Silo-C

silo_c b4a

Swiftmind

L2: Junior Member
Dec 6, 2009
73
20
I bet Void could make TF2 versions of the hl2 stuff if you asked him. :)

I customized a few of HL2 textures in this version. How would Void's be different? Are there any examples of his work with textures similar to the ones we are using I can look at? If you can not figure out which textures I worked on, go to the Fuel Conduit outside of Engineering and the walls of the ICBM silo.

EDIT: On second thought I will just send him a PM and ask him myself.


Minilandstan said:
Although I believe both Red and Blu are trying to take over the world...
haha :) but those dam Reds are trying to launch one of blue's doomsday weapons....blue has their own targets so they got to stop red from wasting a perfectly good ICBM ;)
 
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SlayerBlitz

L3: Member
Dec 3, 2009
120
46
K well here are a few suggestions for this awesome A/D map. Its been a while since I played, so its a wee bit hard to remember but here are just a few.

You need to rename the points to stuff like A and B. After that, change the signs to A and B and such. Please provide lots of arrows, I didnt even know the airshaft entrance was there for a while, and its super easy to get lost.

Change the doors that are actually doors to either not being there or to the metal style gates. most players just think those doors you have made are decoration, and the problem is, some are, but some arnt, SO YOU CANT FIGURE OUT WHICH WITHOUT WASTING TIME.

Expand the platform in the blue spawn so you can still die, but atleast you have more room to move around. Maybe also stick a elavator in there, to explain why there is a pit under this platform. Also, make all the blue spawns bigger. They spend a lot of time in there, so might as well give them something to do.

The arrow over the air vent is a bit misleading, maybe make a ramp going down to it from right infront of the spawn door and remove the stuff at the end of vent, and just make a ramp. its a little time wasting to do all that jumping.

Also breakable glass is cool, but people dont expect it and after they find one, they test every other peice of glass, wasting time. Just remove the glass, or put shards on the floor to show that it was already broken before the time of the battle.

Those are only a couple, Its been a while since I tested it back then, what you really need to do is go have it put in the gameday, get some impromptu testing, and tell people GO POST! OR ELSE NO TOAST! I would give more suggestions, but its a really big map, and I can hardly remember most of it.
 

Swiftmind

L2: Junior Member
Dec 6, 2009
73
20
Thanks again for the post.

You need to rename the points to stuff like A and B
We are still considering doing this, but we feel its more of a layout issue. We are now planning to make some changes to the layout. The problem is the flow. For example: the vent exit for blue next to the fake Silo B door, players get stuck here looking for Security Hub since they expect to keep "moving forward" and not turn around to find the door near DL. So we are planning to put in a new hallway that will take players next to the vent exit straight to the SH second floor. This is a one way, one time use hallway.

As for round 2, we are planning a massive layout change. Primarily to get rid of the slow opening door for engineering. We plan to also make the flow between points more easier for both teams.

Basically we are trying to make the flow easier so the reading of signs is not as much needed...which is *blush* the way it should be. The layout right now is alright, but just alright, its not great.

Change the doors that are actually doors to either not being there or to the metal style gate
Love too but unfortunately we did this for optimization issues. Each of the doors are linked to an areaportal that closes/opens. In the process of layout changes we may change some doors. That is a big may though.

Expand the platform in the blue spawn so you can still die, but at least you have more room to move around.
We are doing something better, we are now planning to allow blue to run around the area with the vent entrance/exit to allow them access to the true gates before the setup time runs out. This means blue will no longer be sitting in the train room spawn (death pit spawn) for the setup time.

Also breakable glass is cool, but people dont expect it and after they find one, they test every other peice of glass, wasting time.
Ha true. All glass that is the TF2 style with the criss-cross lines is non-breakable. So it really comes down to looking at which glass is which...but it is clear no wants to waste time doing that. So...

