (i lyk ur realism lol). Hell, even mcmitcho could do that.

I wouldn't have shown screenshots this early, but you've gone ahead and done it. I'd try and make something good and a little more established before showing it off.

/2cents

Some faces still go black for some reason

Are you using materiales that belong to models instead of brushes?
Anyway, if you are going to post big screenshots, the least you could do is activating anti-aliasing.

Kasperg is indeed correct on both of those points. Black materials are cos you're using prop textures. And you should turn up your settings if you're posting highish res screenshots. Jagged lines and blurry textures aren't attractive.

I don't know how to post small screenshots, I've done it before (as you can see) but I thought I copied the same forum code but instead I got big ones. :S

Prop materials? I'll change them then.

I'm afraid that's rather ugly, and I don't see the purpose of sharing such early screenshots. They'll just get mocked and I doubt anything constructive will come out of it.
At the moment, they're dark rooms full of props and light sources that aren't even lit (i lyk ur realism lol). Hell, even mcmitcho could do that.

I wouldn't have shown screenshots this early, but you've gone ahead and done it. I'd try and make something good and a little more established before showing it off.

/2cents

lol.
Ok then, I'll work on it more before I post screenshots.

Post small screenshots by resizing them in Gimp for instance.

It's hard to explain texturing...I look at something and if it don't look right I change it. You just have to learn for yourself.

Post small screenshots by resizing them in Gimp for instance.

In imageshack there is a forum code which posts a thumbnail which links to the real image

The problem is not the size of the images in the thread. It's the images themselves. Being this big and having aliasing issues makes them look bad. Smaller screenshots (not thumbnails) do the job.

I agree with Trapt. For things like mapping its best to do get feedback after a sufficient amount of work is done so people get a better idea of what your going for. Things where step by step feedback would be helpful is more suited for things like texture creation/model creation.

Maybe when your 1/4 done post some more screenies, then more at 1/2, and some more before finishing

As for some advice on the screenies themselves:

FEAR has a more sterile office feel. Replace the wood tables with metal ones, or wood ones. Most walls in FEAR did not have specular on them. It was more reserved for windows/tile. Choose some materials that are normal mapped, but with no specuar that match the FEAR theme.

Its hard to comment though because your so early in work.

Good luck on the rest though Sounds like it could turn out to be really pwn

Check this out if you want a more authentic feel
http://www.fpsbanana.com/skins/11660

All looks very boxy, and why do the images link to imageshack?

Oh no, somebody linked to FPS banana...........

Thank you all for your help.

I'm having trouble finding good materials.
There are really few good inside materials in Half-life 2.
Would it be OK if I "stole" from CSS?
It's also quite hard to find matching props, perhaps I need to do brushbased ones, and that doesn't look so FTW in HL2 but I guess I have no choice.

All looks very boxy, and why do the images link to imageshack?

FEAR isn't very rich on architecture, and I am trying to recreate fear so it will remain boxy.
And about imageshack, bah, I can't help it, those codesnippets they give you are confusing, which one is the right one?

I'm having trouble finding good materials.

I just linked you to a huge set of materials!

I don't think I can use them.
I mean, they are to skin CS office, not for personal mapping use.

You can use whatever you want provided you ask for permission...OF COURSE you can use CSS materials in HL2...It's wrong if you use them in a comercial game.

FEAR isn't very rich on architecture, and I am trying to recreate fear so it will remain boxy.

Don't make excuses.

You can use whatever you want provided you ask for permission...OF COURSE you can use CSS materials in HL2...It's wrong if you use them in a comercial game.

O rly?
So I just need to ask for premission, and give him a credit?

I can't help it, those codesnippets they give you are confusing, which one is the right one?

Direct link to image. Set up the BBcode on TWHL yourself. Dont use pre-made BBcode from imageshack.

Stop mocking me! >_<!

ROFL:

http://www.fpsbanana.com/skins/16109

Anyone can rip the CS:S textures and claim them as there own....

I mean, they are to skin CS office, not for personal mapping use

So its impossible to use them for mapping, is that what you're saying? How do you figure? That's like saying you can't use custom textures for mapping, period. Its simple, just download the textures and make a map with them, they don't have to be for cs_office.

No what I ment was that I don't think you're allowed to use them for mapping.
I will ask him.
You "sound" offended, don't be :S

I guess you use them in an apple sundae then...

...
I think that they are for skinning CS office only, perhaps they are for mappers aswell - I don't know.
As I said habboi, I will ask him.
End of discussion.