Eureka Dunes

Nineaxis

Quack Doctor
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May 19, 2008
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2,820
So I've decided to finally make a thread for Eureka Dunes, my contest entry, and release Alpha 1, which is missing a third stage (but has stage 1 mostly detailed!).
 

YM

LVL100 YM
aa
Dec 5, 2007
7,135
6,056
Only added today? poor show.

However its very fun to play on (from what I have done) and the detailing of stage 1 certainly looks nice :) I await the second and third stages!
 

pl

L5: Dapper Member
Mar 6, 2009
248
55
Wow, it's looking really good! I also agree with Mangy, perhaps you should have some more colour designation between the two bases :)
 

Nineaxis

Quack Doctor
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May 19, 2008
1,767
2,820
Sexy as fuck.
Red and Blue look a bit... same-ish.

Fix the problem with all PLR maps and have the carts creep forward at a constant .1 of normal speed.

Yeah, I don't feel that RED's side is nearly as "strong" as BLU's, I'm still playing around with it and will hopefully arrive at something better looking soon.

And I'm not sure about the speed thing. Yeah, it'll end stalemates, but it'll also mess with rollback zones and I don't think it solves the problem as well as a good layout does.
 

tenaciousg

L1: Registered
Jan 8, 2008
44
7
okay so, here it is.. maybe not the most informative screenshot i coulda took, and sorry i did not take more but like i said ingame it was above the vent prop that i was originally trying to get onto. it's above the building and i tried walking along it and it worked, but only for a couple paces.
15hhglf.jpg

i remember someone else saying they took one aswell so if need be they can post theirs. :)
 
May 23, 2009
205
34
Quite fun to play, nice hydro setting :), good for all classes i picked to play (medic, pyro and soldier i think for a little bit...so not really all but :p)

My only gripe is that stage 2 is almost identical to stage 1. boo :thumbdown:
 

Psy

The Imp Queen
aa
Apr 9, 2008
1,706
1,491
I like the looks of it. Hope it plays just as well.
 

Jazz

L5: Dapper Member
Mar 9, 2008
240
23
Yeah, I don't feel that RED's side is nearly as "strong" as BLU's, I'm still playing around with it and will hopefully arrive at something better looking soon.

I found it helps to make RED structures more pointy and dark colored, while BLU should be square (like it is already) and light.
 

Sgt.Sausage

L420: High Member
Dec 5, 2008
420
103
I really enjoyed playing this today, we actually played it for quite awhile and filled the server.

Stage 1: Fantastic detailing and great layout.
Stage 2: Different from stage 1 i dont no why everyone says it similar.
Stage 3: Hurry up
 

Dr. Spud

Grossly Incandescent
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Mar 23, 2009
880
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I've said this in alpha testing, but I'll type it here (also this is from the alpha build, so I'm not sure if the layout changed a whole lot or not).

I'm worried that it's too small to stay interesting for a long while. After a handful of playtests, all the games I played on it blended together and felt very similar to eachother. Both sections basically had one area you battled in (the middle), and once one team pushed through that it was over. It's the same problem I'm having with many of the PLR contest maps: two teams mashing into each other until one of them wins.

You can love or hate pipeline, but at least it lets teams strategize. It also lets one team push forward and gain more ground, and then possibly be pushed back. It's not just one big arena.
 

Sgt.Sausage

L420: High Member
Dec 5, 2008
420
103
You can love or hate pipeline, but at least it lets teams strategize. It also lets one team push forward and gain more ground, and then possibly be pushed back. It's not just one big arena.

As much as i dislike pipeline, you got a great point their.
 

jpr

aa
Feb 1, 2009
1,094
1,085
I played this a long time ago and I can't remember much about it
But about the art style, hydro was designed to look neutral, and so your map looks neutral too... I think you should use different textures for blue and red, maybe make some custom ones, I'm pretty you could be able to keep the hydro style without using the same neutral textures.
 

Waif

L7: Fancy Member
Mar 22, 2009
412
125
Played well and was fun.
My biggest concern was these side paths that led out onto the balcony, it was very difficult for the opposing team to attack people on the balcony as they could retreat back into the tunnel.
Therefore I would sugggest perhaps making the paths in here cross over, allow a team to defend their own route.

plr_eureka_a10000.jpg


Also this area was fun, but also a bit too sniper friendly. Not sure what you can do here, perhaps make the middle section a bit higher ( increase the small ramp) so snipers can't sit outside (as seen in my horrid screenshot) and guard the middle.

plr_eureka_a10001.jpg


Overall very nice, promosing map, keep it up :)
 

Sgt.Sausage

L420: High Member
Dec 5, 2008
420
103
The same here in your last screenshot, i was playing sniper and could pretty much camp the other team as their spawn is very close to the tunnel. Maybe dont make the tunnel so straight, or have a center piece of some sort like we talked about something similar to sawmill.
 

3Suns

L1: Registered
Jul 11, 2009
29
12
I haven't had a chance to try the map, but will keep my eyes out for it (thanks for the server link). I enjoy PLR. Looks (and by the others posting here, sounds) like it has lots of potential.

I am curious about the name, when the detailing comes in, is it going to become more evident as to why it is called Eureka Dunes? I was expecting rolling desert [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eureka_Valley_Sand_Dunes"]dunes[/ame], not two industrial complexes.
 

Nineaxis

Quack Doctor
aa
May 19, 2008
1,767
2,820
Played well and was fun.
My biggest concern was these side paths that led out onto the balcony, it was very difficult for the opposing team to attack people on the balcony as they could retreat back into the tunnel.
Not to be hard-headed, but I'm not convinced this is a problem. Pipeline has tunnels which act the same way (something I love about Pipeline). It offers an interesting route for attackers, is easily accessible to soldiers, scouts, and demomen. And for the other classes, they can just go through their tunnel and on the other end make a U-turn and head down the other tunnel.

Also this area was fun, but also a bit too sniper friendly. Not sure what you can do here, perhaps make the middle section a bit higher ( increase the small ramp) so snipers can't sit outside (as seen in my horrid screenshot) and guard the middle.
I'm going to shorten the middle section and add cover to the spawn exits so they can't be sniped at or sniped from.

I am curious about the name, when the detailing comes in, is it going to become more evident as to why it is called Eureka Dunes? I was expecting rolling desert dunes, not two industrial complexes.
Yeah, it'll be more apparent, when I get around to making the 3D skybox.
 
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