Still a big WIP. Will need to do a little bit more optimizing and adding of voices through the first map. Maybe different/better NPC and weapon placements as well.
Here is a little crappy video of some gameplay:
Yes, the music is in-game and there are a lot of current issues that will be tended to before the first beta testing session.
I'm wide open to suggestions and opinions. Have a concept for a puzzle or battle arena? I'm all ears.
I noticed in the gameplay video there was a number inside the laboratory thing (think the number was 3024), what if you had to input that number into a keypad later in a map in order to open a door to a greenhouse or something? The idea remains a bit under-developed and I just came up with it in 2 minutes so yeah.
The main problem I see is repeating objects/textures. Such as the trees in this and this picture. Too much of the same tree, looks very unnatural and sticks out.
Second problem I have, is the lighting seems quite basic, though you did say this is a WIP, so I am assuming it's no were near final.
This does have potential and currently does look quite good, but I think with some more variety and some lighting tweaks this could be a really great map.
It looks nice, awsome work, especially for an alpha stage map. It looks like a nice, bright and friendly map, I think this will be good, and the environmental light fits in good with the props. The textures also work great, just add a few more decals and overlays and it should be good. Sexy camo skins too, those should ambush you by popping out from some bushes.
2 things though, from the video that I noticed. One is that there isn't a whole lot of cover. Like in that stretch right before the APC goes in front of you. Plus, the Combine kinda rush out at you, like in that part where you're at the lab/warehouse thing.
Basically what I think might be cool is if the Combine hung out around their side, picking you off from the distance, while you use the cover in a Peak-and-Shoot strategy. Or you could just use it to advance little by little. That would actually work good with a machine gunner. So, just add some more cover around, and that would be great (imagine what would happen if you did not have god mode).
Second thing that I noticed was that the music was kind of unfitting for the environment/action at that moment. The sad music around the bus should be used when you see that some shit get fraked up, and how the effort is kind of useless, but you're still fighting on. The warehouse music should be used when there is fast-paced small arms fire going on.
Yeah, its an alpha stage map I know, but feedback is feedback I guess...
Ideas? Well, you could have some fight around a fountain with hedges and bushes around it, and use that as an arena, as Combine attack you from all sides. You could navigate it, set slams and explosive barrels and everything.
Oh, don't be such a baby. Episode 3 will come out.
I laughed at the screen of a camouflaged Combine in a combine watchtower. It would make more sense if it was a tree watchtower or something.
This look really promising so far. Maybe to try and make your map more interesting, you can add different endings or something. I remember you saying that you were going to get a fire extinguisher coded so if I were to think around that, one ending could be saving the people and putting out a majority of all the fire, thus saving the garden, and another would be disregarding the plants and just trying to get out alive. I don't know how well that fits into your map but it was just something I thought up.
A lot of things seem to appear out of nowhere, like in the video where the headcrab canister comes from the sky in an instant or the combine soldiers dropping from above the cave.
Lack of cover in some areas also seem to drop the mood from defending/overtaking a place to run-and-hope-bullets-don't hit you kinda thing.
The part where that APC comes from the side seems a bit small, you could expand it to a bigger kind of street or something with a cavern/tunnel on the other side.
Miss Eleksin wrote:
This look really promising so far. Maybe to try and make your map more interesting, you can add different endings or something. I remember you saying that you were going to get a fire extinguisher coded so if I were to think around that, one ending could be saving the people and putting out a majority of all the fire, thus saving the garden, and another would be disregarding the plants and just trying to get out alive. I don't know how well that fits into your map but it was just something I thought up.
Story-wise, the garden will get destroyed. No matter what the players do. Though I do like your idea and I will try to execute it somehow.
I'm still waiting for the fire extinguisher to get done too, but yeah.
Axel_m3sh wrote:
The part where that APC comes from the side seems a bit small, you could expand it to a bigger kind of street or something with a cavern/tunnel on the other side.
Great idea. Only problem is I'll have to shift a huge portion of the map in order to do so. But we'll see.
From what I've seen here and the old pics on your blog, here's my thoughts.
The Npcs, I'd say you've done a pretty good job of implementing and they all seem to do what there meant to, and I like stuff like the headcrab cannister and dropship carrying the strider.
Use of custom models is a big thumbs up! I hope all are still in there the female metro police and the combine human advisors etc.
Love the music!
So similar to what Gary said, go through your models (mainly the static_props) and try to pic models that blend suit/compliment each other.
Also less repetative models. Texturing isnt bad, the room near the end of the video could do with dividing up into areas alittle more.
blended variation is whats needed in general, the map at the moment is a bit eye popping with things to look at, I just thing it needs to be more subtle.
Also review which props need shadows, which recieve shadows. small props I wouldn't bother with shadows at all, and most props are best with just recieving shadows imo. For example the reeds, look better without, at the moment they really cast heavy black under them.
Thats about it really.
G'l
'I would probably smarten up before you meet Violet'.
'She has zero tolerance for idiots'.
I was pleasantly surprised when I watched the video. The map layout was very unique, something I haven't seen from many maps.
I would suggest that when modeling architecture, such as that big room, search google images and find pictures of what you're going for. Then piece out the layout with a pen and paper, combining building elements from the reference images.
Then map it out and try to take elements from the reference images and place them stylistically into your map. Like fug said, that big room needs to be broken up a bit.
<--- Click them for music :3
