Ricochet

Sel

Banned
Feb 18, 2009
1,239
2,570
This is my first proper attempt at creating a tf2 map, hoping that I can figure out some good control point construction, and canyon battle paths.

I'm looking for playtesting so I can find my mistakes and learn from them.
 
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Ravidge

Grand Vizier
aa
May 14, 2008
1,544
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Scale looks good, from what I can judge from just screenshots.
Also I wouldn't call the map too dark, just not bright enough! You can definately build up some nice shadows and such with clever light placements. I made this to help with the boring lighting placements. May I suggest long spotlight beams with a warm color? I think it would look awesome :)

Good work for a first-ish map.
 

Seba

DR. BIG FUCKER, PHD
aa
Jun 9, 2009
2,364
2,728
Wow, this actually looks really nice. The only things you can improve right now are cubemaps and the rock wall texture size. BTW, if you have no cubemaps they won't only reflect the water, but player features as well, like the Sniper's glasses.

P.S. You can use sv_cheats 1, noclip, and cl_drawhud 0 along with unchecking 'Draw viewmodels' to take nicer pictures with the F5 button. The in-game screenshots also ignore Xfire overlays ;P
 

Sel

Banned
Feb 18, 2009
1,239
2,570
Scale looks good, from what I can judge from just screenshots.
Also I wouldn't call the map too dark, just not bright enough! You can definately build up some nice shadows and such with clever light placements. I made this to help with the boring lighting placements. May I suggest long spotlight beams with a warm color? I think it would look awesome :)

Good work for a first-ish map.

Thanks, I'll check out that lighting library.

Wow, this actually looks really nice. The only things you can improve right now are cubemaps and the rock wall texture size. BTW, if you have no cubemaps they won't only reflect the water, but player features as well, like the Sniper's glasses.

P.S. You can use sv_cheats 1, noclip, and cl_drawhud 0 along with unchecking 'Draw viewmodels' to take nicer pictures with the F5 button. The in-game screenshots also ignore Xfire overlays ;P

Thanks, I'll keep all those in mind when I update the map and need to take new screenshots!
 

The_Ulf

L6: Sharp Member
May 26, 2009
399
115
You've come to the right place!

Looks like you're off to a great start. :D

The outdoors looks a little dark (the nighttime sky lighting, yes?) but not unplayable but it sounds like you're already aware. You've lit the interiors well already, so I'm not worried. I really like the outdoor layout around the control point, seems like you've got a good amount of cover going. Dunno about the ammopacks on top of the pillars of displacement rock - they're meant for demomen and soldiers, right? Maybe place them on the ground nearby so that they can be utilized by others and have to descend to make use of them only when they feel they need to. I'm no pro on ammo/health placement, so test it as is - it might be interesting. :)
 

Sel

Banned
Feb 18, 2009
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Made some small changes after playtesting, updated to alpha 2.
 

Sel

Banned
Feb 18, 2009
1,239
2,570
Made a few more changes, updated to alpha 3, details in first post.

Also I'm having some issues with getting Pakrat to pack custom model textures (the models come through fine) with the auto settings, if anyone has any advice on that it would be greatly appreciated.
 
Apr 19, 2009
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1,722
Made a few more changes, updated to alpha 3, details in first post.

Also I'm having some issues with getting Pakrat to pack custom model textures (the models come through fine) with the auto settings, if anyone has any advice on that it would be greatly appreciated.
You have to add them manually. Oh and could you update the pictures? :p
 

Sel

Banned
Feb 18, 2009
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You have to add them manually. Oh and could you update the pictures? :p

I added a new one for the spawnroom I added, and I'll take some new ones of the level with water cubemaps, and no HUD in the way sometime tonight if I remember!

And I'll mess around in pakrat some more, just got it today so I don't really have any idea what I'm doing with it :p
 

StoneFrog

L6: Sharp Member
May 28, 2008
395
81
Oh, hey, it's you again!

Spruce up the lighting a bit more - I find bright, warm, cozy lighting in the playable regions of a map and then dark foreboding atmosphere in the outer areas gives a great mood to all environments. You have some nice verticality going on , too.

I can't say much else right now since this is still in early stages, but it's nice.
 

Sel

Banned
Feb 18, 2009
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I'm not all that experienced with lighting yet, especially outdoors, but I will see what I can do to spruce up the exteriors.
 

Sel

Banned
Feb 18, 2009
1,239
2,570
Started working on some crazy doomsday device.

ricochetlaser3.png


Gonna be replacing the supports with something else, I don't really like how those turned out, and I'll probably add a lot more details (glorified vacuum tubes?).

Comments/crit?
 

Sel

Banned
Feb 18, 2009
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2,570
And finished it up for the most part, with absolutely no feedback :(

ricochetlaserwip6.png
 
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Ravidge

Grand Vizier
aa
May 14, 2008
1,544
2,818
Good gameplay. The scale is about what I'd expect from an arena map.
The flow is good and I think you could actually start detailing this map already!

The tanks in spawn look amazing, though they were missing their texture so hopefully that will make them even better in the future. (love that cannon btw. is it going to be the centerpiece?)

Throw in some more lights and it will be fine. it was pretty dark in some areas. A quick 3dskybox would also help TONS with the visual aspect :)
 

lana

Currently On: ?????
aa
Sep 28, 2009
3,075
2,778
I was expecting floating disks with jump pads
 

Sel

Banned
Feb 18, 2009
1,239
2,570
Good gameplay. The scale is about what I'd expect from an arena map.
The flow is good and I think you could actually start detailing this map already!

The tanks in spawn look amazing, though they were missing their texture so hopefully that will make them even better in the future. (love that cannon btw. is it going to be the centerpiece?)

Throw in some more lights and it will be fine. it was pretty dark in some areas. A quick 3dskybox would also help TONS with the visual aspect :)

I have to learn how to do all of those first :d, which hopefully will be speedy, but admittedly I'm pretty awful at hammer, so it might be a while before I have something visually presentable (models aside). Thanks for the support and feedback :d
 

Sel

Banned
Feb 18, 2009
1,239
2,570
Updated to alpha 4, see original post for details, this will probably be my final gameplay alpha, as right now it plays quite smoothly, and doesn't really need any more alterations to the layout or flow.

Time to learn how to do beauty work heh!

Also, updated screenshots.
 
Aug 10, 2009
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399
Lol as a suuper late reply to your doomsday, it looks a bit out of place, like the projector/tip does, if it's not too late another ending to it (more tf2 style) could look nicer. Sorry, I would've posted on that before but I didn't see it.
 

Sel

Banned
Feb 18, 2009
1,239
2,570
Lol as a suuper late reply to your doomsday, it looks a bit out of place, like the projector/tip does, if it's not too late another ending to it (more tf2 style) could look nicer. Sorry, I would've posted on that before but I didn't see it.

I agree, the tip could be a lot better, I'll try to do something else with it, since that's a pretty iconic piece of the map, that will probably be seen quite a bit. I just have to think of something to do with it :)