SharkBay

KotH SharkBay RC2

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Billo

aa
Feb 8, 2016
920
397
SharkBay - This Is a map set on a port. there is an accessible ship there with a full health pack as well.

SharkBay Is a king of the hill map set on a port.
There is an accessible ship to the port that has a full health pack inside and can be used for flanking. the map is mirrored. meaning that both sides are the same like as if you were looking in a mirror. In the Future the map Will feature some sharks swimming around the map or who knows what else.

this map started development approximately a month ago ( 9/8/2018 )

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Notes:
Well, well well..... It's been more than a year since I last made A new map.I have to say i enjoyed the making of this map a lot. The idea of the map started like this : I saw crash make shoreleave and i was like.... hmmmm the first Blue Spawn ( which is currently inside a cave ) could be a port and The blu team's base is a ship. Later on I was planning to start a new payload map.The first point would be on a port but i didn't know if I wanted to make the Blu Spawn a ship. Months later I was thinking while trying to sleep about a koth map that I could make. Many ideas passed my mind such as making a halloween focus koth map but then I was like what if I take my old idea and combine it with my new ideas and make a koth map? I often try to make a map with a basic idea behind, so the map can differentiate from the others.

About the future , I am planning to make a brand new Payload map which I attempted to make a month ago on the 72 hours contest but I didn't manage to finish it. I am not happy About the current state of the map so I should be Better of starting over. I got some really cool ideas about the map and I cant wait to Begin making it.
 

Billo

aa
Feb 8, 2016
920
397
In this Version:

*Updated a Few Health/Ammo packs. One small Health pack now is a medium one and one full ammo pack is now a medium one. I also deleted one medium ammo pack on the blu side which I forgot to delete before A1 release.

*added patches to all Packs.

* Made the death pit on the port more obvious that it kills you by adding duct tape around it and A sign.

* added light to a small room that was kinda dark before.

I think thats all.

Notes:
For A1 release the map so far doesnt play that bad. Though I hear you guys loud and clear, The ship is not in the best location and Yes i agree the health pack is "isolated" which i am planning to fix in the next update.
I was working on the map for about a month, reworking the control point area cause i wasnt sure how to make it. I think having the control point inside a building and the port area outside ( and of course making it smaller) maybe is the way to go. Btw thanks feedback on the map. it helps a lot.

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Billo

aa
Feb 8, 2016
920
397
In this aggiornare: (Update)

- mid was remade from the start. ( more in the notes below )
- a new design for the ship was made
- fixed a few issues with the map.

this update looks small but it isnt lol

Notes:
Well , well , well.... I wont stop remaking my maps , will I?
Probably not but I think the map has benefited from this update a lot.
Now i think the control point area is a lot better and more fun to fight on, the ship is closer to the point , smaller and of course more viable to most classes. I tried around 6-7 different designs for the middle area but i couldnt make them work. I recently saw a simple koth map and i was like why not try something similar for the mid area? of course i would change it by adding other buildings , the ship later etc. But the point is thanks to that map ( Benzin ) I was able to finish this new version.

I was personally happy with how the map is right now. ( i dont see myself remaking it , is what i mean lol ) but i am taking part in this new payload contest so the updates will be slow but i will try my best.

Thats for now. Peace Mappers. 20181109195601_1.jpg 20181109195607_1.jpg 20181109195631_1.jpg 20181109195642_1.jpg 20181109195654_1.jpg 20181109195713_1.jpg

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Billo

aa
Feb 8, 2016
920
397
dans cette version: ( in this version * in france )

- Added some windows to the building close to the ship which has this big balcony. only 1 of the windows is open.

- The third route to the point was slighly changed.Now it looks better and there are no major sightlines from there.

- Light was added to some dark areas.

- the ship's "roof" got moved down a little bit , so as to make it easier for classes as scout to jump up on. ( i dont think making it available for all classes a good idea - even if i have a nobuild up there )

- Finally, I fixed a few more issues like a small sightline that was under a prop that the other team could neither predict nor react at all. ( since it wasnt visible ).

Notes time Baby!
So far the playtests are going pretty good! So good infact that I may go to beta next week if everything goes as planned. I want to keep testing the map a little more just to make sure. I noticed that you guys think the map's layout , structure and overall performance is good enough that i should start texturing. I will pretty soon dont worry. If i learnt something almost 3 years now mapping , is that i shouldnt rush but take my time.

Oh and before I post this I want to say that I am taking part in the new payload contest. I will upload the map early December I believe , so look forward to that.
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Billo

aa
Feb 8, 2016
920
397
in dieser Version:

* the control point's trigger is now smaller. ( as big is the cover around it approximately)
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* Fixed a small lighting problem with a door.

