StormDrain

fubarFX

The "raw" in "nodraw"
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Jun 1, 2009
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:O yup here's mine

So yeah this is Stormdrain!

Stormdrain is a very tightly knit map (as you can see on last picture). altho it's fairly small, the maps offers many offencive and defencive possibilities.

A3
-no significant change from A2, only filesize optimization.

A2
-complete spawn redesign
-flag now has a proper room
-shrank down some less important areas
-map is now on 3 floors instead of 4

some new texturing (as many player were complaining on the textures...)
also started a 3D skybox.

if all goes well, next verison should be beta. next version is A4
beta should include:
-moar particles :O
-other custom texture/props
-most likely final style
-full optimization (areaportal and lightmap)
-new flag model

then will be the release candidate
-lots of stuff I don't want to reveal yet in the beta such as humiliation events and the final gamemode ;P
 
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nik

L12: Fabulous Member
Aug 14, 2009
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whoa this is a really good theme/area.

just judging by your screens, I think you should change the walkway in the 3rd screenshot. The texture looks kinda weird when it spirals
 

cardo

L1: Registered
Oct 4, 2008
16
3
Really love the look of this one :) I agree with the walkway comment, but obviously it's early days and all. I'd consider turning the circular tubes into displacements and subdividing them to make them smooth . If you do it on the front face of the pipe sections, then sew the other bits to it it should work ok.

Good stuff anyways!
 

fubarFX

The "raw" in "nodraw"
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Jun 1, 2009
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thanks for the comments guys.

and yeah about the walkway... I'll work on it later when i get more time.
clipping these 60 circular shaped steps is really gonna be looonnng. I will probably add some railing too. that'll give me plenty of time to rethink the texturing.

and about making displacement on some pipes. I might consider it for beta release but while I'm at it they'll probably end up as models if I can get the lightning not to clash with the rest of the geometry
 

cardo

L1: Registered
Oct 4, 2008
16
3
ah sounds like a plan. depending on the diameter of the pipe opening u could just stick one of valves cap models on the end?

Again I really like the style of this.. It reminds me of TFC's very team specific coloured concrete maps, and I'd love to try that kinda theme with TF2 too.
 

WastedMeerkat

L3: Member
Aug 15, 2009
144
142
Just a suggestion after seeing the screens, but please upscale that water. It looks incredibly repetitive. Otherwise, good work. It looks nice.
 

fubarFX

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Jun 1, 2009
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Just a suggestion after seeing the screens, but please upscale that water. It looks incredibly repetitive. Otherwise, good work. It looks nice.

good call. I will upscale it.
on a side note, water was only a quick test i wanted to make to ensure I was able to get 2 different water level heigh in the same "Potentially Visible Set".
conclusion, It's rendering okay so far, doesn't crash the map either.
yup, this one is straigth out of my bag of tricks
 

Gerbil

aa
Feb 6, 2009
573
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Just played this on gameday. It was a really nice looking map for an A1. But the textures could use more variety. Apart from the easy bugs (no resupply for BLU, solid waterfalls and slamming doors) I've noticed that you have some massive sniper lines.

Here's an example:
91bfrc.jpg


It was a bit easy to spawn camp as I've noticed. Maybe make another way up closer to the spawn or remove the platform over the door. The intel was too close to the spawn and it had no clear markings for the capture zone. It's a bit weird that the intel is just lying around on the floor there.

Lookin' good. Nice job!
 

lana

Currently On: ?????
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Sep 28, 2009
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The door problem appears to be caused by the output being OnEndTouch instead of OnEndTouchAll. As soon as someone left the trigger the door would slam shut until someone else entered.

The battlements that were over the spawns had no reason to exist. Removing them would prevent spawncamping.

The intelligence was too close to the spawn and so badly defined that it was confusing and required massive amounts of spawncamping to pick it up. Move it somewhere else.

