Cumulus

ChronoTriggerFan

L420: High Member
Feb 3, 2008
434
73
CUMULUS
(pl_cumulus_a11)
by ChronoTriggerFan

Cumulus takes place in a stretch of iron ore veins, somewhere in the desert. RED is planning to use cloud seeding to blackmail power companies with huge thunder storms, likely to wipe them off the earth. BLU, commissioned by fearful power companies, has set out to destroy RED's base of operation.

This map is a 3 stage payload map. Once the overall layout Is balanced enough for public consumption, It will be detailed and transition into beta.

For more in depth development info, check out my Mapping Blog, updated sporadically!



***Note***
When posting feedback, please exclude graphical problems, such as a misaligned texture, weird brush placement, etc. What I'm looking for is information that will help me balance the map out, making both sides have an equal chance of winning if both teams are equivalent.
 
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ChronoTriggerFan

L420: High Member
Feb 3, 2008
434
73
Lately I've been working on smoothing out the terrain, as it's very hard to move across. I've also been working on fixing up the tunnel side path, and made it more useful. I'm getting the feeling theres a lot of wasted space, especially in the second area.

While working on it, I thought it might be a good idea if I cut off the area a bit after the central building. On the attached thumbnail, The red would be cut out, the blue would be the new spawn, and the yellow dot would be the new cap point. Opinions before I do this?
 

GrimGriz

L10: Glamorous Member
Jan 2, 2009
774
133
I think that'd really help...when you get the cart into the building it feels like you should be done with the stage :)
 

ChronoTriggerFan

L420: High Member
Feb 3, 2008
434
73
Alpha 4 released. Current changes include:
Code:
[LIST]
[*]Added gates to prevent use of alternate paths untill the first point is capped.
[*]Improved the terrain to be more level, and easier to move across.
[*]Changed the tunnel side path, so it leads to a higher location, and can't be used by RED easily.
[*]Removed a small shack near the track in the second area.
[*]Removed the pit with iron ore in in, in the second area.
[*]Second area cut in half, as the track was way too long.
[*]RED spawn reworked to fit the new location.
[*]Adjusted respawn wave times to reflect new distances.
[/LIST]
 

ChronoTriggerFan

L420: High Member
Feb 3, 2008
434
73
Void offered to make me a skybox, so far progress is great!
skypreview.png

With the overcast I can get some nice ambiance effects with the level.
 
Sep 12, 2008
1,272
1,141
Hmm, I'd go for a more cloudy feeling, since cumulus means "cloud" in latin. Maybe more like a stormy sky perhaps?
 

ChronoTriggerFan

L420: High Member
Feb 3, 2008
434
73
Hmm, I'd go for a more cloudy feeling, since cumulus means "cloud" in latin. Maybe more like a stormy sky perhaps?

I named it cumulus originally because there was an old 50's top secret project on cloud seeding for military use. Cumulus clouds are also not the kind of clouds that appear for storms.

Team_Fortress_2-20090404180246.jpg

This is currently how I've been messing with the light environment setting.
 

TheDarkerSideofYourShadow

L10: Glamorous Member
Apr 12, 2008
792
286
As I mentioned in the playtest today, the only thing I did not like was where the red team spawned. It just seems wrong to be so close to the point, no matter what the wave time is. Again, consider goldrush, and how the defenders spawn in that map. That being said, I painted up an SS of one possibility.

pl_cumulus_a40000_painted.jpg


Basically, I would consider having the spawn on the left there. You could even have two exits depending on if the first point is capped or not. Additionally, you could make a 2nd floor above the spawn, which would be accessed from outside. You could make the center raised area where the cart stops now an open 2nd floor, which ties in with the building and windows to the right. Just thoughts, nothing more.
 

Fireman

L4: Comfortable Member
Mar 21, 2008
150
59
Hey, I was playing along with you and the calculated chaos guys a little earlier, and I found a spot on the track that players can fall down and get stuck in

I was backing up to take a shot when I sunk down a little, and when I tried to jump out I ended up sliding all the way underneath the tracks.

The spot in question is right before the track turns to go into the building housing the 2nd to last capture point, up against the wall.

Looking at the spot
pl_cumulus_a40009.jpg


The hole itself
pl_cumulus_a40010.jpg


My lovely view from below
pl_cumulus_a40007.jpg


pl_cumulus_a40005.jpg


I ended up exploding to free myself, and ran back to take some screenies as a pyro.........

during which another shot knocked me back down the hole :cursing:
 

Void

Local Man Unable To Map, Sources Say
aa
Sep 14, 2008
1,865
2,972
He knows about that. I fell down it the night before Gameday.