-And a change that I may regret but because we are still in alpha and I heard many people saying that the ship needs some more attention......-

* made it possible to go on top of the ship ( on the high ground when previously only soldier , demo and scout was able to go ) accessible to all the classes. ( you have to climb those 4 blocks to get up there though.)
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Notes.
Personally, I am really happy with how the map has turned up but I wish i could keep the large capture area but what can you do? sit here and argue? Anywayz.
So.... I did all the changes I had in mind. to be honest I dont know what else to do. Maybe keep improving some areas? Not sure, time will tell.
If everything goes well, I will go to Beta( start detailing) by the end of the Month. And also thanks a lot for your feedback guys! it helped me a lot and I wish the final product will be worth it.

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Billo

aa
Feb 8, 2016
920
397
In this version:

*made the cover around the control point shorter.

* the sniper balcony cover was changed a little so the sniper can actually look around more and sniper people easier.
(Dont forget these changes here are temporary. If i see that the sniper is now OP i will probably go back to the previous version)

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Notes:
Before I say anything I would like to thank you guys for your help and feedback even if some of them are not quite on the point I still appreciate them.
Personally I am really happy with the Map right now. I dont think it needs anything too game-changing right now. Most likely I will go to Beta after A7 version since I am happy with the gameplay and stuff and you seem to be too. I watched every single demo so far. I just wish i was able to join the server too but unfortunately sometimes the Imp starts Way too late for me. ( like 2 in the night )

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Billo

aa
Feb 8, 2016
920
397
in questa versione:

* the capture point was sped up ( based on feedback and now hopefully recapturing the point will be 10 times easier and quicker. the point has the same capture rate as viaduct when previously it took like 22 seconds for 1 person to capture now it should take 8 seconds)

* adjusted the duct tape around the point so as to match the trigger better.

Notes:
I dont anything new to say.

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Billo

aa
Feb 8, 2016
920
397
in this version:

*reduced the ammo packs around mid ( to hopefully nerf those engineers )

*removed the ability as any class to get up to the ship. now only scouts, soldiers , pyros , demomen and maybe some really clever engineer will be able to do it.

Notes:
I noticed that one major problem with the map is now fixed.Now recapping the point is much much easier and now I nerfed engineers it should be even more. I think the next version will be a Beta import what do you think? is the map ready for beta? I personally think it is.

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Billo

aa
Feb 8, 2016
920
397
In this version:
* the cover around the point is smaller now. ( i cant make it any smaller because the snipers will be able to snipe people from the main entrance and nobody wants that )

* did a small change to the ship - the ramps that lead you to it are different

* made the patch on the ship smaller lol

Notes:
It looks like the map is almost there.Dont get me wrong, i am really happy to see people leaving feedback on my maps but please when you say : hey i dont like this or change this, give a small explaination or what you suggest. appart from that the map is really fun and i cant wait to detail it.
Also the Half part of the name of the map is coming soon. #shark
cause many people were asking about that.

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Billo

aa
Feb 8, 2016
920
397
In this update:
-The whole map got textured. apart from a building in the center which I have to idea what to do yet.
-Blue side is almost fully detailed.
-Added Sharks to the map ( hopefully people will stop complaining that there is no shark in sharkbay lol )
-added more clipping
-added some soundscapes to the map.
-added 3D skybox ( not 100% done either )
-More details around the map were added.

I would like to thank my good friend cig0073 who provided me with the shark model and in the future with more props and animations. and Da Spud Lord for making a custom "func_croc" for the shark to work in my map.
Thanks to them this update was possible.

Notes:
Personally, I am pretty Happy with the map , how it plays , how it looks and I cant wait to see it in action.I decided to release the map earlier to get feedback from you guys and I hope you enjoy it. I will fully detail it soon.
I shoot for B4 to be the update the map is almost there. We will see.
As you can tell from the screenshots My main focus was on Blue side rather than Red. I had more ideas for that side and they turned out to be great. In the future I will show more Love to Red team.
Something you will Notice while playing the map is that each base and spawn is completely different from the other. Thats something 2fort does pretty well and I wanted to mimic that in a good way. In short I didnt want both sides to look the same just with different colors.

I would love to Hear what you got to say about the map and if you got any feedback leave them down in the comments. 20190117212647_1.jpg 20190117212710_1.jpg 20190117212753_1.jpg 20190117212806_1.jpg 20190117212816_1.jpg 20190117212830_1.jpg 20190117212839_1.jpg 20190117213041_1.jpg 20190117212859_1.jpg 20190117212910_1.jpg 20190117212922_1.jpg 20190117212929_1.jpg 20190117212937_1.jpg

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That's the plan

L4: Comfortable Member
Jul 8, 2018
183
38
Oh damn. Gotta say, the map is looking a whole lot nicer now ever since the texture/detail overhaul. Congrats with the map!
 