I had some fun but the map just got boring pretty fast.
 

fubarFX

The "raw" in "nodraw"
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thanks for the feedback guys.
intel area and spawn is getting a full redesign right now.

also, I just reduced a lot of the sniper lines by putting a truck right in the middle of nowhere :D I love trucks

anyways apart from the intel and spawn, how did the battlement felt?
 

Caliostro

L6: Sharp Member
Jul 6, 2009
261
110
Oh boy, this needs a lot of work... Let me just list the bigger ones in no particular order:

- The spawn doors are broken. They'll regularly get stuck if more than one person goes through them. I think someone mentioned on the server this is a result of using the output "onendtouch" instead of "onendtouchall" on the Door's trigger_multiple.

- While I visually enjoy your liberal use of waterfalls, the source engine isn't exactly the best engine in the world to handle water... And few things break immersion faster than solid waterfalls... Except solid waterfalls that block bullets. Either fix it, or remove them.

- This map has the "OH MY GOD I CAN SEE FOREVER!" effect. While there is no set measure for how long a sightline should be, I'm pretty sure crossing the whole map is a bit much. Break those up please.

- There is a platform that seems designed for the exclusive purpose of spawn camping...? Really...? We could do without it.

- The flag area is unmarked, and literally in front of spawn room, in an area that's remarkably easy to sentry camp... See how that might quickly become an issue?

- The "side routes" seem unnecessarily big/long and confusing. More complex/complicated is not better. In fact it's often the exact opposite.

- Too much water. Pyros feel sad. Water looks good, but too much upsets balance and removes Pyro has an effective class. If you want the visual presence of water, you CAN just add a grate-textured brush over it. You can see the water, but don't the balance issues.


If you want a personal recommendation, look into breaking up the huge sightlines, considerably streamline the side route/s, remove the "spawncamping ledge", cover up some of the water, fix up or remove the waterfalls, and maybe move the flag to the bottom of the first waterfall to add some buffer distances between spawn and flag. Maybe repurpose that entire area more as an "intel area".

Don't be frustrated, I like the concept, it's definitely something worth exploring, but it really needs some heavy redesign.

Goodluck.
 

Acumen

Annoyer
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Jun 11, 2009
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the thing calistro mentions about the water, is kinda seconding my thoughts, as well. while i totally get what you aim i think you're not quite there conceptually. there's water all around but it just doesn't click for me. it's just a bit too much everywhere. i think it would gain much more interest, if you make it a bit more subtle. only one giant water amount floating out of the heavy sewers.
also make the floating water section on this screen thinner cause it's quite distracting with its high contrast color scheme:
http://forums.tf2maps.net/geek/gars/images/4/2/4/8/ctf_stormdrain_a10000.jpg

so water is still an important factor but not visually pumping in your face every second. i really think it's a way of putting in the subtly play with the water. the scenery you went for has dramatic potential, you just gotta play another round of researching, imo. i'm sure you'll be inspired in no time :)
 

fubarFX

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Don't be frustrated
Goodluck.

It's alright guys. I'm pretty okay with critism. especially when its constructive :O.
and yeah things are shaping up in hammer atm and I can't wait for A2

I broke most of the sightlines except the one in screen #1 so yeah... lookin good so far

I also crushed one of the floors
A2 should be alot better.
 
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Psy

The Imp Queen
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Apr 9, 2008
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You need to add func_respawnroom brushes in your respawn rooms (duh) to prevent engis from building within spawn and to allow players to change class without dieing. Oh and BLU's resupply didn't work at all.
 

fubarFX

The "raw" in "nodraw"
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Jun 1, 2009
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You need to add func_respawnroom brushes in your respawn rooms (duh) to prevent engis from building within spawn and to allow players to change class without dieing. Oh and BLU's resupply didn't work at all.

yeah there was a func_respawn but it was only covering the floor where you spawn. not the part under where the doors are :facepalm:

and yeah sorry bout the blu locker :blush: