How to make spawn more interesting?

[Jono00]

Hey guys.
I'm working on my first map for TF2 (for anything, actually...), called cp_mall (More info at wiki page), and I'm currently designing the red spawn room.
Thing is... making things pretty isn't really my thing. And that is why I ask you, comrades, how can I make my spawn room more interesting?
Here are some pics for you for reference:
Inside
Outside

All help will be appreciated. Thanks!
(Yes, I posted the exact same thing @ the STEAM forums. I'm too lazy to edit it.)

 

[Engineer]

First, start off with removing those hl2 textures

 

[Vigilante212]

detailing and props, Look at some valve maps for exp.

 

[Jono00]

First, start off with removing those hl2 textures

Actually everything inside (and outside walls) has TF2 textures.
I only have a few HL2 textures, and AFAIK they are not in any screenshot I took.
(Besides, the textures are temporary).

Unless, maybe, I accidentally added some HL2 textures. If so, can you point them out? I didn't play HL2 so much to be honest =\

 

[Rootbeerz]

The tiled floor on the outside is from HL2.

 

[Armadillo of Doom]

We actually had a mini-contest for spawn rooms not too long ago. If you are need of some inspiration, look no further; Spawn Room Contest As for specifics, the spawn room is nice b/c it has significant space in the back and sides for details. Cut out 2 of the walls and add windows. Behind that you can have a factory, spytech thingy, etc. Connect to the spawn w/ a door and some pipes, and you're good to go.

 

[Jono00]

We actually had a mini-contest for spawn rooms not too long ago. If you are need of some inspiration, look no further; Spawn Room Contest As for specifics, the spawn room is nice b/c it has significant space in the back and sides for details. Cut out 2 of the walls and add windows. Behind that you can have a factory, spytech thingy, etc. Connect to the spawn w/ a door and some pipes, and you're good to go.

Thanks a lot! This thread looks really helpful, I'll take a look at it.
As for the the windows and such, what I planned to do was to add 2 "stores" at each exit. This will make the mall look more like... well, a mall. Also, the stores will be "RED" themed (So mainly workshops, tools, etc). The same thing goes to BLU, but in the opposite way.

The tiled floor on the outside is from HL2.

Ah, ok, thanks for the heads up! I should note, though, that the walls and floors outside the spawn are temporary. While I'm at it, how can I filter out HL2 textures, so I will find only TF2 textures? I know how to do this with models.

Thanks everyone .

 

[Kronixx]

how can I filter out HL2 textures, so I will find only TF2 textures? I know how to do this with models.

Thanks everyone .

When you open the texture application tool. There are 2 type fields. One for a texture name or a general keyword, IE "wall" gives you all the textures containing walls which is basically all that your going to put on a wall, unless you have some special case. To make sure they're all Tf2 textures, go to the line below that labelled "keyword" and type in "tf". This will limit the textures displayed to all TF2 valid textures.

good luck

 

[The Asylum]

Pretty much anything looks better than just 4 walls and a door. Seriously, just pole around some of Valve's maps and glean some ideas off of them. Dustbowl's transitional spawns and 2Fort's spawns are my personal favorites.

 

[Jono00]

taotd - correct, this is why I made a new and improved version - take a look.

 

[zornor]

Since you're not doing a spytech spawn room, you gotta ask yourself: What room in a building would this be? What function does it serve?

If your spawn was a shop in the mall for example, you wouldn't be going for wall textures and details like that, you'd be using cleaner textures (without making it too spytech).

 

[Cameron:D]

taotd - correct, this is why I made a new and improved version - take a look.

Make sure they are func_detail'ed!
And rotate the textures so they run along with the direction of the wood (for horizontal beams, rotate the texture 90 degrees)