Idolon

they/them
aa
Feb 7, 2008
2,105
6,106
Your environment settings and your skybox do not agree with each other, both in terms of the coloration and the angle. It looks very wrong.
 

That's the plan

L4: Comfortable Member
Jul 8, 2018
183
38
Actually, I guess I do have a bit of a complaint. As much as I like some of the new details added to the map, I feel like the industrial and beach-side themes kinda clash with each other at points. I feel like the map should have more of a beach-side feel, such as with banana bay, except not to the extent that that map goes to. This could also be reflected in the sky box a bit more as well. But then again, that's just my opinion.

*I don't mean that it should have a tropical feel like banana bay, I just think a sort of sea-side feel would fit the map much better.
 

Billo

aa
Feb 8, 2016
920
397
a reason that i uploaded the map earlier was to see such reactions and opinions from you guys. I think you are right and i might start over detailing some areas until i get it right. keep in mind that this is my second time detailing ever so I got a lot to learn. but I am thankfull you are assisting me and I hope I can deliver
 
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Billo

aa
Feb 8, 2016
920
397
In this version:

* I re-themed , and detailed the map all over again. ( more about that on the notes below )

*Improved optimization and clipping.

thats all I think. it doesnt sound like much but it is honest work.

Notes:

Funnily enough the approach I took with the map this time around was the my original vision of sharkbay.
Truth to be told I didnt know how to detail a map. I almost never reached Beta in any of my "good" maps ( not counting my old maps that the first release was RC1 - I still dont know what I was thinking back then lol) So my first attempt at detailing this map didnt go as well as I hoped it would go.

Despite that I am really happy I took this decision to start almost all over again.I feel like Sharkbay Looks like a map now. I really wanted to play the map again cause its been like 2 months since I last played the map with real people and I wanted to see peoples' reactions. This is why I decided to release B2 a bit earlier. When The map reaches B3 I will have it fully detailed and maybe I will add a better 3D skybox as well. Until then enjoy sharkbay B2!

Oh Btw I tried solving the sniper sightlines but I couldnt fix them. My only and best solution was to add a door to the main door but i dont think that would be a nice idea. I will see what I can do though.

the 3 following images are a comparison of Before and After:

Before
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After
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Before
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After
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Before
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After
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The rest Now will be only the new changes-details around the map.
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That's the plan

L4: Comfortable Member
Jul 8, 2018
183
38
I really like and appreciate the fact that you took the time to completely re-design visual style of the map, so thank you for that. However, now I kinda feel like the map is almost too dark and industrial themed? (I'm not really sure if that makes sense.) I kinda liked how bright the map was before, now I just feel like the sort of beach-side theme has been removed in favor of a more industrial theme. But hey, I'm just nitpicking at this point, and I'm sure other people are fine with it. Its more of a "me" thing. Great job on the map!
 

That's the plan

L4: Comfortable Member
Jul 8, 2018
183
38
Also what happened to the cow announcer? I'm a little sad that its gone :(
 

Billo

aa
Feb 8, 2016
920
397
the cow is not gone. it is hiding in a part of the map until i make the building near the capture point a good place for it to be in. ( i will add the window again at some point) now as far the design is concerned, thanks for your kind words and your help of course. The design I decided to go with this time around was my original plan and this was how I was imaging it. I will try to add a few features of an Island later on but I wanted it to be on a dock with shipping containers and buildings that suit this theme mostly so thats why I did what I did.
Now about the map brightness I could release a version in which the map will be brigher ( as a test ) to see if people like it more.
But now the map is darker could give me an opportunity to play with lighting more and create some cool shadows and such. We will see what happens.
 

Billo

aa
Feb 8, 2016
920
397
In this version of the game:

* Detailed the map a lot more.

* added details on areas outside the walkable space. ( this will help in the next version when I add a better 3D skybox)

*added a new shark aquarium for Red team ( now both teams are equal )

*optimized the map a little more and made the fps higher ( I tried replacing a few props with brushes , and more props now fade out when you are out of their view.

* Now for the second time every class can get on top of the ship ( its an experiement again but since people complain its way too hard to attack the point and for some reason nobody goes to the ship flank for health and ammo this might help the sittuation. If not I will just revert it back )

Notes: I am pretty Happy with how the map looks now. I had a goal. To make Red Side look better than Blue Side and for some reason I done it. I tried making different looks and details to each side so the map is more interesting. That applys to the new aquarium as well which was a community request and I hope I delivered. In the next version I will have the whole map detailed and textured and with a 3D skybox hopefully.

With that Said Please... Give me feedback about the map and Explain why you are saying what you are saying ( maybe include a way to fix the issue too ). I say that cause having feedback like its too hard to attack the point doesnt say much and I dont know what the deal is.

Anyway, I hope you like the new details and hopefully I will play my map for once. its been like 3 months since I last played it....

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