He laughed at me. :c
 

Sgt Frag

L14: Epic Member
May 20, 2008
1,443
710
Forgot to post some gameday stuff...

I think the changes made were good. The ground had been smoothed out alot more than I had expected to see. I'd almost like to see you pull it up somemore but maybe not as much as it was. 1 foot difference in cracked ground heights rather than the three or four it was originally. Maybe you could put some clip ramps beside them so you can easily run or jump up them. Originally you would just get trapped in little alcoves all over.
The ground looked really cool, just hard to navigate. Now it's real easy to navigate but not as cool looking. A mix between the two would be cool with more emphasis on easy to navigate.

I was suprised that we never seemed to get the cart to the old chokepoint (sentry building). Seems like we always got at least that far before, but we got held off at the tunnel this time.

One thing I think might've contributed to that. The side path. Until 2/4 of the rounds were up I kept running by, thinking you replaced the tunnel with a shack. I assumed it was just a hiding place and never look in there. I'd put an arrow on that building for blu. It is a little tough to see in there when you run by.

But it might've just been teams, lack of effort... as nothing else seemed to change that would alter the gameplay.

Other than that I don't know what else to report. I like the map and would like to see more stages.

Oh yeah, glad to see it on cC, I'll get to play it a bit more.
 

captainAngry

L420: High Member
Feb 1, 2009
434
247
You probably already knew this but there is a part on the map where you can fall and get stuck (pics attached). Naturally we had a whole team down there one round.

I updated the ratings for all the maps on my server and the overall rating stayed about the same with about 20 more votes so that's a good indication of what people think.
 

ChronoTriggerFan

L420: High Member
Feb 3, 2008
434
73
I think the changes made were good. The ground had been smoothed out alot more than I had expected to see. I'd almost like to see you pull it up somemore but maybe not as much as it was. 1 foot difference in cracked ground heights rather than the three or four it was originally. Maybe you could put some clip ramps beside them so you can easily run or jump up them. Originally you would just get trapped in little alcoves all over.
The ground looked really cool, just hard to navigate. Now it's real easy to navigate but not as cool looking. A mix between the two would be cool with more emphasis on easy to navigate.

Most of it will come back later. I made it all flat because of gameplay for now, and will displace them, to make correct elevations and keep it smooth and easy to traverse.
 

bomc

L2: Junior Member
Sep 25, 2008
83
18
it looks nice, i like the idea of a cracked-desert-ish style, and i cant wait to see it when its done.
Since this is stage 1, it should be easier for blue to win, than for red. Try to play a little with the respawn times, and the cap times.
One of the problems i see in the map, is that the higher ground in the first part of the map cant be reached from anywhere on the main battlefield, so if a blue player dont go out of any fo the high spawn exits, there is no way for that player to get up there (unless he goes back to the spawn). Its the same for red. you could make the high ground go down to the ground (as seen below), but i dont know if that it the bast solution. You could also make the house in the middle bigger, and add a second floor with acces to the high ground. This would also make the house more useful for the team that controls it.
pl_cumulus_a40004.jpg

Also, blue needs more advantages in the second part. You could do that my adding more windows to the house (maybe a connection with the other house?), and make it harder to access by red, but you also need to move/make a new entrance to the house closer to the cp (look at goldrush stage 2), and make it/them more visible.
pl_cumulus_a40002.jpg

But anyways, all this is just suggestions, and you dont have to do the things above if you dont like them / got a better idea yourself / dont want to change it etc.
 
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ChronoTriggerFan

L420: High Member
Feb 3, 2008
434
73
I've been working on stage 2 for the next build, as stage 1 proved to be decently balanced.
Team_Fortress_2-20090416204258.jpg

Team_Fortress_2-20090416204333.jpg

Team_Fortress_2-20090416204425.jpg

Team_Fortress_2-20090416204351.jpg

Team_Fortress_2-20090416204358.jpg


As you can tell, by the end of the round, the map has switched to an industrial theme. Hoping to have this out by the end of next week at the latest.
 

Void

Local Man Unable To Map, Sources Say
aa
Sep 14, 2008
1,865
2,972
The lighting is gross. Got anything brighter ?

I told you, Chrono!

Not all Overcast lighting effects have to be that... uh, what-you-have.

Edit/Providing something Productive:

You can easily see the sun through Overcast. I see it all the time. A nullified env_sun can give you an excuse to add a brighter light to it. Brighten up the Brightness by 150 or so. It would provide more defined shadows and other neat lighting.
 
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