[WIP] ctf_derelict

.GrinderRobot

L1: Registered
Aug 1, 2008
20
1
Well, I suppose it's time for a WIP thread for my new, first, and only map, "ctf_derelict". It's playable now, but I would guess I'm still a couple weeks from an alpha 1 release.

Basically, a red tugboat and a blue tugboat have pulled up alongside a derelict container ship lost at sea. There are two superstructures facing each other, each with its own bridge and chart room, where the intel is hidden. The upper and lower decks serve as battlegrounds, defined largely by shipping containers. In addition to the superstructures, the upper deck has two large loading cranes. A skilled Scout can go from the top of one superstructure to the other by executing a series of jumps, similar to 2fort.

Inspiration for this map was an article in Wired, earlier this year about the "Cougar Ace," a huge container ship sinking near Alaska and the crack team of badass engineers from Titan Salvage who went in to save it. The photos of the Titan team made me think of the TF2 crew, and I just took it from there.

None of my containers are props. Instead, I borrowed the texture and applied it to brushes which gives better framerates and cuts visleafs. I need to do some texture work on the containers to add the vertical metal bars the prop has on the ends, and to bumpmap it properly. The pass-through containers are just four brushes textured like a container.

A few things I know I need to work on (amongst many others):
1) On the upper deck FPS can drop to the 30s (otherwise it's 80+ on a GeForce 7950 at 1280x1024). I'm moving some containers around to bump up the FPS in some problem areas. Also, I haven't hinted anything yet. The good news is I understand the whole "avoid open areas" thing now. :rolleyes:
2) A few HL2 textures here and there that need to be replaced.
3) I need to block off the tugs so I can seal it off with areaportals. The containers on the edges already meet the skybox, I just need to seal off the fore and aft somehow.
4) Lighting tweaks. Screenshots below are just fast RAD, no HDR.

I have never mapped anything before in my life. I'm a software engineer by trade, so none of the SDK is over my head really, but I still had a lot to learn to get it this far and I've got a lot more to go. Comments and suggestions are very much welcome. I have more SS if anyone wants to see more.

The Tugs (starting spawn)
2839260672_d9b6b54a4f_o.jpg


The Hold
2838428091_63b5bed684_o.jpg


The Bridge (flag is in the room behind the window on the right)
2839261120_73680cbabd_o.jpg


The Deck (blue front door)
2838428529_d08b1fcd2a_o.jpg
 

Altaco

L420: High Member
Jul 3, 2008
484
120
Looking great for your first attempt at mapping. Only thing I'd say is that the third screenshot is too dark. Otherwise looks pretty great. How many routes are there between the boats, and is there a path between them, perhaps underwater, that someone can take to be safer?
 

Vander

L8: Fancy Shmancy Member
Feb 16, 2008
506
215
sv_cheats 1
noclip
cl_drawhud 0
r_drawviewmodel 0

Use this when taking pics! Gets rid of everything but the good stuff.

The floor in the hold looks kind of monotonous. Maybe break it up with some debris that can be walked over? Anything to break up the texture being used for the floor (which I feel is a GREAT use for that texture). Just needs a bit of variety and it will look even better.

Great work so far! I don't usually get interested in CTF, but this one has me intrigued.
 

.GrinderRobot

L1: Registered
Aug 1, 2008
20
1
You know, in my original design I had diving rooms in the bottom of the hull. Players could dive over the edge into the water and swim up under the ship, or vice versa. I took them out when I decided the water would be off-limits, but I've made a lot of changes since then and I can restore the dive rooms if it helps gameplay.

As it stands, there are two ramps up from the tugs, one to the middle deck and one to the upper deck. There's also a spawn room in the superstructure that activates after the first spawn.

And yeah, all the crane parts are func_detail. Used to be 32-face world brush cylinders (now 12-face func_details). You should have seen my FPS before doing that. Those little round portholes were a pain, too, until I deleted a bunch of them and reduced the map's overall face count by 50%. :eek:hmy:
 

Vander

L8: Fancy Shmancy Member
Feb 16, 2008
506
215
Oooooh! How about bringing the diving rooms/moon pools back just making them inaccessible by players?
 

Sgt Frag

L14: Epic Member
May 20, 2008
1,443
710
I like CTF's and I like your design work alot.

However I kindof worry about the gameplay. I think it depends on alot of things.

1-would probably be best to NOT have spawn rooms on boats. Might put them too close to intel and make it impossible to ever cap, that wouldn't be fun.

2-I would make water useable if you can. Of course you'd have to block it in somehow, maybe docks around the boats, closed gates in front of them?
Or large ships (the skybox ones would be fine) right next to them. (Like the one in Granary.
But I would make it only a path to leave the boats and come up under the docks.
Would be a quick escape plan.

If the 2 ramps are the only way on it would really be a team effort to move the intel which would be a nice change of pace. Maps like 2 Fort and Mach4 are usually one person moving it to middle then teamwork to move across middle area.

Maybe another ramp in the middle, a covered one perhaps so there are more paths to take and at least one to help dodge bullets.
Or maybe a crane holding a container over the water between dock and boat. That would allow some classes to jump across, it would also give each ramp some protection from bullets from the other side.
 

00000000000000000000000

L4: Comfortable Member
Jul 9, 2008
175
23
Wow, very nice brushwork on the boats and I like what you did with the tires on the front of the boat. The only thing I can point out is that the texture of the blue ceiling looks a bit off, Maybe have a few beams going across there.
 

psihomir

L4: Comfortable Member
Mar 17, 2008
192
32
Jesus, have you seriously not mapped for anything before? This looks beautiful!

I don't really have any hard criticisms, which sucks, because I really wanted to give you a hand on this one.

Seriously, I'm stunned by the fact that this is your first work. I've encouraged my mates who got into mapping not to release their first works and use them for learning only, but this... I want to play it! :)

Well, I guess the least I could do is give you pointers on optimization, since I see that you're going to do that soon. Read this: http://www.student.ru.nl/rvanhoorn/...ro&PHPSESSID=9ecaa905e815cc3953ce364bf193030b

It's the best optimization guide I know of ;)
 

treythepunkid

L4: Comfortable Member
Sep 8, 2008
157
79
Wow dude I love the picture of "The Hold" you really got down how to realisticly place props in hammer!
 

FreeLance_FoX

L6: Sharp Member
Sep 6, 2008
353
173
Hey Grinder I love the look so far! I was wondering whether you had a version complete enough for alpha release yet...? I'd love to try your map out on my clan's custom server, it looks pretty brilliant!