I can't do source either. Plan out if this is going to be SP or MP, then plan out if it's going to be one map modded by many or one-man-one-map mappack. Then decide on a universal theme for the mappack (unless it is randomness and has no theme, that's fun too)

Ok. Also, we still have to pick what engine/game we are doing. I guess everybody just vote for what they want, but i will allow veto power by archie because of his Source wisodoms

updated
Team mappers

1. Ninja Defuse - *
2. Archie - ***
3. Urby - *
4. Cap'n Terran - **
5. Dimbark - ***
6. DiscoTzu - *
7. Legitzkrieg - ***
8. TJB - *

Maybs Team Mappers

9. Cstriker - **
10. Joebama - *
11. Zeeba-Geebas - ?

Died in Xen ='(

12. RIP 2Muchvideogames
13. RIP Goldsourceforever
14. RIP Tetsu0

(Plx let me know if i missed anybody!)

one map modded by many or one-man-one-map mappack

I always assumed it was one map modded by many, as the multi-contributor map-pack idea has been done many times before and wouldn't really fit into the 48h each timeslot.

CT, you're a lovely bloke and I really appreciate the confidence, but I'm honestly not hot enough shit to allow for me to have greater pull over this than anyone else. It was your idea and I don't think anyone here would have a problem with you taking a full leadership responsibility!

CS:S, TF2 and L4D/2 have the least broken Hammers. Ep2's 2D views are still bugged out and HL2DM is outdated like naebody's business.

So in terms of manageability, for CSS a small hostage-rescue map would probably be best. For TF2 - CTF and for L4D/2 - survival. These are the smaller game modes for each.

I vote for Goldsrc.

@goldsrcforever

yup one map modded by many! My vote for gametype/engine: CS:S/Source MP engine btw.

Also, trying to set some general ground rules like:

1. feel free to add to others work, but don't alter their stuff too much unless maybe you are adding a passageway/doorway or something to expand the layout, or some form of detailing like an alcove(and you need to hollow out a small space).

2. Add as little or as much as you feel necessary, but keep in mind you want to save resources for all rest of the group, so don't go mad.

3. Instead of having a strict 24-hour time limit, i'm thinking of just making it a "relay" system, where one mapper "hands the map off" to the next guy when he is done, which can be earlier than 24 hours. (try not to go over the time limit too much if possible)

@Dimbark
0_0
OMG
WTF
WHAT IS THIS I DON'T EVEN
WAT
WHY WOULD YOU POST THAT
HOW IS THAT RELEVANT AT ALL TO WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hfYJsQAhl0

Sounds good. BUT I don't have CS:S. I can do HL2DM or EP2. Maybe Portal but I suck at all of these anyway. If it's for anything else, I'll have to drop out.

Ok you've convinced me, goldsource is forever.

Thank... You?

lol edit blocked =)

Stu: i'm willing to change to hl2mp if everyone else doesn't mind mapping source engine 2006. ep2 is fine with me as well, but then the map has to be SP.

I don't like the glass in source, it's icky.

If we keep debating about the game we use then this isn't going to go any further than this thread.

Have a majority vote and then if some people don't have the game or can't run the game, they're out.

Again, I vote for Goldsrc. I guess i would map for CS but I'm kind of hesitant to.

I vote CS:S, if only because TF2 and L4D don't entertain me anymore.

We should use GoldSrc because everyone here can be able to run it.

maps should be uploaded one after another so to make sure that queue goes well and u r editing the latest uploaded map

would it better to map a HL2 map than hl2dm which i cant get working in hammer source xD

i think for the first time we should drop the idea of map layout, theme, storyline etc.. its going to take years until we start team mapping, just build what u want, add rooms, some monsters, vents then upload the map ;D

and now why i dont want goldsrc:

• custom textures are boring and we would need another ten years to create a texturepack
• i want to learn source finally because i am lazy
• source engine has more interesting textures and models

so my vote goes for HL2 singleplayer map!

Sounds good to me. HL2 SP FTW ROFL IKR!

Hl2sp

Level 1-
Wake up late in your apartment.
Must find your keys, suit, an get to work

Level 2-
Driving to work
Omg there must have been a massive global pandemic overnight
Everyone is a zombie and the roads are cluttered with smashed cars and corpses.
A car is has even found itself smashed up inside a substation. You should probably be a good samaratin and get power back online.

Level 3-
You arrive at work. You're late. The boss wishes to see you.
You arrive at your bosses office.
The door opens.
There stands g man conversing with a vortiguant.
Xen2 send words of an incoming armada.
You're assigned frontline duty for home defence.

