Mill

KotH Mill rc3

IrishTaxIDriver

L6: Sharp Member
Sep 27, 2008
271
149
Hello! You might be familiar with this map from here, in which the issue turned out to be some pesky water texture! Nuts to full on world reflection!

I also wanted to wait until I fixed the obvious problems until I brought the map here. Also I did see Loc_n_lol's fabulous KoTH map Watermill which made me apprehensive about posting, but I now feel they're different enough that they can exist in the same space.

It is a mirrored King of the Hill map set in a giant grain mill. While the day to day operations are milling grain, both BLU and RED use the mill as a front to ship gold around the country tax free! It also has two lumber camps on either side.

Mill is a vertical map. I love maps with vertical gameplay as I feel there isn't enough in the official maps. I tend to design around the classes I'm playing the most at the time and this map was built with the soldier in mind, but scouts and demomen will find a lot of cool jumps too.

I started working on this map around September after the Art Pass contest ended, using viaduct as a model for size. I'm intrigued by mirrored maps and how everything balances out just fine. Also, I found a picture of the Haughton Mill and thought it'd be PERFECT as a TF2 map.

I've always felt that detailing was my weakest skill in terms of mapping and I feel I've really hit a sweet spot with it starting with my Art Pass contest map and this.

Early tests only had the attic accessable to jump classes, but it was found that absolutely no one knew the attic was there. I've since opened everything up to all classes, and tried to make it more visible.

The riverbeds a little less used than I'd like, but I'm hoping to make it a little more attractive in this version now that I've removed the sniper fences by each team's main entrance to the point.

Other major stuff in this version would be fixing that HDR Flickering bug, and some serious map optimizations that were really needed.

Custom Stuff

I'm using SiniStaR's skybox evergreen trees, which are just the normal ones scaled down. I don't think he knows I'm using them, but thanks they're great!

Flapjacks/artisticmonkey made me two posters for RED BREAD and BLU CORN which flank the point. They look awesome!

Honeymustard made a very nice grain texture!

Everything else custom I modified from Valve's textures.

That is enough of me rambling for now, enjoy the map! Its in 2Fort2Furious' rotation and I've done most of my testing there, Cafe of Broken Dreams, and the Lost Continents. Receptions been very positive from everyone!

EDIT: I do see another map named Mill, but it appears to be a payload map. I think I'm safe with the name.
 
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tyler

aa
Sep 11, 2013
5,102
4,621
I love the hanging sign, but the truck in a displacement looks bizarre. Still, interested in playing it.
 

IrishTaxIDriver

L6: Sharp Member
Sep 27, 2008
271
149
Its supposed to be overflowing with dirt. but it really doesn't fit as well as it used to. I am looking at other options, I have the sawdust drop at RED side so I could change the texture to sawdust, and it'd make more sense.

The newest version will be running on Cafe of Broken Dreams (cafeofbrokendreams.com:27015) tonight for their tuesday map test.
 
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Seba

DR. BIG FUCKER, PHD
aa
Jun 9, 2009
2,364
2,728
Looks amazing, but I'm not too keen on the lighting; like Upward's, it seems a bit...washed out. But that's probably just me; keep up the good work!
 

IrishTaxIDriver

L6: Sharp Member
Sep 27, 2008
271
149
Nah its not just you, other people have said the same thing. I'm using the light values from Lumberyard and they'll get a serious lookin-at for beta 3.
 

IrishTaxIDriver

L6: Sharp Member
Sep 27, 2008
271
149
I thought I did take its color_correction, lemme take a look.

EDIT: I must've missed it. Its grabbed.

EDIT #2: I didn't miss it. Lumberyard does not use color_correction, but that doesn't mean I can't! I will look into some color correction stuff for beta 3.
 
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nik

L12: Fabulous Member
Aug 14, 2009
987
564
how did that much dirt get into the truck in the first place?

(screen 3)
 

Exist

L6: Sharp Member
Oct 31, 2009
306
136
how did that much dirt get into the truck in the first place?

(screen 3)

Someone over fed the truck.

Put the map up for gameday here. We normally give better feedback then a normal pub, as the TF2M servers give donators perminate spots on the server.

Also, change the skin on the computers to the 2nd one that looks damaged. If they are out in the middle of a mill, they shouldnt be looking brand new.
 
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IrishTaxIDriver

L6: Sharp Member
Sep 27, 2008
271
149
Someone over fed the truck.

Put the map up for gameday here. We normally give better feedback then a normal pub, as the TF2M servers give donators perminate spots on the server.

Also, change the skin on the computers to the 2nd one that looks damaged. If they are out in the middle of a mill, they shouldnt be looking brand new.

Yeah I will, I've been a bit busy.

I'll switch it and see what it looks like. I like them being shiny and new, its like someone retro-fitted the building.
 
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grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
aa
Mar 4, 2008
5,441
3,814
The truck looks silly, but the map theme as been executed quite nicely. Would be nice to see some water down by where the tires are hanging.

Also your windows are a little too uniform for TF2. For BLU it's be fine but for red i'd mix up the window placement a bit.
 
Feb 14, 2008
1,051
931
Are there displacement alphas? I think you need displacement alphas, personally. It looks a bit "bleurgh" displacement-wise otherwise.
 

IrishTaxIDriver

L6: Sharp Member
Sep 27, 2008
271
149
The truck looks silly, but the map theme as been executed quite nicely. Would be nice to see some water down by where the tires are hanging.

Also your windows are a little too uniform for TF2. For BLU it's be fine but for red i'd mix up the window placement a bit.

Raising the water level is an ideas thats being kicked around right now. Tyker wanted to actually have the mill machinery work, so the wheels would be spinning, the mill wheel would be turning, etc. But he got caught up in school stuff.

Uniform windows, haven't heard that one before. I'll shake it up a little.

Are there displacement alphas? I think you need displacement alphas, personally. It looks a bit "bleurgh" displacement-wise otherwise.

I'm not sure what you mean. Blends?

I live near Houghton Mill.

That is all.

Its a cool mill! I found pictures of another one THAT I CAN'T FIND RIGHT NOW that was even more cobbled together. I had to simplify the building a little because I felt it was a little too ridiculous for TF2.

Oh no, now the map is corrupted and he needs to redo everything!

We just don't tell anyone. This doesn't leave this thread!
 
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