solitaire

ChickenLover

L2: Junior Member
Jun 28, 2008
95
19
ctf_solitaire

Solitaire is a single push the flag level. It uses a hybrid control point and capture the flag HUD. Inside each team's base is a single control point that opens and closes a door to the detonation area for the bomb. The team holding the bomb must capture the point inside the enemy base and then bring the bomb to the now opened door inside the same base. Once the door is open they may then proceed to enter the room thus detonating the bomb and scoring a point for the team.

Other Notes:
Players drop the bomb when they die. Dropped bomb remains on the field for the team who dropped it for 15 seconds. After 15 seconds has passed the bomb will remain for another 15 seconds and either team may pick it up. If 30 seconds total passes the bomb will return to the center of the level.

** The custom Intel replacement model I made can be found here. **
 
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ChickenLover

L2: Junior Member
Jun 28, 2008
95
19
Yeah, I'll put up a version soonish. I just put on some player clips around some objects that people were getting stuck on so I'll have to do another compile.
 

Terr

Cranky Coder
aa
Jul 31, 2009
1,590
410
Just checking... Those domed atriums are very nice, but the domes themselves aren't HL2 assets, are they?

Given the sewer drains and dev-textures, can't quite tell if it's supposed to be an impressive lobby of a building, or some sort of sewer treatment plant.
 

ChickenLover

L2: Junior Member
Jun 28, 2008
95
19
I just got done playing a test of this. Thanks for everyone showing up and thanks for the host.

I ran a test of this level last week with a different group and they had some complaints about the doors. I heard those complaints again today. Someone mentioned something about opening a door and getting a face full of sentry. I see the issue here. I think I can remove the big double doors safely without changing the play in that area too much. Those of you that had issues with the doors, do you think the small door should be removed as well?

The other main complaint I heard was that it was too confusing. In the next version I think I'll change the game type to invade now that they have cleaned it up. I think that will help with some of the confusion. Any other ideas on how to make this level easier to understand?

Also, if anyone knows how to stop overtime and force it to sudden death that would be much appreciated.
 

ChickenLover

L2: Junior Member
Jun 28, 2008
95
19
I should have a new version posted later today. I've finished compiling, I'm just waiting for a friend to double check all of the entities and custom models/textures.

This version focused on making things less confusing. So pretty much the HUD. The extra point has been disabled from view. New icons have been made for the points to give people a better idea what they are for. And Valve was nice enough to update the hybrid HUD so that only one intel shows up for single intel maps.

ctf_solitaire_hud.jpg


I would like to move the level over to the invade gametype so that BLU will carry the BLU intel and RED the RED intel, but the update to invade seems incomplete. There are still no text events regarding the intel and there are also no sound events either. The text events can easily be duplicated. The sound events require a bit more work. To my knowledge there is no way to send audio events to one team by a filter. Now, you can do a workaround with some trigger multiples that cover the entire level, but unfortunately people who are waiting to respawn will not receive those events. The audio might be confusing anyways since the announcer says "You have dropped the enemy intelligence" and "You have picked up the enemy intelligence." So, I'll think more on it and maybe change it later. For now BLU will just carry the RED intel, and RED the BLU intel.

I did not change the doors going into each base in this version. I thought about it. I think it is something that will change eventually, but I'd like to see how the level plays now with a simple HUD change first.
 

ChickenLover

L2: Junior Member
Jun 28, 2008
95
19
Since this level is a 'Push the Flag' gametype I decided to finally switch over the intel to 'Invade' setting. I edited some of the CTF sound files and added them to the map so it will now play sounds on when the intel is dropped. Speaking of intel, I've added two new custom props to the level. I've replaced the intel model with a bomb, and built a holding box for the bomb. It makes a bit more sense that you are bringing a bomb to the enemy base instead of your intel. The bomb is set to replace the intel like eerieone did with ctf_premuda. This one doesn't dispense healing though. Sorry guys. ;)

tnttimebomb.jpg

dynamitebox.jpg


The new bomb comes in three flavors: red, blue and neutral. One of the hands on the clock also turns.

I'll release the models pre-positioned in a few days. That way you won't have to spend hours positioning and setting the skins to change on events.

ctf_solitaire is compiled right now. I need to run a test with it and make sure all of the new entities function and also to make sure I have everything packed in the bsp correctly. I'll most likely release the new version tomorrow.
 

ChickenLover

L2: Junior Member
Jun 28, 2008
95
19
New version is up. The release was delayed due to an issue I discovered with the method used to replace the intelligence model. The issue as far as I know can not be solved completely, so I've come up with what I think is the best compromise.

ctf_solitaire_a099

Changes from a096:

* Gametype changed on the item_teamflag to 'invade'. You now carry your team's color instead of the enemy color.
* Added in custom invade alert sounds. Better ones to come.
* New custom intel. Model is a timebomb. Also comes with a stand that it sits on.
* Explosion added when a team wins.
* Explosion added if the game stalemates.
* Fixed a couple lighting glitches.
* Minor BSP edits.


