New Map: Left 4 Beer Created 14 years ago2010-04-13 13:38:29 UTC by Rimrook

Here's my initial experimentations with L4D2 (and source for that matter).Ok, now that we're warmed up a bit. I'm doing a short point A to B type campaign map for L4D2. Kinda based on how me and some friends once ran to the store to find snacks and drinks for our epic video game over-nighters. We used to talk about Zombie apocalypses along the way and sometimes pretended we were in one. Behind my old house in my hometown, there was some reinforced metal storage lockers, it was mentioned that it would be a great place to hide out.

Here's a map of the route. The campaign will be based on this loosely.Also, how do I fix the sky?

The "The Beer Fort" sign looks... weird. Too plain and blocky to be a sign? At least the lettering is.
Safe house walls look very plain.

Obviously this is very early, but I figured I'd throw that out there to begin with.

The lettering and the border of the sign is too thick I think. Not as much with the border, but definitely so with the lettering.

I definitely like the idea of it though. Are you going to make the survivors fight their way back to the safehouse?

Yeah perhaps, at least it would concrete the concept of running for beer. However I think I need to figure out how to get things working differently for the return trip, or perhaps make two maps of it which would simplify quite a bit.

Also, on the google map, the large build near the storage is a bowling alley. I think I'll be using that as the "Beerfort" if I can get it built right, like make it look more like a stronghold fort with more improvised parts, a custom sign that doesn't look so tacky, and a better safe room. Will post more upon developement.

You could perhaps have something take out the bridge after they get the beer, so they have to go south and cross the river somehow at the point between Greenwood Street and Oakland Park Road? It would mean more mapping, but it would keep things unexpected for the player.

There's another bridge two steps to the south. And another one four steps to the south of the former. It's not like it's the ONLY way to cross the river.

You should work on that skybox, I dig the lonely atmosphere it evokes but it could look better.

It looks like crossing those bridges would be a quicker way to get to the beer than going over the northernmost bridge, so they must already be blocked off somehow. After all, in a zombie apocalypse, if you're going to take the long route, you had better have a good reason to.

Also, how do I fix the sky?

Give us a screencap of the map properties entry for it, please.

Are you using the skybox texture, or one of the pics of a sky?

Skybox texture... I haven't tried the skybox 2D one yet. Is it because I don't have a 3D skybox yet? HL2 never gave me purple crap when I did the same.

yea just tools/toolskybox

make sure you have a light_env and that should do it, check for erros, etc...

If you still arnt getting proper skybox, then turn up the verbose and watch for errors

Make sure you wrote in the right name for the sky.

Try this in map properties

sky_l4d_c2m1

I find, to get the name right, I search for sky, then I find the one I want, and keep typing in the filter until I only have that set showing- eg. sky_day1_trainstation01 or such, instead of skybox/blah.

All of my skies in the browser shows up as purple blocks like they don't exist. Do I need to unpack them from something?

Also, why do some prop models disappear in-game? Like a certain trash can and beer bottles?

On a lighter side, I have a rather convincing bowling alley made. Will post screenshots when I get some lighting and figure out some of these problems.

Check to make sure the models can be used for whatever ent they're being used for. Some props can't be used in prop_physics, others prop_statics. If it has animations, then it should probably be prop_dynamic.
There's a tab for it in the model browser.

As for the skies, that's odd. Does the checkerboard happen in official maps too?

No, its normal in the officials.

I used the sky Habboi suggested. I now have a Hall of Mirrors sky.

try using cordon in your map and see if its a sky problem or if its something else

Nope, just the sky.

Progress Duuuuuuump.

Do you have both the L4D2 Authoring tools AND Addon Suppoer installed?

Yes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWpqAXrbGcU

That + zombies hehehe