Looking for a Map Artist

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Riptide651

L1: Registered
Mar 17, 2014
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Hi Guys,

First off, I'm new to these forums, although I have been a lurker for some time, and I'm currently working on a map for TF2. The thing is, I'm not an artist. I focus primarily on gameplay and game design, so I do my best to get those things right, but when it comes to 3d art, I am abyssmal.

I was wondering if there are any artists here willing to work on a collaboration on a map. I have a WIP map for the KOTH gamemode, and its designed so that the augmentation of an intel room in the right place can make it a good CTF.

I was thinking, if anyone was willing to work with me, that I could bring the dev form of the map (the orange and grey version) to the final playable form (as in, testing it through gamedays and settling on a final layout) and then work with an artist to make it look like an actual TF2 map.

If anyone is interested, feel free to ask more about the map, and I'll have a few pictures posted of what I currently have in dev form in a day or two.

- Riptide
 

Pocket

Half a Lambert is better than one.
aa
Nov 14, 2009
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So, you want someone who can artpass your map when the layout is done? I might be interested. I'm already working on one for the contest at the moment, but having something else to switch to when I get tired of that might be a good thing.
 

Riptide651

L1: Registered
Mar 17, 2014
11
0
Yeah, basically.

The idea I had in mind was sort of a Bond-esque lair inside a volcano, where the capture point is located in the center of the hollow dome and the two bases are built into the side of the building.

I have rough sketches of layout, but the map is three levels, and I have this rule for myself that every room should have at least 2 entrances.

In the central room, there's the capture point surrounded by a small moat and on top there's a series of suspended catwalks that link to the bases (this is to give attacking forces higher ground, so although the capture point is well defended from snipers, being shot at from above is still a risk). And then there's also tunnels into the moat, like in 2fort, in order to allow a relatively safe approach to the point, although players reach a choke point when trying to reach the point, so even though the path is safe, the approach is quite dangerous. There's some access routes along the side to allow for flanking as well that lead toward the base. In the lower level, I essentially plan for the tunnels (which should be pipes) to pour into a lava pit, and the player can jump across rocks in order to reach the pipe. The upper level is accessible form the center and the bases, and essentially holds a small operations center and the catwalks in the central dome.

The layout of the base for the opposing team is symmetrical.

The plan is for the current layout to act as a koth map, and then I can augment an intel room into the caverns to allow for CTF.

As an artist, you'll have a ton of creative freedom as to where you want to arrange props and detailing, as well as the overall theme.

One thing though, is that we may require a custom model or two, since I envisioned the flanking route to be sort of a non-functioning transport system, so a retro-futuristic monorail carved into the rock, and the players could use the props as cover.

If you want to help out, I would greatly appreciate it, and the contest may give me a good opportunity to finish and refine the layout. :)
 

Pocket

Half a Lambert is better than one.
aa
Nov 14, 2009
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I'm gonna have to brush up on my Bond then. Would you believe I've never seen an actual James Bond movie ever? Besides Dr. No, which ones would you say have the best references for villain lairs?
 

Riptide651

L1: Registered
Mar 17, 2014
11
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The one I was looking at specifically was Blofeld's volcano lair in You Only Live Twice. I guess you could also take influence from the lair in Live and Let Die, as well as the rocket launching facility in Moonraker.

The bases themselves I imagined as high tech bunkers with mainframes, but thats up to you.
 
Nov 2, 2010
355
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I'm gonna have to brush up on my Bond then. Would you believe I've never seen an actual James Bond movie ever? Besides Dr. No, which ones would you say have the best references for villain lairs?

I can't believe there are TF2 mappers who have never seen James Bond. The whole spytech theme is derivative of classic spy films.
 

Riptide651

L1: Registered
Mar 17, 2014
11
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IDK, I always felt that the design was based more off of Get Smart. The labs in Bond were never really over the top in terms of design, only the gadgets were. Get Smart had a more retro-modern look.
 

Riptide651

L1: Registered
Mar 17, 2014
11
0
Steve,

If you'll be the one handling the artpass, how would you prefer the map be done? Currently it's all grey and orange. Do you want me to color code the blu and red areas to make things easier for you?

Also, do you want me to take care of sign placement (the intel, etc signs) before handing it off to you?

I'm making the map in such a way that each floor has it's own visgroup, as well as each complex object set (the central point is in the center of a dodecahedron, and the dome is quite complex as well and it's a lot easier to work with those in isolation). I'm still learning ATM, so it may be a bit mixed up, but for the most part, everything is located in the right visgroup.

- Riptide
 

RubbishyUser

L7: Fancy Member
Feb 17, 2013
414
488
I would reccomend colour coding, but I would definitely get it on some impromptus before you even think about passing it over. The more you detail a map, the harder it becomes to fix the layout, so the testing should be done early and often.
 
Nov 2, 2010
355
1,048
IDK, I always felt that the design was based more off of Get Smart. The labs in Bond were never really over the top in terms of design, only the gadgets were. Get Smart had a more retro-modern look.

Erm, you mean the film released after TF2?
 

Riptide651

L1: Registered
Mar 17, 2014
11
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Yeah, the plan is to get testing and a final layout done prior to handing it over for detailing.

I'll color code then. Since it's symmetrical, I can make one side and duplicate it to the other end, and recolor it.

As for the film, the film is based on an old TV Show, filmed between 1965 and 1970. It was the spy shows of that era, Get Smart being one of the more prevalent ones, that gave rise to the stereotypical "spytech" design, along with James Bond.
 

Pocket

Half a Lambert is better than one.
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Nov 14, 2009
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What a coincidence, our local library just happens to have all five seasons on DVD.
 

Riptide651

L1: Registered
Mar 17, 2014
11
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Don't worry, I'm still alive. I've just been a bit busy. Give me a couple more days and I'll have it ready by the next gameday.
 

GooGuGajoob

L12: Pro-crastinator
Mar 28, 2014
175
101
TF2 theme is actually based heavily on Dr.Strange Love. You'll recognise many of the spytech props from the film, even how they're used by Valve and placed amongst eachother. Coldfront also references the green table in it's final Blu and Red spawnrooms.
 

Pocket

Half a Lambert is better than one.
aa
Nov 14, 2009
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I was only able to watch two out of four discs of season one (quelle surprise; they need start fining people who return DVDs in shitty condition), but nothing came across as particularly "TF2 spytech" although the department store in one of the episodes reminded me a lot of the Mhanko showroom. Does the spytech-looking stuff not show up until later in the series, perhaps?
 
Sep 7, 2012
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I was only able to watch two out of four discs of season one (quelle surprise; they need start fining people who return DVDs in shitty condition), but nothing came across as particularly "TF2 spytech" although the department store in one of the episodes reminded me a lot of the Mhanko showroom. Does the spytech-looking stuff not show up until later in the series, perhaps?

It's off and on, really. There are episodes spread throughout with various bits of infiltrate-the-secret-base inside. Now that i think about it though, there isn't too much specific "spytech" in the films (the simplicity of some of the sets shows that the budget wasn't huge) but there is certainly of a lot of secret HQs hidden inside more ordinary buildings and businesses.
 

Riptide651

L1: Registered
Mar 17, 2014
11
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Come to think of it, its more the concept of the hidden HQs that was spytech, but not so much the design style itself. Dr. Strangelove, now that you mention it, is incredibly Spytech-like. Or should i say Spytech is Strangelove-like.