We have decided to remove the breakable glass. All the glass is broken pretty quickly anyway, so there is really no reason for it other then ooo I can break some glass.



Besides the stuff mentioned we got a bunch of other changes in planning. I will post some development updates from time to time.
 
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Demonsul

L1: Registered
Nov 29, 2009
20
6
Breakable glass isn't that bad, it's present in Watchtower after all. I have breakable glass in my map...a quick query to players told me they wanted it, so I put it in. I don't see why you want to remove it if it's clear which glass is which after more then two seconds thought.
 

Swiftmind

L2: Junior Member
Dec 6, 2009
73
20
Breakable glass isn't that bad, it's present in Watchtower after all. I have breakable glass in my map...a quick query to players told me they wanted it, so I put it in. I don't see why you want to remove it if it's clear which glass is which after more then two seconds thought.

Really now? This has been a constant complaint from Silo-C's playtests, the players always said "TF2 maps do not have breakable glass" accompanied with some snickers and such. Maybe the issue is the two different glass textures we are using were too similar from afar. I will take a look at your map and see what glass textures you used.

....hmmm what map did you develop?
 

SlayerBlitz

L3: Member
Dec 3, 2009
120
46
Also something I left off, not really a major thing, but people keep thinking the C in silo-c stands for contest. Here is a sort of accurate conversation I had when I want the impromptu test to move to your map.

"So whats it called again?"
"Silo-c"
"So its ctf_silo-c"
"No its cp_silo-c"
"What?"
"its cp_silo-c"
It went on like that for like 4 min before I could explain that it wasnt in a contest, which he had assumed it was since it has the C and the only contest right now is the ctf contest.

Its really no big deal though.
 

Demonsul

L1: Registered
Nov 29, 2009
20
6
The map I'm working on still hasn't reached the playtesting stage and is thus unreleased. TBH, all I did for the 'survey' was go onto various pub servers and ask them.
 

Swiftmind

L2: Junior Member
Dec 6, 2009
73
20
B3 Dev Update: Round 1

Lets start off with a screenshot of the new lighting concept and Data Link front.
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All lighting within the map is being reworked on. The new concept is going back to the more traditional TF2 white lights with a slight touch of color. "Special" lights will deep color will be off to the side, out of the playable areas. A good example of the special lights is the orange lights above. The above picture shows the new lighting compared with the old. For this area the luminosities were greatly increase to create a more whiteish color with the same RBG values.

The front of DL has been rebuilt to remove the need for breakable glass.

Things being removed map wide:
* Music and radios
* Small HL crates
* Large use of breakable glass

Security Hub:
Layout for Security Hub is being rebuilt. We did all we can to help the former layout. The new layout concept is already looking 100% better. Here is some pics from hammer on the work in progress. Roof is not shown. Nothing is finalized.

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Added this new quickpath. During DL cap this can only be used by red. Once DL is capped, Red/blue can used this as a one way quickpath down to SH.
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Other changes:
* Remove breakable glass on lower floor.
* Added access to the other quickpath to DL on upper floor.
 

Hellfire

L9: Fashionable Member
Jul 9, 2008
601
142
i DEFINITELY need to play this map again, with players. I kinda want to give a biig feedback :p any rotations where i can find it?
 

Swiftmind

L2: Junior Member
Dec 6, 2009
73
20
I would be very interested in hearing your feedback.

There are no set rotations. We were going to ask around for groups to put b2 on rotations, but since a lot of negative feedback related to the style of the map came from the US (and some from EU) playtest we decided to hold off until b3. I have seen B2 appear on a few custom servers lately. I have seen the map once or twice appear on a 3-PG, Japan Custom Soba and No HEROS servers.
 

Swiftmind

L2: Junior Member
Dec 6, 2009
73
20
Dev Update: Security Hub

Here are some in-game comparisons between old and new SH.

