[WIP] cp_venice

Hey guys,

Started working on my first TF2 map yesterday and what to hear some opionios about the concept and maybe the tiny bit of mapping that i did so far.

Concept:

cp_venice is a Control Point map with 5 CPs to capture for each team to win the game. Every team starts with their first CP already captured and the 3rd one of course being locked. Blue starts near CP1 and Red @ CP5.
Here's a map layout, which is not really symmetrical. The final map will be nearly completely symmetrical though.



- CP1 & CP5 are inside an inner courtyard surrounded by a 2 or 3 story building.
- CP2 & CP4 are on a smaller open place surrounded by buildings and water.
- CP3 is (as seen on screenshot) on a big open place and therefore will be harder to control than the others.
- (a) is going to be a key structure that can be entered and is going to have nice sentry spots making it an ideal outpost.
- (b) are two buildings that are connected on the 2nd or 3rd level to (a) and block the view of CP2&4 a bit. I added them, so that you can't look from CP2 to CP4 and also to give those points a bit of cover.

The Water is going to have a big impact on the gameplay, because you can especially as a spy sneak to every CP. Some Buildings like (a) will also have a underground water access.

Here are 2 pictures I found which show what kind of ambience I am aiming for.







And finally some screenies from CP3:











I am really getting addicted to mapping again, so I'll guess updates will follow soon.

Please feel free to comment on the work I have done so far.

I kinda fear that I'll also have to create some textures, but yeah I will not rest before it looks like that

Thanks for your replies so far

Update:

- I added the water tunnel under CP3 and put CP3 on a platform.

Screenies:

Heh, you should ideally get rid of that brickwork as soon as possible, HL2 textures are a big no no.

Click to expand...

- np, will be done later

Try not to make your area's really big, it's the most common ammatuer's mistake.

Aside from that, be careful with your style. It doesn't look a whole like like the TF2 style, though obviously you havn't textured yet.

Click to expand...

- I kinda already felt that the building around CP3 is too big, so I cut out a lot in width and also some height (see screenshots)

- As for the TF2 Style: It's going to be hard to make it truely look like TF2 but I'll do my best. Tested out some textures today and I'm sure I'll can make it work. The tricky part is to make it look TF2-Style and also like venice. I have to find a good balance their


Screens:

- the middle part will be some kind of stone throne.



- back of the castle thing with a pier. Nice play to add the first boat

A very nice idea, but perhaps too ambitious for a first map? Being a first-mapper myself, I still discover new Hammer stuff daily, sometimes having to rework my map completely because I made a stupid mistake.

Just trying to warn you.

Click to expand...

- 1st TF2 map, but not the first map in Hammer ;-)

You can have it where the 2nd one isn't capped yet. It forces your team to think strategically in a sense of "Who is going forward to cap 3 while we cap this one?". It just depends on the style of game play the creator is going for.

The map looks cool, but as said before you should definitely playtest before texturing to make sure that style and layout works well.

Click to expand...

- I'm definately going for the version where every team just has their first CP capped, because the layout of the map allows so many different startup strategies that way.

- Don't worry, I will finish the map before I start texturing it. Though I need some different textures as the dev textures here and there to quickly navigate through the map in hammer, otherwise you got lost very fast


Currently I'm working on building (a). New screenshots will come tomorrow.

todays work so far

Hi,

I have changed a lot on the map around CP3 making it smaller and also worked on building (a). I've also been thinking about where to put the spawnrooms and haven't really come to a conclusion yet. I'm leaning towards somewhere between the teams first and second CP. Originally I wanted to make them right at the teams first CP, but I fear that makes those CPs to hard to capture.

I've realized today that I have to come to a playable version fast without adding too much detail other than the gameplay affecting stuff (stairs, balconies, etc.). Unfortunately I have no idea how long that'll take, but I'll do my best.

Of course I have brought new screenshots showing the changes and the current state of the map.

Looking down at CP4. Still a mess ^^




The look from Cp4 to (a) and CP3




inside (a) on the 2nd level



view on (a)



new position of the stairs leading to the 2nd level of CP3.



the stairs. If you were to turn around you'll get on the balcony which faces to (a).



left 2nd level room of CP3. Will be stuffed with table, chairs, map on the wall etc in red colors



Where the stairs used to be.



And finally the current view from the top