Known issues:

* I forgot to change the intro text. Oops. I didn't feel like recompiling to fix it. Next time.
* A couple lighting issues are present on some of the BSP.
* When joining in the middle of a game the intelligence briefcase may be showing along with the bomb model. This is the issue I was referring to above. The briefcase should disappear again after the bomb has been dropped, picked up, detonated, or returned. This issue will mostly likely exist until Valve changes the way the item_teamflag functions or until Valve fixes the TurnOff function so that it is a serverside event instead of clientside.
* Joining the level, leaving, and rejoining again without closing the client will cause some UI issues. As far as I can tell this is a bug related to the 'invade' gametype and the tf_logic_hybrid_ctf_cp entity. I could not reproduce it with standard CTF. I'm fairly certain this can only be fixed on Valve's side.


tnttimebomb2.jpg
 

lana

Currently On: ?????
aa
Sep 28, 2009
3,075
2,778
The enemy has dropped THE BOMB. Sound design needs work, and the points can be captured too fast. It was also too easy for scouts to grab the bomb and capture the point.
 

The_Ulf

L6: Sharp Member
May 26, 2009
399
115
I LOVE your layout - everything seems very clean. :D

As for gameplay, I think the challenge we ran into today, once enough people had loaded in and were playing, was that it was too easy to shut the doors once they were open (i.e. it was too hard to get the flag to the point while the doors were open as well, too much to coordinate a PUG to do).

I would suggested locking the cp's in a similar fashion to what you have with the flag: once a team takes their enemy's control point, it can't start to be reclaimed and re-shut for some short period of time (~30 seconds).

Also, you can probably just use the ctf sounds for now (adding THE BOMB annoyed enough people, I guess - if you can get the inflection right, it would be a very nice addition in the future), though THE BOMB does have entertainment value. :p
 

ChickenLover

L2: Junior Member
Jun 28, 2008
95
19
The enemy has dropped THE BOMB. Sound design needs work
Also, you can probably just use the ctf sounds for now (adding THE BOMB annoyed enough people, I guess - if you can get the inflection right, it would be a very nice addition in the future), though THE BOMB does have entertainment value. :p

Yeah, I know. I spent many, many hours in GoldWave attempting to find the best matching clips I could. The Announcer uses a lot of inflection in her voice. Not to mention all of the other extra stuff they added to her voice like echos and static. I'm not happy with the sound clips at all, but I think I've reached the best of my ability with them. I really don't know the first thing about editing audio. If anyone has any pointers or wants to give me a hand I'll gladly take it.

As for the standard ctf sounds, I can't really use those. The gametype is too different, the standard sound clips don't make sense.

the points can be captured too fast. It was also too easy for scouts to grab the bomb and capture the point.
I LOVE your layout - everything seems very clean. :D

As for gameplay, I think the challenge we ran into today, once enough people had loaded in and were playing, was that it was too easy to shut the doors once they were open (i.e. it was too hard to get the flag to the point while the doors were open as well, too much to coordinate a PUG to do).

I would suggested locking the cp's in a similar fashion to what you have with the flag: once a team takes their enemy's control point, it can't start to be reclaimed and re-shut for some short period of time (~30 seconds).

Yep, I agree. Really, today felt like the first real gameplay test. Previously, there was no hybrid HUD, no new icons, so people were very confused. I couldn't really get any valuable feedback other than "confused". Anyways, I think I'm going to try adjusting the time it takes to recap the point of the defending team. I'm going to at least triple it. I'll run another test later with the changed time and see how I feel about it. Also, I think I'm fairly happy with the current time it takes to capture on offense, although I might adjust it so it takes slightly less time. Maybe cut it by 25%, nothing too major.

I've also been debating adding an additional route to the top floor. Right now there are 3.5 routes to the top floor. However, only 1.5 of those routes can be used from outside of the base. The other two are stairways inside the base. (If you are curious what I'm counting as .5, I consider a .5 a route which can be reached by some classes but not all. In this case, the balcony can be reached by demos, soldiers, and scouts.) I've thought about where I would like the route to start from, but I have not decided on the specifics when it reaches the base yet. Here is something I've been fooling around with so far:

ctf_solitaire_route01.jpg


Anyways, thanks for the feedback. Today was very helpful for me! I'm looking forward to my next to test to see if I can improve upon today's findings.
 

ChickenLover

L2: Junior Member
Jun 28, 2008
95
19
I've finally updated solitaire. It was sitting around almost fully textured for months.

It still needs soundscapes and a skybox. It could also use a bit more detail work in a few places.
 
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