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A lot has changed. The layout is far better then the original. It will be exciting to see how it plays out. Notice the change in lighting. This is the new concept mentioned in the last Dev Update being utilized. Also all breakable glass has been removed to clear up confusion.


attachment.php

A brand new part of the upper floor is shown here. This area has access to both quick paths up to Data Link and has a staircase down to the lower floor of SH.



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The small extension of the upper floor has been opened up to make it far easier for Soldiers, Demos and Scouts to jump into. One can also see a new staircase coming out from the wall. There was not enough room inside the SH to make a decent staircase, so this is the result. In the old SH, this extension was a lovely sniper's nest. Now that it is opened up with a staircase ending behind the sniper spot, the power of this nest has been greatly reduced.



Portals and what the player can see has been further optimized. For example, now if a player is standing on the control point within the upper floor, the player's system will no longer render the lower floor.

The soundscape has also changed. Instead of the sort of breathing ambient, a more generic soft vent sound will be heard.


That is it for now. Keep watching for the next Dev Update about Round 2!

Any thoughts or comments about the screens/info above, please post!
 

Hellfire

L9: Fashionable Member
Jul 9, 2008
601
142
damn im so sorry,havent launched tf2 for weeks now..no actual time/
from what ive seen you better change tour doors to more tf2-ish. It can still be brushes, still with tf texture. I rly liked the complexity of the map, still props from hl2 made me feel..not very happy. They definitelly look out of place in tf2.

anyway i might be back to tf2 rather soon and as i got no current projects,i may be able to help you with yours if you need some hands :D
 

Swiftmind

L2: Junior Member
Dec 6, 2009
73
20
damn im so sorry,havent launched tf2 for weeks now..no actual time/
from what ive seen you better change tour doors to more tf2-ish. It can still be brushes, still with tf texture. I rly liked the complexity of the map, still props from hl2 made me feel..not very happy. They definitelly look out of place in tf2.

anyway i might be back to tf2 rather soon and as i got no current projects,i may be able to help you with yours if you need some hands :D

I am not sure what you mean by tour doors. Can you give some more detail?

HL2 props are being removed here and there in B3. For instance in the new Security Hub, the HL2 prop that had all the video screens displaying various camera feeds by the metal detector, this has been removed and replaced with a TF2 desk. Originally I threw in HL2 props to be a sort of gimmick and that they fit a underground base type of setting but seems most disagree with me hehe.
 

Swiftmind

L2: Junior Member
Dec 6, 2009
73
20
B3 Dev Update: Round 2 Layout

There have always been issues with round 2 layout. Generally they can be summarized as "getting lost". A major change has been done to the overall layout. Engineering has been moved to the other side of round 2. Take a look at this representation of the new layout.

attachment.php



Yeah it is going back to a more traditional Gravelpit layout style. This came about after thinking "People always associated this round with Gravelpit due to 3 points, so they expect a Gravelpit layout." Now it is what people expect which will help with navigation.

Other Layout Changes:
* Slow Engineering Door removed.
* Gate System Removed.
* Fuel Conduit is detail only area, not accessible.
* Blue will have access to all three levels of Engineering through either LQ/Fuel.
* Travel Tunnels for Red removed.

That is all. Keep watching for next update on Fuel/LQ/Engineering changes!
 

Acumen

Annoyer
aa
Jun 11, 2009
704
628
what to me hurts the scene the most is the lighting. it needs to be brightened 200% in every single shot, imo.
while i just made the entire thing brighter here, you should play with the overall brightness and of course adjust the colored lights accordingly.
it not only enables you to adjust the contrast in the lighting, it also gives players better and clearer view of the scene.
i really like the composition of the first scene, but i think you can get it a lot tighter on the other ones - they don't hold up to the first, i think.
overall great progress on this. very nice :)

brighter_silo.jpg
 

Hellfire

L9: Fashionable Member
Jul 9, 2008
601
142
that layout makes sence much more. In b2 this spawn bottleneck was an overkill. Cant wait to see so long-developed B3