Can I commision someone to modify a map?

[General Filco]

There is a fantastic CTF map that I love called minefort. I have played easily 100+ hours in this map, and LOVE the layout.

However, I friggin HATE the minefort textures. Also, this map is 'rainy', and dark, and that detracts from the overall experience.

I decompiled this map, I kinda sorta figured out hammer, and I realized that learning to properly make these lighting changes will take a massive amount of my time. The last time I made a map for a game was duke nukem 3d, to give you an idea of my age and experience level. I have a family and kid on the way, and just can't spend 20+ hours to learn hammer just to make these changes.

I have contacted the owner of this map, who has given me permission to decompile it and make changes. I would love to find and pay someone who can make changes to the lighting and textures. I envision something with plenty of grass and bright textures, with 2fort-ish styles. It's very important to me that the "hard" layout stays the same. Please message me if you're interested in a commissioned job.

 

[General Filco]

Here's a link to a server that plays this map:

http://www.gametracker.com/server_info/74.119.219.113:27015/

74.119.219.113:27015

 

[Fantaboi]

I definitely am uo for this, add me on steam i'm "fantasmos" I wont be on for a few hours, but when I am i'll discuss it with you.

 

[seth]

May I ask why you want a de-minefortified minefort? Are you going to throw it on a server or something?

 

[General Filco]

I'm hoping to convince the mods/community at convictgaming to host it. Or, find someone else to host it.

It's a fantastic map. The wall heights, angles from doorways top open areas, and jumping points are perfect for an all crits map.

However, the minefort theme itself is tiring to play in and the rainy weather makes it dark and dreary.

 

[Fantaboi]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOHOJf4Hf1Q&feature=player_embedded
This is the map?

 

[henke37]

Uhm, if you asked the owner, then why didn't you get the original vmf file?

 

[wareya]

Getting the original VMF would avoid a lot of problems. If they said you can do it, it would probably be better for them if you used the original VMF, so getting it from them would be a good thing.

 

[General Filco]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOHOJf4Hf1Q&feature=player_embedded
This is the map?

That's the map. You really need to play it a couple hours to appreciate how perfect the wall/corner details and alignments are. Even as much as I've played it, I'm still finding little quirks like the ability to *barely* rocket jump to the very top of the base.

Getting the original VMF would avoid a lot of problems. If they said you can do it, it would probably be better for them if you used the original VMF, so getting it from them would be a good thing.

Unfortunately he lost the VMF in a system crash. He did give permission to decompile and make changes. I'm not that worried about lighting/effect/texture changes, but the walls/floors/ceilings and objects should stay the same. Edit: I mean the wall/floor/ceiling hard surfaces and distances should stay the same - IE the layout, the physical aspect. The textures are all terrible, in my personal opinion.

 

[Pocket]

So, to be clear, you want all of the measurements to be exactly the same, the simplistic brushwork and sparse detailing, just with different textures? Because I'd have been interested if you were looking for a total TF2 artpass.

EDIT: James Sunderland's ghost, this layout is like 2fort: the Debaddening. Seriously, if you asked someone to take the basic design of 2fort and build a new map out of it that didn't suck as bad (with a few elements from Well mixed in because why not), this is probably more or less what you'd get out of it. Now I really want to get my hands on this and do it up right.

 

[General Filco]

So, to be clear, you want all of the measurements to be exactly the same, the simplistic brushwork and sparse detailing, just with different textures? Because I'd have been interested if you were looking for a total TF2 artpass.

EDIT: James Sunderland's ghost, this layout is like 2fort: the Debaddening. Seriously, if you asked someone to take the basic design of 2fort and build a new map out of it that didn't suck as bad (with a few elements from Well mixed in because why not), this is probably more or less what you'd get out of it. Now I really want to get my hands on this and do it up right.

Steve that is exactly right.

Every hard surface, ledge, the "square" trees, it all needs to stay exactly the same. I can't express how perfect these elements are, and how many cool new details I am still discovering. While I don't care for the minefort square aspects of the flora, they are hugely critical jumping ledges so they need to stay.

The main thing I want is a brighter, more positive outside environment. The raining/storm elements are pretty depressing in an otherwise fast-paced and "happy" map.

In my mind I envision bright green grass areas for the main outdoors, and dirt for the side tunnels to help balance the bright/light outdoor areas. The minefort lava has got to go. The minefort textures have got to go. The minefort torch lighting has got to go.

The fort entrance areas should be left a bit dark, I think, because this is primarily played as an all-crit map. The entrances being dimly lit helps make it more difficult to one-shot people who are just entering the fort, which I think is a critical gameplay aspect.

However, the areas further inside the forts should definitely be brighter, in particular the back stairway and large room just outside the intel.

