pl_halfacre

grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
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Mar 4, 2008
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Probably just not enough horizontal hints. You also have a lot of doorways and windows that provide line of site through corners and buildings between large area's. It doesn't appear the friendliest map in terms of how well it's been designed with optimisation in mind. But this is a balance you need to learn, compromising between visuals and performance.
 

Cerious

L420: High Member
Aug 10, 2008
455
133
Ah, thanks for releasing b3. Seems almost final, IMO. I did a quick run-through and here are some suggestions:

- You could use more cacti on top of the non-accessible cliffs. That, and more small bushes here and there. The rock rubble (the desert-y one that appears everywhere in Badlands) is nowhere in your map, and you can use that as added detail. It'll make your map prettier, that's for sure.
- For some reason, the sun appears bright with a blue aura around it. Even though this sounds stupid, make the sun yellow again please?
- You still have a grammatical error in the info section (when you press i in-game, it brings up an info screen). I can't remember exactly where it is, but check your its, because you forgot an apostrophe on one of them (yes, I'm that much of a grammar Nazi).
- On some of the boxes in Blu spawn, when they fade they leave an ugly shadow (so from a distance it just looks like a dark black spot instead of boxes). It looks pretty bad, maybe you can disable shadows on the boxes?
- I'm also surprised that you have no large health packs in your map whatsoever (you know, the ones that restore you to full health regardless if you have 1 health or 299 health). You have everything BUT these.

Other than that, fantastic work, good luck on winning the contest (which you probably will if Mangy doesn't optimize his map as good as you did), and hopefully this will be in a nearby future Valve update.
 
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Ida

deer
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Jan 6, 2008
2,289
1,372
I know you're very far into development, but I think you should give BLU a somewhat easier time in the last part, by giving them some sort of hideout that's relatively safe. Look at the small, isolated room in Badwater close to the final point, for example. It lets Engineers set up teleporters (in other words: do their most important job) and is one of the few places where a team can prepare a proper offensive push.

There is a building that can only be reached from BLU's side by climbing up a truck. Not everyone knows how to climb it, even if it's obvious to some people. I bet BLU would use the house more if you made it more accessible from their side, and a bit less accessible for RED.

I'll take some screens and try cooking up a suggestion in a few minutes.
 

Ida

deer
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Jan 6, 2008
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Okay, here's the idea.

pl_halfacre_b30001.jpg

RED can get into the building as easy as BLU can, which shouldn't be the case if you want any sort of safe spot for BLU. While you're at it, make it a bit safer so that Engineers have a chance to set up a good forward base. Oh, and a bit of metal in there would be important as well if you choose to go with this, otherwise it won't be a good forward base anyway.

pl_halfacre_b30002.jpg

You may not think so, but I believe many people skip going into this building altogether because it's mildly frustrating to climb up. That's two crouch jumps and two jumps. Making a staircase encourages BLU to use the building more, and it also gives RED Spies a better chance at countering BLU's new advantageous position.
 
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Laz

L420: High Member
Jul 5, 2008
461
35
yeah make that spot easier to get onto.
some parts are really easy for snipers and allow for way to long viewpoints.

It would be nice to have an alternative route when the chokepoint is filled with defense.
Badwater has the entrance to the higher room looking over the final cap, on the right right before the chokepoint on the corner at the last cp(before the track dips down)

more arrows! a bit confusing on your first play where to go.

the spawns are a bit confusing, more arrows! :p

you can build in the blu spawn :(
 

Ida

deer
aa
Jan 6, 2008
2,289
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...b-b-but then it's easy for blu!

This is more about giving BLU a safe spot to set up rather than giving them an easier time. It's important for offensive Engineers to be able to set up their forward base in an advantageous position, of which there are none right now. Besides, it's not like RED can't get into that house, since Soldiers, Scouts and Demos would be able to go there easily, not to mention it would be easier for not only BLU, but also RED, to use the normal entrance to get in there. Finally, RED Engineers can just use their dispenser to jump up there - this wouldn't overpower BLU, it would be a slight remedy.

There might be other solutions which are better, of course, this is just the best I can think of.
 

YM

LVL100 YM
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Dec 5, 2007
7,135
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Now with 1000% more explosion!

[ame="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=XKax7v_500Q"]Asplode :O :O[/ame]
 

Laz

L420: High Member
Jul 5, 2008
461
35
is it hard to put the explosions in? It seems like a really hard thing to model and stuff. is doing the same as on the goldrush/badwater maps considered bad? should I create my own original explosion?
 
Aug 19, 2008
1,011
1,158
Putting the default explosions in is quite easy, just look into the hybridphysx folder in your object-browser. putting those in isn´t considered bad :)

If you feel up to it, 3d-programs, skinning, animation, it´s always great to see something unique. I use a custom explosion on pl_cashworks because it was the best solution for the theme of my map. I used valve´s debris explosion to amplify my animation.

as said, standard explosion, you can´t go wrong with that. finding a creative way other than the pit-drop-boom! always appreciated :D
 

YM

LVL100 YM
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Dec 5, 2007
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I can model, but I haven't done any animation yet. (other then a camera flyby)
I should look into how valve does the explosions I guess :)

Valve cheats, they use a plugin for maya called blastcode. it takes the stuff from their map, they set properties for each material and give it a size of explosion and some other perameters and then they let blastcode do it's thing, it destroys the stuff making it fly all over the place and bounce of the stuff around it and then they simply export all the bits of the explosion back into hammer.
 
Feb 14, 2008
1,051
931
Valve cheats, they use a plugin for maya called blastcode. it takes the stuff from their map, they set properties for each material and give it a size of explosion and some other perameters and then they let blastcode do it's thing, it destroys the stuff making it fly all over the place and bounce of the stuff around it and then they simply export all the bits of the explosion back into hammer.

But the downer for that... is that blastcode costs a few thousand dollars. (I don't know if the trial would run though)
 

Cerious

L420: High Member
Aug 10, 2008
455
133
Ummm...

There actually is a window there, but your light settings are soooo low you couldn't see it lol.
 

Nineaxis

Quack Doctor
aa
May 19, 2008
1,767
2,820
I think he and the rest of us know there is indeed a piece of glass there.

But the point stands, sometimes you do spawn facing that general direction and it is slightly annoying.