Natural Selection 2 Map-Editor released Created 14 years ago2009-11-25 03:08:34 UTC by Seker Seker

Created 14 years ago2009-11-25 03:08:34 UTC by Seker Seker

Posted 14 years ago2009-11-25 03:08:34 UTC Post #276023
The "Natural Selection 2" mapping editor was released yesterday to everyone who preordered (20$ or special edition 40$)

You can see it in action here
http://www.naturalselection2.com/tutorials

What you think ? I love that editor :P
(btw it's wysiwyg)
Posted 14 years ago2009-11-25 03:33:46 UTC Post #276024
Its Google Sketchup.
Rimrook RimrookSince 2003
Posted 14 years ago2009-11-25 03:53:18 UTC Post #276025
Heh, something else that makes Hammer look like a crappy, steaming turd.
Strider StriderTuned to a dead channel.
Posted 14 years ago2009-11-25 04:29:02 UTC Post #276026
It looks like a lame rip-off of Hammer to me. Except for the WYSIWYG features, I see very few differences, though that it now appears to rely on prefab models more than ever.
Posted 14 years ago2009-11-25 05:28:15 UTC Post #276027
It looks like a lame rip-off of Hammer to me. Except for the WYSIWYG features, I see very few differences, though that it now appears to rely on prefab models more than ever.
I agree with the prefab thing, but it is an editor built totally around their own designs. That being said, realtime previews, more advanced brush building tools , smoother UI... seems like a much nicer, more refined version of Hammer... so I guess it is a bit of a rip-off.
Strider StriderTuned to a dead channel.
Posted 14 years ago2009-11-25 23:34:34 UTC Post #276053
Perfect mix of Sketchup and Hammer imo, will definitely check it out. Can't say I'm overly interested in the game itself though. Will wait for a drop in price on Steam or something.
Trapt Traptlegend
Posted 14 years ago2009-11-26 00:30:16 UTC Post #276054
I was a little harsh. I didn't mean it's an inferior copy of Hammer, I should have said that it very very closely resembles it, which isn't a bad thing, it just doesn't show much creativity. However, that demo video left me very unimpressed. It looks like it promotes the use of overly blocky base architecture masked with a plethora of intricately designed models.
Posted 14 years ago2009-11-26 03:26:02 UTC Post #276059
Given the team worked with Hammer for the original, and were working with Hammer for the second before switching to their own engine, it comes as no surprise that they'd create a similar but more powerful editor.

I think it's pretty clear those demo videos were simply the most basic of tutorials to get people with no prior experience with level designing started. There is absolutely no reason why you would not be able to create complex architecture as you would in Hammer: it's the same interface with the top and side views. The grid on that video was set to 16 but I'm sure you could lower that significantly for more intricacies.

But who gives a shit anyway? Why would you want complex base architecture in the first place? Models are where it's at!

Besides, it's how models and base architecture come together that determines how the map looks. If you can get a map looking as good as theirs do, who gives a shit how it's composed?
User posted image
User posted image
Trapt Traptlegend
Posted 14 years ago2009-11-26 13:30:46 UTC Post #276067
It's only 20$ how much should it drop? xD

Well anyways the editor is still in heavy development and people are making lots of suggestions.
So I guess the editor will get even better.
If I read right it is even vtf backwards compatible :o