I also think it's important to keep the extremely distinctive red/blue areas. I suppose that's obvious with any CTF map, but they don't make this so obvious in 2fort. This map has lots of places high up, so it's easy to get turned around. It helps to just glance down and know which side is red / blue.

There are also a number of weird minefort sort of opaque "glass" walls and ceilings, these are also critical to the gameplay. I don't think they should open or completely clear, you should just barely be able to make out someone on the other side.

 

[Fantaboi]

Hey, add me on steam (fantasmos) asap, and we can talk about me working on this for you.

 

[Sergis]

There is a fantastic CTF map that I love called minefort. I have played easily 100+ hours in this map, and LOVE the layout.

However, I friggin HATE the minefort textures. Also, this map is 'rainy', and dark, and that detracts from the overall experience.

I decompiled this map, I kinda sorta figured out hammer, and I realized that learning to properly make these lighting changes will take a massive amount of my time. The last time I made a map for a game was duke nukem 3d, to give you an idea of my age and experience level. I have a family and kid on the way, and just can't spend 20+ hours to learn hammer just to make these changes.

I have contacted the owner of this map, who has given me permission to decompile it and make changes. I would love to find and pay someone who can make changes to the lighting and textures. I envision something with plenty of grass and bright textures, with 2fort-ish styles. It's very important to me that the "hard" layout stays the same. Please message me if you're interested in a commissioned job.

20+ hours? swapping env lights and replacing some textures should take 20 minutes at most not counting some post-first-compile tweaks and shit

 

[Pocket]

Every hard surface, ledge, the "square" trees, it all needs to stay exactly the same. I can't express how perfect these elements are, and how many cool new details I am still discovering. While I don't care for the minefort square aspects of the flora, they are hugely critical jumping ledges so they need to stay.

Pity. Because I think the layout really does have a lot of potential, and nearly all of the changes I'd wind up making wouldn't affect ordinary players, but if this is really for a specific group of people who are accustomed to playing the exact same map they've been playing for ages, like Counter-Strike players who believe 1.6's de_dust to be the One True Map, then I'm afraid I can't be much help.

Actually, now that I've thought more about those trees, I don't know what I even would have turned them into that fits the TF2 style. I would have put something there, but there's a reason trees are always outside the field of play in other maps: the collision models end up being a mess whether they're meant to be walkable or not. But anything else would have looked strange just standing there in the middle of the yard like that.

The other thing I'd have done is get rid of the walkable roofs and cliffs, because nobody expects to be able to get onto something that high anyway. Clearly that's a major deal breaker for you as well, so I guess that's the end of that. Though I may consider getting in touch with the map's creator if I ever get any bright ideas about the trees. I might not be able to make the map you and your buddies want, but I still think there's potential in this for other players.

 

[General Filco]

Pity. Because I think the layout really does have a lot of potential, and nearly all of the changes I'd wind up making wouldn't affect ordinary players, but if this is really for a specific group of people who are accustomed to playing the exact same map they've been playing for ages, like Counter-Strike players who believe 1.6's de_dust to be the One True Map, then I'm afraid I can't be much help.

Actually, now that I've thought more about those trees, I don't know what I even would have turned them into that fits the TF2 style. I would have put something there, but there's a reason trees are always outside the field of play in other maps: the collision models end up being a mess whether they're meant to be walkable or not. But anything else would have looked strange just standing there in the middle of the yard like that.

The other thing I'd have done is get rid of the walkable roofs and cliffs, because nobody expects to be able to get onto something that high anyway. Clearly that's a major deal breaker for you as well, so I guess that's the end of that. Though I may consider getting in touch with the map's creator if I ever get any bright ideas about the trees. I might not be able to make the map you and your buddies want, but I still think there's potential in this for other players.

I know it seems like no one can get up there, but that's part of the beauty of the map.. Engies can get up to the absolute very top, the heights are perfect to allow them to use a dispenser, jump, place a tele. It takes a couple minutes, but it's glorious to have a sentry nest of 3-4 up at the very top.

And even more glorious is a demo/soldier taking them all out. That's what is so fantastic, is how perfectly balanced the map is when played as all-crits.

This is why the trees are required.. I've seen sort of cartoonish textured trees, where they look like painted movie set props. I think that would be fine for this.

 

[General Filco]

20+ hours? swapping env lights and replacing some textures should take 20 minutes at most not counting some post-first-compile tweaks and shit

Sure, 20 minutes AFTER you've learned hammer. That's my issue, I don't have the time to learn the ins and outs of hammer just to smash out a single map.

 

[General Filco]

Hey, add me on steam (fantasmos) asap, and we can talk about me working on this for you.

Arg friends is down right now.

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You can add me, my steam name is the same as here.

 

[General Filco]

Thanks all! I have commissioned fantasmos to make the changes for me.