ARENA Deserterted Mirage

Ugleh

L1: Registered
Sep 21, 2010
33
2
VSH Deserted Mirage

THIS IS A SAXON HALE MAP
This is my first officially released map. I have been messing with Hammer Editor for close to a year but on and off so maybe only 4-5 months all together.
I thought what was needed in a basic Saxon Hale map.
People like it small, so I made it small.
Engineers like many building spots, so I added many engineer opportunities.
Soldiers wanted high places to get to, so I added a few.

I also added many sniper spots, and a great way for players to run away from saxon if stuck in some spots.

The hardest part with making my first official map was seeing how I didn't know if I had too little or too much props/decor. I felt the map was empty, but I did not want to bombard it with unneeded stuff.

Not shown in the screenshots are hidden tunnel-ways that you can go through from inside the grungy building, and come out to the sniper area which the first screenshot is at.

As for the name I did not know what to name it. I know its in a desert so something about Desert.... but the build itself is random. I could not stick a name to describe it, so being as clueless as I was I named it Deserterted Mirage.

There is 4 prop model scenes outside of the map which are entertaining.


Also I would like to note that I know tf2maps doesn't really go about releasing Saxon Hale maps as it is not an official game type but I thought I would release it anyways as it was my first type and id love some criticism.


A mistake I did make was a displaced the map before realizing I needed to cut it to open up the tunneling system, so to fix the mistake and have small black lines in my map I added props over them instead of just destroying and remaking the hills and such.
 
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Bereth

L4: Comfortable Member
Dec 13, 2011
170
197
Looking quickly at this map I have a few things to note:
-It's very open. Even Saxton Hale maps tend to have open areas with buildings, or great terrain variation to accomplish the same thing. I would slightly enlarge the map and add in two or three medium-sized buildings for people (including Hale) to hide in.
-The map in very plain, especially in the skybox. Some small rocks both inside and outside of the map would be nice, as well as adding a few tiny buildings to the skybox. Maybe even some inaccessible buildings to make the borders of the map a bit less bland. Maybe some small rocks and a few bits of wood or scrap metal would add something.
-I noticed a lambda symbol, as a general rule it is best not to use texture files from other games simply because they don't fit in TF2. Add some other decals to the wall, and take a look at official maps to see them.
-I see that a few of the buildings are small, which gives Hale the advantage, however I don't have a problem with this because they also contain health and amo, but they are too close together.
-The outside of the buildings looks a little plain. Consider adding wooden beams to spruce it up, and maybe some decals to make it look a bit older.
-I don't see any spawn rooms. This could be the purpose of one of the buildings which you add (a spawn for Hale does need to exist, although it can just be small and out-of-the way.
Overall, though good work. I'm not crazy about Saxton Hale mode, but this map does look pretty good.
 

gamemaster1996

L13: Stunning Member
Sep 30, 2009
1,064
134
The last screenshot looks a bit, ugly.
 

tyler

aa
Sep 11, 2013
5,102
4,621
You should never be creating buildings out of props. It looks terrible, will play terribly, and is going to be nigh-unoptimizable.
 

Ugleh

L1: Registered
Sep 21, 2010
33
2
I thought by making some of the buildings out of props it would give it more detail, but I guess next round I will just use textures that could do the same thing.
 

Ugleh

L1: Registered
Sep 21, 2010
33
2
a2
Added more trees and obstacles.
Moved a building closer to spawn for engiees to get to a faster setup spot.
added more stuff to the skybox
 

AngryAngus

L3: Member
Jul 20, 2011
101
124
Just a note, we don't test saxton hale maps here, heck alot of us don't know what saxton hale is.
 

Ugleh

L1: Registered
Sep 21, 2010
33
2
Just a note, we don't test saxton hale maps here, heck alot of us don't know what saxton hale is.

I never assumed you would. If you read the thread it said that. I really just wanted criticism on the screenshots for my first map.
 
Oct 6, 2008
1,947
445
Just a note, we don't test saxton hale maps here, heck alot of us don't know what saxton hale is.

I for one sure don't.

When I first read it I thought he bought it at the Mann Store :p
 

Vincent

&#128296 Grandmaster Lizard Wizard Jedi &#128296
aa
Sep 5, 2009
912
684
This map really reminds me of the creators forum name.

Offensive jokes aside, it's really hard to create a map that has any sort of unique twist for that Saxton Hale mod. You'll either end up with confusing level layout that doesn't need to be the way it is, or just simply prop spam. I don't intend to discourage you, but instead encourage you to make a real TF2 map. Try making an Arena map instead perhaps?

The map, judging by your screenshots, is just prop explosion. That last screenshot looks like you copied a wooden fence prop about 10 or 12 times and tried to make a tree house. Like others have said that's just going to kill peoples frame rates, and you don't want that.

For a first real attempt at a map its not bad, your displacements look nice and the lightning is good. I just suggest you channel that energy into a real map. Good luck man.
 

Ælement

Comfortably mediocre
aa
Dec 21, 2010
1,481
1,616
Looking at the screenshots, i believe you are doing what a lot of us did the first time: Make a flat area and add stuff.

I recommend that you instead think up a small area, and how that area would fit with the rest of the map. And then make that tiny part. Have an overall idea before you do anything, plan it before you build it =)

I have only played a bit of Saxton Hale, but the times i have, i noticed that a lot of the maps allows the team to crowd together and just sit with their sentry guns to send Hale flying when he comes near. Bear such things in mind when making the map. Also, use brushwork with developer textures for the first early stages of mapping. It works great! If you need to, you can change the brushwork to props later anyways. Your goal in alpha is to make it play well. The beta part is to make it look good =)