They will license the engine so we might see other big companys using that engine in the "near future". (beware valve time)
Posted 14 years ago2009-11-26 15:13:40 UTC Post #276069
You can download the editor here (308 MB).
308 mb?.....Wow, that's very big for an editor.
Posted 14 years ago2009-11-26 17:35:35 UTC Post #276074
Heh, you all people have negative ideas about prefabs, but that's how's the mapping done these days. The Cryengine2 sandbox (the editor) is a WYSIWYG at an extreme level. I was damn curious how I could build some simple walls, blocky stuff like you do it in hammer you know ?
That was the most difficult part to find in the editor ! Most of the editor is about creating terrain and adding prefabs to it. Thank god there are and there will still be a good range of popular and open source games that will use editors like hammer :).
I personally think that every editor is adapted to the style of the game.
In hl1 you create most of the things from "world brushes" and models are rarely used. Even in source you do that, but you use more and more props than ever. Think about how hl3 will be, of course the editor will be a WYSIWYG in my opinion. But that will be long time in the future.
Striker StrikerI forgot to check the oil pressure
Posted 14 years ago2009-11-29 10:28:15 UTC Post #276155
The editor also got lots of models and textures... it's not "just the editor".
Posted 14 years ago2009-11-29 15:22:29 UTC Post #276156
Wow. I love that editor. It looks fantastic.
I loved natural selection when it first came out... This looks incredibly sweet! Definitely considering buying it.

-Caved
Bought it.
That's what happens when you deposit a nice fat check the day before.
Still have some christmas shopping to do, but this is a gift for myself.
Tetsu0 Tetsu0Positive Chaos
Posted 14 years ago2009-11-29 18:50:09 UTC Post #276158
Heh, you all people have negative ideas about prefabs, but that's how's the mapping done these days.
That's because most of the prefab-based editors/engines suck. Point in case; The Cryengine2 sandbox has no real challenge or options to it unless you can model-it's all terrain and models. You cannot make anything original using just the editor, no matter what you do you'll have an island with trees and huts on it.
Notewell NotewellGIASFELFEBREHBER
Posted 14 years ago2009-11-29 21:33:24 UTC Post #276166
OK So just got home from my cuz's 25th b-day party, now i'm playing with Spark.
Holy Goddamn.... This editor is outstanding.
The texture editing is incredible. Each face has it's own selection thingy. Has a rotation ring and stretch handles so you can actively stretch and rotate any texture you want.

Automatic VMing via selecting faces, vertices, and edges and moving or rotating them.

Engine also supports valve VTF files, and is automatically converted to the NS II format.

I'm in love.
Tetsu0 Tetsu0Positive Chaos
Posted 14 years ago2009-11-29 21:43:15 UTC Post #276169
I sense many ported valve textures showing up in NSII custom maps.
Notewell NotewellGIASFELFEBREHBER
Posted 14 years ago2009-11-29 22:58:25 UTC Post #276172
I sense we need a NS mapping tips section.. But at the same time this is so user friendly it's scary.
They even have scalable props! something i actually dreamed about 2 nights ago.
The dynamic light view is fantastic, after switching to unlit shaded, everything looked like shit.

But they don't have a skew tool... Yes you can skew pre-existing architecture just moving the edges and stuff, but skewing props would be useful..

I'm gonna stop ranting now, i can go on forever about it.
Tetsu0 Tetsu0Positive Chaos
Posted 14 years ago2009-11-29 23:21:23 UTC Post #276174
Haha I hope you didn't buy it just because of the editor,
and hey show us some screens :D

Yes a NS2 Part of the site would be cool ;)
Posted 14 years ago2009-11-29 23:53:06 UTC Post #276175
Ok i really dont have much to show you only because there's so much i can highlight and i really cant do that ATM.

But here's some night and day shots.:

First screw around map Textured and Unlit :
User posted image
Same map and view with lighting enabled:
User posted image
And i can't actually run the game yet so see it in perspective (hasnt been released) but this IS the lighting that's in the game.
It's kinda dry on models and ents, but i hope that's fixed once the game is released.
Tetsu0 Tetsu0Positive Chaos
Posted 14 years ago2009-11-30 00:57:20 UTC Post #276176
User posted image > User posted image