Level 4-

You're teleported to area 51 and outfitted with the newest model crowbar5000 reinforced carbon steel. And of course the handy dandy gravity gun

Level 5-
While waiting for the impending alien armada, you're chatting with one of the soldiers. He explains how he was originally from south Philly. He spent most of his childhood days on the playground. He got in one little fight and his mom got scared and said "you're moving in with your auntie and uncle in bel-air"

Sounds like a MODDB summary right there...

Seriously, next time you're on MODDB read some of the mod pages. They're pretty funny.

If we keep debating about the game we use then this isn't going to go any further than this thread.

I agree but i hate excluding people! don't all TWHL members all receive the Valve pack for free for being members? =P

IDEA: we can map across multiple engines np, just each guy include your materials, and don't use engine specific entitites you know it doesn't have (most entities will work though across engines/gametype afaik).

I'm leaning toward HL2sp because most people seem to have it. (we can always port it at the end to whatever engine we like)

Tetsu0: does this mean you are in?!

For compatiblity's sake we could just use something completely free-to-play like HL2DM, then nobody would have any excuses. But then you'd just needlessly restrict yourself to MP.

i like that collapse, PLUS i feel MP game mode works better for this sort of project because it's simpler. do they give you the sdk if you are freeplaying hl2mp?

I believe the SourceSDK should be free to use, if not on it's own then with TF2.

Ok then I say if there are no strong objections we make the game HL2MP. There are a slew of model and material packs out there if you need more stuff to work with.

If we packbsp our work before we send it along to the next guy, is there a way to extract those assets so to say, if i use some materials from cs:s, everyone else will have them after extracting from the bsp?

What's wrong with TF2 actually? Makes the most sense because the game is free and the latest pre-l4d tools come with it as well. Plus it's multiplayer so we don't have to worry about multiple maps or story.

What about a shared Dropbox? Or we can vault it and allow uploads. Also yes, I'm in. You just gotta catch me on a good day

Ok then, i feel like we are making some progress now. I have no problem mapping for tf2 either, and i had no idea it was free to mod for, so, we'll leave it to a vote people:

TF2 or HL2MP

And then we'll be ready to begin. =)

Tetsu0: AWESOME to have you aboard sir!! Dropbox is fine, but i feel it's just simpler if everyone packbsp everything, THAT WAY, there is no forgetting some material or model you used. (i'm going out on a limb and guessing there is a way to extract stuff from a packed bsp?)

updated
Team mappers

1. Ninja Defuse - *
2. Archie - ***
3. Urby - *
4. Cap'n Terran - **
5. Dimbark - ***
6. DiscoTzu - *
7. Legitzkrieg - ***
8. TJB - *
9. Tetsu0 - **

Maybs Team Mappers

10. Cstriker - **
11. Joebama - *
12. Zeeba-G - ?
13. Collapse - ?

Died in Xen ='(

RIP 2Muchvideogames
RIP Goldsourceforever

(Plx let me know if i missed anybody!)

HL2MP or I'd have to download TF2 and I'm short on disk space :/

"RIP 2Muchvideogames
RIP Goldsourceforever"

That's why we should use GoldSrc

Maybe we can make something that level changes from goldsrc to source

Soon as everyone get's their game preference in(hl2mp/tf2) we can get this up and rolling.

updated
Team mappers

1. Ninja Defuse - *
2. Archie - *** (TF2)
3. Urby - *
4. Cap'n Terran - ** (HL2MP or TF2)
5. Dimbark - ***
6. DiscoTzu - * (HL2MP)
7. Legitzkrieg - ***
8. TJB - *
9. Tetsu0 - **

Maybs Team Mappers

10. Cstriker - **
11. Joebama - *
12. Zeeba-G - ?
13. Collapse - ?

updated
Ground-Rules-In-Progress(GRIP) =)

1. feel free to add to others work, but don't alter their stuff too much unless maybe you are adding a passageway/doorway or something to expand the layout, or some form of detailing like an alcove(and you need to hollow out a small space).

2. Add as little or as much as you feel necessary, but keep in mind you want to save resources for all rest of the group, so don't go mad.

3. Keep your work tidy as possible. Obviously try to keep stuff on grid, and note that keeping bigger objects on a larger grid scale will make the whole thing easier to look at in the end. Make use of Visgroups and normal grouping to keep your stuff organized, so it's easier for the next guy to edit.

4.When done editing, seal off the level with skybrushes and do a full VVIS compile and normal VRAD compile(feel free to edit the light environment as needed). Then, use Packbsp to automatically include all the map's resources into the bsp. (Then using GCFScape, any materials/models/etc you used, are easily extracted/copy-pasted by the next guy to his game directory)

Instead of having a strict 24-hour time limit, i'm thinking of just making it a "relay" system, where one mapper "hands the map off" to the next guy when he is done, which can be earlier than 24 hours. (try not to go over the time limit too much if possible)

Bump! where did everyone go?

This is my last attempt to nurse this along before it dies. I have a basemap ready to go if you-all are still interested. All that's left is for peeps to choose HL2MP or TF2 (both are free to play and mod for)

P

not EP2?

I wanted to limit the choices to "free to play" games, but screw it. everyone vote for what u want, and I don't care if if somebody doesn't own a particular game

votes
ninja defuse - EP2
Urby - cs:s
capt teeran - cs:s
tetsu0 - EP2
Archie - TF2
discotzu - HL2MP
dimbark - TF2

Changing my vote to CS to push a winner and actually get this stone rolling.

I'll go with CS:S but, I'm only going to be able to provide brushwork, not texturing.

Many counters will be stricken.

im a bit confuzzled. i thought it was a great idea but now i dont know whats going on. ill pick "died in xen" for where im standing.

Just realized I've been watching this thread for days and not said a word.
Sounds good CT.

Ya ninetine it's a bit confusing, in no small part to me being a dummy, and dithering a little too much on the rules and selction. =)

To recap: Starting with a simple basemap(which i will provide), everyone who participates in this gets the map for 24 hours to add stuff and edit as they choose, and then hand it off to the next person in line. After everyone has edited it once, we all get another 24-hour pass to add/edit yet again, and voila, we have a completed map. The whole process is designed to last a couple weeks, but i'm sure it will run a little longer

All that's left before we begin is to choose the gametype/engine we will be mapping for:

votes
Archie - cs:s
Urby - cs:s
capt teeran - cs:s
Joebamba - cs:s
ninja defuse - EP2
tetsu0 - EP2
discotzu - HL2MP
dimbark - TF2

Maybs/died-in-xen/yet to vote
Hlife hotdog?
ninetine?
Legitzkriegs?
gsourceforever?
collapse?
Striker?
Zeeba-G?
2muchgamez?

I'll leave a couple more days for voting and stagglers and then we begin. SO FAR, cs:s is in the lead with 4 votes. =)

Oh, sorry CT. I just meant to tell you it was a great idea. I've kinda been busy looking for a new job and non-stop playing Skyrim, so I don't feel I would be dedicated enough to map.

If you really want me to though I could. I have holidays coming up so lots of free time so it would give me a reason to stop playing Skyrim 24/7.

Absolutely DO want u hotdog. It's not a big commitment at all: you get the map when it's your turn, and add as little or as much to it as you want, and pass it on to the next guy

If you in please just post your gametype/engine preference =)

ALSO PEOPLE: don't feel you have to have a distinct area of the map that is all your work. You are very much encouraged to "layer" your work on top of what's been previously done

Well, in that case: anything. I have every Valve game except Portal 2 installed and ready to map.

What about more organized teamwork mapping? I mean, for example, one is responsible for layout and basic structure, one for all the details and finishing touches, other for texturing, other for lighting, other for ambience/sounds and so on. We could vote and choose the best mappers for each of these aspects. Several people could be responsible for a single aspect. Do you like it?

BTW, I'm for good old HL1.

EDIT: Also, this way our work would interfere as little as possible. Of course we could give suggestions to each other and so on, but we would avoid those very nasty debates. A leader of the team, the director or whatever you call it would be a good thing for this whole method of teamwork, because teamwork is all about good understanding of each other and we need somebody to bind everybody together. And if we succeed we might create something very quality.

I agree bruce, but i'd like to keep this first one more freeform, and then possibly try a more organized structure next one.

Among other reasons, i like freeform since about half the participants have little to none experience mapping source, SO they don't really have a specialty yet to be delegated. (I realize the basic principles are the same, but i really feel source is different enough that you kinda "start over" when you switch over to Source SDK)

Also, nubs get to see the work of more experienced mappers first-hand(more experienced mappers to be placed at the beginning of the queue), and they can do as little or as much as they want, with no pressure to finish their portion of the map.

The first one? I thought this has been tried a few times and failed. Maybe my idea would work? What others think?

Well i'll go with the majority always. If peeps would rather do it in a more structured way i'm all for it, i just don't want to micromanage people to the point of getting disinterested with the project.

If i had to choose my Skill area i am definitley a detailer/modeler more than anything, and i also enjoy puzzling out complicated entity problems.

p.s., When i said "first" one i meant this project (not the very first time this sort of project has been attempted).

Go with the original idea, dude. Don't complicate this further.