Hope more stuff comes out for it. :/
Rimrook RimrookSince 2003
Posted 14 years ago2009-11-30 02:36:03 UTC Post #276177
Here's my first stab at it with a little hallway section-
User posted image
The texturing tool is a disappointment, although the handles are nice. Its hard to copy texture scales and stuff over to another face
TheGrimReafer TheGrimReaferADMININATOR
Posted 14 years ago2009-11-30 02:52:24 UTC Post #276178
I sense we need a NS mapping tips section.. But at the same time this is so user friendly it's scary.
why would a site based on Half-Life/2 have a NS2 part? i mean, a NS1 part would be understandable, odd, but understandable. but NS2 is its own game. if you want a NS2 part, go make a NS2 site.
brendanmint brendanmintBrendan
Posted 14 years ago2009-11-30 03:40:44 UTC Post #276179
You missed making one of your NS2s green. For shame.
Edit:
Think about how hl3 will be, of course the editor will be a WYSIWYG in my opinion. But that will be long time in the future.
We might not have to wait that long. L4D and L4D2 rely more on model props than any Source game I've seen before. The maps are almost entirely build from props.
Posted 14 years ago2009-11-30 05:26:10 UTC Post #276183
You missed making one of your NS2s green. For shame.
and i quoted the wrong person.

EDIT: never mind, i got the right one
brendanmint brendanmintBrendan
Posted 14 years ago2009-11-30 16:13:49 UTC Post #276187
Seems pretty awesome to me. Valve should learn from this.
Madcow MadcowSpy zappin my udder
Posted 14 years ago2009-12-01 20:58:43 UTC Post #276216
Step up your game guys! There's some amazing shit goin on at Unknown Worlds forums.

This is your competition!
Trapt Traptlegend
Posted 14 years ago2009-12-01 21:12:43 UTC Post #276217
I dunno.. heh.

Ill wait until the texture tools are better and then map. I have a hard time being a prop whore :P
TheGrimReafer TheGrimReaferADMININATOR
Posted 14 years ago2009-12-01 21:55:05 UTC Post #276218
Heh, you all people have negative ideas about prefabs, but that's how's the mapping done these days.
Very true, but I think it would make for a huge leap forward in the user-friendliness of level editors if somebody decided to seamlessly integrate model/prefab creation into the level editor itself, so you wouldn't have to deal with all these messy external modeling programs and such. Even if you couldn't necessarily do everything that's offered in the high end modeling suites, how cool would it be to hit a button and convert some simple little brush-based architecture in Hammer into a prop?
Posted 14 years ago2009-12-01 21:59:14 UTC Post #276219
That would be pretty damn cool.
Posted 14 years ago2009-12-01 22:21:31 UTC Post #276221
but it takes away originality, doesn't it?

EDIT: never mind, it took me a minute there to get what srry said
brendanmint brendanmintBrendan
Posted 14 years ago2009-12-01 22:36:41 UTC Post #276222
I'd love it if modeling was like making stuff in hammer, but with smaller grid sizes, and easier to make smooth stuff.
Notewell NotewellGIASFELFEBREHBER
Posted 14 years ago2009-12-01 22:42:23 UTC Post #276223
I'd love it if I didn't need to buy software to make a half decent model.
Posted 14 years ago2009-12-01 22:51:36 UTC Post #276224
i agree jeffmod hammer makes it so easy to make brushwork. It feels like i have to struggle to make brushwork cleanly in max or milkshape fsr...
Captain Terror Captain Terrorwhen a man loves a woman
Posted 14 years ago2009-12-01 22:58:04 UTC Post #276225
I'd love it if I didn't need to buy software to make a half decent model.
agrees
brendanmint brendanmintBrendan
Posted 14 years ago2009-12-01 23:45:59 UTC Post #276226
Srry, you might be on to something....
Tetsu0 Tetsu0Positive Chaos
Posted 14 years ago2009-12-02 00:13:35 UTC Post #276227
It feels like i have to struggle to make brushwork cleanly in max or milkshape fsr...
Meh, you can just snap to the grid in Milkshape and precise brushwork gets a lot easier.
Fun fact by the way: One unit in Milkshape = One unit in Hammer
Posted 14 years ago2009-12-02 01:34:17 UTC Post #276228
how cool would it be to hit a button and convert some simple little brush-based architecture in Hammer into a prop?
Closest thing we've got.
Strider StriderTuned to a dead channel.
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